Brumos Racing Ready to Turn up the Heat for Barber Race

July 14, 2009
Jacksonville, FL: As the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series turns its attention to Barber
Motorsports Park, few would argue that the Birmingham, Alabama, race track is likely the most
scenic of all those the series visits during the course of their season. While famous for its countryclub
setting, unique sculptures and lush landscaping, members of the Grand-Am community who
attended last year’s race most likely remember it for another factor – the extreme heat.
While summertime at Barber can always be expected to be hot, last season saw a heat wave that
brought scorching sun with temperatures over 100 degrees on race day. Despite the resulting
challenges for crew and cars, Brumos not only managed to withstand the heat, they excelled in it.
Darren Law brought the Brumos #58 car in for second place in a thrilling down-to the-wire finish,
narrowly missing the win. The #59 Brumos car faced a difficult challenge in the race after it
sustained extensive damage following contact by a GT car. Despite the resulting loss of
aerodynamics that affected the car’s performance, Joao Barbosa persevered, ending the #59 car’s
difficult day in 7th place.
The 2009 season has seen Brumos struggling since their storybook 1,3 finish at the Rolex 24. The
team has worked hard to overcome a series of regulation changes and set-up issues that have kept
both cars out of the winner’s circle since that Daytona season-opener. On their July 4th return trip
to Daytona for the Brumos Porsche 250, however, the drivers of both cars found reason to feel
optimistic.
Speaking for the #59 car, driver Joao Barbosa said, “Brumos has been working hard to get us
going back in the right direction and I feel we are truly competitive once again. At Daytona we
ran really well until an unexpected tire problem slowed us down at the end of the race, but I am
confident that at Barber things will be different and we will be running strong the entire race. J.C.
is doing an incredible job this season, running a fast pace and avoiding mistakes, and, he is leading
in the Trueman Award competition. We both want to get back on the podium again soon and
further extend that lead. Besides, Barber is a challenging track and I can’t wait to go racing there
again!”

As the team readies for the trip to Barber, their key focus is on preparation. With the extreme heat
that is expected, considerations must be made to insure drivers and crew stay healthy and avoid
overheating. In addition, heat-related stress to mechanical components requires extra planning for
the cars above and beyond the steps normally taken. Given the encouraging performance of both
Brumos cars at their last outing in Daytona, you can be sure that the team’s managers and
engineers are crossing every “t” and dotting every “i”to insure nothing is overlooked. Despite the
ever-present possibility of another scorcher, Brumos is ready to turn up the heat even more – but
only on their competition - as they arrive ready to race, with the podium at Barber fixed firmly in
their sights.
The Porsche 250 Presented by Legacy Credit Union will take place on Sunday, July 19th. The
green flag is set to drop at 2:00 PM CT (3:00 PM ET). Race action will be broadcast live by
SPEED TV.

Article posted on: 09-Jul-17