Action Express Finishes Stellar Season on High Note

LEXINGTON, OH: Action Express Racing headed to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend in hopes of closing out what’s been a tremendous season with a solid finish and a pair of top 5s in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series DP class final standings. With a fourth place (No. 9 Porsce/Riley) and fifth place finish (No. 5 Porsche/Riley) Action Express accomplished just that, finishing the 2011 campaign on a note.

It was a fitting conclusion for a team that prides itself on consistency and has utilized that consistency for a breakout season this year.

“The team did a great job. The cars were strong, the drivers did a great job, everything was right this weekend,” said team manager Gary Nelson. “We were really looking at a podium with both cars and the cards just didn’t go our way. It was just the way the cautions fell.”

A larger than usual number of cautions jumbled up the running order for much of the race with a number of top DP teams utilizing different strategies. Despite the different strategies, both Action Express Porsche-powered Rileys made late-race charges, narrowly missing a second consecutive podium finish.

“I’m very excited because we’ve been making a lot of progress during the year. We’ve been improving the car and been more consistent with every race,” said driver Joao Barbosa, who shared the No. 9 Porsche/Riley Saturday with co-driver JC France and finished fourth. “We’ve easily been in the top five in the last two races. We’re really looking forward to a new challenge next year and we’ll look to try to continue with stronger results.”

Barbosa and France were once again without co-driver Terry Borcheller at Mid-Ohio. Borcheller, who suffered from a fractured wrist at Watkins Glen, was cleared to race, but with limited practice time during the weekend, the team opted to go forward with a two-driver lineup.

With their fourth place finish, Barbosa and France finished one spot ahead of teammates David Donohue and Darren Law who followed up a podium one month ago at Montreal with their seventh top 5 of the season in the No. 5 Porsche-powered Riley.

By virtue of their fifth place finish, Donohue and Law and the No. 5 DP finished fourth in Rolex Series DP team points, four points ahead of the No. 9 DP. The two long-time teammates also finished third in the DP driver standings.

“This team has really gelled in the last year.  We’ve got a great group of guys, the cars are being prepared at a level they’ve never been prepared at before,” said Donohue. “We’re really gunning for next year at this point.”

Action Express Racing’s breakout season has been well-documented. After winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the team’s first start in 2010, but failing to earn another podium, the team made key personnel decisions heading into the 2011 season. The result has been a significant improvement with five podium finishes, one win at Virginia International Raceway, and a combined total of 199 laps led between the team’s two cars.

That progression has the entire team optimistic for 2012.

“Our team has progressed throughout the year and this race was a nice finish for both cars. I think it just kind of introduces us for what’s coming next year,” admits Borcheller. “I’m pretty excited about it.”