Lexus Rolex Efforts Stumble at Birmingham

The stunning 1-2 finish by the Chip Ganassi with Félix Sabatés Lexus-Riley Grand Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes at the Iowa Speedway race on Friday 13 July was definitely a hard act to follow. Nevertheless, Lexus entered the next race in the series, the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday 22 July with Scott Pruett leading the Daytona Prototype point standings by 15 points over second-place Max Angelelli with just five races remaining in the season, and with Chip Ganassi Racing stretching its points lead to 20 in the hunt for a third team title in the last four years.

Qualifying saw three Lexus racers in the top 10: Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas' #01 Telmex Lexus-Riley in fifth position, Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle's #61 Exchange Traded Gold/AIM Autosport Lexus-Riley in eighth position, and Shane Lewis and new co-driver Guy Cosmo's #3 PLP Lexus-Riley for Southard Motorsports in ninth. For Lewis and the PLP team, it marked their top qualifying effort of the season.

The Birmingham race itself ended with Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas ending the race in the same fifth position they stared with, followed by a pair of Michael Shank Racing Lexus-Rileys: Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson combined for a sixth-place finish in the #60, while their teammates John Pew and Ian James placed seventh in their Playboy-sponsored #6 car.


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Will_ - 8/13/2007 12:40:00 PM

+3 Boost

WHAT?!

There goes my day...

1970toyotamarc - 8/13/2007 3:32:18 PM

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Can you just see 009's ear to ear grin?

Agent009 - 8/13/2007 4:20:30 PM

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Lexus does a superb job in the Rolex Series. I predict they will come out on top at the end of the year.

Hyundai - 8/13/2007 2:47:49 PM

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Oh come on. These races are televised all the time on TV. If Porsche (or BMW) were winning back-to-back races you would MAKE SURE to know what the Rolex Series was.

Agent009 - 8/13/2007 4:21:51 PM

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And what series do you expect them to compete in? The Rolex Series is quite popular and demographically appropriate.

Not everybody should compete in NASCAR.

S4cabriofoxone - 8/14/2007 12:58:36 AM

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That's the BMW guy's excuse for any race that another manufacturer wins.

M35MT - 8/13/2007 4:46:14 PM

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Random note:

I always thought Toyota got their inspiration for their name from Rolex. "roLEXus", if you will. Sounds expensive...whereas Honda use to take existing words and put a new twist on them:

Acurate = Acura
Integra = Integrity
Vigor = Vigorously
Legend = uh, you get the idea

johnct - 8/13/2007 6:00:02 PM

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This is actually the production version of the much heralded IS-F. Most were expecting a four seater, but lexus decided this is there only hope for playing in BMW land!

david989 - 8/14/2007 3:51:47 AM

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BMW wishes they could participate and win in the Rolex Series. A Rolex is the best watch in the world and the Rolex Racing Series is the best and most difficult. Only the best play ball here and Lexus is the best.