Defending IMSA Prototype champs looking for first Rolex win

Three months removed from scoring their first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Prototype Championship, the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi-V.R. drivers, Eric Curran and Dane Cameron took to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway for the annual three-day Roar Before the 24 in preparation for the 55th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

While full-time No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac teammates, Christian Fittipaldi and João Barbosa have collected victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Eric Curran and Dane Cameron are seeking their first victories in the event.

"I think everything is going well, we're working through the learning curve of our new Whelen Cadillac this weekend. The Roar is a big weekend because it's the last time you can gain miles on your car to be prepared for 24 hours in a couple of weeks," said Curran.

"The guys on the Action Express Racing team are working hard to learn as quick as we can because everyone has new cars and new equipment. We're not where we want to be yet, but we're showing pretty good pace as we focus on the reliability and speed to be competitive and on top of the podium at the end of January."

While the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac has the same full-time drivers returning for the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the addition of former IndyCar driver, Mike Conway and Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner, Seb Morris meant adjusting to new surroundings.

For Morris, piloting the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi-V.R has been a learning experience, but he's hopeful the seat time during the Roar will be beneficial when he comes back for the Rolex 24.

"It's going really well, we had various run plans scheduled including driver changes, and different strategies of high speed runs, low speed runs, long runs, short runs, practicing pit entry and pit exit to maximize our time. It's been everything I wanted and more. I am very happy with the team and the time in the car has been generous, especially not being here before. I got used to the car very quickly, and I can tell that its a car I will suit."

Action Express Racing is in pursuit of a third overall victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

"The Daytona 24 is our biggest event each year. We always focus on finding the right balance of speed and reliability," said team manager Gary Nelson. "As we expected, Dane, Eric, Mike and Seb got up to speed right away so it was nice to check that box. We plan to go back to our shop and work hard on the car, spares and pit stops. We are confident when we return to Daytona, we will be ready."

Contact:

justin.garner@octagon.com

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