Rocketsports Sweeps Front Row in Trans-Am Qualifying in Miami

MIAMI Rocketsports Racing swept the front row in qualifying for Round 10 of the Motorock Trans-Am Tour for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup in the streets of Miami for tomorrow¹s Motorock Miami 100. Two-time Trans-Am champion Scott Pruett, driver of the No. 7 Motorock Jaguar R Performance XKR, claimed his eighth pole this season with a time of 52:808 on the 1.15 mile, 13-turn temporary street course. Stablemate Tomy Drissi, driving the No. 5 ³Stuck on You, the Movie² Jaguar XKR, will start beside him on the front row. Pruett¹s pole is his 28th career Trans-Am pole, tying him with team owner Paul Gentilozzi for second place for all-time pole list. Drissi¹s qualifying effort is his second front-row appearance this season, equaling his career best earlier this season at Mosport. Pruett, who can clinch his third Trans-Am title tomorrow by finishing eighth or better, will look for his eighth win in 10 starts this season. ³This will be a tough race physically,² said Pruett, who won the Trans-Am Series Drivers¹ Championship in 1987 and 1994. ³It will be very demanding and brutal to run an 87-lap race. This will be the hottest race of the season. We were joking that the team owners will definitely get their money¹s worth out of the drivers tomorrow. ³It¹ll also be tough on the car because it¹s such a tight, bumpy circuit. That¹s what¹s great about Trans-Am racing it¹s a sprint race. You¹ve got to get your set up right because there are no pit stops and no opportunities to make changes.² Drissi, whose solo Trans-Am victory came on the Long Beach street course, is confident about his chances this weekend. ³I used my brakes a bit more than I wanted. But we had a good car. I can do what I did today all day tomorrow. I think I¹ll win.² Johnny Miller, driving the No. 64 Motorock Jaguar XKR out of the Rocketsports camp, will start fourth on the grid tomorrow. Miller, who ranks second in the point standings with one win and eight podium finishes this season, was hoping for a front-row start. ³The car was better than it had been. We made changes which made us quicker. But we just didn¹t go fast enough today. We¹ll look at the data and see what else we can learn before the final practice tomorrow morning. The Motorock Miami 100 will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 immediately following the Champ Car World Series race. The race will air on a tape-delayed basis on Friday, Oct. 10 on PEE Channel at 9 p.m.