Watkins Glen II: Series race report

Great At The Glen: Pruett, Rojas Score Record-Tying Seventh Victory In Fastest Race in Daytona Prototype History

Keen, Gue Score First GT Victory For Dempsey Racing On Late-Race Pass

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Aug. 7, 2010) - Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas scored a dominating victory in Saturday's Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International, tying the single-season GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series victory record with their seventh triumph of 2010.

Pruett beat Max Angelelli to the checkered flag by 2.722 seconds, averaging a Daytona Prototype record 120.679 mph in the two-hour race slowed only by a pair of late-race cautions. Pruett managed to hold the lead on both restarts, leading the final 60 of the 99 circuits on the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen short course.

The victory extended Pruett and Rojas' lead to 26 points over Ryan Dalziel with only two races remaining in the Daytona Prototype championship (302-276). Dalziel finished fourth in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care BMW/Riley started by Mike Forest.

"Overall, the car was solid," said Pruett after scoring his sixth Glen victory. "We just seem to have a good setup for the Glen. The traffic was tough, and you could lose two seconds a lap, easily. We just tried to cut our way through traffic the best we could, run smart and run clean."

Rojas led twice for nine laps after starting on the pole. Ricky Taylor took over in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford/Dallara and led 29 laps before turning the car over to Angelelli. Pruett took over the lead on an exchange of pit stops. Two GT cars split the leaders after Angelelli exited the pits, and he was unable to make up the distance.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty finished third in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley. The pair won seven races en route to capturing the 2007 DP title.

The first caution came on lap 85 when Robin Liddell's No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro came to a stop after experiencing mechanical problems. On the restart with 15 minutes remaining, Burt Frisselle's third-place No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford/Riley and the No. 59 Brumos Porsche/Riley David Donohue had contact entering Turn 1. Tracy Krohn was caught up in the incident in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford/Lola and came to a halt, bringing out a second caution.

Leh Keen passed Jonathan Bomarito for the GT lead following the final restart, and went on to score the first Rolex Series victory for Dempsey Racing in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8 started by James Gue.

Bomarito finished second in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 started from the pole by Sylvain Tremblay, while Paul Edwards passed Jeff Segal for third in the closing laps. Edwards and starting driver Scott Russell both had to pit with tire problems on the No. 07 Banner Racing Corvette, while Segal and starting driver Emil Assentato had to come from ninth starting position in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8.

Segal and Assentato continue to lead the GT championship, although Tremblay cut the margin to four points (290-286), with Bomarito third with 267 points. Tremblay and Bomarito dominated the race, leading all but 10 of their 92 laps.

Only two races remain in the 2010 Rolex Series season: the Montreal 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Aug. 28; and the season-ending Utah 250 at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City on Sept. 11.

-source: grand-am