Scott Pruett Climbs Trans-Am Tour Pole at Miami
TRANS-AM CONTACT: Justin Anderson (704) 348-9400 Cell: (517) 927-3614 Fax: (704) 348-9444 MOTOROCK CONTACT: Chris Fleming 212-691-2800 Cell: 917-647-4790 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 27, 2003 SCOTT PRUETT CLIMBS TRANS-AM TOUR POLE AT MIAMI MIAMI Scott Pruett continued his quest to claim his third Motorock Trans-Am Tour for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup Driversı Championship Saturday by winning the pole for the Motorock Miami 100 at the Grand Prix Americas street circuit in downtown Miami. Pruett, driving the No. 7 Motorock/Jaguar R Performance XKR, turned a 52.808-second lap at an average speed of 78.397 miles per hour. With the pole, Pruett earned two bonus points, and now merely has to finish eighth or better in tomorrowıs race to clinch the title. Tomy Drissi (No. 5 Stuck on You, The Movie Jaguar XKR) equaled his best career qualifying effort of second, ahead of Michael Lewis in the No. 12 Westward Tools Car Available at Grainger. Both earned on bonus point for qualifying in the top three. Johnny Miller (No. 64 Motorock Jaguar XKR) and Bobby Sak (No. 10 Revolution Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette) completed the top-five qualifiers. Pruettıs pole effort was the 28th of his career, tying him with team owner and three-time Trans-Am titlist Paul Gentilozzi for second on the all-time pole list. Tommy Kendall leads the pole category with 39 fast times. ³This will be the hottest race of the season,² said Pruett of the hot, humid weather. ³We were joking that the team owners that they will get their moneyıs worth out of their drivers tomorrow. This will be a tough physical race. ³Itıll also be tough on the car because itıs such a tight, bumpy circuit,² added Pruett. ³Thatıs whatıs great about Trans-Am racing, though. Itıs a sprint race and you have to get your set up right because there are no pit stops and no opportunities for changes. The concrete is very slippery but the asphalt has pretty good grip. Thatıs part of the challenge of a street course; itıs always changing. Youıre always adding rubber from the different series with different tire makers and some arenıt compatible. The car didnıt feel very good at first, but it got better and better as the BFGoodrich tires rubber was laid down. Drissi equaled a career-best qualifying effort, set at Mosport earlier this season. ³Iım just lucky to be able to be racing,² said Drissi, who earned his lone Trans-Am victory at a street course, Long Beach, in 2000. ³I always say that you do the best with what youıve got; thatıs what racing is about. I love street races. The less experience you have, the more you need to focus. Racing on a street course definitely makes me more focused. Iım still young in terms of my driving experience, but I think with a little time, opportunity, and a good team like Rocketsports, I can drive for the championship in a couple of years.² Lewis equaled his best qualifying effort this year. Interestingly, Lewis will do-drive with Drissi in an LMP 900 car in todayıs American Le Mans Series race. ³This is a great effort,² said Lewis, who Like Scott said, this is just an ever-changing track, so tomorrow will really tell the tale. The weather will be especially significant. If it rains, everything will change. Grainger is the parent company of our primary sponsor Westward Tools. Weıre moving that program forward and weıre happy to have them on board.² ³Tomy and I are teammates on an LMP 900 car in the American Le Mans Series,² added Lewis. ³Today weıll work together, but tomorrow weıll be competitors.² The Motorock Miami 100 is scheduled to start at approximately 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, following the Champ Car World Series race. The race will air on a tape-delayed basis on PEE on Friday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.