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Memo Rojas

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For the footballer, see Guillermo Rojas.
Memo Rojas
NationalityMexico Mexican
Born (1978-08-18) August 18, 1978 (age 46)
Mexico City, Mexico
Related toMemo Rojas, Sr.
United SportsCar Championship career
Debut season2007 (as Grand-Am)
Current teamDeltaWing
Car number0
Starts91
Wins28
Poles8
Best finish1st in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
Previous series
2004
2002–2003
2000–2001
1997–1998		Formula Renault
Barber Dodge Pro Series
Formula Ford 2000
Formula 3 Mexico
Championship titles
2008, 2010, 2011, 2012Rolex Sports Car Series

Guillermo "Memo" Rojas, Jr. (born August 18, 1978) is a Mexican professional race car driver. Successful in American sports car racing, Rojas is a four-time series champion in the Rolex Sports Car Series and a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. He is the first Mexican driver to win a major American racing championship.[1]

Personal life

Rojas was born in 1981 in Mexico City, Mexico.[1] He is son of the Mexican driver Guillermo Rojas, Sr.

Career

Early career

Rojas began his racing career in 1993, racing karts; in 1996 he moved up to professional racing in the Mexican Formula Two series. Heading to the United States in 1997, he joined the Barber Dodge series, before returning to Mexico in 1998 to race for two years in the national Formula Three series.[2]

Returning to the United States in 2000, he spent two years racing in the American Formula Ford 2000 series, before moving up to the Barber Dodge Pro Series for the 2002 and 2003 seasons, claiming two wins during his time in the series, and finishing second in the series championship in 2003.[2] He then graduated to the European Formula Renault series with DAMS in 2004, scoring two top-five finishes over the course of the year.[2] In 2005 he returned to the United States, racing in the Toyota Atlantic championship series for a single race at the Fundidora park circuit in Monterrey.[2]

Grand-Am

2011 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype with Scott Pruett

Switching from open-wheel racing to sports cars in 2007, Rojas joined Chip Ganassi Racing to compete in the Grand American Road Racing Rolex Sports Car Series, as a teammate to Scott Pruett. Claiming his first win in the series in 2007,[1] Rojas won his first 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race the following year with co-drivers Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti.[1][3] The victory propelled Rojas and Pruett to the Rolex Sports Car Series championship that year,[4] setting a series record for the most victories in a season with six wins over the course of the year.[1]

In 2009, Rojas would finish second in the Rolex Sports Car Series championship standings, only six points out of first place at the end of the year, before returning in 2010 to once again win the series championship partnered with Pruett.[1] Over the course of the year Rojas set another series record for most victories in a season with nine, and finished on the podium eleven times in twelve races.[1][5]

Rojas' 2011 season started with a co-victory, partnered with Pruett, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand, in the 24 Hours of Daytona, his second win in the event.[6]

On the 51st edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 26–27, 2013 Memo Rojas got the first place, winning his third 24 Hours of Daytona, along with his co-drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett and Charlie Kimball.[7][8]

12 Hours of Sebring

On the 62nd edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 15, 2014 Memo Rojas Jr., from Telmex Ganassi Riley Mk XXVI-Ford EcoBoost DP team won the second round of the new United SportsCar Championship by just under five seconds as nine cars in the Prototype class finished on the lead lap. A long with his co-drivers Scott Pruett and Marino Franchitti, Rojas Jr., become the first Mexican to achieve a victory in the second most important endurance race in the United States.[9][10][11]

Motorsports career results

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest race lap)

Barber Dodge Pro Series

Atlantic Championship

Rolex Sports Car Series (Grand-Am)

(key)

♯ Did not complete 30 minutes drive time. No driver's points awarded.

24 Hours of Daytona

12 Hours of Sebring

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2016 United Kingdom Greaves Motorsport France Nathanaël Berthon
France Julien Canal 		Ligier JS P2-Nissan LMP2 348 10th 6th

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Memo Rojas". Grand American Road Racing. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  2. ^ a b c d "Memo Rojas joins field for Monterrey race". Motorsport.com. May 17, 2005. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  3. ^ Garrow, Mark (February 15, 2008). "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Daytona 500". ESPN. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  4. ^ Grand-Am Communications (September 21, 2008). "GRAND-AM: Shank Team Claims Miller Finale". SPEED Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  5. ^ Pruett, Marshall (September 20, 2010). "GRAND-AM: The Year Of Ganassi". SPEED Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  6. ^ Dagys, John (January 30, 2011). "ROLEX 24: Ganassi Goes Big With Rolex 1-2". SPEED Channel. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112949
  10. ^ http://espn.go.com/racing/story/_/id/10615657/ganassi-gets-1st-win-twelve-hours-sebring
  11. ^ http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/TUDOR%20Sebring%20Race%20Provisional.pdf
Sporting positions
Preceded by Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Champion
2008
with Scott Pruett 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Champion
2010, 2011, 2012
with Scott Pruett 		Succeeded by
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