Joao Barbosa powered Action Express Racing to the 24 Hours of Daytona title on Sunday, finishing an improbable victory in the organization’s first appearance in the sports car endurance race.
The newly formed team avoided major mechanical problems and benefited from a late blunder by star-studded Chip Ganassi Racing to win by 50 seconds. No other car was within four laps of the winner.
Ganassi’s Justin Wilson was leading before he made an ill-advised stop into the garage late, believing something was wrong with the No. 1 BMW Riley. The crew didn’t find anything, and the difference was too much for teammate Scott Pruett to make up in the final two hours.
PHOTO: AFP
The group that has dominated the race recently could only watch as it lost to a team with few sponsors that, weeks ago, didn’t exist.
The group was formed in the offseason after Brumos Racing cut back to a one-car team. That prompted longtime Brumos affiliate Bob Johnson to assemble Action Express Racing, bringing some crew and drivers over.
The move paid off quicker than anyone expected.
Barbosa, Ryan Dalziel, Terry Borcheller and Mike Rockenfeller deftly guided the No. 9 Porsche Riley through a rain-soaked start on Saturday that caused cautions and spinouts for much of the field.
They avoided accidents and poor pit stops that pushed so many others behind.
Ganassi had three straight wins in the prestigious endurance race until finishing second the last two years. The biggest blow it took in this one was self-inflicted.
Wilson pulled the car into the garage with about three hours remaining after he said he heard a popping noise. Crewmembers scurried to find a problem, losing the lead and falling behind by a lap.
“I heard a loud clank and the car kind of whacked,” Wilson said. “I thought I’d blown a front tire or something like that, and being so close to the garage, I figured I’d pull it in.”
That was the second disappointment for the favored Ganassi.
Ganassi’s No. 2 car retired in the early morning hours because of engine failure. Drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Jamie McMurray had led a combined 139 of the opening 247 laps.
Then stunningly, they were out.
“I did well at times and I struggled at times,” said McMurray, who lost some ground before Montoya took the wheel back and the engine failed. “I didn’t want to be the guy who runs the car off and messes it up for everybody else.”
Holding off Ganassi’s made the victory even sweeter for Action Express Racing.
“Nobody wants to see Ganassi win again. Somebody different needs to win,” Dalziel said.
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