As Action Express Racing made headlines with their Rolex 24 victory last month, many referred to it as a ‘happy ending’ for the newest competitors in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.
Thrilled to return home with such an exciting finish in their first competition, the team,was also aware that far from being an ending, their work had just begun. As the #9 Action Express Porsche Riley remained behind in Daytona USA on display, they set to work immediately, preparing for its arrival back at the shop. Challenges lie ahead as the new team, still in search of primary sponsorship, works to carry the momentum of their victory forward in what has become one of the most highly competitive series in racing today.
While many of their competitors in the Rolex Series can benefit from years of experience in Homestead, Action Express will be writing the first chapter of their team’s history there. Full-time driver Joao Barbosa, however, can claim a significant victory of his own, as he was behind the wheel of the Brumos #59 entry that won the Homestead 2009 season finale race. Barbosa has now scored back-to-back victories in the two previous Grand-Am races, an accomplishment no other driver in the series can match.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Barbosa is ready to return to action. “After this long break, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and begin racing again, and I am happy to return to Homestead”, he said. “I have some great memories from our win there last year. In fact, I believe that race gave us some extra momentum going into 2010 that translated into our Rolex 24 win. We are obviously thrilled with scoring our first victory at Daytona, but we want to prove to everyone that we can also be competitive in the short races and that Action Express can be a team that will be in contention for the entire season. Even if our car spent a few days ‘resting’ at Daytona USA after our win, I know our team has been working hard to get it ready to race and we are ready to win.”
Terry Borcheller has made his own appearances in Homestead’s Victory Lane through the years and the Hialeah, Florida native looks forward to returning to competition there. Borcheller still resides in South Florida and considers Homestead as his home track, enjoying a large fan base in the area. He describes the configuration of the racetrack as fairly straightforward, but acknowledges that it still presents challenges, saying, “It is usually pretty difficult to get good grip at the Homestead track. That can be especially tough when you have a short weekend with condensed track time like we do for our event there this year. However, I actually feel this can prove to be an advantage for Action Express. Joao obviously had it figured out last year with his win here, so having a successful setup to work from will give us a head start and should prove to be a big asset for our team this year.”
Source : Action Express Racing