PRUETT CLINCHES THIRD TRANS-AM TITLE IN MOTOROCK MIAMI 100
CONTACT: Harry Warren, (517) 927-3613 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRUETT CLINCHES THIRD TRANS-AM TITLE IN MOTOROCK MIAMI 100 MIAMI Scott Pruett, driver of the No. 7 Motorock Jaguar R Performance XKR, clinched his third Trans-Am Drivers¹ Championship during Round 10 of the Motorock Trans-Am Tour for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup in the Motorock Miami 100 with one race remaining. Pruett, who claimed his previous titles in 1987 and 1994, scored the flag-to-flag win in today¹s race, but needed only to finish eighth or better to secure the title. Pruett won his first title driving a Merkur XR4Ti, and he wheeled a Chevrolet Camaro to claim his second championship. With his third title in the Jaguar XKR, Pruett joins his team owner, three-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi as the only drivers to have won three Trans-Am championships while driving three different marques. Gentilozzi¹s titles came while driving a Chevrolet Corvette in 1998, a Ford Mustang in 1999, and a Jaguar XKR in 2000. En route to his third title this season, Pruett has scored eight victories and eight poles in ten starts. His pole position in the Motorock Miami 100 was his 28th career pole, which tied him for second place on the all-time pole list with Gentilozzi. ³This has been a great season. It¹s been a tremendous success for Jaguar and our team,² said Pruett. ³As a team, we did whatever we needed to get the job done which was to win poles, races, and, ultimately, the championship. This is a perfect place for me to be and it turned out even better than I expected. We had zero mechanical problems this year. ³This really is a team effort,² continued Pruett. ³The driver is the focal point, but it takes the team¹s hard work and dedication. ³My approach this season was different. I¹ve come full circle. I¹m here racing in the Trans-Am Tour because I want to,² explained Pruett. ³I¹ve always loved it, but before it was stepping stone. Now, it¹s where I want to be. It¹s a whole different mindset this time.² ³All the championships are special, but this one was the most fun, working with Paul and Rocketsports. Before there was always a lot of politics and pressure. Now, I could really enjoy it, still do my TV broadcasting, and spend time with my family and see my kids grow up. It¹s a nice balance; I¹m loving life right now. It¹s been a dream season.² This season marked Pruett¹s return to full-time competition for the first time since 2000 when he competed on the Winston Cup Tour. The Motorock Miami 100 race will air on a tape-delayed basis on Friday, Oct. 10 on SPEED Channel at 9 p.m. # # #