The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season restarts next weekend with the IMSA WeatherTech 240 At Daytona, just over five months after the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona took place in January.
It will also take place exactly 10 years after the last time a midsummer race was held at Daytona International Speedway – the 2010 Brumos Porsche 250. A quick glance at the results from that event reveals some familiar faces still around today.
Who’s gearing up for next Saturday’s Independence Day race, just as they did 10 years ago? Let’s take a look.
Andy Lally
Lally had the best luck at the last Daytona midsummer race, winning the GT category with then co-driver RJ Valentine. He’ll hope the No. 44 Magnus Racing / GRT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will find the same success next week as his No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3 Cup did in 2010. After all, he did finish second in the WeatherTech Championship GTD class during the Rolex 24 in January.
Bill Auberlen
Finishing right behind Lally in second was Auberlen, co-driving with Paul Dalla Lana and Joey Hand. Ten years later, Auberlen will be back in another Turner Motorsport BMW, this time carrying No. 96 instead of that year’s No. 94.
Antonio Garcia
Garcia was the highest finishing current driver, placing eighth overall and in the Daytona Prototype class. He’s swapping the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Coyote for the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R next week.
Jordan Taylor
This year, Garcia will be sharing the No. 3 Corvette C8.R with new-for-2020 teammate Jordan Taylor. Taylor also finished eighth in 2010, albeit in the GT class driving the No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8.
Ricky Taylor
Jordan Taylor’s elder brother, Ricky, also ran in the 2010 Daytona summer race. In fact, he qualified on the pole position in the No. 10 Ford Dallara he shared with Max Angelelli. And while they would later go on to win the prestigious Rolex 24 together in 2017 – along with Jordan and four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon, Ricky co-drove to a ninth-place DP finish in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing machine in July 2010. He’ll be behind the wheel of the No. 7 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi next weekend.
Joao Barbosa
Barbosa and Terry Borcheller teamed up in the No. 9 Action Express Racing Porsche Riley finishing 10th in the DP class. Barbosa enjoyed much Daytona success with Action Express over the years, but now drives the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing w/ JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi with Sebastien Bourdais for 2020.
John Edwards
Edwards netted a sixth-place finish in the GT class aboard in the No. 68 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8. Next weekend, he’ll be looking to repeat his success from January’s Rolex 24 – a WeatherTech Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) win in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL.
Jonathan Bomarito
Edwards’ former SpeedSource teammate in the No. 70 Mazda RX-8 was Bomarito, who competed with Sylvain Tremblay in 2010. This year, he’ll be behind the wheel of the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi looking to recreate the magic from nearly one year ago at Watkins Glen International – Mazda’s first victory in the WeatherTech Championship.
Spencer Pumpelly
Pumpelly is no stranger to IMSA premier series racing at Daytona, but his team will be for the 2020 July 4 race. Finishing 13th in the GT class in 2010, Pumpelly returns with the newly announced WeatherTech Sprint Cup effort by Team Hardpoint. He’ll be co-driving the No. 30 Audi R8 LMS GT3 with Rob Ferriol, who will be making his debut in the series as well.
John Potter
Last but not least is Lally’s current season-long teammate – and Pumpelly’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup teammate – Potter. While he and Lally will be sharing the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 next weekend, he co-drove to a 16th-place finish in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup with Craig Stanton in 2010.