ABOUT
HISTORY
Action Express Racing will look to continue a record of success that stretches back to the origins of the team as it takes on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R will be shared by 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion Pipo Derani (BRA) and rising superstar Jack Aitken (UK) for the full season. Tom Blomqvist (UK) will serve as the Endurance Ace and will join Pipo and Jack for Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Road Atlanta. The team will also compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second consecutive year racing as No. 311.
The team has an unrivaled record in IMSA competition, claiming the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Team and Driver championships, as well as securing the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023 North American Endurance Championships titles.
Action Express Racing worked to find the top of the podium under the guidance of Gary Nelson, well known for his time spent in NASCAR as a championship winning crew chief and later the director of the NASCAR Monster Energy Series (then Winston Cup). Nelson also managed the development of the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, NC.
Having launched with a winning run in the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona with a leased Riley chassis, the organization then grew to develop and manufacture the Coyote Chassis for the Daytona Prototype regulations. Carrying the Chevrolet bowtie, the chassis became a winner in its debut 2012 season. Action Express Racing continued to develop as a team, with highlight moments including a dramatic 1-2 team finish at the Detroit Grand Prix in 2012.
As the sports car racing world merged into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Action Express Racing arrived in the new landscape extraordinarily well prepared.
The team won the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona with João Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, and Sebastien Bourdais. Victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road America set the stage for a run to the 2014 IMSA Driver and Team championships as well as the first-ever Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup as the No. 5 entry completed every mile of competition.
The 2015 IMSA WeatherTech Championship saw the team return to a full-time two-car program in the top Prototype class as Mustang Sampling joined the organization as the title sponsor for the No. 5 Chevrolet Corvette DP with drivers Barbosa and Fittipaldi, while the No. 31 entry proudly carried the iconic colors of Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP for teammates Eric Curran and Dane Cameron.
The team delivered two equal cars capable of competing for the title. Barbosa, Fittipaldi and Bourdais claimed victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, snapping a 50-year drought for Chevrolet in the oldest endurance race in North America. Cameron and Curran broke through for victory in Detroit, and struck again with a win at Road America. The team scored encore IMSA Driver, Team, and Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup titles for the No. 5 entry as the No. 31 Whelen Engineering machine came home third in the IMSA championship.
2016 saw the No. 31 Whelen Engineering entry come to the fore, as the Curran/Cameron combination claimed the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Driver and Team Championships, while the No. 5 Mustang Sampling campaign delivered another North American Endurance title.
2017 marked the debut of the all-new Cadillac DPi-V.R, and Barbosa introduced the machine with authority, claiming pole position at Daytona on the way to a hard-fought second place finish with his co-drivers Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque. Both the Mustang Sampling and Whelen Engineering entries again demonstrated themselves as winners in 2017, with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac closing out the year with an incredible fourth consecutive Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup title.
While expectations may have changed within the industry for Action Express Racing, Gary Nelson and his team entered the 2018 season with the same motto that they surprised everyone with in 2010.
On a large white sign in the back of the Action Express Racing shop visitors can find the words “Expect to Win” etched in black. The three-word phrase has been Nelson’s motto since becoming team manager of the team in 2010. While the outsider might misinterpret the attitude as arrogant, the veteran racer is quick to explain what that mindset really means.
“Expecting to win doesn’t mean we’re going to win every time we go to the track,” said Nelson. “If you were going to win every time, they wouldn’t call this racing. ‘Expect to win’ simply means that if everyone does his or her job to the best of their ability, we make the right calls on strategy and avoid any misfortune outside of our control; we shouldn’t be surprised that we ended up in victory lane.”
And that preparation once again bore fruit to start the 2018 season, as the team claimed a 1-2 finish in a record-breaking run to another Rolex 24 Victory. Victories at Long Beach (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing) and Detroit Grand Prix (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing) added yet more trophies for the shop. The legacy of IMSA Championship performance was once again extended as the team secured the 2018 Team and Driver Championship with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi of Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr.
The 2019 IMSA season generated more trophies--Victories at Sebring 12 Hour and Road Atlanta for the No. 31 Whelen Engineering entry, as well as another street-fight win for the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac at Long Beach. The team continued its unparalleled success in the Michelin Enurance Cup, claiming the 2019 title to extend its amazing run of success in the races that demand the most of both team and driver.
For 2020 the team would have to deal with the very tough competition but also race during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. This meant a unique and very fluid schedule with multiple visits to some locations to ensure that we were able to complete the season. The No.31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPI earned 1 win at Sebring and podiums finishes at Road America, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca.
Action Express Racing returned to Championship form in 2021 behind masterful driving from full season drivers Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr with support from Mike Conway at the Endurance events. The No.31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac earned wins at Watkins Glen, Road America and Long Beach with podium finishes at Mid-Ohio, Detroit, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta.
2022 would be the final season of the Cadillac Dpi-VR. While the No.31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac didn't find their way to the top step they did earn podium finishes at Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio, CTMP (Canada) and at Road Atlanta.
Action Express Racing and the No.31 Whelen Engineering team joined the Factory Cadillac program from 2023 and will compete in the all new Cadillac VR-LMDH platform. The GTP class bought with it a lot of changes but was a spectacular success. The team carried on their "Expect To Win" motto and were rewarded with a win at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Michelin Endurance Cup and the inaugural GTP Team and Driver Championships. The team also finished the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans, their debut in the French classic.
2024 sees Action Express Racing and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing team looking to defend both the Michelin Endurance Cup and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in their second season with the Cadillac V-Series.R with an amazingly strong and successful driver line-up. A return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2024 will see the team look to build on Cadillac's podium in 2023.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2023Inaugural IMSA GTP Champions
Cadillac V-Series.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing Pipo Derani Alexander Sims2023Michelin Endurance Cup Champions
Cadillac V-Series.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing Pipo Derani Alexander Sims Jack AitkenMARCH 2023Twelve Hours of Sebring winners
Cadillac V-Series.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing Pipo Derani Alexander Sims Jack Aitken2021IMSA DPi Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Felipe Nasr Pipo DeraniSEPTEMBER 2021Grand Prix of Long Beach winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Felipe Nasr Pipo DeraniAUGUST 2021IMSA Sportscar Weekend winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Felipe Nasr Pipo DeraniJULY 2021WeatherTech 240 at The Glen winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Felipe Nasr Pipo DeraniJULY 2020Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Felipe Nasr Pipo Derani2019Michelin Endurance Cup Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Pipo Derani Felipe NasrOCTOBER 2019Petit Le Mans winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Pipo Derani Felipe NasrAPRIL 2019Grand Prix of Long Beach winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Filipe Albuquerque João BarbosaMARCH 2019Twelve Hours of Sebring winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Pipo Derani Felipe Nasr2018IMSA Prototype Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Felipe Nasr2018Patrón North American Endurance Cup Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Felipe NasrJUNE 2018Detroit Grand Prix winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Felipe NasrAPRIL 2018Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Filipe Albuquerque João BarbosaJANUARY 2018Rolex 24 At Daytona 1-2 sweep
Cadillac DPi-V.R
P1 No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing P1 Filipe Albuquerque P1 João Barbosa P1 Christian Fittipaldi P2 No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing P2 Eric Curran P2 Felipe Nasr P2 Mike Conway P2 Stuart Middleton2017Patrón North American Endurance Cup Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi Filipe AlbuquerqueJULY 2017Canadian Tire Motorsport Park winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Eric Curran Dane CameronJULY 2017Six Hours of The Glen winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Filipe Albuquerque João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi2016IMSA Prototype Champions 1-2 sweep
Cadillac DPi-V.R
P1 No. 31 Action Express Racing P1 Eric Curran P1 Dane Cameron P2 No. 5 Action Express Racing P2 João Barbosa P2 Christian Fittipaldi2016Patrón North American Endurance Cup Champions
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiAUGUST 2016Road Race Showcase Road America winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Action Express Racing Eric Curran Dane CameronJULY 2016Canadian Tire Motorsport Park winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 31 Action Express Racing Eric Curran Dane CameronJULY 2016Six Hours of The Glen winners
Cadillac DPi-V.R
No. 5 Action Express Racing Filipe Albuquerque João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi2015United SportsCar Prototype Champions
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi2015Patrón North American Endurance Cup Champions
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiOCTOBER 2015Petit Le Mans winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi Sébastien BourdaisAUGUST 2015Road Race Showcase Road America 1-2 sweep
Coyote Corvette DP
P1 No. 31 Action Express Racing P1 Eric Curran P1 Dane Cameron P2 No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing P2 João Barbosa P2 Christian FittipaldiMAY 2015Detroit Sports Car Classic winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 31 Action Express Racing Eric Curran Dane CameronMARCH 2015Twelve Hours of Sebring winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi Sébastien Bourdais2014United SportsCar Prototype Champions
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi2014Patrón North American Endurance Cup Champions
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiAUGUST 2014Road Race Showcase Road America winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiJULY 2014Brickyard Grand Prix winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiJANUARY 2014Rolex 24 At Daytona winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi Sébastien BourdaisJUNE 2013Six Hours of The Glen winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiJUNE 2013Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiJULY 2012Six Hours of The Glen winners
Coyote Corvette DP
No. 9 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Darren LawJUNE 2012Grand-Am Detroit 200 1-2 sweep
Coyote Corvette DP
P1 No. 9 Action Express Racing P1 João Barbosa P1 J. C. France P1 Darren Law P2 No. 5 Action Express Racing P2 David Donohue P2 Terry BorchellerMAY 2011Bosch Engineering 250 at ViR winners
Riley Mk. XX
No. 9 Action Express Racing João Barbosa J. C. France Terry BorchellerJANUARY 2010Rolex 24 At Daytona winners
Riley Mk. XX
No. 9 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Terry Borcheller Ryan Dalziel Mike Rockenfeller