Terry Borcheller - Daytona preview
streaking
Terry Borcheller will race on two very different tracks this week, but he has
a record of success on both. He'll start with a late-night Rolex Sports Car
Series race on July 1 on the infield "roval" at Daytona (Fla.) International
Speedway, then catch a middle-of-the-night charter to Connecticut to prepare for
an American Le Mans Series race on the Lime Rock Park road course in
Lakeville on July 5.
Borcheller, of Gainesville, Ga., has eight career victories on the 3.56-mile
Daytona track that combines oval and road course turns, including a four-race
streak in the past 12 months. He and Forest Barber of Fort Worth, Texas, will
be looking for another win in the No. 54 Bell Motorsports Pontiac-powered
Doran JE4.
"We have an unbelievable record at Daytona and it would be great to continue
that streak," Borcheller said. "We're working real hard to make the car more
competitive out of the box. Everybody struggles with grip at Daytona. Because
we're on a spec tire and everybody has the same rubber, it's a matter of how
well you get the car set up. Jim Bell is very good at what he does and it shows
up at Daytona."
short stuff
The American Le Mans Series will race at Lime Rock Park for the first time on
July 5, but it will be a return to familiar territory for Borcheller, who has
four wins on the short 1.54-mile track. He knows staying out of trouble will
be the key to success in the No. 63 ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R that he
drives with Johnny Mowlem of Maidenhead, England.
"I'm very excited to be back in the Saleen and to see how Jeff [Giangrande,
team owner] is running the car. He really wants to do things right, to be
competitive and win. I just like being around that, being a part of it," Borcheller
said.
"Lime Rock is a short track so even if the [championship-leading] Corvettes
are better than us, we could surprise them. If you can run the whole race
without being hit or hitting someone, you usually do well there."
summer camp
Borcheller will make two special stops this week. He'll visit Camp Boggy
Creek in Eunis, Fla., on July 1. The facility is one of the Hole in the Wall Gang
Camps that provide a summer camp experience for children who have chronic or
life-threatening illnesses. Following the Lime Rock race, he will participate
in a go-kart camp organized by Motorsports Ministries for 30 inner-city
children in Boston.
"It's very special to me to be able to spend a little bit of time with these
kids," Borcheller said. "It makes what I do make more sense. At the end of the
day, you come home with a trophy in your hand and it's a pretty empty life if
that's all there is to it. It's just very cool to see those kids light up
when they see you with your driver suit on or you give them an autograph card. I
really enjoy that."
details (ET)
The Rolex Sports Car Series race is scheduled for Thursday, July 1 from 11 pm
to 1:45 am on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway track in Daytona
Beach, Fla. It will be telecast on Sunday, July 4 at noon on Speed Channel.
The American Le Mans Series race is set for Monday, July 5 from 3 pm to 5:45
pm on the 1.54-mile Lime Rock Park road course in Lakeville, Conn. It will air
live on pee Channel at 3 pm.