Scott Pruett’s No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost Protoype in action at Daytona. [Joe Jennings Photo]
Daytona Beach, FL – Scott Pruett is a household name in racing circles and after an accomplished open-wheel career, he has made his mark in sports-car racing, winning five Rolex Series Daytona Prototype championships and has made the Rolex24 at the Daytona International Speedway his personal playground, going to victory lane 10 times, to include class and overall wins.
Scott Pruett, wife Judy and children Lauren and Cameron join in during autograph session prior to the Rolex24. [Joe Jennings Photo]
At present, Pruett is tied with legendary road-racer Hurley Haywood with five overall wins and with Haywood retired, Pruett may well move to the head of class in near future. “It would be great to be at top,” said Pruett. “It is one of those things where hopefully I will get it but you never know. It would be great, and I am honored to be in same category with Hurley. With five overall wins along with my class victories, I may be in a league of my own.”
Only 54 years of age, Pruett shows no sign of slowing down and he’s eager to let everyone know he plans to be around for a while. “I love what I’m doing,” he noted without hesitation. “The good Lord has blessed me with this incredible career that I am still incredible passionate about, and I love it.”
Of course, Pruett isn’t in the business by himself, and he has managed to align himself with high-achieving teams and various combinations of skilled co-drivers. In recent Rolex Series action, the Californian has been teamed with Memo Rojas, and pair has racked up three championships. A year ago, the duo along with Juan Pablo Montoya and Charlie Kimball kicked off the season with a win in the Rolex24, but they fell on hard times thereafter before rebounding to finish runner-up in the final Rolex Series championship standings.
With the newly structured TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series, Pruett, Rojas and the vaunted Chip Ganassi Racing organization are focused on capturing the inaugural TUDOR Championship. However, a championship road will not be an easy run as the competition from the old American LeMans Series and the Rolex Series will be formidable. Also, the Ganassi group has switched from BMW power to the new Ford EcoBoost power plant. And with any new series and engine transition, teething challenges are anticipated.
The ever-optimistic Pruett recognizes the challenges ahead but isn’t intimidated by the ladder of progression. “I am excited to be with Ford, and it is a long-term venture,” he stated. “It is brand new technology, technology we haven’t seen in our sport for years. Sometimes you have to take a step backward before you can go forward. I think the experience will be a great one.”
Regarding the merger, he added, “”It will be a transition year. Being around NASCAR the way I have, they look out five years and more, not one year. When we look at 2014, I think it will be difficult to find parity with the cars, and I think it will be a monumental task to figure out. Rule change after rule change will probably take place routinely.”
“Champions are the guys that regardless of the circumstance can rise to the top,” Pruett said, using Jimmie Johnson as a reference and indicating his team knows how to address adversity. “On a team level, the crew always rises to the top. Everyone on the team, from the driver to the team to the owner, has to be focused on the same thing and going in the same direction. If any of those elements isn’t working, it can cause you to lose a championship. You have to be smart and look at short and long-term at same time. And you must have the speed when it counts and the consistency to finish.”
Pruett enjoys working with new teammates and spends considerable time mentoring them, as he did a year ago in the Rolex24 with Charlie Kimball and this time around with teenager Sage Karam. “We spend as much time as we can, telling them what to expect, how to run the race and not to take chances, just be smart and run hard,” Pruett commented. “At this point in my career, I have a lot more racing in my rear-view mirror than I do through my windshield. To be able to pass along tips to my fellow drivers is a cool thing.”
Look for Pruett’s championship form to be on display for many years to come.