Pruett looks for breakthrough
MEXICO CITY – Scott Pruett has never won a NASCAR race, but every time he shows up at a road course, he is considered a contender for the victory.
So he shows up this weekend for a Busch Series race in the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge hoping that Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez could be the place for that elusive win.
Pruett, who was second in the 2003 Nextel Cup race at Watkins Glen and has three top-five finishes in Cup events at road courses, is one of the road-course specialists entered in the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200.
Qualifying is scheduled for today with the race Sunday on the 2.518-mile road course.
Pruett tested the Busch car with crew chief Brian Pattie at Virginia International Raceway prior to coming to Mexico.
“It’s always difficult jumping in for one race,” Pruett said. “I’ve never done a race together with this group. … I’m looking forward to working with Pattie and all the guys. I think we should have a real good car here.”
Pruett will be joined by Boris Said (Evernham Motorsports) and Ron Fellows (Kevin Harvick Inc.) as the top road-course aces in the event to go along with Mexican favorites Adrian Fernandez (Hendrick Motorsports), Michel Jourdain (Roush Fenway Racing) and Jorge Goeters (Brewco Motorsports). One other driver competing with a strong team has significant road-course experience – Pruett’s teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya.
Pruett enters Mexico feeling good, coming off a victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona race a month ago (with Montoya as one of his co-drivers) as he vies for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series title. He is pulling double-duty for Ganassi this weekend, as he is jumping back-and-forth from the sports car to the Busch car.
“That transition isn’t as difficult as going from the Grand-Am car to the Cup car because there’s a lot more horsepower and less downforce (in Cup),” Pruett said. “Everything is a lot more difficult to drive in a Cup car.”
Pruett will get his chance in both Busch and Cup cars this year. He will compete in the Aug. 4 Busch event in Montreal and expects to be in both the Busch and Cup races the following weekend at Watkins Glen.
The race weekend in Sonoma in June conflicts with the Grand-Am weekend at Mid-Ohio. Pruett said if Ganassi wants him to do both, he will fly back and forth.
For now, Pruett will just concentrate on seeing if he can make his NASCAR history in Mexico.
“In practice Friday, Montoya showed off his road-racing expertise wih the fastest speed.
Montoya averaged 104.180 mph on his fastest lap in the No. 42 Dodge on the curvy, 2.518-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez course.
“It’s an awesome track,” Montoya said. “It takes a lot of talent to go around and it’s tricky and needs a lot of rhythm. I hope we can have a good weekend and bring the car home this time. I see our team going higher and higher and that is the main goal.”
Montoya gained a strong following in Mexico with Formula One victories in the 1990s.
“I get a great reception from the Mexican crowd,” he said. “This is the closest thing I get to racing at home. The first thing I did when I came in last night was go to my favorite restaurant.”
Contreras and Jorge Goeters also finished in the top five, a promising sign for local fans who have been waiting for a fellow Latino to triumph in NASCAR’s only race in Mexico.
Pruett was second in the practice session at 103.542 mph. Denny Hamlin was third in Chevrolet at 103.297 mph.
“One day, a Latino is going to win a NASCAR race and the Hispanic following of this sport will go through the roof,” Contreras said. “I hope that winner will be me on Sunday. If it’s not me, I hope it will be Juan Pablo Montoya.”