Pruett, Diaz tie record with fifth win.

Sunday, 27th August 2006

Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz kept their Grand-Am Rolex Series title hopes alive with victory in the Sonoma 250 at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, the #01 CompUSA Chip Ganassi Racing pair also tying a record for the number of victories in a single season.

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Liddell started from the class pole and led throughout his opening stint, handing the #72 NEC Porsche to Henzler during the same lap 22 caution that saw Pruett assume control of the winning prototype. The Scot, however, climbed back into the cockpit for the finish, inheriting the lead again on lap 83 when Lally had to pit the #65 TRG Pontiac GTO.R for fuel. Liddell then held off a late charge from the American after a final full-course caution to score the third victory of the year for the Tafel Racing Porsche.

"I didn't really make a fantastic start, but I was able to make the correct line on the first turn," Liddell revealed later, "However, after two laps, my lead was completely gone with a little bit of understeer. The track was extremely difficult to manage today - it's very twisty and, on the straights, there was really only one good line. The Daytona Prototypes did a great job today, and I was able to avoid any issues."

Liddell and Henzler have now swept the GT races in California this season, also winning at Laguna Seca in May., and head into the final race of the year within shouting distance of the championship leaders.

"It's a great win for us," Henzler noted, "The team has worked really hard to come back in this race. Everything was pretty perfect today and now we're back in the championship race. It was a good finish for the points and it will be a good fight for the championship at Miller."

The runners-up finish for Lally and Bunting was the tenth podium of the finish for the locally-based TRG team, but any hope of victory disappeared when Lally, having led twelve laps late on, had to pit for fuel.

"Marc did a good job to have a really uneventful stint," the American reported, "He turned the car over to me in excellent shape and towards the front of the field, but traffic was really tough today - the DP cars were all over and some of the GT guys were not too polite. However, we steered clear of all of the mayhem and came home second, although I really didn't have anything for the #72 car at the end because we got a loose. Utah is going to be exciting!"