Northern California native and former road course ringer Scott Pruett will drive the Toyota Camry pace car at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 24.
Pruett, who announced his retirement after 50 years of racing following the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in January, found great success as a five-time champion in the IMSA Rolex Grand-Am SportsCar Championship along with 60 sports-car series wins. He has also competed in both NASCAR’s premier Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Pruett raced his way to a third-place finish here at Sonoma in 2004. While he never competed full time in the stock car series, he was considered a ‘road course ringer’ from 2001 – 2008, after having 28 starts in the 2000 season. He also ran in 11 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series through six seasons.
It brings many memories to Pruett as he prepares to pace the field in Sunday’s race.
“I’m so honored and excited to be back at Sonoma,” said Pruett, who has seven Cup Series starts and a Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car victory on his home track in Sonoma. “I love this track. It’s right in my backyard, and I have many great memories here. I can’t wait to lead those boys to the green flag, and just hope I remember to pull off into pit lane!”
Pruett has also been inducted into two hall of fames in 2017, the Motorsports Hall of Fame and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. He started racing go-karts at the age of seven and holds 10 professional karting championships.
Pruett will be recognized during the NASCAR Drivers’ Meeting and the Pre-Race Show before the start of the event. Tickets are still available for the first road course race of the 2018 season, the Toyota/Save Mart 350. For tickets or more information, visit www.sonomaraceway.com/NASCAR or call 800-870-7223.
