Pruett Shattered Record for Lead-Lap Finishes in Rolex 24

For many years, finishing on the lead lap almost guaranteed a victory in the event now known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In the 42 races from 1964 through 2006, two cars finished on the lead lap on only four occasions.
With that in mind, Scott Pruett has put together an incredible streak of five consecutive lead-lap finishes in the Rolex 24. He broke the record of three straight lead lap finishes set by Peter Gregg from 1973 through 1976 – with that mark also eclipsed by Memo Rojas, who has been first or second the past four years driving the No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW/Riley.
“I think that finishing on the lead lap for the past five years is a testament to the team, the Ganassi organization, to run all those miles,” Pruett said. “For a car from a team to run and finish every lap five years in a row is a phenomenal record. That says a lot about Ganassi and GRAND-AM. The cars have become so robust that you’re able to achieve that year after year. Now the reliability of the cars is not your biggest issue going into the race – we’re more worried about getting through traffic and pit stops.”
Pruett shares the record for career lead-lap finishes in the Rolex 24 with Hurley Haywood with six each. Pruett won overall in the 1994 Rolex 24, while Haywood won the race five times in addition to finishing second in 2009.
After two years of running as a three-hour event in 1962 and 1963, the Rolex 24 became a true endurance test when it ran for 2,000 kilometers (approximately 1,244 miles) in 1964 and 1965. The race was expanded to 24 hours in 1966, and it has stayed that way ever since with the exception of a six-hour race in 1972.
From that first endurance race in 1964, the first time two cars finished on the lead lap was in 1986, when the Porsche 962 of Al Holbert, Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr. won by 1:49.150 over the Porsche 962 of A.J. Foyt, Arie Luyendyk, Danny Sullivan and car owner Preston Henn.
Three years later, Bell returned to victory lane with Bob Wollek and John Andretti in a Porsche 962, winning by 2:06.597 over the Jaguar of Andy Wallace, Price Cobb, John Nielsen and Jan Lammers.
The next finish with two cars on the lead lap was in 1996, when Wayne Taylor held off charging Max Papis to win by 1:05.518.
The first Rolex 24 under GRAND-AM sanction was in 2000, when the Dodge Viper of Olivier Beretta, Karl Wendlinger and Dominique Dupuy won by 30.879 seconds over the Corvette of Ron Fellows, Justin Bell and Chris Kneifel.
The introduction of the Daytona Prototype in 2003 changed the face of endurance racing. In the five races beginning with 2007, at least two cars finished on the lead lap on four occasions. Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya won by 1:15.842 over Samax drivers Ryan Dalziel, Patrick Carpentier, Darren Manning and Milka Duno in 2007. Pruett won again in 2008, joined by Montoya, Memo Rojas and Dario Franchitti in scoring a one-lap victory over GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser.
The 2009 classic saw four cars finish on the lead lap. Brumos won by .167 seconds over Pruett, Rojas and Montoya. The second Brumos Porsche/Riley with Haywood, Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller and JC France finished 7.077 seconds back, followed by the SunTrust Racing Ford/Dallara, 12.162 seconds in arrears.
Two cars finished on the lead lap in 2010, with the Action Express Racing Porsche/Riley of Terry Borcheller, Joao Barbosa, Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller winning by 24.01 seconds over Pruett, Rojas, Papis and Justin Wilson.
The 2011 opener had four cars on the lead lap, with Pruett, Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand winning by 2.426 seconds over Ganassi teammates Dixon, Montoya, Franchitti and Jamie McMurray. Action Express and Michael Shank Racing/United Autosports also finished on the lead lap.
Another way of looking putting Pruett’s record in perspective is that Peter Gregg held the record of lead-lap finishes for his consecutive victories in 1973, 1975 and 1976 (there was no race in 1974 due to the fuel crisis). Foyt and Bell scored four consecutive top-two finishes in a span between 1983 and 1987, but the two finished nine laps down in 1984 and Bell was 17 laps down in second in 1985.