Cadillac Whelen Bio
Cadillac Whelen is a motorsports team operated under Action Express Racing that competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Founded in 2010 and based in Denver, North Carolina, the team is owned by Jim France and run by team principal Bob Johnson with manager Gary Nelson.
Early Life and Background
Action Express Racing launched in 2010 and quickly established itself in American sports car racing through strong endurance performances and factory-backed manufacturer relationships. The organization began racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series and translated that early momentum into sustained participation and success when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship formed.
The team’s operations are centered in Denver, North Carolina, where engineering, chassis preparation and race operations support full-season and endurance entries. Ownership by Jim France provides a direct connection between the team and broader U.S. motorsports governance and commercial infrastructure.
Path to MotorSports
Action Express Racing entered professional sports car racing with immediate impact, winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in its inaugural year. Those opening results established Action Express as a leader in prototype endurance racing and attracted manufacturer partnerships and high-profile drivers.
Over its first seasons the team ran in the Rolex Sports Car Series and gradually shifted focus to the newly formed IMSA SportsCar Championship, expanding its program to field multiple prototype entries and to contest both full-season championships and marquee endurance events such as the Rolex 24, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
Cadillac Whelen Career
Early Career (2010–2013)
Action Express Racing debuted in 2010 and won the Rolex 24 at Daytona that year with a lineup that included João Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller. The team used prototype chassis such as the Riley Mk. XI and campaigned engines developed to meet series rules across those opening seasons.
In subsequent seasons the team ran multiple entries and recorded additional podiums and race wins in the Rolex Sports Car Series. Drivers and lineups evolved through 2012 and 2013 as the organization prepared for the transition into IMSA’s new championship format.
IMSA Breakthrough (2014–2018)
When the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship began, Action Express Racing consolidated its program and immediately became a championship contender. In 2014 the team secured multiple wins including a second Rolex 24 victory and captured the inaugural IMSA Drivers’ Championship and the North American Endurance Cup for its prototype entry.
Action Express expanded its program through 2015 and 2016, assuming operations of the No. 31 Whelen Racing entry and recording wins at marquee endurance events. The team continued to win championships and endurance cups, and in 2018 the organization recorded a 1-2 finish at the Rolex 24 and set an all-time distance record for the race while securing both the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title and the North American Endurance Cup that season.
Cadillac Era (2017–Present)
From 2017 onward the team campaigned Cadillac prototype machinery, initially the Dallara-based Cadillac DPi-V.R and later the Cadillac V-LMDh platform for prototype competition. The partnership with Cadillac has been central to the team’s competitive identity and to its presence in the WeatherTech championship prototype field.
Across the Cadillac era the organization sustained a high level of performance, capturing multiple IMSA Drivers’ Championships through 2023. The team has continued to field the No. 31 Whelen entry, running full-season prototype programs and rotating endurance-driver lineups for longer events. In 2019 the roster saw additions such as Pipo Derani, and by 2021 the broader organization expanded entries that included high-profile guest and endurance drivers across its Cadillac programs.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cadillac Whelen’s competitive strengths lie in endurance racing strategy, consistent prototype preparation and depth of driver lineups for long-distance events. The team has demonstrated repeat success in managing multi-driver stints, pit strategy across long races and optimizing Cadillac prototype performance across a range of circuits.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones for the team include winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2010 and again in 2014, multiple victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, and setting a distance record at the 2018 Rolex 24 while finishing 1-2 for the organization. The team has accumulated six IMSA Drivers’ Championships spanning 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023, marking it as one of the most successful prototype programs in modern IMSA competition.
Cadillac Whelen Career Wins
Across both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Action Express Racing operating as Cadillac Whelen has earned multiple high-profile endurance victories. The organization’s record includes overall wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, plus race wins and endurance-class victories at Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans.
IMSA WeatherTech Championship Highlights
Within IMSA, the team secured drivers’ titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023 while claiming North American Endurance Cup honors in multiple seasons. Notable race achievements include the team’s Rolex 24 victories and endurance-race wins that contributed directly to championship campaigns.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Prior to IMSA’s unified championship, Action Express recorded significant results in the Rolex Sports Car Series, including the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona win in the team’s initial season. The program’s consistent podiums and occasional single-race wins in the early years set a foundation for its later IMSA success.
Cadillac Whelen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Action Express Racing operates as a team owned by Jim France, and the Whelen-branded entries are managed day to day by team principal Bob Johnson with Gary Nelson serving in a management role. That management structure has supported long-term manufacturer relationships and the development of full-season and endurance programs within IMSA.
Personal Life
The team is based in Denver, North Carolina, where its race preparation and logistics are centralized. Public-facing team activities and communications identify the organization by its Whelen Engineering sponsorship association and its long-term partnership with Cadillac on prototype programs.
2025 Season Performance
For 2025 the organization enters the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the No. 31 Cadillac V-LMDh prototype. The No. 31 entry is listed with full-season drivers that have included Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken, Frederik Vesti and Felipe Drugovich, reflecting a mix of endurance and single-seater experience across the roster.
Cadillac Whelen enters 2025 with a record of six IMSA Drivers’ Championships through 2023 and a history of strong endurance results. That track record anchors the team’s approach to the season calendar, where prototype performance, endurance strategy and driver rotations remain central to competitive plans.