CGRFS NBS/GA Montreal Advance
Race: NAPA Auto Parts 200 on Saturday, August 4, 2007 Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2.71-mile road course) Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada CGRFS Busch Media Contacts at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Kelby Krauss, No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit(r) Dodge, (317) 945-3019 mobile Liz Lehmann, No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Scott Pruett and the No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Dodge Team Facts: * MEDIA ALERT: Prior to the NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) race Saturday, August 4, at 11 a.m. ET, Scott Pruett and Michael Valiante will be available in the NBS garage at the No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit hauler to do a media question and answer session. For more information, please contact CGRFS media relations. * Double-Duty Weekend: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) Grand American Rolex Sports Car driver Scott Pruett will compete in both the Rolex Series and NBS races this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec. Pruett, who is the full-time driver of the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley with teammate Memo Rojas, will race the No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Dodge in Saturday's NAPA Auto Parts 200. Pruett raced for the bright yellow CGRFS Busch team this past March at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, where he grabbed his career-second NBS pole position and then topped the weekend off with a fifth-place finish. This upcoming weekend's run will mark Pruett's second NBS start for CGRFS. * Meet Scott Pruett: This season marks Pruett's fourth year of racing in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series for CGRFS. The two-time Rolex Series Champion (2004, 2006) has competed in almost every form of motorsports. Throughout his driving career, the 47-year-old California native has tallied nine major championships and multiple Daytona Prototype records for wins (14), poles (9) and podiums (30). The 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona Champion recently became the all-time winningest driver in Rolex Series history with his second win of the season at Iowa. * Not Too Shabby: Both Pruett and CGRFS teammate Valiante have been running competitive efforts in the Rolex Sports Car Series this year. With just four races remaining in the 2007 schedule, Pruett continues to maintain a strong lead in the driver and team points championship. Most recently, the CGRFS Grand American Rolex Sports Car teams brought home a one-two finish at Iowa Speedway on July 13, which was the first in the team's Rolex history. Pruett and Rojas brought home the win, with their fellow teammates Valiante and Finlay, just behind them in second place. Altogether, the CGRFS Rolex Sports Car teams have amassed two wins, nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes this year, and are home to the most winning driver (Pruett) and team (No. 01) with 14 and 15 career wins respectively. * Up Close and Personal: Pruett will be doing more than driving the No. 41 NBS entry this weekend, as he also hosts the "Wrigley's Foot Cam" in the cockpit throughout Saturday's race to give fans more insight into the technicalities of racing a stock car. Furthermore, Pruett will be the designated In-Race-Broadcaster for ESPN. To view the race from Pruett's point of view, tune into ESPN2 at 3 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 4. * Did you know? From June 24 through July 24, Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Teams, Inc. recorded a total of six wins in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch, IndyCar and Rolex Sports Car Series competition. It started with Juan Pablo Montoya's historic NEXTEL Cup win at Infineon Raceway and included a Grand-Am victory with Pruett at Iowa Speedway, which resulted in the organization's best winning streak since its inception (1990-2007). Although NBS Mexico City pole sitter Pruett and race winner Montoya will not compete as teammates again on the road course this weekend, did you know the two were tied for second on the CGR all-time driver win list with 14? They are only one win behind two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi (1997-98) who has more trips to victory lane for CGR-15 total-than any other driver. * Canadian On Board: Timmy Mckichan, the No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit spotter for this weekend's NAPA Auto Parts 200, hails from London, Ontario. Mckichan has been in NASCAR for more than 15 years. He has been with CGRFS since the team was formed back in 2000. In addition to his part-time spotting duties, Mckichan oversees the CGRFS paint and body shop and also turns a wrench or two when needed. * Chassis: Crew chief Brad Parrott and the No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit team are taking chassis #559 to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend. It is the same car Juan Pablo Montoya raced to his career first NASCAR victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez this past March in Mexico City, Mexico (started third). * Standings Update: The No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit team is 18th in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, where Parrott and crew are 143 points outside the top 10. * When to Watch: The NAPA Auto Parts 200 is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, August 4, and will broadcast live on ESPN2, MRN radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128. Qualifying for the 74-lap competition is scheduled to start at 12:10 p.m. ET Saturday and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Pruett's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Stats Date Series Race Start Finish Laps Status Winnings - - - - - - - - Track Summary: Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Avg. Start Avg. Finish Completed Total DNF Winnings NBS - - - - - - - - - - - Totals - - - - - - - - - - - Pruett's Cumulative NASCAR Busch Series Stats Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Laps Led Winnings 7 0 2 3 2 38 $162,440 Pruett's 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Stats Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Laps Led Winnings 1 0 1 1 1 22 $63,825 No. 41 Wrigley's Team 2007 Results Date Race Start Finish Winnings Owner Points Date Race Start Finish Winnings Owner Points 17-Feb Daytona 25 38 $42,475 37th 6-Jul Daytona 10 7 $27,860 22nd 24-Feb California 20 36 $22,370 44th 14-Jul Chicago 32 15 $23,530 21st 4-Mar *Mexico 1 5 $63,825 26th 21-Jul St. Louis 2 1 $59,850 15th 10-Mar Las Vegas 3 30 $22,680 32nd 28-Jul ***Indianapolis 12 34 $14,650 18th 17-Mar Atlanta 30 39 $13,260 32nd 4-Aug *Montreal 24-Mar Bristol 24 16 $22,825 31st 11-Aug *Watkins Glen 7-Apr **Nashville 1 11 $18,150 25th 18-Aug Michigan 14-Apr Texas 36 35 $19,955 31st 24-Aug Bristol 20-Apr **Phoenix 18 11 $18,475 25th 1-Sep California 28-Apr Talladega 14 27 $18,775 26th 7-Sep Richmond 4-May Richmond 10 8 $16,845 21st 22-Sep Dover 11-May **Darlington 2 30 $14,600 26th 29-Sep Kansas 26-May Charlotte 30 42 $15,265 29th 12-Oct Charlotte 2-Jun Dover 21 27 $15,025 28th 27-Oct Memphis 9-Jun **Nashville 34 14 $16,600 27th 3-Nov Texas 16-Jun **Kentucky 27 4 $33,825 25th 10-Nov Phoenix 23-Jun ***Milwaukee 10 35 $16,165 27th 17-Nov Homestead 30-Jun Loudon 14 9 $17,175 25th *Scott Pruett races **David Stremme races ***Scott Lagasse Jr. races Bryan Clauson races Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Winnings 22 1 3 6 2 $534,180 No. 41 Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Crew Name Crew position Hometown Name Crew position Hometown Brad Parrott Crew Chief Charlotte, N.C. Mark Rette Chief Mechanic Freehold, N.J. Ross Fletcher Engineer Lincolnton, N.C. Steve Dietrich Rear Mechanic Nipomo, Calif. Timmy Mckichan Spotter London, Ontario Felipe Vazquez Engine Tuner Kutztown, Pa. Scott Ward Front Tire Changer Clearlake, Calif. Scott Vogelsong Shock Specialist Camp Hill, Pa. Todd Drakulich Front Tire Carrier Tucson, Ariz. Bart Apple Tire Specialist Baltimore, M.D. Tyler Jones Rear Tire Changer/Swing Mechanic South Royalton, Vt. Jody Hall Pit Support Concord, N.C. John Gaynor Rear Tire Carrier Vancouver, Wash. Shane Bourgeois Pit Support Peachtree City, Ga. Joel Charpentier Jack Man Charleston, S.C. Dan Bormann Mechanic/Pit Support Shingle Springs, Calif. Marcus Bonicelli Gas Man/Front Mechanic Colorado Springs, Colo. Claude Collignon Scorer Los Angeles, Calif. Bill Cole Catch Can Man/Truck Driver Milan, Ill. Michael Valiante and the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Busch Series Dodge Team Facts: * Home Sweet Home: Valiante returns to his home-country for this weekend's NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) race in Canada where he will make his NBS debut. He currently resides in Vancouver, B.C., where he still lends a helping hand as a driver, team manager, tech supporter, driver coach and chassis tuner to his family's karting business, Italian Motors. * Meet Michael: Go-kart racing was the catalyst that jumpstarted Michael Valiante's racing career. After winning numerous titles, Valiante graduated to the Skip Barber Dodge Pro Series ranks where he won 13 of the 14 races in the 1998 season. After tests with Lynx Racing, Valiante secured a full-time ride with the team in 2002 and finished second in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. In 2006, he joined forces with Rob Finlay of Finlay Motorsports to compete in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. In April 2007, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) added the No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential Finlay Motorsports entry to its winning Rolex stable. * Experience - A Competitive Advantage: The 27-year-old Vancouver-native is no stranger to Montreal. In 2001 through 2003, he raced in the Toyota Atlantic series, which visited the Montreal venue each year. In 2001, Valiante qualified and finished second, and to his tutelage posted the fastest lap time in the race. His performance in 2003 scored a top-10, seventh-place finish out of 29 young competitors, two of whom are current contenders in the Grand American Series, John Fogarty and Alex Gurney. His fourth-place finish in 2003 further added to his strong record at Gilles Villeneuve, when he competed against current NASCAR contemporary A.J. Allmendinger. * In Michael's Words: "The Montreal race weekend will be tough for me because I'll be racing two cars (Rolex Daytona Prototype and NBS) that are completely different. I plan to get a lot of rest before the weekend; I figure I'll be in the Rolex car for about an hour and a half on Friday and then another couple hours in the Busch car on Saturday. I feel like I'm ready for the physical demands of the weekend. The biggest difference I noticed between the two cars is the braking. You really have to make sure you don't overcharge the Busch car's brakes. The other main difference is that the Busch car is so much heavier than the Daytona Prototype. Overall, switching between the cars feels natural to me. The Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team is great and has been very helpful and supportive in getting me ready for Montreal. I'm looking forward to a successful weekend in both cars." * Owner Points Update: The No. 42 Texaco/Havoline team's second-consecutive top-10 finish this past weekend lifted the team up another position in the NBS owner standings, where the crew chief Brian Pattie and team are now 12th. The No. 42 CGRFS Busch team is just 46 points outside the top 10. * Chassis: Pattie and his Texaco/Havoline crew are pulling out chassis #553 to race this Saturday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The car hasn't seen any on-track action this 2007 season, but last year it carried Reed Sorenson to a 36th-place finish at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in March and a 28th-place finish at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in August. Valiante's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Stats Date Series Race Start Finish Laps Status Winnings 6/9/2001 Toyota Atlantics Air Canada Grand Prix 2 2 27/27 Running N/A 8/24/2002 Toyota Atlantics Molson Indy Montreal 2 7 27/27 Running N/A 8/23/2003 Toyota Atlantics Molson Indy Montreal 2 4 25/25 Running N/A Track Summary: Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Avg. Start Avg. Finish Completed Total DNF Winnings Toyota Atlantics 3 0 0 2 3 2 4.33 79 79 0 N/A Totals: 3 0 0 2 3 2 4.33 79 79 0 N/A Valiante's Cumulative NASCAR Busch Series Stats Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Laps Led Winnings - - - - - - - Valiante's 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Stats Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Laps Led Winnings - - - - - - - No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Team 2007 Results Date Race Start Finish Winnings Owner Points Date Race Start Finish Winnings Owner Points 17-Feb Daytona 16 40 $44,375 39th 6-Jul Daytona 17 30 $26,600 15th 24-Feb California 29 39 $24,115 46th 14-Jul Chicago 17 21 $27,245 15th 4-Mar Mexico 3 1 $125,646 19th 21-Jul *St. Louis 13 7 $33,950 13th 10-Mar Las Vegas 35 20 $29,955 20th 28-Jul *Indianapolis 30 8 $21,700 12th 17-Mar Atlanta 10 8 $26,720 11th 4-Aug **Montreal 24-Mar Bristol 34 14 $28,450 9th 11-Aug Watkins Glen 7-Apr *Nashville 28 18 $21,750 10th 18-Aug Michigan 14-Apr Texas 14 30 $26,455 12th 24-Aug Bristol 20-Apr Phoenix 20 21 $22,150 11th 1-Sep California 28-Apr Talladega 20 7 $28,000 10th 7-Sep Richmond 4-May Richmond 11 11 $22,850 9th 22-Sep Dover 11-May Darlington 19 15 $23,775 9th 29-Sep Kansas 26-May Charlotte 37 40 $20,815 12th 12-Oct Charlotte 2-Jun Dover 24 14 $21,325 12th 27-Oct *Memphis 9-Jun *Nashville 28 23 $23,875 12th 3-Nov Texas 16-Jun *Kentucky 29 21 $26,975 13th 10-Nov Phoenix 23-Jun *Milwaukee 22 16 $24,125 12th 17-Nov Homestead 30-Jun Loudon 7 34 $20,835 13th *Kevin Hamlin races **Michael Valiante races Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Winnings 22 1 1 5 0 $671,686 No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Crew Name Crew position Hometown Name Crew position Hometown Brian Pattie Crew Chief Zephyrhills, Fla. Ryan Quann Catch Can Man Richmond, Va. Tony Glover Team Manager Kingsport, Tenn. Lucas Tucker Tire Specialist Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jason Milks Spotter Buffalo, N.Y. Bruce Jones Rear Mechanic Lakeland, Fla. Adam Mosher Pit Coach/Support Fort Mill, S.C. Brian Taylor Front Mechanic Cuthbert, Ga. Dan Chivari Front Tire Changer/Mechanic Erie, Pa. Tim O'Brien Engineer Lebanon, Ohio Adam Cooke Front Tire Carrier/Shock Specialist Zephyrhills, Fla. Todd Hamm Engine Tuner Kutztown, Pa. Daryl Lockyer Rear Tire Changer Los Angeles, Calif. Brandon Stafford Swing Mechanic Taylorsville, N.C. Doug Riepe Rear Tire Carrier Danbury, Conn. Scott Hutchins Pit Support Concord, N.C. Mark Jacobs Jack Man Ft Walton Beach, Fla. Don Kellar Scorer Concord, N.C. Tim Coffey Gas Man/Trk Driver Greenwood, Ind. Race: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 400k on Friday, August 3, 2007 Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2.71-mile road course) Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada CGRFS Grand American Contacts at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Kelby Krauss, No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley Liz Lehmann, No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential Lexus-Riley CGRFS No.01 TELMEX & No.19 Z-LINE DESIGNS/MISSION RESIDENTIAL FAST FACTS: * Teams: Back-to-back Rolex 24 At Daytona Champions TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No.01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley, Rob Finlay and Michael Valiante in the No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation Lexus-Riley. * Tune In: Friday, August 3, at 4:15 p.m. EST. Race tape broadcasted on SPEED later that day at 8 p.m. EST. * Last Race: Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. No.01, St. 5 Fn. 5, No.19, St. 13 Fn. 16 * Team Points: No.01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley, 293 points (1st, +11); No. 19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential Lexus-Riley, 145 points (16th, -148) * Driver Points: Scott Pruett, 298 points (1st, +11) Memo Rojas, 273 points (4th, -25) Rob Finlay, 205 points (12th, -93) Michael Valiante, 193 points (15th, -105) * Montreal Experience in the CGRFS Stable: Memo Rojas: * Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2002 and 2003 * 2002: finished 2nd * 2003: Qualified pole; finished 1st Michael Valiante: * Toyota Atlantics in 2001-2003 * 2001: Qualified 2nd; finished 2nd (set fastest lap time in the race) * 2002: Qualified 2nd; finished 7th * 2003: Qualified 2nd; finished 4th No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley Team 2007 Results Date Race Start Finish 28-Jan Rolex 24 At Daytona * 12 1 3-Mar Mexico City 3 4 25-Mar Homestead 7 3 29-Apr Virginia International Speedway 4 8 20-May Laguna Seca 4 2 9-Jun Watkins Glen (6hr.) 2 2 23-Jun Mid-Ohio 5 2 5-Jul Daytona 9 6 13-Jul Iowa 2 1 22-Jul Barber Park 5 5 *Pruett with Salvador Doran and Juan Pablo Montoya No. 19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential Lexus-Riley Team 2007 Results Date Race Start Finish 28-Jan Rolex 24 At Daytona N/A N/A 3-Mar Mexico City N/A N/A 25-Mar Homestead N/A N/A 29-Apr Virginia International Speedway 10 16 20-May Laguna Seca 10 19 9-Jun Watkins Glen (6hr.) 10 7 23-Jun Mid-Ohio 15 7 5-Jul Daytona 10 8 13-Jul Iowa 5 2 22-Jul Barber Park 13 16 For more information, go to: www.chipganassiracing.com Kelby Krauss Media Relations Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates 8500 Westmoreland Drive Concord, NC 28027 Office: (704) 662-9642 ext 1147 Cell: (317) 945-3019 Fax: (704) 663-0848 kkrauss@ganassi.com www.chipganassiracing.com