Terry Borcheller will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the third time this season, but he's not complaining. The Gainesville, Ga., driver has won six races on the 2.3-mile infield road course, second only to his seven victories at Watkins Glen International in New York. His last Homestead win was in March, co-driving with Craig Stanton of Long Beach, Calif. - the man Borcheller now has to defeat for the Grand-Am Cup championship.
Borcheller and Devon Powell of Port Perry, Ont., will drive the No. 11 Powell Motorsport Cadillac CTS-V in the Grand-Am Cup race on Sept. 11. Borcheller will be looking for a strong finish, to reduce Stanton's seven-point championship lead.
"Devon and [team owner] John Powell have been working really hard to make sure the car is reliable and tuned-in," Borcheller said. "I hope that pays off at Homestead because we need a good finish. I need to beat Craig!"
new duo
Borcheller will finish the weekend driving the No. 54 Bell Motorsports Pontiac-powered Doran JE4 in the Daytona Prototype class of the Rolex Sports Car Series. His usual co-driver, Forest Barber of Fort Worth, Tex., stepped aside and invited Christian Fittipaldi of Key Biscayne, Fla., to drive with Borcheller. Although the pair won the Rolex 24 at Daytona together, this will be their first two-hour 45-minute race as co-drivers.
"Christian and Forest tested the Daytona Prototype at Virginia [International Raceway] and the results of that were positive, but we still have a ways to go," Borcheller said. "I'm really looking for good results with Christian. Even though we've done a couple of races together, we only did the 24-hour, and that's a unique situation because there are so many guys. This will be a whole new experience because I haven't done a short sprint race with him. But what I know of him, I like a lot."
home hurricanes
Borcheller was born in Hialeah, north of Homestead, Bell Motorsports is based in Miami and Fittipaldi lives south of the track in Key Biscayne, so the team is hoping for a home-track advantage. But living in Miami has also been a challenge, with recent hurricanes threatening the east coast of Florida. Fortunately, Bell Motorsports is housed in a large race shop, so the race car and equipment can be protected.
"The crew put the car in the trailer and disconnected the trailer and truck. Everything is in the shop, hibernating," Borcheller explained. "It keeps it from being exposed to the wind, because that's where all the damage is done, all the stuff being blown around."
Borcheller participated in two track tests in the No. 63 ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R, at Putnam Park in Meridian, Ind., on Aug. 30 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on Sept. 2. He said the tests were beneficial in helping the team prepare for the Sept. 25 Petit Le Mans race in the American Le Mans Series.
details (ET)
The Grand-Am Cup race is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 11 from 2:45 pm to 5:45 pm, and the Rolex Sports Car Series race for Sunday, Sept. 12 from 1 pm to 3:45 pm. Both races will run on the 2.3-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway infield road course in Homestead, Fla.
The Rolex Series race will be telecast live on Speed Channel on Sunday, Sept. 12 from 1 pm to 4 pm. The Grand-Am Cup race will air on Speed Channel on Sunday, Sept. 19 from noon to 1 pm.
