LONG BEACH, CALIF. – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas made it look easy Saturday as they took the checkered flag after leading for almost the entire TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase at the Long Beach Street Circuit.

Pruett and Rojas led 76 of 77 laps of the one-hour, 40-minute race and rarely held a lead larger than two seconds, but they had enough to beat the Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP of Ricky and Jordan Taylor by 0.759-seconds at the line.

Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finished third in the Action Express Corvette DP.
The excitement started early. In a mad scramble for track position, John Pew, driving the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford EcoBoost/Riley, found out the hard way that you can’t go three-wide through Turn One. Pew stuffed it into the tire wall and it took most of the entire first lap to get the car free.

Rojas made it through Turn 1 first, keeping clear of the action behind him. Rojas, in the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Riley, was able to keep pace ahead of Corvette DPs being driven by Fittipaldi and Ricky Taylor.  The lead teams pitted for fuel, tires and driver changes with about 47 minutes left in the one hour, 40-minute race. Barbosa beat Pruett – they both had just taken over the wheel – but wasn’t able to keep Pruett behind him on cold tires. Pruett slid by Barbosa, and Jordan Taylor, having replaced his brother Ricky, took advantage by following Pruett past Barbosa into second place. Pruett’s move on Barbosa was the pass for the win. The Ganassi team may have made it look easy but Pruett said it was anything but.