June
3, 2006
Immediate Release
Ruby Tuesday
Championship Racing Team Finishes 15th at The Glen
Watkins Glen, New York
-- The Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team finished 15th today
at Watkins Glen International Raceway for the Sahlen’s Six
Hours of The Glen and round eight of the Grand American Rolex Series
presented by Crown Royal Reserve.
The race day conditions
offered up a mixed bag for the 25 car Daytona Prototype field. A
combination of drizzle and drying conditions had the Alex Job Racing
crew shuffling slicks and rain tires off of the Ruby Tuesday number
23 Porsche powered Crawford all day. With the varied weather, drivers
Patrick Long and Mike Rockenfeller, were constantly negotiating
a changing track, at one point on slick tires when the majority
of the field had switched over to grooved rubber.
The changing environment
had the young duo being dropped back in the field due to pit stops,
but they were able to come back and even managed to lead a few laps
on the day. As the hours slipped away into the final two, the team
was poised for a run at a podium position until contact going into
the famed Bus Stop chicane put Patrick Long into the gravel. The
result was a stranded Ruby Tuesday number 23 that had to be extricated
costing laps and a possible podium finish.
Patrick Long made an
optimistic move into the Bus Stop that didn't work out. “The
number four car must have had a problem and I had a run on the 39,
he then broke a little early, I was on the inside and had to take
to the curb and spun us into the gravel. It may have been an optimistic
move, but when you’re in the heat of competition in this series,
as competitive as it is, you really have to take every opportunity.
We had a good car and in retrospect I think a little more patience
would have been rewarded at the checker flag.”
Mike Rockenfeller knows
a valuable points opportunity was missed today. “I had a solo
spin in turn one, I got up on the curb and it came around me, no
damage but that sent us back a few places. Patrick had a good drive
and the gamble he took into the chicane didn’t work out, but
early on in the race he was four cars wide and was able to make
up two positions in one turn, so some times it works and some times
it doesn’t. We were in a good position for a podium today,
I don’t think we had a winning car, but with that late yellow
and the strategy we were on we at least could have had a run at
them on the restart.”
“We really battled
the conditions today,” said Alex Job, team owner. “Mike
and Patrick were running a good race, when we fell back as a result
of pit stops or when we were on slicks in the drizzle we were able
come back and run at the top. Early in the race Patrick had a great
move down the front straight, his move later in the race did not
pay the same dividend. Mechanically we were very sound and the pit
stops and strategy was right on. With the competition in this series
you need all of the elements to come together with a little luck
thrown in as well to win.”
Round nine of the Grand
American Rolex series will be run at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course on
June 24th.
Grand
Am Daytona Prototype Watkins Glen Finish:
1. Bergmeister/Said
Ford/Riley
2. Gurney/Fogarty
Pontiac/Riley
3. Angelelli/Taylor
Pontiac/Riley
4. Patterson/Negri
Lexus/Riley
5. Leitzinger/Wallace
Pontiac/Crawford
6. McDowell/Gidley
Ford/Crawford
7. Pruett/Diaz
Pontiac/Riley
8. Borcheller/Brix
Ford/Doran
9. Frisselle/Friselle
Porsche/Doran
10. Dalziel/Figge
Lexus/Riley
--------
15. Long/Rockenfeller
Ruby Tuesday Porsche/Crawford
2006
Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team DP Finishes
Race
|
Drivers
|
Qualifying
|
Finish
|
Daytona
|
Long,
Luhr, Rockenfeller |
1
|
3
|
Mexico
City |
Did
not attend |
|
|
Homestead
|
Long,
Rockenfeller |
1
|
1
|
Long
Beach |
Long,
Rockenfeller |
2
|
2
|
Virginia
|
Long,
Rockenfeller |
*2
|
1
|
Laguna
Seca |
Long,
Rockenfeller |
*1
|
24
|
Phoenix
|
Long,
Rockenfeller, Tiemann |
*19
|
20
|
Watkins
Glen |
Long,
Rockenfeller |
5
|
15 |
*Denotes qualifying race
finish.
Ruby Tuesday
is one of the nation’s leading casual-dining restaurant companies,
with more than 800 restaurants worldwide. It was founded in 1972
by Sandy Beall, who serves as Chairman & CEO today. The company
is committed to having uncompromising freshness and quality with
passionate employees who take pride in delighting guests with an
excellent dining experience. The burger-centric menu features an
assortment of handcrafted burgers, its fresh salad bar, premium
baby back ribs and a variety of other signature entrees. Ruby Tuesday,
Inc. is traded on the NY Stock Exchange (symbol:RI). To find out
more about Ruby Tuesday, please visit www.rubytuesday.com.
To view the
Alex Job Racing press kit or for additional information, please
refer to www.alexjobracing.com or contact Kyle Chura at chura@aol.com
or (248) 821-0468. |