Race Report: Mid-Ohio
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

a Brumos Racing came to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for round six of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with some definite goals in mind. The team has been working hard to overcome recent challenges and address issues with performance which have impacted both cars since their Daytona season-opener. Those efforts appear to have paid off as our cars proved more competitive at Mid-Ohio than in those recent outings, with #59 scoring 5th place finish and #58 a 10th place finish, for our third double top ten this season. Those results allowed both cars to hold onto their previous spots in Grand-Am Championship standings, as #58 remains in 5th and #59 in 7th place.

Darren Law again qualified and was starting driver for the #58, putting his car back into a position that should be familiar to him - the lead.  Law held onto the top spot for twelve laps early in the race. “We still don’t have the power of the V-8s, but handling is getting better and that is encouraging,” he said. “Good strategy put us in position to run at the front, and it really felt great to be able to be running in the lead again.”

The strategy continued to fall into place as a quick pit stop put David Donohue behind the wheel to close it out.  Donohue was able to work his way up as high as 5th through fierce competition, holding that spot until being passed by teammate Joao Barbosa near the end of the race. Unable to regain position in the heavy traffic, #58 eventually took the checkered flag in 10th place, a result that did not truly reflect an overall strong performance for the day. 

J.C. France qualified #59 and drove an impressive first stint, keeping the car on track and avoiding damage despite contact from the #01 Ganassi car early in the race.  Strategy also played out well for the #59 car, as the team took advantage of a timely full course caution to bring the car in for tires and fuel, and to put Joao Barbosa in for the finish. 

“It was like a 15-lap sprint race the entire time,” Barbosa said. “Everybody was pushing as hard as they could. It was crazy out there, and very, very tight.” He was pleased with the 5th place finish, praising the car and his crew. “It was a great race for the Brumos guys.  They gave me a really good car that was very competitive for the entire race.  They also did an amazing job on the pit stops, so we were able to make up position on the racetrack. I think we are back on the right track again after some tough races, so I am really looking forward to the second half of our season.” As an added bonus, the finish also earned the Trueman Sportsman Award for the race for J.C. France, allowing him to further extend his season points lead in that competition.

Our #58 car and crew travels next from Mid-Ohio to New Jersey Motorsports Park for some additional testing before rejoining their #59 teammates in the shop, where preparations are already underway for our next race. We will be back in action at Daytona International Speedway for the July 4th running the race we literally call our own - the Brumos Porsche 250.

Posted on 06/24 at 03:32 PM