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Pruett Changing Direction For 2016

Christian Fittipaldi chats with new teammate Scott Pruett. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Christian Fittipaldi chats with new teammate Scott Pruett. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Scott Pruett. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Scott Pruett. [Joe Jennings Photo]

After a long and highly successful run with Chip Ganassi Racing, multi-time IMSA champion Scott Pruett is switching gears for 2016 and beyond. The five-time Prototype champion has signed with Paul Gentilozzi and Lexus to pilot a new Lexus RC F GT3 for the recently formed F Performance Racing organization.

The car is a derivative of the Lexus RC F coupe that came out near the end of 2014, and its first race will be in mid-2016 at the earliest. As a starter, the team is expected to run in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series in the GTD class.

Since Pruett has time on his hands prior to the new car being ready, Action Express Racing signed the champion as co-driver for its No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP for the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Pruett is joining 2015 championship drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi plus Filipe Albuquerque for these two grueling events.

Incidentally, Pruett has won the Rolex 24 five times and hopes to break a first-place tie for wins now shared with noted racer Hurley Haywood.
“I am excited to be part of Action Express and on a big program with Lexus and since we won’t be racing the Lexus until mid-season, they were kind enough to offer me a ride for the Rolex 24 and Sebring,” Pruett said recently. He went on to say that tests of the Lexus are tentatively set to start in April. As part of the Lexus global program, the car will mirror that of similar models raced in Europe and Japan.

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP driven by Pruett, Fittipaldi, Barbosa and Albuquerque. [Joe Jennings Photo]

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP driven by Pruett, Fittipaldi, Barbosa and Albuquerque. [Joe Jennings Photo]

“I was with the Ganassi team for 12 years and whenever you are with somebody like that for that long and all the successes we had – 17 championships, 5 driver championships and all the wins we had, it wasn’t an easy decision,” Pruett commented. “It was a lot more difficult to leave Ganassi because of the people, but looking forward I felt my best future was with Lexus and certainly proud to be part of it.”

He did confirm that Gentilozzi will be running the team with TRD doing the engines and it is very much a Lexus/Toyota program, playing off the success TRD has had in NASCAR and elsewhere.

According to Pruett, change is healthy and when the Californian decides to slowdown, he is being offered the opportunity to be an ambassador for Lexus. “It is three years now with three more years on top of it,” he said. “It should be a long and successful program and at this time, I have no plans to stop racing. You have to keep racing. When you take six months or a year off, it takes that long to get back in the groove. You have to keep the ball rolling.”

At present, Pruett is focused on the Rolex 24 and hopes for another successful run. “To win the Rolex 24, you have to be fast and smart and you have to be the first one to the checkered flag,” Pruett said with conviction. With experience on his side and the experience of the team and his fellow drivers, Pruett and company have to be a strong favorite going into the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona.

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