December 20, 2007
Immediate Release

Patrick Long added to Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team lineup for Rolex 24 at Daytona

 After piloting the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype for two seasons, driver Patrick Long, of  Belleair, Fla., returns to the Alex Job Racing stable as its third driver for the upcoming Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 26-27.

Long joins co-drivers Bill Auberlen, of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Joey Hand, of Sacramento, Calif., in search of the teams first Rolex 24 win.

“I’m glad to be back on board for the Rolex 24,” Long said. “It is exciting to continue for my third season in a row with AJR and their DP program. And, to have been there from the start, it feels fitting to continue on and go for the win.

“Both Bill and Joey are top line drivers that I’ve competed against in the past. I competed against Joey all the way back in my karting days and then against Bill when I first got into sports car racing. Both of them have been two of my biggest competitors. Now we’ll be driving together, going for the same spot on the podium for this year’s 24 hour race. I think we’ve got an all-pro lineup, which puts us near the top of the list in terms of driver pairings.”

With the addition of Long, Job feels this year’s Rolex 24 driver lineup is pretty strong. 

“It is great to have Porsche factory driver Patrick Long back for this year’s 24 hour, after having driven for us the past two seasons,” Job said. “Obviously he really knows the car, which means he should fit right in. I think he will work really well with Bill and Joey.”

In the past two seasons with the Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team, Long recorded three wins (Homestead Miami Speedway, Virginia International Raceway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca), eight podiums, 10 top-five finishes, 19 top-10 finishes and four pole positions.

Auberlen, Hand and Long’s first opportunity to drive together will be during the January (4-6) Test Days at Daytona International Speedway, in preparation for the Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 26-27. This year, race fans can watch a combined 17 hours of live race coverage between FOX Sports and SPEED Channel. In fact, Fox Sports will carry the first 90 minutes of the race, while also being simulcast on the 1,400 square foot News Astrovision by Panasonic screen located at One Times Square in New York.

Ruby Tuesday is one of the nation’s leading casual dining restaurant companies, with more than 900 restaurants worldwide. It was founded in 1972 by Sandy Beall, who serves as Chairman and CEO today. The company is committed to uncompromising freshness and quality, served by passionate employees who take pride in delighting guests with an excellent dining experience. The menu features a wide variety of fresh signature items and entrees, among them the Fresh Garden Bar, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Chicken Fresco and Premium Aged Prime Sirloin. Guests can also enjoy Ruby Tuesday’s renowned fresh handcrafted burgers, featuring its exclusive Triple Prime Burger. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the NY Stock Exchange (symbol: RT). To find out more about Ruby Tuesday, visit www.rubytuesday.com.