Media Notes:
– No. 5 entry has competed in seven races at the Glen (2010 – 2016), with three victories (2012 – Law/Barbosa and 2013 & 2016 – Fittipaldi/Barbosa)
– 2016 Sahlen’s 6 Hour: Action Express Racing cars finished 1-2 with Fittipaldi/Barbosa winning ahead of Cameron/Curran
– Special patriotic livery for No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing celebrates American Icons.
Watkins Glen, New York (27 June 2017) – Mustang Sampling Racing will look to return to victory lane at Watkins Glen this Sunday in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen in Round 6 of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The race marks Round 3 of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship (TPNAEC), and has long been a highlight event through the decades of IMSA competition at the upstate New York facility.
Mustang Sampling Racing drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi will once again be joined by Filipe Albuquerque as the trio looks to take a breakthrough victory with the all-new No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. The entry will carry a custom Mustang Sampling patriotic livery for the event as the Glen weekend takes place just ahead of 4th of July celebrations.
Albuquerque returns to the team as part of the TPNAEC lineup, with the team just three points out of the endurance championship lead following runner-up finishes in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Since his Sebring podium appearance with the team in March, it has been a busy summer already for Albuquerque. In addition to select outings in Blancpain GT competition, Albuquerque scored a strong fourth place finish in the Le Mans 24 Hour and a victory in the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone as the Portuguese racer continues to show strong form, no matter the category.
The Action Express Racing organization has a winning history at Watkins Glen International, and with the all-new Prototype regulations seeing faster speeds, the drivers are eager to take to the undulating track with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“The team has been strong at Watkins Glen through the years—even on days when we weren’t the fastest, we’ve had some great teamwork that put us ahead,” said Fittipaldi, who has two Sahlen’s Six Hour victories to his credit. “Hopefully we can return to the top on Sunday with our Cadillac. Watkins Glen has so much history, it is an old school kind of track that is fast. It is a real challenge every lap, and you have to be very committed so I’m really looking forward to racing this Cadillac DPi-V.R there this weekend.”
“The Glen track is one of my favorites because aero and and mechanical handling are equally important in the setup of the cars,” said Barbosa, who was part of all three Action Express victories at the track. “Action Express has a history of bringing cars to the track that are well balanced aerodynamically and mechanically but also compliment our driving styles. It is a great, flowing track that has always been a lot of fun to drive, and I think it will be even faster, and better, this year.”
While some Prototype squads will utilize a two-driver line-up, the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R will deploy three racers in the all-out sprint to the finish this weekend.
“There is a balance sometimes with having two or three drivers,” said Barbosa. “Filipe (Albuquerque) is a great addition to the team and having a third driver at the Glen can be an advantage. With three drivers, each one gets a little bit less track time in practice, but it is a benefit for the race. You are pushing 100% of the time in this race and with the higher speeds and g-forces, having another driver on the team is going to help. We’ve had some very hot days at the Glen as well in this race and that could also be a factor this weekend.”
The 6 Hour will carry live broadcast coverage from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with FS1 carrying the opening segment of the race and FS2 covering the final three and a half hours.
