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Grand Am: Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas win at Mid-Ohio

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Khatir Soltani
Grand Am Press Release

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas combined to win Saturday's EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank at Mid Ohio, giving them five victories in seven races to extend their Daytona Prototype point lead.

Rojas started from the pole in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley and led twice for 26 laps in the early going, while Pruett paced the final 38 of 107 circuits in the two-hour, 45-minute race. The Chip Ganassi Racing duo also increased their lead in the Daytona Prototype championship to 32 points with five races remaining. Differing pit strategies saw Pruett back in seventh early in his shift.

Ozz Negri and John Pew were second in the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 2.991 seconds behind, holding off third-place finishers Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle in the No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford/Riley at the finish.

Mark Wilkins worked his way to the podium during the closing laps, catching Michael Valiante with two laps remaining to spoil a Cinderella story for Michael Shank Racing. Valiante and Brian Frisselle finished fourth in the No. 6 Pit Stop at Norris Lake Ford/Dallara in the first race in that car after the Columbus-based team's Riley was destroyed in a fire at Watkins Glen, N.Y.


Race results:

1 - Pruett/Rojas (Riley/BMW) - Ganassi - 107 laps in 2.45'47”993
2  - Pew/Negri (Riley/Ford) - Shank + 2"991
3  - Wilkins/Bu.Frisselle (Riley/Ford) + AIM - 3"145
4  - Br.Frisselle/Valiante (Riley/Ford) + Shank - 4"604
5  - Garcia/Rice (Coyote/Porsche) - Spirit of Daytona + 12"299
6  - Fogarty/Gurney (Riley/Chevrolet) - Stallings + 14"717
7  - Gidley/V.Moltke (Dallara/Ford) - Doran + 17"616
8  - Law/Donohue (Riley/Porsche) - Brumos + 17"830
9  - Angelelli/Taylor (Dallara/Ford) - SunTrust + 1'19"783 

10  - Borcheller/Barbosa/France (Riley/Porsche) - ActionEx. + 1 lap
Etc.


Championship:

1. Rojas-Pruett 225; 2. Frisselle-Wilkins 193; 3. Dalziel 190, etc.




Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada