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The 2003 Grand American Road Racing Championship (Grand Am) was the fourth season of the series.
A business model that controlled costs had stable rules, and avoided being dependent on automotive manufacturers attracted many private teams.
The previous year, Grand Am announced that the Sportsracing Prototype I cars (expensive and technologically advanced)
would not be eligible to compete in the 2003 series and would be replaced by a new sports prototype racer class called a Daytona Prototype.
The Daytona Prototype category was introduced to replace the two existing Sports Racing Prototype groups. The cars use a tube frame chassis rather than the expensive composites used to construct most prototype race cars to control costs. Also, expenses are contained by limiting modifications and implementing rules that were in place for five years. Approved to produce the first generation of Daytona Prototypes for approximately $400,000 were Riley Technologies, Doran Designs, Crawford Race Cars, Fabcar Engineering, Chase Competition Engineering, Picchio, and Multimatic. Costs were also controlled by restricting the engines to production-based motors supplied by Pontiac, Lexus, BMW, Porsche, Ford and Infiniti. Engine displacement was used to determine the weight of a car and whether a five or six-speed transmission could be utilized. Doran, Picchio, Multimatic and Fabcar delivered cars in time for the 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The well-established Brumos Racing chose to field two Fabcar FDSC/03 chassis powered by a Porsche engine. Fabcar Engineering was founded in August 1977 by Dave and Julie Klym. Since then, it has established a worldwide reputation as a top-quality prototype racing design and fabrication shop. The company s first major project was building eleven Wheeler Formula Super Vee race cars. Fabcar s second major endeavor was the construction of two Schkee Can-Am cars. Additional projects included constructing two Fabcar Camel Light cars and the four-rotor Mazda RX-7 GTO cars. Cegwa Sport, a new team based in Florida founded by Darius Grala, John Shapiro and Luis Amores, campaigned a third FDSC/03 chassis powered by Toyota 4.3-liter V8 engines from Toyota Racing Development.
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| The Brumos entries are powered by a Porsche flat-six engine. The motor has a displacement of 3,795 cc with a stroke of 76.4 mm and a bore of 99.99 mm. The intake system consists of six individual throttle bodies mated with a sequential multi-point Bosch MS 3.1 system with ignition control. Lubrication of the engine is accomplished using a dry sump with a heat exchanger. The exhaust system is fabricated by Fabcar. The output is rated at 500 horsepower at 8,500 rpm, with 420 Newton-meters of torque at 7,500. The Toyota engine in the Cegwa Fabcar is a 4.3-liter V8. It is a double-overhead camshaft motor with four valves per cylinder. The naturally aspirated fuel-injected engine delivers performance numbers similar to the Porsche. |
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| ENGINE | FABCAR |
|---|---|
| Engine Layout | Six cylinder Boxter |
| Displacement | 3598 cc - 76.4 mm stroke, 99.99 mm bore |
| Horsepower | 500 horsepower at 8,500 rpm |
| Torque | 420 newton-meters of torque at 7,500 |
| Maximum RPM | 8,500 rpm |
| Cooling | Water cooled |
| Intake System | Six individual throttle valves |
| Fuel Injection | Sequential multi-point Bosch MS 3.1 system with ignition control |
| Lubrication | Dry sump with heat exchanger |
| Exhaust System | FABCAR fabricated by FABCAR |
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The Fabcar FDSC/03 powertrain consists of an EMCO GA 46-P 6-speed sequential transmission standard to cars competing in the Daytona Prototype category. Shifting is achieved by the use of a cable linkage. Bolted to the crankshaft is a custom Tilton / Porsche flywheel. The clutch is a triple plate metallic 5.25 inches in diameter, which is manufactured by Tilton. The clutch is engaged and disengaged using a Tilton aluminum throw-out bearing. The differential is an EMCO limited slip unit. An aluminum fabricated bell housing is used to mate the engine to the transmission to accommodate the different engine options. |
| POWERTRAIN | FABCAR |
|---|---|
| Transmission | EMCO GA 46-P 6 speed sequential |
| Gear Shift | Cable operated |
| Flywheel | Tilton/Porsche |
| Clutch | Tilton 5-1/4 diameter 3 plate metallic |
| Throw Out Bearing | Tilton aluminum |
| Differential | EMCO limited slip |
| Bell Housing | Aluminum fabricated |
| The front suspension of the Fabcar is an unequal-length double wishbone with pushrod actuated springs and shock absorbers, which are designed and fabricated by Fabcar. Grand Am spec spindles and center lock nuts are required, which were designed and built by Riley and Scott. The rear suspension is a similar configuration with unequal-length double wishbone and pushrod actuated springs and shock absorbers produced by Fabcar. Grand Am spec Riley and Scott spindles and center lock nuts are also used on the rear. Regardless of the manufacturer, all cars are required to use Grand Am s spec Pankel driveshafts and tripod joints. The front roll bars can be adjusted by the driver and the rear by the crew. |
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| SUSPENSION | FABCAR |
|---|---|
| Steering | Custom Woodward steering rack |
| Front Suspension | FABCAR designed and fabricated unequal length double wishbone with pushrod actuated springs/shocks, Grand Am spec Riley and Scott spindles and center lock nuts |
| Rear Suspension | FABCAR designed and fabricated unequal length double wishbone with pushrod actuated springs/shocks, Grand Am spec Riley and Scott spindles and center lock nuts. Grand Am spec Pankel driveshafts and tripod joints |
| Anti Roll Bars | Cockpit adjustable front, crew adjustable rear |
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Stopping the Fabcar FDSC/03 are AP calipers and AP 355 mm rotors with PAGID brake pads. The car is equipped with Fikse three-piece wheels (Front 11.5 inches X 18 inches and Rear 12 inches X 18 inches) and secured using center lock hubs. All teams use the Grand Am spec Hoosier tires (Front 25.5-inches X 11.5-inches 18-inches and Rear 28-inches X 12-inches 18-inches). The 2,125 lbs. The Fabcar has fiberglass bodywork, an overall length of 180 inches, and a width of 79 inches. The car is 42 inches high with a wheelbase of 110 inches. |
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The 2003 season opened in February with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway and ended at the same track in November.
Between these two weekends, there were events at Homestead-Miami, Phoenix International Raceway, Barber Motorsports Park,
California Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Mont-Tremblant, and Virginia International Raceway.
There were a total of twelve events, with the series competing at Watkins Glen twice and Daytona three times.
The 41st Rolex 24 at Daytona took place on the weekend of February 2 and 3. There were a total of 44 starters, six of which were the new Daytona Prototype. Drivers would compete for 24 hours on the 12-turn, 3.56-mile track, which utilized an infield road course and almost the entire tri-oval.
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| The No. 3 Toyota-powered Fabcar of Darius Grala, Oswaldo Negri, Josh Rehm, and Guy Cosmo retired after catching fire on lap 403. Sharing the driving duties on the No. 58 Brumos Racing entered Fabcar FDSC/03 were David Donohue, Mike Borkowski, Randy Pobst and Chris Bye. After qualifying, the Porsche-powered car was the second fastest and started on the outside of the front row. The team was leading the race but retired when the engine failed at about the six-hour mark. The second Brumos Fabcar was driven by Hurley Haywood, J.C. France, Scott Goodyear and Scott Sharp. The car was gridded third and finished second in class and fifth overall. The category victory went to the Multimatic MDP1 Ford Focus. |
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The No. 3 Cegwa Sport Fabcar FDSC/03 was sponsored by Ozexe and Motorola. Darius Grala and Guy Cosmo were scheduled to share the car at the Grand Prix Miami; however, issues prevented the pair from starting the race. The team skipped the next three rounds, but Grala and Cosmo were joined by RJ Valentine at the Sahlen s 6 Hours of the Glen. They finished fifth overall and third in class, albeit eight laps behind the winners. After missing Mid-Ohio, Valentine and Cosmo returned for the second Daytona event and grabbed another third in the Daytona Prototype category. Robby Gordon joined Grala and Valentine for the second race at Watkins Glen and finished fifth in class. Grala and Valentine entered the final two rounds and earned fourth and seventh-place results. |
| David Donohue and Mike Borkowski were the season regulars in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Fabcar FDSC/03, with backing from Red Bull. Their first victory was until race five at California Speedway s road course. The duo captured their next win at Sahlen s 6 Hours of the Glen, with Scott Goodyear sharing the driving duties. The team s final victory came in round ten at the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant, where they were teamed with Porsche driver Sascha Maassen. Borkowski and Donohue finished 2003 with ten podium results, three of which were victories. However, the team s record also included an engine failure at the Rolex 24 and an accident took them out of contention at Virginia International Raceway. Despite this record, they finished tied for second in the final standings. |
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The No. 59 Brumos Racing Fabcar FDSC/03 was shared by J.C. France and Hurley Haywood, who had been a member of the Brumos team since 1969. France and Haywood won their first race in round two, the Nextel Grand Prix Miami, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The pair went back-to-back with their second win of the year at Phoenix International Raceway in the AJ s Fine Foods 250. Then, they collected a pair of runner-up results. While their teammates were victorious at Watkins Glen, they retired due to an accident. France and Haywood finished a distant fourth in class on their second visit to Daytona. They ended the season with two runner-up results and a fourth in the finale at Daytona. France and Haywood finished tied for fourth in the final standings. |
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A fourth Fabcar FDSC/03 was entered in the season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
Steve Southard, Duncan Dayton and Chip Vance shared the No. 7 Fabcar during the Grand American Champions Weekend.
The BMW-powered (M5 5.0-liter V8) car started sixth overall but retired on lap 62 with a brake issue.
The trio was classified twenty-seventh overall and ninth in Daytona Prototype. The Brumos entries were expected to dominate the season and win the championship. The cars received extensive pre-season testing; however, Terry Borcheller, driving the Bell Motorsports prepared Chevrolet-powered Doran JE-4, won six races and earned the Daytona Prototype Driver s title. |
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| Count | Venue | No. | Driver | Car | Start | Finish |
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| 1 | Daytona | 3 | Darius Grala Josh Rehm Oswaldo Negri, Jr. Guy Cosmo |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 4 | 25 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue Chris Bye Randy Pobst |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 34 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Scott Goodyear Scott Sharp |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 3 | 5 | ||
| 2 | Homestead | 3 | Darius Grala Guy Cosmo |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 18 | 17 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 12 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Phoenix | 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 5 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Barber | 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 7 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 3 | 2 | ||
| 5 | Fontana | 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 1 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 2 | ||
| 6 | Watkins Glen | 3 | Darius Grala Guy Cosmo R.J. Valentine |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 5 | 5 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue Scott Goodyear |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 1 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Chris Dyson |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 13 | ||
| 7 | Mid-Ohio | 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 2 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 4 | ||
| 8 | Daytona | 3 | Guy Cosmo R.J. Valentine |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 13 | 9 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 3 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 20 | ||
| 9 | Watkins Glen | 3 | Darius Grala R.J. Valentine Robby Gordon |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 9 | 6 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 2 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 4 | ||
| 10 | Mont-Tremblant | 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue Sascha Maassen |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 1 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Max Papis |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 2 | ||
| 11 | VIR | 3 | Darius Grala R.J. Valentine |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 6 | 4 |
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 17 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 7 | 2 | ||
| 12 | Daytona | 3 | Darius Grala R.J. Valentine |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Toyota | 14 | 22 |
| 7 | Duncan Dayton Steve Southard Chip Vance |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 6 | 27 | ||
| 58 | Mike Borkowski David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 3 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 4 |
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2004 was the fifth season of the series. A business model that controlled costs had stable rules, and avoided being dependent on automotive manufacturers attracted many private teams.
Despite the critics' reservations, entries continued to grow and showed no signs of slowing down.
As in the past, the season opened in February with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway and ended at California Speedway. Between these two venues, there were events at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Mont-Tremblant, Watkins Glen International, Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Phoenix International Raceway, and Virginia International Raceway. There were a total of twelve events, with the series competing at Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Homestead-Miami twice. The 42nd Rolex 24 at Daytona took place on the weekend of January 31 and February 1. There were a total of 53 starters. Last year, six Daytona Prototypes were entered in the class's inaugural season; in 2024, that number grew to seventeen. Drivers would compete for 24 hours on the 12-turn, 3.56-mile track, which utilized an infield road course and almost the entire tri-oval. Two new manufacturers joined the series, Crawford Race Cars and Riley Technologies. The Crawford DP03 debuted at the Rolex 24 with three entries. Two Riley MkXI made their first start at Daytona.
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Four Fabcar FDSC/03 were entered in round one. The field included the two Porsche-powered Brumos entries, the Southard Motorsports BMW and Gunnar Racing's new Fabcar, which used a Porsche engine. The fastest of the four cars was the No. 58 Brumos shared by David Donohue, Darren Law, Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr; however, they were the first Fabcar to retire with an electrical problem. Hurley Haywood, J.C. France, Scott Sharp and Tommy Riggins drove the second Brumos entry. They qualified ninth, but their race ended early with a chassis issue. Southard Motorsports started immediately behind the No. 59 Brumos Fabcar with drivers Shane Lewis, Jack Baldwin, George Robinson, Vice Race and Steve Southard. The team finished fortieth overall and was the top Fabcar but retired on lap 359 with an engine failure. The remaining FDSC/03 was piloted by Gunnar Jeannette, Kyle Petty, Paul Newman, and Mike Brockman and finished forty-eighth with a motor issue. |
| The next round was held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Darren Law joined David Donohue in the No. 58 Brumos Fabcar, replacing Mike Borkowski. They had issues in race two and finished sixteenth in Daytona Prototype. Donohue and Law continued to have a challenging season. Their best qualifying result was a third at Mont-Tremblant with Sascha Maassen - they would finish in the eighth spot. In addition to Daytona and Homestead-Miami, Donohue and Law had top-ten qualifying efforts at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Virginia, Barber and California. The team's best result was a fourth at Mid-Ohio, followed by a fifth place at Daytona's Paul Reverse 250. Donohue and Law ended the season tied for fourteenth in the final Driver's standings. |
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J.C. France and Hurley Haywood returned as the No. 59 Brumos Racing Fabcar FDSC/03 drivers. The Rolex 24 was a disaster for the teams campaigning the Fabcar chassis. However, France and Haywood recovered from their season opener retirement to finish fourth in Homestead-Miami after qualifying eleventh. This would mark their best result of 2004. The year included top ten finishes at Phoenix, Watkins Glen with Lucas Luhr, Mid-Ohio, Barber and California. At the opposite end of the results sheet was Mont-Tremblant, where they finished thirty-first, with Lucas Luhr, and twenty-seventh at Virginia. Their best start was a fifth at the Rolex 24, and the worst was at Virginia when the pair started in the sixteenth position. France and Haywood ended the year tied for thirteenth in the Daytona Prototype Driver's Championship. They finished one point ahead of their teammates, Donohue and Law. |
| Steve Southard's Southard Motorsports entered all twelve rounds like the Brumos team. Shane Lewis was the team's primary Driver. Southard also used the services of Jack Baldwin and Vice Rice for the shorter events. Southard and George Robinson were added to the line-up at longer races such as the Rolex 24, Mont-Tremblant and Watkins Glen. The first full year was challenging for the No. 7 BMW-powered Fabcar. However, the team's highlights were ninth-place finishes at Homestead-Miami with Lewis and Baldwin and Virginia with Lewis and Rice. Unfortunately, the team's record also included four events they could not finish. The team's best starting position was an eighth place at Homestead-Miami with Lewis and Baldwin. Lewis finished fifteenth in the Driver's points chase. |
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Two additional teams campaigning the Fabcar FDSC/03 entered selected rounds. The first was Gunnar Racing, which only participated in the Rolex 24.
After starting in the fourteenth position, the team retired and was classified with a forty-eighth overall and fifteenth among the Daytona Prototype competitors. The second team that returned in 2003 was Cegwa Sport. Darius Grala and John Lloyd made their first start of the year in the No. 3 Lexus-powered Fabcar at Phoenix, where they qualified eighteenth overall and finished tenth in the Daytona Prototype category. The team's second and last event was Mont-Tremblant, where Grala and Lloyd were joined by last year's winner, Mike Borkowski. Despite an accident near the end of the contest, they finished fourteenth overall after qualifying sixteenth. |
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Except for the Doran JE-4, which grabbed victories at the Rolex 24 with last year's championship-winning Bell Motorsports,
and at the Sahlen's 200 at Watkins Glen with the Doran Lista Racing, the win column was dominated by the latest creations from Crawford Race Cars and Riley Technologies.
The Crawford DP03 earned wins at both Homestead-Miami events with Milka Duno and Andy Wallace. Butch Leitzinger and Elliott Forbes-Robinson claimed first place at Barber Motorsports Park.
The Riley MkXI won three races for Wayne Taylor and Max Angelelli. Max Papis and Scott Pruett collected four victories and earned the Driver's Championship.
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| Count | Venue | No. | Driver | Car | Start | Finish |
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| 1 | Daytona | 7 | Shane Lewis Jack Baldwin George Robinson Vic Rice Steve Southard |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 10 | 40 |
| 45 | Gunnar Jeannette Kyle Petty Paul Newman Mike Brockman |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 48 | ||
| 58 | Sascha Maassen David Donohue Darren Law Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 50 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Tommy Riggins Scott Sharp |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 41 | ||
| 2 | Homestead | 7 | Shane Lewis Jack Baldwin |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 8 | 9 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 40 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 4 | ||
| 3 | Phoenix | 3 | John Lloyd Darius Grala |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Lexus | 18 | 12 |
| 7 | Shane Lewis Jack Baldwin |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 9 | 36 | ||
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 16 | 35 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 9 | ||
| 4 | Mont-Tremblant | 3 | John Lloyd Darius Grala Mike Borkowski |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Lexus | 16 | 14 |
| 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice Steve Southard |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 13 | 32 | ||
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue Sascha Maassen |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 3 | 8 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 31 | ||
| 5 | Watkins Glen | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice Steve Southard |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 14 | 44 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue Sascha Maassen |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 6 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 10 | ||
| 6 | Daytona | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 16 | 23 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 5 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 14 | ||
| 7 | Mid-Ohio | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 13 | 12 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 4 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 9 | ||
| 8 | Watkins Glen | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 13 | 13 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 7 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 19 | ||
| 9 | Homestead | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 13 | 26 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 8 | 32 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 12 | ||
| 10 | VIR | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 14 | 9 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 5 | 20 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 16 | 27 | ||
| 11 | Barber | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 15 | 20 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 7 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 13 | 10 | ||
| 12 | Fontana | 7 | Shane Lewis Vic Rice |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / BMW | 13 | 11 |
| 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 28 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 12 | 8 |
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The 2005 Grand American Road Racing Championship (Grand Am) was the series' sixth season.
A business model that controlled costs had stable rules and avoided being dependent on automotive manufacturers had proven to be a success.
In the new year, there were just two classes—Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring. Despite the reduction in categories, the Rolex 24 entries increased from 53 last season to 62 this year. The season opened in February with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway and ended in Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Between these two venues, there were events at Homestead-Miami, California Speedway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mont-Tremblant, Watkins Glen International, Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Phoenix International Raceway, and Virginia International Raceway. There were a total of fourteen events, with the series competing at Daytona twice and Watkins Glen three times. By 2005, most teams had abandoned the Daytona Prototypes they entered in the first year of the series in favour of the Crawford DP03 and Riley MkXI.
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| Four Fabcar FDSC/03 were in this year's Rolex 24 field. Three of the cars were out of the Brumos Racing stable. The No. 29 Fabcar was driven by Josh Vargo, Tim Vargo, Jake Vargo and Brady Refenning. Series regulars David Donohue and Darren Law shared the No. 58 car with Lucas Luhr and Sascha Maassen. The No. 59 Fabcar was piloted by the team's primary drivers, J.C. France and Hurley Haywood, along with Porsche drivers, Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Bernhard, and Romain Dumas. The last Fabcar entry was a combined effort from Cegwa Sport and Southard Motorsports. The drivers included Darius Grala, Mark Patterson, Bohdan Kroczek, Quentin Wahl, and Shane Lewis. The No. 58 finished eighth, which was the best Fabcar result. The Cegwa / Southard car finished fourteenth in class. The remaining two Fabcars retired. |
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After Daytona, only the Brumos team committed to the full season. Donohue and Law in the No. 58 Fabcar had a season-high finish of sixth at Barber and their best starting position was the pole in round two at Homestead-Miami. The year's low point was a thirty-ninth overall result at Watkins Glen, where they retired after an accident. The highlight for Haywood and France was a tenth at Phoenix. Their worst finish was a forty-four overall in the Rolex 24. At the final Watkins Glen event, Haywood and France had their best starting position – a ninth. In the year-end standings, Donohue and Law finished tied for twenty-sixth. France and Haywood were twenty-sixth in the Driver's Championship. |
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The Suntrust duo of Max Angelelli and team owner Wayne Taylor secured the 2005 Daytona Prototype Driver’s Championship.
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| Count | Venue | No. | Driver | Car | Start | Finish |
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| 1 | Daytona | 3 | Mark Patterson Darius Grala Bohdan Kroczek Quentin Wahl Shane Lewis |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Lexus | 23 | 23 |
| 29 | Josh Vargo Tim Vargo Jake Vargo Brady Refenning |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 22 | 43 | ||
| 58 | Sascha Maassen David Donohue Darren Law Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 8 | ||
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Mike Rockenfeller Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 27 | 44 | ||
| 2 | Homestead | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 1 | 8 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 13 | 14 | ||
| 3 | Fontana | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 17 | 9 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 18 | 15 | ||
| 4 | Laguna Seca | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 12 | 14 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 18 | 21 | ||
| 5 | Mont-Tremblant | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue Sascha Maassen |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 7 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 12 | ||
| 6 | Watkins Glen | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue Lucas Luhr |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 39 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Timo Bernhard |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 13 | 22 | ||
| 7 | Daytona | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 22 | 7 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 11 | ||
| 8 | Barber | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 12 | 6 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 23 | ||
| 9 | Watkins Glen | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 16 | 8 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 15 | 15 | ||
| 10 | Mid-Ohio | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 7 | 38 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 15 | ||
| 11 | Phoenix | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 15 | 8 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 17 | 10 | ||
| 12 | Watkins Glen | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 31 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 12 | ||
| 13 | VIR | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 9 | 35 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 28 | ||
| 14 | Mexico City | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 16 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 19 | 17 |
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The 2006 Grand Am championship was the seventh year. As in the past, the season opened in January with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway and ended in Utah at Miller Motorsports Park.
In between these two venues, there were events at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Long Beach, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen International,
Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Virginia International Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway and Infineon Raceway. There were fifteen events, and the series competed at Daytona and Watkins Glen twice.
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This season, Brumos Racing was the only team campaigning the Fabcar FDSC/03; however, before the end of the year, they would abandon the marque in favour of the Riley MkXI.
The team continued to have limited success with the Fabcar. Donohue and Law had a season-high finish in the Rolex 24, fourth place with Sascha Maassen.
An eleventh at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was the best result for France and Haywood. Donohue and Law started racing the Riley in round twelve at Watkins Glen International, where they qualified thirteenth and finished sixth. France and Haywood made the change to the Riley in the next race at Sonoma. |
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The 2006 season ended with the Brumos duo of Darren Law and David Donohue being tied with Mario Haberfeld for sixteenth in the Driver’s standings.
While Hurley Haywood finished thirty-second in the points, his teammate, J.C. France, was thirty-sixth after missing the Homestead-Miami event.
The Daytona Prototype Driver’s crown went to Jorg Bergmeister driving the Krohn Racing Riley MkXI / Pontiac.
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| Count | Venue | No. | Driver | Car | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daytona | 58 | Sascha Maassen David Donohue Darren Law |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 29 | 4 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Ted Christopher Joao Barbosa |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 36 | ||
| 2 | Mexico | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 15 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 34 | ||
| 3 | Homestead-Miami | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 3 | 10 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 12 | ||
| 4 | Long Beach | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 21 | 14 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 15 | ||
| 5 | VIR | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 8 | 12 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 17 | 16 | ||
| 6 | Laguna Seca | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 22 | 5 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 18 | 18 | ||
| 7 | Phoenix | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 22 | 12 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 15 | 18 | ||
| 8 | Watkins Glen | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 11 | 17 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Ted Christopher |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 19 | 40 | ||
| 9 | Mid-Ohio | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 8 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 18 | 11 | ||
| 10 | Daytona | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 12 | 12 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 20 | 19 | ||
| 11 | Barber | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 14 | 13 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 17 | 16 | ||
| 12 | Watkins Glen | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Riley MkXI / Porsche | 13 | 6 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 26 | 15 | ||
| 13 | Sonoma | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue |
Riley MkXI / Porsche | 8 | 8 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France |
Riley MkXI / Porsche | 23 | 19 | ||
| 14 | MMP | 58 | Darren Law David Donohue Buddy Rice |
Riley MkXI / Porsche | 12 | 7 |
| 59 | Hurley Haywood J.C. France Roberto Moreno |
Riley MkXI / Porsche | 21 | 36 |
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The 2007 Grand Am series was in its eighth year. As in the past, the season opened in January with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway
and ended in Utah at Miller Motorsports Park. In between these two venues, there were events held at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez,
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen, Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio,
Virginia International Raceway, Montreal, Iowa and Infineon Raceway. Montreal and Iowa were new for this season and
gone from the schedule were Long Beach and Phoenix International Raceway. Fourteen events, with the series competing at Daytona and Watkins Glen twice.
With Brumos Racing out of the picture, VICI Racing, Cheever Racing, and Spirit of Daytona were campaigning the Fabcar FDSC/03.
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The American and German-based VICI Racing entered the No. 18 Porsche-powered Fabcar FDSC/03 at the Rolex.
This would been the team's only Grand Am event of 2007. The driver line-up included Uwe Alzen, Robert Renauer, Terry Borcheller and Gaston Mazzacane.
Despite some talent in their roster, they could not overcome the weaknesses of the Fabcar.
They were gridded twentieth out of twenty-eight Daytona Prototypes and retired with a fifty-eighth place result. Cheever Racing drivers Mike Newton, Thomas Erdos, Harrison Brix and Eddie Cheever shared the No. 51 Porsche powered Fabcar FDSC/03. The car was running at the conclusion of twenty-four hours but was eighty-nine laps behind the winner and in thirty-second overall when the checkered flag flew. |
| Cheever Racing completed the remainder of the season with the No. 39 Crown Royal Special Reserve-sponsored Fabcar. The primary drivers were Christian Fittipaldi and Harrison Brix. Cheever shared the driving in round two at Mexico; unfortunately, after starting in the fifth position, an accident removed the trio from the race – they were classified in thirty-fifth place. Fittipaldi and Brix qualified sixth at Homestead-Miami but finished fourteenth. More often than not, the pair were fast in qualifying but finished well behind their starting position. At Watkins Glen, the third driver was Antonio Garcia, and they finished eighteenth. At Mid-Ohio, they started on the outside of the front row but finished one lap behind the leaders in the eighth position. |
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The team made a significant chance before round nine at Daytona. The Porsche engine was replaced with a Pontiac motor.
The 5.5-liter LS6 V8 is a two-valve per-cylinder pushrod engine, which was limited to 7,000 rpm.
Unfortunately, the engine failed after sixty-one laps. The team retired at the next event in Iowa.
At Barber, it was another great qualifying effort followed by a disappointing result.
The team had their best performance of the season in Canada.
Garcia joined Fittipaldi, and they finished fourth. The year ended at Miller.
Richard Antinucci joined Fittipaldi and Brix. They were gridded seventh but crossed the finish line in thirteenth. The second Fabcar at the final event was the Porsche-powered Spirit of Daytona Racing entry shared by Marc-Antoine Camirand, Doug Goad, and Guy Cosmo; they finished fifteenth. |
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The 2007 Daytona Prototype Driver's title went to the Gainsco duo of Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney.
Christian Fittipaldi was the only Fabcar driver to make it the top-twenty-five of the points chase and finished seventeenth.
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| Count | Venue | No. | Driver | Car | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daytona | 51 | Mike Newton Thomas Erdos Harrison Brix Eddie Cheever, Jr. |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 19 | 32 |
| 18 | Uwe Alzen Robert Renauer Terry Borcheller Gaston Mazzacane |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 20 | 58 | ||
| 2 | Mexico | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix Eddie Cheever, Jr. |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 10 | 15 |
| 3 | Homestead-Miami | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 6 | 14 |
| 4 | VIR | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 12 | 15 |
| 5 | Laguna Seca | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Watkins Glen | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix Antonio Garcia |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 19 | 18 |
| 7 | Mid-Ohio | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Daytona | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 12 | 33 |
| 9 | Iowa | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 15 | 14 |
| 10 | Barber | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 6 | 11 |
| 11 | Montreal | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Antonio Garcia |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 8 | 4 |
| 12 | Watkins Glen | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Antonio Garcia |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 5 | 7 |
| 13 | Sonoma | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 13 | 6 |
| 14 | MMP | 39 | Christian Fittipaldi Harrison Brix Richard Antinucci |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Pontiac | 7 | 13 |
| 09 | Marc-Antoine Camirand Doug Goad Guy Cosmo |
Fabcar FDSC/03 / Porsche | 17 | 15 |
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The five-year period from 2003 to 2007, which restricted chassis development and prevented new manufacturers from joining the series, concluded.
As a result, a new generation of Daytona Prototypes was constructed—among them were Dallara, Lola, and new cars from Crawford and Riley.
In September 2007, Eddie Cheever purchased the Daytona Prototype license from Fabcar and established a technical partnership with Picchio, a Gen 1 Daytona Prototype constructor. The new chassis was built by Cheever Racing in Indianapolis, Indiana. With AJ Foyt's permission, the car was called the Coyote CC/08 and used a Pontiac engine. The Coyote-Foyt chassis name was used from 1966 to 1983 for Foyt's USAC Championship cars. The last time the Fabcar FDSC/03 appeared on a Grand-Am entry list was the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway with the Spirit of Daytona Racing. Drivers Marc-Antoine Camirand, Michael McDowell and Guy Cosmo finished fifteenth after starting twenty-second.
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Cheever Racing made an inauspicious start at the Rolex 24, with the team's two entries failing to finish.
The Spirit of Daytona Racing returned to the series with a Porsche-powered Coyote chassis but did not compete in all events.
Their best result was in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona when drivers Marc-Antoine Camirand and Guy Cosmo finished tenth.
The highlight for Cheever Racing was at Montreal when drivers Antonio Garcia and Christian Fittipaldi qualified ninth fastest and captured a runner-up result. The Riley MkXX won the Manufactures Championship with thirteen victories. Dallara DP01 was the only other chassis to collect a first place and finished second in the points chase. Of the sixth chassis manufacturers, Coyote CC/08 was fourth. |
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From 2009 to 2011 the Spirit of Daytona Racing continued to campaign the Coyote chassis.
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