Barbosa, Bourdais to Drive JDC-Miller Cadillac DPi

JDC-Miller Motorsports has confirmed that it will run a Mustang Sampling-backed Cadillac DPi-V.R in next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Joao Barbosa and Sebastien Bourdais.

Loic Duval, meanwhile, will complete the team’s lineup for the Michelin Endurance Cup races.

The Minnesota based team, which ran two Cadillac DPis in 2019, has agreed to a two-year deal with Mustang Sampling, which formerly sponsored the No. 5 Action Express Racing entry.

That was of the same Cadillac chassis type in which Barbosa won the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona with Filipe Albuquerque and Christian Fittipaldi, who has also joined JDC-Miller from Action Express as a team advisor.

“We are honored to have Mustang Sampling joining us and grateful for the confidence Brenda and Ken Thompson have placed in our team and organization,” said John Church, managing partner of JDC-Miller Motorsports.

“Mustang Sampling Racing has achieved a tremendous amount in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

“We look forward to carrying on the legacy of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing entry and hope to add more wins and championships in the near future.”

In October, it was reported that Action Express would likely be reducing its DPi involvement for 2019 with only the No. 31 Whelen Engineering car returning, a move that would essentially leave Barbosa without a drive.

But the experienced Portuguese racer’s newly-penned deal with JDC-Miller will enable him to tackle a seventh consecutive IMSA post-merger campaign.

His co-driver Bourdais was previously attached to the now-defunct Chip Ganassi Racing factory Ford GT program and drove for Dayle Coyne Racing in the IndyCar series this year but has been dropped from Coyne for 2020.

Bourdais and Barbosa won the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 2015 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring together in an Action Express-entered Corvette DP that was also driven by Fittipaldi.

“I’m incredibly excited to join JDC-Miller Motorsports and to continue my relationship with Mustang Sampling Racing,” Barbosa said.

“Ken and Brenda have been incredible supporters. The passion they bring to the races is key to the success of Mustang Sampling. We had a lot of success together and we’ll be working hard to continue that success. I’m looking forward to 2020.

“I’m also very happy to share the car with Sébastien again.

“I was sad to hear that his IndyCar deal did not continue, but on the other hand, I couldn’t really ask for a better teammate. We won Sebring and Daytona together and I feel we can achieve great results again.”

Bourdais added: “Following two very difficult weeks filled with uncertainty regarding my future, I am thrilled to get the opportunity to race a prototype again, be reunited with Joao, Ken and Brenda, and drive for JDC-Miller Motorsports and Mustang Sampling Racing.

“I want to thank Christian and everyone who made this possible. 2020 can’t come soon enough and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of our Cadillac DPi-V.R.”

The pair’s third driver for next season’s Endurance Cup races will be 2013 FIA World Endurance champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Duval.

The ex-Audi LMP1 driver has become a frequent prototype competitor in the Daytona season-opener but has never held a regular spot in an IMSA team’s lineup before.

Church told Sportscar365 in August that his outfit has plans to return with two cars, with plans for the second car are “progressing well”.

“We have a couple very solid pieces in place and are currently in discussions with several additional drivers and partners,” he said.

“We hope we can make an announcement on who will drive for us in the JDC-Miller MotorSports No. 85 entry very soon.”