Papis and Pruett Give Lexus Runner-Up Finish at VIR 400; Maintain Rolex Series Points Lead

TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 4, 2004 -- Scott Pruett put up a valiant charge, but finished just short as he and Max Papis combined to finish second in their CompUSA Lexus-Riley in yesterday's VIR 400 Presented by SunTrust at the Virginia International Raceway.

After starting from the pole (with a new track record) for the ninth time in 10 races this season, the #01 CompUSA Lexus led the first 17 laps before giving up the top spot while pitting under a full-course caution. Unfortunately, shortly after the yellow, Papis was forced through the grass to miss a spinning GT car, collecting a large amount of debris in the radiator. With rising water temperatures a concern, Papis was forced to back off his earlier pace and, while maintaining second, fell back from the leader.

The CompUSA Lexus team was down, but not out, as Pruett erased a five-second lead in the final laps to less than half a second behind the leader as rain began to fall on the Virginia track. Pruett made a move for the lead, but couldn't pull off the pass in the difficult conditions and was forced to settle for second place.

"Everyone at CompUSA Ganassi Racing and Lexus race to win and we really put the heat on them at the finish," said Pruett. "But the rain was starting to come down harder and we had to do everything we could just to keep it on the track."

The second-place finish kept the Lexus-powered drivers in first place in the series Driver's Championship race with a five-point advantage heading into the season's final two races. The race marked the duo's sixth top-two finish in 10 races this season.

Ganassi Racing's strong showing wasn't limited to the Papis/Pruett entry, though, as Jimmy Morales and Luis Diaz (#02 CompUSA Lexus-Riley) combined to finish fifth and give the team and Lexus two cars in the top five today. It was their second straight top-five finish and their fifth of the 2004 campaign.

Things didn't go nearly as well for the other two Lexus-powered Daytona Prototypes.

Oswaldo Negri was running in the top-six after a late-race spin, but took a violent hit while re-entering the track in his Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Doran. Negri walked away from the crash, but it dropped he and co-driver Burt Frisselle to an eventual 14th-place finish. The day ended even earlier for the Doran-Lista Racing Lexus-Doran as mechanical woes sidelined the team just a handful of laps into the event for a 17th-place finish.

The Rolex Sports Car Series and the Lexus Daytona Prototype program return to action for the Barber 400 Oct. 10 at the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. The race will be televised live on the PEE Channel.