Terry Borcheller - Podium and Potential

Terry Borcheller started the 2003 race season with a podium and potential.

The Phoenix driver competed in the Grand-Am Cup season-opener and in the 
Rolex 24 at Daytona, first race in the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series, both on 
the 3.65-mile Daytona International Speedway road course in Daytona Beach, 
Fla.

Cup podium

Borcheller and Forest Barber of Fort Worth, Tex., finished third in the GSII 
class in the Grand-Am Cup race on Jan. 31.  They came within feet of second 
place, driving the No. 54 Bell Motorsports BMW M3.

"The Cup race was very exciting, as they always are," Borcheller said.  "The 
second-place car was 18 seconds ahead of me with two laps to go and he was 
running out of fuel.  We missed second by a bumper!  It was great for the 
first race of the season because we got the car so late we missed the first 
practice session.  To come out with a third-place finish was really a big 
boost for the team."

The race will air on SPEED Channel on Saturday, Feb. 8 from noon to 1 pm ET.

Rolex potential

Christian Fittipaldi of Brazil and Didier Theys of Belgium joined Borcheller 
and Barber for the Rolex 24 at Daytona Feb. 2 and 3, driving the No. 54 Bell 
Motorsports Doran JE 4 Daytona Prototype.  The car was completed just three 
days before the event, leaving no time for advance testing, so the team goal 
was simply to ensure the drivers each completed the required lap for series 
points.

That accomplished, Borcheller stayed behind the wheel and recorded the 
second-fastest race lap during the early hours of the race.  Mechanical 
problems ultimately forced an early retirement after four hours of the 
24-hour race, and the car finished sixth in the Daytona Prototype class.

"The fast race lap was promising for the new car," Borcheller said.  "The 
goal was to come away from the race with Forest and me getting points toward 
the championship, which we did.  We also learned a tremendous amount about 
the car.  The team is thrashing now to take all the information we gathered 
from the race and apply it to the car so it can be competitive for the next 
race."

tv talent

Most drivers caught up on needed rest during the night and early morning 
hours of the Rolex 24, but Borcheller was back at work before sunrise.  He 
provided guest commentary in the SPEED Channel announcer booth for two hours 
during the live telecast of the race.

next

Borcheller will compete in the Rolex Sports Car Series race at 
Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., on March 1.

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Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945