It is unlikely that anyone who watched the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona will ever forget the ending. In the closest finish in the history of the legendary endurance event, Brumos Racing came out on top with a heart-stopping 1-3 finish, bringing both its Nos. 58 and 59 cars into Victory Lane. Making intentions known early, a Brumos entry captured first place in each pre-race practice session as well as seeing its No. 58 car take pole position, followed by No. 59 in the seventh spot on the starting grid. Portuguese driver Joao Barbosa shared the No. 59 along with fulltime co-driver J.C.France, Brumos legend Hurley Haywood, and former Rolex 24 champion Terry Borcheller.
This twice-around-the-clock classic race turned out to be virtually a 24-hour sprint race, as the closing hour saw four cars on the lead lap, no one guaranteed to come out in front as the checkered flag dropped. In what team owner Dan Davis called “the perfect race”, each of the two Brumos cars and all eight drivers led the race at some point. Equally impressive is the fact the No. 59 car, other than one short period following a pit stop, stayed on the lead lap the entire 24 hours.
Barbosa had praise for his car, crew and co-drivers. “The guys did an amazing job in preparing the car,” he said. “The Porsche engine was good and reliable, and ran strong throughout the race without a single problem. All of the drivers were spot on, made no mistakes, and ran a consistent pace that kept us on the lead lap. If I hadn’t hit traffic in the last few minutes I think we could have seen an even better finish, but I’m really happy with the result and I know J.C. and I will be back on that podium more often this year!”
The No. 59 car’s return to the podium was an accomplishment that proved elusive throughout the 2008 season. “We were so close so many times last year, our main goal this year was to get on the podium, so to start the season with third place in the biggest race of the year – it was a great race for Brumos and makes me really proud to be a part of this team,” Barbosa explained.
The 2008 season saw the No. 59 car capture third place overall in the series championship, marking the greatest success for the iconic Brumos No. 59 in many years. It is no coincidence that 2008 was also the year Barbosa joined the Brumos team as a full-time driver.
Director of Brumos Team Operations, Mike Evans, finds Barbosa a tremendous asset to the team. “What we found last year,” Evans said, “is that he became a leader for our No. 59 car. No matter how difficult a position we put him in or what we asked of him, he gave us peak performance. He hardly ever puts a wheel wrong, and brings the car back in as good a shape as it was when he got in it.”
Davis agreed. “Joao has been a valuable addition to our team,” he said. “He is the driver you can always count on. He is the one that is going to get in the car, give it all he has, and make it look easy.”
Indeed, Barbosa was key to the strategy for the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Series season opener at Daytona, qualifying and starting the race. He stayed in the car during some tough hours, despite painful back injuries, allowing his co-drivers some much needed rest. Coming back to close out the race, he turned in what Hurley Haywood described as “another spectacular performance”. Barbosa held off tough challenges in the closing minutes before taking the No. 59 across the line in thirdplace alongside race winning sister car No. 58. Barbosa’s contributions to the successful finish were recognized and acknowledged by Evans.
“I’m sorry to often have to ask him to do the most difficult jobs, but he never refuses, or even hesitates – and he always comes through,” Evans said. “We definitely expect great things from him.”
Evans’ sentiments were echoed by Davis. “Joao is a driver’s driver and a wonderful person,” Davis said. “In fact, I have nicknamed him ‘Superman’. He does a tremendous job of finishing and we are very proud to have him on our team. I am really excited about 2009 and I know we will be seeing the Brumos No. 59 on that top step more than once this season.”
Barbosa has returned home to Porto, Portugal, following his Daytona achievements, enjoying some rare time at home with his family during a break in race action. It is no doubt that he will be ready to get back to racing for the next event on the Grand-Am Rolex Series schedule, which will be held at Virginia International Raceway on April 25.
Source : Press Release