Brumos Brings Home the Hardware in Emotional 1,3 Finish at Daytona

Brumos Racing may be best known for its historic racing legacy, but a new chapter was written last weekend at the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona. In a performance that would have made Peter Gregg proud, Brumos returned to Victory Lane, its #58 car taking the top step of the podium in the closest finish in Daytona 24 Hour history. Joining their teammates on the podium, the #59 car crossed the finish in third place to close out one of the most thrilling endurance races ever.

The entire Brumos crew worked tirelessly in earlier testing sessions at Daytona, and that work paid off as both cars performed flawlessly throughout the week. Brumos made their intentions clear early on, as a Brumos car took first place in every practice session entered. David Donohue continued that streak, putting #58 on the pole. The drivers and crew persevered throughout the long night and into the next day, as pit stops ran smoothly and the car remained consistently on the lead lap in a race that saw each of the eight Brumos drivers led the race at some point. As Darren Law explained, “We rolled off the trailer and never touched the car. Setup was spot on. We did a lot of homework, Porsche gave us a great motor, and the team did a great job.”

David Donohue also praised the Brumos crew, saying, “We’ve been at the bottom for a while and these guys just never give up. Today proves that point. We came here ready to run hard and we ran hard the whole time. We had the right kit with the right ingredients, and it was organized and prepared properly. That’s how you win races. And while it is significant that we nailed this on the 40th anniversary of my dad winning, I feel more of an attachment to the effort my guys have put into this and to Brumos, Hurley, Bob Snodgrass and Bob Carlson. We carry the flag but those guys really won it.” He also expressed gratitude for the contributions of Antonio Garcia, saying “Without Antonio we may not have had the result we did. We were all pretty worn out, so without his help we might not be here now.” Buddy Rice was happy to be a part of the Brumos effort as well, saying, “The last two years we have been really strong. It all comes down to execution and avoiding mistakes, and Brumos did that the best this weekend.”

Emotions ran high for the #59 drivers as well. The 3rd place finish marked a long overdue return to the podium after several near misses in 2008. Hurley Haywood found it to be a combination of factors. “J.C. France was my teammate right from the start. I was very proud of the job he did last year and he is teamed with Barbosa, who is just an absolutely brilliant driver. This is a win shared by everybody, and I know Bob Snodgrass is smiling from above.” France was also pleased for his #58 teammates, saying “I was overcome with emotion, seeing the #58 car get a well-deserved victory and for us to have a great finish right behind them is all we could ask. It’s a great start to the season and a great overall team effort for Brumos.”

Joao Barbosa turned in another flawless performance, bringing the car across the line in 3rd despite constant challenges. “It was a sprint race all the way, everyone was 100 percent, and no one wanted to lose the lead lap. We pushed really hard and the car was great, we had a great race and are really pleased to put #59 back on the podium.” Co-driver Terry Borcheller enjoyed rejoining Brumos and renewing his friendship with all of the other drivers. “Brumos is the definition of what a team should be, and while I may hate not winning myself, I couldn’t be happier for the #58 and what they accomplished.”

Likely no one is more thrilled by the Brumos performance than team owner Dan Davis. “The quality of the service and the race preparations were apparent. Thanks to the hard work of our crew, the cars ran a 24 hour race with only routine maintenance needed. From the standpoint of Brumos, it was a perfect race. We are already looking forward to our return to action at Virginia International Raceway in April as we compete for the Championship in the Grand-Am Rolex series sponsored by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.”

Article posted on: 09-Feb-03