Action Express Racing

Last updated
Action Express Racing
Action Express Racing 2022.png
Founded2010
Team principal(s) Jim France (Team Owner)
Bob Johnson (Team Principal)
Gary Nelson (Manager)
Current series WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Former series Rolex Sports Car Series
Current drivers31: Full-time
Flag of New Zealand.svg Earl Bamber
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Aitken
Flag of Denmark.svg Frederik Vesti
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Drugovich (Rolex 24H only)
Drivers'
Championships
6 ('14, '15, '16, '18, '21 '23 IMSA)
Website axracing.com

Action Express Racing (AXR) dba Whelen Cadillac Racing for the 2024 season is a sports car racing team that currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. [1] The team is owned by NASCAR CEO Jim France and run by Bob Johnson and former NASCAR champion crew chief Gary Nelson. Based in Denver, North Carolina, the team currently fields the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-LMDh for Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti.

Contents

History

Rolex Sports Car Series

Action Express Racing was founded in 2010 and ran in the former Rolex Sports Car Series. The team started out of the gate strong, by winning the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Their lineup in the No. 5 Riley Mk. XI featured João Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel, and Audi LMP1 driver Mike Rockenfeller. The team's win was notable as their engine, a Porsche 5.0L V8 engine, was not sanctioned by Porsche itself, and was built by a third party based on the Porsche Cayenne. Full season drivers Barbosa and Borcheller were joined by J. C. France for a few rounds, but did not find the podium again, finishing 13th in points. Barbosa, Borcheller, and France reunited the following season, taking a podium at the 2011 Rolex 24 and winning at Virginia International Raceway, enough for Barbosa and France to finish 5th in points. The team also expanded to the No. 9 Riley-Porsche, driven by Darren Law, IndyCar driver Buddy Rice, David Donohue, and Burt Frissele. After reuniting Barbosa and France, the team opted to replace the latter with Law, scoring wins at Belle Isle and the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.

For 2013, AXR fielded both the Nos. 5 and 9, this time as Corvette Daytona Prototypes. They were driven by Christian Fittipaldi, Brian Frissele, Barbosa and Burt Frissele, respectively. The team opted to join Barbosa and Fittipaldi together for the remained of the season after Road Atlanta, and the pair scored two wins at Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. While the Frissele brothers were teamed up, they only scored a single podium at Road America.

IMSA SportsCar Championship

Three straight championships (2014–2016)

For the newly formed IMSA SportsCar championship in 2014, AXR ran only the No. 5 of Barbosa and Fittipaldi for the full season, reducing the No. 9 crewed by the Frissele brothers and Jon Fogarty to only the North American Endurance Cup. AXR took three wins, including the team's second Rolex 24, en route to both the inaugural title and North American Endurance Cup for the No. 5. [2] For 2015, AXR assumed operations of the No. 31 Whelen Racing team, hiring GTD champion Dane Cameron to pair with Eric Curran. [3] The No. 5 took its second IMSA title as well as the NAEC on the back of two wins including the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, while the No. 31 team won at Detroit and Road America to finish 3rd in points.

The No. 5 and No. 31 remained unchanged in 2016. With their worst finish being 6th and two wins at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Road America, the No. 31 Corvette team won the drivers title, with the No. 5 team taking home another North American Endurance Cup. [4]

Cadillac partnership (2017–present)

From 2017, both Mustang Sampling Racing and Whelen Engineering Racing fielded Dallara-based Cadillac DPi-V.R machines. [5] The Rolex 24 At Daytona saw the Mustang Sampling Cadillac knocked from the lead on the penultimate lap by Wayne Taylor Racing, another Cadillac team. Following the Daytona outing near-miss, the team continued to learn the new Cadillac Prototype as the No. 10 team had a strong start to the season. Mustang Sampling Racing returned to the winner circle at Watkins Glen and began to gain momentum. Even with both cars taking wins, compared to the last three seasons, had a relatively disappointing year, the Nos. 5 and 31 only winning one race each, and watched the rival Wayne Taylor Cadillac win the first five races on their way to the WeatherTech Championship, however the No. 5 once again took the NAEC, their fourth in a row.

2018 brought changes to the team. Christian Fittipaldi moved to an endurance driver/manager role in the team, while Dane Cameron left to join Team Penske's new Acura program. Their spots on the team were filled by Filipe Albuquerque and ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr, respectively. [1] The team started the 2018 season with a 1-2 finish at the Rolex 24, setting an all-time distance record. [6] The Mustang Sampling car then won at Long Beach, with the Whelen Engineering Racing squad taking a victory at Detroit, and eventually capturing both the WSCC and NAEC for 2018.

Action Express' V-Series.R during the 2023 Petit Le Mans Whelen Engineering Racing's Cadillac V-Series.R during the 2023 Petit Le Mans.jpg
Action Express' V-Series.R during the 2023 Petit Le Mans

For 2019, the Pipo Derani joins the team in the No. 31 from Extreme Speed Motorsports, filling a void left by Eric Curran's move to endurance driver role. Additionally, Christian Fittipaldi will leave the driver's seat as he finishes his transition to a management role following the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. [7]

In 2021, 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson joined the team in a brand new entry, the No. 48 Ally Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller joined Johnson in the car, which finished 2nd at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Johnson's former Hendrick teammate and defending NASCAR champion Chase Elliott joined the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R team during the Rolex 24 at Daytona as well.

Racing results

Rolex Sports Car Series

YearChassisEngineDriversNo.12345678910111213Pos.Pts.
2010   DAY HOMBARVIRLIMWGIMOHDAYNJMPWGICGVMMP 
Riley Mk. XX Porsche 5.0L V8 João Barbosa
Terry Borcheller
9115101241010101110101212th260
2011   DAY HOMBARVIRLIMWGIROALAGNJMPWGICGVMDO 
Riley Mk. XXPorsche 5.0L V8 David Donohue
Darren Law
59253556666353rd318
João Barbosa
J.C. France
93571677857645th314
2012   DAY BARHOMNJMPDETMDOROAWGIIMSWGICGVLAGLIM 
Corvette DP Chevrolet 5.5L V8 David Donohue 559342347863944th348
Darren Law59343rd355
9166158455
João Barbosa97871661584557th342

24 Hours of Le Mans

YearEntrantNo.CarDriversClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2023 Flag of the United States.svg Action Express Racing311 Cadillac V-Series.R Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Aitken
Flag of Brazil.svg Pipo Derani
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alexander Sims
Hypercar32417th10th
2024 Flag of the United States.svg Whelen Cadillac Racing 311 Cadillac V-Series.R Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Aitken
Flag of Brazil.svg Pipo Derani
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Drugovich
Hypercar28029th15th

Race wins

Rolex Sports Car Series wins

#SeasonDateClassTrack / RaceNo.Winning DriversChassisEngine
1 2010 January 30–31 DP Daytona 9João Barbosa / Terry Borcheller / Ryan Dalziel
Mike Rockenfeller
Riley Mk. XXPorsche 5.0L V8
2 2011 May 14DP Virginia 9João Barbosa / Terry Borcheller / J.C. FranceRiley Mk. XXPorsche 5.0L V8
3 2012 June 2DP Belle Isle 9João Barbosa / Darren Law / J.C. FranceCorvette DPChevrolet 5.0L V8
4July 1DP Watkins Glen 9João Barbosa / Darren LawCorvette DPChevrolet 5.0L V8

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wins

#SeasonDateClassesTrack / RaceNo.Winning DriversChassisEngine
1 2014 January 25–26Prototype Daytona 5João Barbosa / Sébastien Bourdais / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
2July 25Prototype Indianapolis 5João Barbosa / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
3August 10Prototype Road America 5João Barbosa / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
4 2015 March 21Prototype Sebring 5João Barbosa / Sébastien Bourdais / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
5May 30Prototype Belle Isle 31 Dane Cameron / Eric Curran Coyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
6August 9Prototype Road America 31Dane Cameron / Eric CurranCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
7October 3Prototype Road Atlanta 5João Barbosa / Sébastien Bourdais / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
8 2016 July 3Prototype Watkins Glen 5 Filipe Albuquerque / João Barbosa / Christian FittipaldiCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
9July 10Prototype Mosport 31Dane Cameron / Eric CurranCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
10August 7Prototype Road America 31Dane Cameron / Eric CurranCoyote Corvette DPChevrolet 5.5L V8
11 2017 July 2Prototype Watkins Glen 5 Filipe Albuquerque / João Barbosa / Christian FittipaldiCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 6.2 L V8
12July 9Prototype Mosport 31 Dane Cameron / Eric Curran Cadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 6.2 L V8
13 2018 January 27–28Prototype Daytona 5Filipe Albuquerque / João Barbosa / Christian FittipaldiCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
14April 14Prototype Long Beach 5 Filipe Albuquerque / João BarbosaCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
15June 2Prototype Belle Isle 31 Eric Curran / Felipe Nasr Cadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
16 2019 March 16(DPi) Sebring 31Eric Curran / Pipo Derani / Felipe NasrCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
17April 13(DPi) Long Beach 5Filipe Albuquerque / João BarbosaCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
18October 12(DPi) Road Atlanta 31Eric Curran / Pipo Derani / Felipe NasrCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
19 2020 July 18(DPi) Sebring 31Pipo Derani / Felipe NasrCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
- 2021 January 24(DPi) Daytona (Qualifying Race) 31Pipo Derani / Felipe NasrCadillac DPi-V.RCadillac 5.5 L V8
20 2023 March 18GTP Sebring 31 Jack Aitken / Pipo Derani / Alexander Sims Cadillac V-Series.RCadillac LMC55R 5.5 L V8

References

  1. 1 2 Pruett, Marshall (September 28, 2017). "Nasr, Albuqueruqe Join Action Express For 2018". Racer.com . Racer Media and Marketing, Inc. Archived from the original on 2018-01-08. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  2. "Action Express wins TUDOR prototype title". federalnewsnetwork.com. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. "Whelen teams with Action Express in 2015". motorsportstribune.com. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  4. "Another Championship for Action Express Racing". sportscarracingnews.com. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  5. "Cadillac Reveals DPi-V.R Prototype Race Car For 2017". media.cadillac.com. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  6. "Albuquerque wheels home No. 5 Cadillac DPi to overall Rolex 24 at Daytona victory". nascar.com. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  7. "Derani to join Action Express IMSA team in 2019". racer.com. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.