Lexus Looks To Close Out 2005 Campaign With a Strong Finish
10/31/2005 Torrance, CA
The Lexus Daytona Prototype teams will attempt to close out the 2005 campaign on a winning note at this weekend's Rolex Sports Car Series 250 in the series first-ever Mexico City event at the Autodromo Hermanos de Rodriguez.
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Leading the way will be Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz in the #01 CompUSA Lexus-Riley. Currently in second-place, the pair has been particularly strong over the past four races. They won the penultimate round of the series at Virginia International Raceway, finished second at both Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio, and dominated at Phoenix, stretching out a 17-second lead, before being taken out of the event by another driver. Although the incident at Phoenix virtually eliminated the Ganassi team's chances for a second consecutive series title, the duo has had a fantastic second season in Grand-Am competition. For the year, Pruett and Diaz have combined for three wins, seven top-three finishes, 10 top-five showings and four pole positions in 13 races. Teammates Stefan Johansson and Cort Wagner give Ganassi Racing two teams in the top five heading into Mexico City. They have registered 10 top-10 finishes including a second-place at Mont Tremblant in the #02 New Century Mortgage Lexus-Riley. Johansson is one of the few drivers in this weekend's race to have previously competed in Mexico City and has registered a handful of starts on the track in Formula One competition. The Michael Shank Racing (MSR) combination of Luis Diaz and Mark Patterson will make their fifth start of the year this weekend. The twosome have logged three top-10 finishes including a third at Watkins Glen, as well as a pole at Laguna Seca, in just four races this season in the #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley. Lexus-powered Daytona Prototypes have won eight races and registered 15 pole positions in 25 Rolex Series events to date. Qualifying is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Saturday's Rolex Sports Car Series 250 will get the green flag at 4:00 p.m. with SPEED providing live flag-to-flag coverage. The event is scheduled for 90 laps on the 2.786-mile road course with a time limit of two hours and 45-minutes. Drivers Car Points Position (Wins) Credit: Lexus Motorsports |
