Fifty Plus Racing Riley BMW Prepared by Doran Racing
Finishes Seventh at Sebring

Photo credit: Richie Smith

SEBRING, Fla., March 24 — Showing the same sort of perseverance that those dealing with Alzheimer's disease display daily, the Fifty Plus Racing team finished a solid seventh in Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway.

Like the scientists who are working to find a cure for Alzheimer's, Fifty Plus Racing continues to make strides on and off the track. Off the track, the Fifty Plus Racing Foundation is raising funds for Alzheimer's research through its Web site at FiftyPlusRacing.com. And on the track, the Fifty Plus Racing Riley BMW prepared by Doran Racing not only finished Saturday's race, it finished one spot higher on the scoreboard than it did in the season opener at Daytona.

It wasn't easy. Besides the 12 other cars in the top class, Prototype, there were 30 cars in other classes battling for position during the 12-hour race that was run under brutally hot conditions. Fourteen of the 43 starters didn't finish. The #50 not only finished the race, it had improved on its starting position by six positions in class when the checkered waved Saturday night and the fireworks were launched.

Four drivers took turns in the cockpit as the #50 did 309 laps of the 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course and made 15 pit stops during the 12-hour race. The drivers were Jim Pace of Ridgeland, Miss.; Dorsey Schroeder of Little Torch Key, Fla.; David Hinton of Clearwater, Fla., and Byron DeFoor of Ooltewah, Tenn., who also owns the car.

Pace was driving at the beginning and the end, and he set the car's fastest lap of the race on lap 17 with a 1:57.784. There were six full-course caution flags, but the #50 wasn't involved in any of them.

There were other challenges both on and off the track, however.

The team lost several laps on the first pit stop due to a fuel issue, but it was quickly solved.

Schroeder had just gotten out of the car under the second full-course caution around the two-hour mark when there was an accident on pit lane that injured the team's left-front tire changer, Kevin Fox. A PC car driven by Tommy Drissi was being passed by a Prototype car as they went down pit road, room ran out, and Drissi's PC car ran into Fox. Fox was taken to a local hospital but returned to the track later with minor injuries and a lasting memory, but luckily no broken bones.

Hinton was behind the wheel shortly thereafter when he pitted because there was fluid in the driver's foot well. After checking all sorts of hoses and connections, the Doran Racing crew solved that problem and sent him back out.

There was also a scare with a little more than one hour to go when the car suffered a flat tire. Hinton was behind the wheel then too, but he was able to make it back to the pits for a replacement without the help of a tow truck.

The #50 maintained a steady pace throughout the race, the drivers hit their marks and avoided accidents, and the team let the race come to them through attrition.

As far as the scoreboard went, the #50 got off to a rousing start when it advanced from 13th to tenth in class on the very first lap when Pace passed Tristan Nunez and Tom Long in the two Mazda Prototypes and the DeltaWing to boot. The #50 pitted under the first full-course caution for the fuel issue, however, so it was scored 12th in class at both the one- and two-hour marks after Oz Negri crashed the Shank Ligier in Turn 14 on lap 47.

It was back in tenth at the three-hour mark with DeFoor behind the wheel after the DeltaWing suffered mechanical problems and one of the Mazda Prototypes retired.

It got two more spots at hour five and hour seven when the other Mazda Prototype dropped out and the Honda that started second retired with steering problems.

Schroeder was driving when the car moved into seventh place before the nine-hour mark after Jon Fogarty had a problem with the Tequila Patrón Honda, and the Fifty Plus Riley stayed in seventh through the end when Pace took the checkered flag.

Fifty Plus Racing's next event is the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen June 27-28 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y., as it is concentrating on the four Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup races this year.

For more information on Doran Racing, a legendary endurance sports car team that has overall victories in the Rolex 24, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and other prestigious events and championships, see DoranRacing.com.

Driver post-race quotes follow:
Jim Pace: "I had a blast sharing the race with Dorsey, David and Byron, and all did exactly what was expected — stay out of trouble. After 12 hours there was not a mark on the car from other traffic. Traffic management is such a big part of this race, and we discussed finding a clear spot and running our own pace. It worked well.

"We lost several laps on the first pit stop with a fuel-system issue but the crew corrected it. Obviously it was hot, but Sebring is often hot and always bumpy.

"Crossing the finish line was a treat for me. I thought about the first time I passed under the checkered flag at the Sebring 12-Hour in 1990, and five podium finishes after that. I thought about the great teammates and friends that shared the dream of 'Sebring' over the past 25 years. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, and yet I see so many of those faces around the track still. Some are officials, others are crewmembers, some are fans and a whole bunch are drivers that went through the Skip Barber school system that Dorsey and I worked with since the late 1980s. It is very rewarding to see those people on track and doing well. Others follow along via e-mail and digital media. We all share the passion for motor racing and a respect for Sebring!"

Dorsey Schroeder: "It was so great to be able to race Sebring and the 12-Hour again. This is one of the races that every race fan should have at the top of their bucket list! No one knows just how hard this race is until you compete in the event. This is a torture machine of a race, on both man and machine! To do it at 62 years old was a huge endeavor! It's a true test of one's commitment and physical abilities.  I lie here totally exhausted, sore, bruised and totally satisfied and smiling!

"I want to thank everyone on the Fifty Plus racing team, all of Kevin Doran's tireless crew, and most of all my teammates — Jim Pace, David Hinton, and most of all team owner Byron DeFoor — for an absolutely stunning effort resulting in a seventh in class and a true finish in what was one very tough 12-Hour! Our commitment to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease will be as relentless as our love for racing!"

Byron DeFoor: "Just as most people are united in their visions and dreams, whatever they may be, so are we at Fifty Plus Racing Foundation. The drivers, the crew, the engine builders and our fans have a common objective — to cure Alzheimer's disease. We hope those who watched the 12-Hour at Sebring will join our team and help us win the more important race."

For more information about the series, see imsa.com.
For more information on Doran Racing, see DoranRacing.com.
The team also has a Facebook page.