Denver: Rocketsports Racing race report

Rocketsports bookends the podium in the MotoRock Mile High 100

DENVER -- Rocketsports Racing continued its tradition of excellence with another pair of podium finishes at the MotoRock Mile High 100 during the Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver weekend Sunday. Two-time Trans-Am Series champion Scott Pruett, driving the No. 7 MotoRock Jaguar XKR, scored the flag-to-flag win while teammate Johnny Miller, driving the No. 64 Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR, collected third place points.

Pruett's victory was his seventh in nine starts this season while setting a new track record and winning the BFGoodrich Tires "Take Control" award. With his 21st career Trans-Am win, Pruett is now tied for fourth place in all-time wins with Bob Tullius, who won both the Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championships for Jaguar in 1978.

Miller's podium finish was his seventh this season. His win at Lime Rock was his second career Trans-Am victory.

"This has been a terrific season," said Pruett, who increased his lead in the point standings. "We ran hard here, but a left a little on the table. You can't challenge this track 100%; one little bobble and you can lose a half second or more. You've got to be heads up enough not to get in too deep and pay a big price."

"We were really laying it down here," continued Pruett, who had never raced on the current Denver downtown circuit. "My car had an ugly understeer in the beginning, but by the end, the car was sweet. The car really came in well."

"We had a good car all weekend," explained Miller, who ranks second in the championship point standings behind his teammate. "Not being able to qualify because of the rain probably hurt us today because it's so tough to pass on this track. You get one foot off line and the car just sails."

"There was a lot of debris off line," continued Miller. "On line, we were blisteringly fast. Here, you just can't get off line, that's the real challenge."

Tomy Drissi, driving the No. 5 "Stuck on You, the Movie" Jaguar XKR retired early with suspension problems as a result of being tagged by another competitor, finishing 15th.

The MotoRock Mile High 100, Round 10 of the MotoRock Trans-Am Tour for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup, will air on a tape-delayed basis on Monday, Sept. 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT on SPEED Channel.

Round 10 of the 2003 MotoRock Trans-Am Tour championship is scheduled for Sept. 26-28 as part of the Grand Prix Americas on the streets of downtown Miami.

-rsr-