EDITORIAL: World Endurance 101 is in session

For my friends at Action Express Racing, we begin a whole new journey this weekend.  Some of our team members, such as Team Operations Director Chris Mitchum, crew chief Bill Keuler, and team manager, Gary Nelson, are all on site at Spa Francorchamps this weekend working with fellow Cadillac team Chip Ganassi Racing with the V Series R to understand the ins and outs of how the World Endurance Championship works as there are differences in operational procedures and race formats than what we deal with in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.  There is a great article on Sportscar365 you may peruse and that will be linked in the Thursday Spa newsflash which is upcoming, so, you can read it at your leisure.

I just think this is a fabulous opportunity for our team and we are here to learn a ton.  We have registered for the class, and today is the first day of school.  We are taking dilligent notes to be prepared.  The first test, will be the race on Saturday.  The next tests will be actual car testing at Road America, and then, we will be fully prepared for the exam, which is the great race at Le Mans itself.  I am always proud of our team in everything and anything they do.  We are diving in head-first into a deep pool.  But, we are going to go for it with the same passion and desire to win that we always do, even though the field at this year's Le Mans, is stacked with spectacular cars and drivers especially our fellow members of the Hypercar class of 2023.

Excited about this prospect for Spa and for Le Mans in June and you will hear plenty more throughout the weekend.  Our endurance driver, Jack Aitken, he too, will be a part of the class, sharing the Ganassi Racing Cadillac, car #3, in a second car for their team, with Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais.  We will see how we do in qualifying tomorrow and the race on Saturday.  The aim, the important goal here, is to learn the nuances of the championship and to be fully prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the second weekend in June.  I wish you all at Action Express... Chris, Gary, Bill, Jack, my friend and team boss, Bob Johnson, and our entire team, all the very best of luck.

This is going to be a real adventure.  Number one fan, is ready to see how everything is going to unfold.  Can't wait!