Lexus Heads North Looking for First Prototype Win

TORRANCE, Calif., May 18, 2004 -- After knocking on victory's door in the first three races of the season, the Lexus Grand American Daytona Prototype effort will head north of the border to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, looking to secure its first victory in the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

In the season's first three events, three different Lexus-powered cars have earned podium finishes. Doran-Lista Racing finished second at Daytona; Michael Shank Racing placed third at Miami and the #01 Ganassi Racing CompUSA Lexus registered a runner-up finish at Phoenix.

This weekend, four different teams will vie to become the first to win with Lexus power at Mont-Tremblant. The Ganassi Racing team appeared to be headed to victory in each of the last two races only to see misfortune come their way. The #01 CompUSA entry of Scott Pruett and Max Papis led at Miami before a late-race incident and then bounced back to lead more than half the race at Phoenix before an ill-timed yellow cost the team a shot at victory. Pruett and Papis hold the distinction of having won the pole for all three races this season. They'll be joined by teammates Luis Diaz and Jimmy Morales who finished fourth at Phoenix in the #02 CompUSA Lexus.

While the Ganassi team may have come closest to winning, the Michael Shank Racing team is the highest Lexus-powered team in the point standings. MSR heads to Mont-Tremblant in third place, just six points out of the series lead. Coming off a successful two-day test at Watkins Glen with drivers Oswaldo Negri and Burt Frisselle, team owner Michael Shank has high hopes as the schedule shifts to some of the larger road course circuits.

"The Lexus/Doran package is really strong on the longer tracks," Shank said. "The Lexus really likes to stretch its legs, and that's going to be important as we race through the summer."

Didier Theys and Jan Magnussen will be behind the wheel of the Lexus- powered Doran-Lista Racing car looking to regain the form that carried the team to a runner-up finish in the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours. The duo also registered a strong effort in Miami only to be sidelined due to a late-race incident while battling for the lead.

While competing in just its second race of the season, Cegwa Sport offers up one thing that the other Lexus teams lack -- a past Daytona Prototype winner and the defending race champion. Mike Borkowski, the 2003 series runner-up and defending race champion at Mont-Tremblant, will join team drivers Darius Grala and John Lloyd in the OzEXE Lexus/Fabcar. PEE will provide five hours of live coverage for the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant, beginning at Sunday at 11 a.m. (EDT).