Action Express Ready for Memorial Day Debut at Lime Rock
As
the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
presented by Crown Royal Cask
No. 16 enjoys a short break following the 4th race of their season,
Action Express Racing has been
hard at work taking advantage of the extra preparation time. With a focus on the basics, they are
determined to break the streak of bad luck that has followed them since kicking off their season with
a Rolex 24 victory. As the Rolex Series swings back into action for Round 5, the series will be breaking new ground in a historic location. This season will mark the debut of Daytona Prototype racing at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park. The event combines the DP and GT classes for the Memorial Day Classic, a 2.75 hour race which will be held on the revised uphill track. At just 1.5 miles, the course layout is shorter than other tracks that host the Rolex Series during the year, creating a unique set of challenges for the competitors.
While the track may be new for the #9 Porsche V-8 Riley, Lime Rock is familiar ground for both Action Express drivers. Terry Borcheller earned a hard-fought Lime Rock win in 2001, weathering torrential rains on his way to a victory in Rolex Series GT competition.
Joao Barbosa has fond memories of his very first US win at Lime Rock, taking a Mosler Intruder to a GT2 class victory in USRRC competition in 1999.
Action Express made their first visit as a team to Lime Rock last month, participating in the Rolex Series test day in hopes of gaining a competitive edge. Barbosa reflected on the challenges ahead at Lime Rock, saying, “The track has changed a little since the days I first raced there, but I think everyone agrees that the key to doing well in this race will be to have a good car right off the truck. The course is so short that overtaking will be quite difficult. That makes it really important here to qualify well and to be able to start the race near the front. The short layout of the track also means we will see some heavy traffic, especially since both classes are running together. It will require a lot of concentration for the drivers to avoid trouble.
Also, since we have the 6 Hour race the next weekend we really need to keep the car safe to get it to the Glen without damage. Strategy will need to be flexible for this track, and having fast pit stops will be especially important to keep us on the lead lap.”
As the Memorial Day Classic is a one day event, crew members will have little time for adjustments before the green flag drops, so the team made time to work in one additional day of testing at Barber Motorsports Park before heading out for the Lime Rock competition. As Barbosa summed it up, “Action Express is working very hard to get the #9 car back to the same competitive level we saw at Daytona, and Terry and I will work just as hard to fight our way back to the front. This track has a great heritage and we would love to see Action Express earn a place in their history by scoring our first Lime Rock win.”
The Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park will be held on Monday, May 31st beginning at 2:00 PM ET. The 2.75 hour race is scheduled for live coverage on SPEED TV.
