GRAND-AM Posts $25,000 ‘Bounty’ To Stop Borefest

Grand-Am has to pay competitors extra money to beat the Ganassi team

Chip Ganassi Racing, with drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, are "wanted men" in the GRAND-AM paddock.

Responding to a six-race winning streak dating back to late last season, GRAND-AM has posted a $25,000 bounty which will be awarded to the first team stopping the "Ganassi Gang" by scoring an overall victory in the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

"I think it's a great idea and a great promotion, and it points out how serious people are about trying to beat us," Ganassi said. "I just hope they don't get to pay it out for awhile."

Competitors will have their first opportunity to snag the bounty in the Bosch Engineering 250 on Saturday, May 14 at Virginia International Raceway.

"Chip Ganassi and his entire organization have done an amazing job fashioning one of the most remarkable streaks in the annals of American sports car racing," said GRAND-AM Director of Competition Mark Raffauf. "This reward gives their competition another incentive to step up and beat them to the checkered flag."

Pruett and Rojas, co-drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley, wrapped up the 2010 Daytona Prototype championship by winning at Watkins Glen International, Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Miller Motorsports Park – giving them nine victories in 12 events. To open the current season, the Ganassi Gang won the Rolex 24 At Daytona, then followed up with victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Barber Motorsports Park.

Rival car owner Mike Shank knows all too well what's required to bring the Ganassi Gang to "justice."

"You need to have a perfect race to beat them," said Shank, who fields the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley for John Pew and Ozz Negri.

"Regardless, we can all be upset that they're dominating right now but at the end of the day, we need them in our series. We'll figure out on our own how to beat them. That's up to us."