Testing… 1 -2 -3: Brumos Sees Positive Results in Daytona
Sunday, January 20, 2008

Brumos Racing returned to Daytona International Speedway last week along with other Grand-Am Rolex Series competitors for some intensive on-track testing and practice. The practice consisted of eight sessions over a three day period, including one evening session, allowing drivers to become acclimated to nighttime conditions at the track in preparation for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona race.

Brumos drivers Hurley Haywood, J.C. France, and Joao Barbosa were joined at the event by Terry Borcheller, who will also be rounding out the driver rotation for the #59 Brumos team in the Rolex 24. Borcheller is returning to Brumos, having driven for the team in the season’s finale race at Miller last season, helping the team bring home a 6th place finish. The #58 Brumos car was driven by veterans Darren Law and David Donohue along with repeat driver Buddy Rice, who also joined them in 2007’s Daytona 24 Hour event. The #58 car completed the test session wearing a coat of gray primer while awaiting an update to its livery, as it will adopt the traditional Brumos white, red and blue color scheme for this year’s Rolex 24.

As team manager Mike Colucci prepares for a move of his operation from Jupiter, Florida to North Carolina, several new members of the team were present, working together for the first time along side the veterans of the group. The practice sessions were the ideal setting for some intensive hands-on training, as the newer members perfected their techniques and teamwork. Despite the number of new faces, the sessions ran very smoothly, as everyone pitched in to help out as needed. Driver Joao Barbosa commented, “I am quite new to the team myself, so I’m getting used to everything along with our new crew members, and learning how best to work with everyone. I’m really pleased with how well the test went, and the way the team is developing. I thought there was great teamwork all weekend, and I am truly looking forward to the race. We are adapting to the new tires as well, but everything worked out for the best with no major issues, and I think we have a good chance in the 24 Hours.”

Barbosa was asked to take a turn in the #58 car during the final practice session of the event. Having spent a good bit of time behind the wheel of the #59 car during the weekend, his feedback was requested. As the team works to equalize the two cars, the driver’s input is critical to compare how each of the two cars handle and perform on-track. It seems that the efforts are paying off - as both cars performed well throughout the duration of the event. Each car had a scheduled engine change between the afternoon and evening sessions on Saturday, and times after that change were shown a bit slower, as the team ran a conservative pace to make sure everything functioned properly - but both cars showed consistent improvement in fastest lap times otherwise as the testing progressed. Fastest times noted were very close between the two cars, as #58 came in with their best lap at 1:42.029, while #59 was just behind that with a 1:42.539. (Fastest lap in the session was at 1:41.232). In the field of 25 DP entrants, they placed as high as 2nd (#58) and 7th (#59) in different sessions, and ran consistently well throughout the event.

Darren Law, who spent a good deal of time behind the wheel of the #58 car, was also very encouraged by the results of the outing. He said, “I came out of this test very pleased. We were quick and were able to confirm a lot of data. David, Buddy, and I were all very close in lap times, our team is experienced and ready, so I am really looking forward to this year’s 24 Hours, and I feel we have a really good shot at it.”

In fact, the Brumos team can claim a bit of an advantage in that both of the cars will be driven by teams that have a bit of experience in previous races together. Joao Barbosa was one the drivers of the #59 car in the 2007 Rolex 24, and joined the team in other endurance races last season as well. The same can be said for Buddy Rice with the #58 team. That level of experience is one shared by few of the other DP teams, many of whom have drivers joining their effort who are inexperienced with their new teams and co-drivers.

When asked for an assessment of the testing results, Hurley Haywood’s comments made for a unanimous verdict. “I was very pleased with the entire test. The cars performed consistently well and the crew did a great job, especially with all the new members. Everything ran smoothly with a great level of teamwork. I am very positive about our chances at the 24 Hours as a result, so I am really looking forward to that race.”

The Rolex 24 at Daytona will kick off on Saturday, January 26th at 1:30 PM and conclude Sunday, January 27th at the same time. For event details or information, visit Daytona International Speedway or Grand-Am websites.)

Posted on 01/20 at 03:49 PM