Albuquerque Named Third Driver in Whelen Cadillac DPi for 2020

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Filipe Albuquerque will make the switch to the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races next year, alongside full-season drivers Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr.

It comes in the wake of Action Express Racing’s likely scaled-back effort that was announced on Monday.

Albuquerque joined the North Carolina-based team in 2017 initially as an Endurance Cup driver for the No. 5 entry prior to moving into a full-time role alongside Joao Barbosa the following year.

The No. 5 Cadillac DPi is unlikely to compete next year due to lack-of-sponsorship.

“It has been a great opportunity to drive with Joao 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.”

Albuquerque will make his first appearance in the No. 31 Cadillac DPi at the Roar Before the 24 ahead of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

No word has been given if longtime Whelen driver Eric Curran, who has served as the team’s Endurance Cup driver this year, will be in the car as a fourth driver for Daytona.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John