WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. − Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas exacted the best measure of revenge.
Five days after Jon Fogarty slammed Rojas on the first turn of a Grand-Am Sports Car Series race at Lime Rock, Conn., relegating the Ganassi teammates to a last-place finish, they responded Saturday by driving their No. 01 BMW Riley Daytona Prototype to a dominating victory in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International.
Pruett and Rojas led 121 of the 191 laps completed in the race. Pruett drove away from Max Angelelli on a late restart to post the team's third straight victory in the grueling race and fourth win in six races this season.
``The car was just incredible,'' said Pruett, the only driver to win the event four times. ``Whatever we do, however we set that car up, it just adapts itself very well to Watkins Glen. To come and run at The Glen and get my own little piece of history is an honor.''
Pruett dominated the first portion of the race, fell to second behind Fogarty in the No. 99 of GAINSCO/Bob Stallings when rain showers hit, then relieved Rojas and beat Angelelli in the No. 10 Sun Trust Racing Ford Dallara by 1.6 seconds. Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia were third.
The No. 99, also driven by four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Alex Gurney, finished sixth after Gurney slid off course in the closing laps.
Andy Lally, Bob Doyle and Spencer Pumpelly combined to win the GT class in the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3. Jonathan Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay were second in a Mazda RX-8, and Leh Keen and James Gue finished third, also in a Mazda RX-8.
Pruett, who started on the pole, led all but one of the first 30 laps, only relinquishing the lead briefly during the mandatory first stop at the 45-minute mark because his pit stall was behind the start-finish line.
But when heavy rain began to fall in the chicane and the renowned boot section of the 11-turn, 3.4-mile layout, Fogarty, the windshield wipers on his Chevrolet Riley whipping back and forth, came alive. He passed Pruett for the lead, and after trailing by nearly 6 seconds in the early going, held a 6.4-second edge after lap 34.
As the track dried, Pruett regained his edge and seven laps later closed on the back of Fogarty as both drivers navigated through the cars of the slower GT class 80 minutes into the race. Ten minutes later, Pruett was back in the lead.
Both cars pitted around the 2-hour mark, with Rojas taking over for Pruett and Fogarty remaining in the No. 99 as Johnson waited patiently for his stint.
As the race neared the halfway mark, Fogarty led Rojas by nearly 7 seconds. Johnson finally took over when Fogarty pitted with the lead just past the midpoint of the race. The driver change went smoothly, but Rojas remained in the Ganassi car, regained the lead by 4 seconds, and quickly pulled away from Johnson.
But as Johnson became accustomed to the track his lap times began to improve in his first drive in a Daytona Prototype at Watkins Glen International. He exited the car in second during a caution after driving for just under an hour.
Angelelli led Pruett and Gurney on a restart with just over an hour left, but Pruett passed him on lap 162 and never relinquished the lead.
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