Grand-Am Rolex Series: Rolex 24 at Daytona

Topics:  Rolex 24 at Daytona

Joao Barbosa
Terry Borcheller
J.C. France
Hurley Haywood
January 25, 2009

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA

J.J. O'MALLEY: Now our 3rd place finishers, also from Brumos Racing Porsche. Hurley Haywood, you've won this race overall five times. Part of the Brumos effort throughout the years. You've got to be proud to see the team win. But you personally finished 3rd. What are your emotions?
HURLEY HAYWOOD: We've got to remember that Brumos is a team with two cars, and the success of the 58 car is shared by everybody on the 59 car and all the drivers and all the crew members, because it is a team.
And our team worked very, very hard. We had a setback. We were the first team to come on board with the Daytona prototype when it was first introduced, it came with the fab car.
We had some issues with that chassis. But we stuck to it. We changed over to the Riley. Bob Snodgrass was our spearhead. He led us and gave us encouragement and made it all possible for us to compete in this great series.
So it's a combination of a lot of work over a long period of time. We were competitive that first year that we raced in 2003. And then we just had a big gap before we got competitive again.
And last year both cars were very competitive. Jamie France, who was my teammate right from the start, really matured a lot. I was very proud of the job he did last year, and he was teamed with Barbosa, who is just an absolute brilliant driver. So we're very lucky. And as I said, this is a win that is shared by everybody, and I know that Bob Snodgrass is smiling from above, because he would really love to be here.
J.J. O'MALLEY: J.C. France, you've also been part of the Brumos effort from the very first setting of the Daytona prototype, your emotions coming in 3rd today and sharing in the Brumos victory.
J.C. FRANCE: I was pretty much overcome with emotion there at the finish, see my teammates in the 58 car to get a well-deserved victory and for us to have a great finish right behind them is everything we could ask for. It's a great start to the season. I'm proud of all my co-drivers here. They really stepped up and carried the load last night and today and just an overall great team effort on Brumos.
J.J. O'MALLEY: Joao Barbosa, take us through the final hour as you were chasing down David and Juan Pablo.
JOAO BARBOSA: It was a great race, everybody was 100 percent, sprint race all the way through the race and no one wants to lose laps. No one wants to lose touch with the first car. We all pushed really hard, and sometimes traffic played a big part of it.
Personally I got held up in traffic in the bus stop, like 15 minutes ago and that was it. But that was really tough to fight for any other position. But we were really pushing and the car was great. So I probably could have got a shot at 2nd place. It's tough to say, but we just had a great race and we're really pleased with 3rd place at this point.
J.J. O'MALLEY: Terry Borcheller, you're the inaugural Daytona prototype champion in 2003. Won this race in 2004. Your thoughts coming here with Brumos in 2009.
TERRY BORCHELLER: I started with them last year and it was just awesome. I really enjoyed the team. The friendship with the drivers and with all the boys on both cars. Darren and I, I've known Darren for probably almost 20 years and Buddy Rice. And it's just a great, it's a great definition of a team to be with Brumos. And I hate not winning.
But today, when Joe got caught in the traffic, I knew it was over for us. And I was, up until that point I was still pulling for our car and our lineup. But as soon as that happened, I couldn't be happier for the 58 car and what they accomplished. And they really deserve it. They did a heck of a job, all of them.

Q. I'll probably ask this of J.C. first, because you were there kind of watching this. Essentially was the race won and lost on that last pit stop? Trying to pass two cars, was that too much?
J.C. FRANCE: I don't know. The 58 car was pretty strong. Both our cars were working real well. To try to say ifs and buts and what would have happened out there in racing conditions, when you come across traffic and stuff. But the track position is definitely a key factor. It's easier to block than it is to pass. That had some impact on it.

Q. And Hurley, for someone who has done this a while, especially for an organization like Brumos, what does this mean for Brumos, and will the traffic go back to Denver or will it go to Jacksonville?
HURLEY HAYWOOD: I think the trophy will probably go back to Jacksonville to add to our trophy case that's in our Porsche dealership. It's got quite a few of our trophies from the 24-hour races. So I think it will end up there. It might move back and forth because the guys deserve to share that.
What it means for Brumos, we've been trying to win this for a long time. I think someone asked me when our last win here was, which was 1991, with co-sponsorship program with Yost, 1962. But we've been trying ever since then to get back on to the top. And this is a really nice place to get our team back on top. I love Daytona and this is a great place to win a race at.
J.J. O'MALLEY: Congratulations.