Racer - Winter 2015

IMSA’S OTHER CHAMPIONS

FINAL PROTOTYPE POINTS

1st Joao Barbosa/ 309pts

Christian Fittipaldi

2nd Michael Valiante/ 306

Richard Westbrook

3rd Dane Cameron/ 304

Eric Curran

REPEAT OF THE ACTION
Daytona Prototypes dominated, with Action Express edging VFR after a dramatic finale.

The win column in IMSA’s marquee class had more in common with the old Grand-Am Rolex Series than anything expected from a category filled with diverse chassis and engine combinations. Despite the array of HPD, Ligier, and Mazda P2 machinery, Daytona Prototypes took all 10 rounds, and did so with complete authority.

P2s, be they gasoline- or diesel-powered, were swept aside with ease, while the Delta Wing was no more than a tasty snack for the Corvette and Ford EcoBoost DPs.

Chip Ganassi Racing opened the year with a fine win for Ford at Daytona and took another at COTA, but spent the majority of 2015 chasing four Corvettes from Action Express Racing, Visit Florida.com Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing.

Across the remaining eight races, AXR
(four wins), VFR (two), and WTR (two)
made sure the Bowtie held onto its
Manufacturers’ Championship, and with
VFR’s Richard Westbrook and Michael
Valiante locking into an impressively
consistent stride, it appeared a new
Corvette DP program was on its way to
championship glory. Heading the points
entering the final race, all VFR needed

PROTOTYPE CLASS

was a podium to guarantee the title.

But as VFR’s visions of glory pirouetted through Road Atlanta’s water-logged grass, AXR’s Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi pounced on the opportunity.

“It’s more important to lead the championship at the end than the beginning…” notes a smiling Barbosa. “When we got to Petit, we just needed to be smart to win, and that’s what we did. We weren’t always as consistent as we’d like, but we knew we could defend our championship.

We raced like we could win every time.”
Thanks to two wins and two podiums in
the four Tequila Patron North American
Endurance Cup events, AXR’s No. 5 ’Vette
DP entry also took home the NAEC crown,
along with the Teams’ title and that second
Drivers’ Championship for Barbosa and
Fittipaldi. The incoming No. 31 AXR Corvette
piloted by Dane Cameron and Eric Curran
accounted for two more wins.