DENVER, N.C. – Filipe Albuquerque will have a new role with Action Express Racing next season.
Albuquerque, who has raced full-time in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R for Action Express the last two seasons, will shift to the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup events.
The role is a familiar one for Albuquerque, who joined Action Express Racing’s Mustang Sampling Racing effort for the 2017 Michelin Endurance Cup season before moving to a full-time role with the team in 2018.
“It has been a great opportunity to drive with Joao (Barbosa) and Christian (Fittipaldi) and to represent Mustang Sampling for these last few years,” said Albuquerque. “I understand that the commercial situation for the team has changed so we all are adjusting for the new plans. It will be different for me to just be racing in the endurance events again, but the team is already working hard to bring back the No. 5 car to the full season. In the meantime I am focused on what I know to do best, which now is to win all the four big ones.”
Comprised of the four marquee endurance events on the IMSA WeatherTech Championship schedule, the Michelin Endurance Cup covers 52 hours of racing at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Sebring Int’l Raceway, Watkins Glen Int’l and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The Michelin Endurance Cup title is determined by not only where the teams finish the race, but also where they are scored at segments during each of the four long-distance events.
Action Express Racing has won five-straight Michelin Endurance Cup titles, and is in position to do so once again in 2019, with one race remaining at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta next Saturday.
Albuquerque will make his first appearance in the Whelen Engineering Racing machine at the Roar Before the 24 along with full season No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R drivers Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.