"The team is so good and so gelled"
Johnny Mowlem and Terry Borcheller of ACEMCO Team Saleen
By Margot Orenchuk
Photos courtesy Margot Orenchuk and Jim DeFord 
Vancouver, BC (August 1, 2004) -- September 2003 at Laguna Seca came the announcement all of ALMS GTS class watchers were waiting for - a serious contender to challenge the Corvettes; Jeff Giangrande was entering a Saleen! And then when it was announced former Saleen champion Terry Borcheller, and Johnny Mowlem (no slouch in the aggressiveness and determination-to-win department) would be piloting this fine racing machine, the cheers could be heard around the world in the fan forums in eager anticipation of Sebring 2004.   

Johnny and Terry have not disappointed us either; they have placed their car on the podium on each outing since debuting at Sebring, except for a mechanical failure at Sears Point. While it’s never easy to challenge a Goliath, these drivers along with their Saleen team have consistently work every weekend to do their best to wrestle the Corvette stranglehold on the GTS class. RFM was able to sit down with the boys in Portland while they gobbled a pre-race lunch, reflected on the year and talked about 2005. 

Margot Orenchuk: Were you looking forward to the new qualifying? Or perhaps will teams use this as a strategy NOT to show how much speed the car has got until tomorrow? Could this be a bad thing? 

Johnny Mowlem: I think we thought Pirelli was actually going to be at an advantage, because they came in quicker, but when it actually came into it, Michelin tended to come into it on their first lap, and started slower on their 2^nd lap. So to be honest, if it works for them and it works for us it will make very little difference. Terry watched me qualify at Sears Point and he said it was like watching paint dry.  

Terry Borcheller: Only because it was very confusing. They didn’t have anything that was up-to-date as far as the fans being able to see. And I happened to be sitting with people that know racing very well, actually had driven professionally, and they were also on the marketing side; there were 5 people there who encompassed every part of motor sport, and they, and I, were completely lost. We had no idea where Johnny qualified. 

MO: But everyone in the ALMS was saying this is great for the marketing, it’s great to showcase the cars, the sponsors... 

TB: It is terrible for the fans, though, in that there was not enough information given to them. If they fine-tune it, sure. Where the fans can get involved, where they know exactly what’s going on, it will be great.  

MO: Leaving aside Sears Point, how pleased is the team to have not fallen below the podium yet this year? 

JM: I thought we had a good chance to be on the podium every race if we didn’t mess up. And I thought with a bit of luck we could get a second, and if we get really, really, really lucky we could get a win.  But for that we need the Corvettes to break. We can’t beat them on sheer pace, not yet. I don’t want to sound pessimistic but it would be very tough to beat them this year. 

MO: Do you consider the Lamborghini a threat? They keep saying “This is just a development year for us” 

TB: I think they are right.  

JM: For them to come and beat us, would require certainly no less work for them than for us to go and beat Corvette.  

MO: Have you done any aggressive rain testing yet on the Pirellis? 

TB: No, it’s not something Pirelli has given any time with us. They have a fantastic rain tire, though. 

MO: How about the huge drop in temperature today [it went down about 20 deg from Saturday to Sunday in Portland]. Was this something you are prepared for or is the team scrambling? 

JM: The driving is always easier when it’s cooler like today, but Corvette drivers don’t wear cool suits so we like it when it’s hotter. So that way it would have given us a slight bit of an advantage. It being cooler helps them a bit more than it helps us, but, the Michelin tires work against them more than against us so that might be a bit towards our advantage.  

MO: How many days were you here testing?  

TB: 2 days I think. 

MO: Portland is flat, and there are not a lot of opportunities to pass here. But half the field hasn’t been here before; do you think this gives you an advantage most do not have? 

TB: No, I don't think so.  

MO: Terry, OK, for you. You could pass anyone anywhere. But this is a very scary track to try to pass; I’ve seen many a car get taken out here. It’s deceptively simple looking but deadly. [And JJ proved that theory later on in the day, gathering 2 black flags.] 

JM: No, not really because when I got here I didn’t know the track at all. I know the tire, and the car. I am now just constrained I am by the package I’ve got.  Any advantage to anyone is just set-up. Because if you test somewhere, you develop parts or you develop tires, or make a better motor and put that into effect. When we tested here we did gain a lot of information, and having tested here is a small advantage. 

Now saying that, you saw at Sears Point we had a huge disadvantage there having not tested there and missed the whole first day because we had a clutch problem. So we were one day behind, and as a result of that we were way behind from the get-go. We knew it was going to be one of our worst races and indeed it was.  

The frustrating thing is the team is so good and so jelled, and we all work so hard. We know what we need to do to beat Corvette, and we know what to do to get there. It’s just going to take time, and we are running out of it.  

MO: What is that one thing you need? 

JM: It’s the Pirelli tire. Our engine is great – they have been absolutely reliable, we need more time to come up with more power, so that they can continue to come up with engine development which they are so great at doing that. But I would say the thing, the one thing we need is time. 

MO: So there are no restrictions at all on you for power in your class? 

TB: No, not at all.  

MO: Terry, are you doing the double at Mosport? 

TB: Back and forth each day, commercial [as opposed to Touring Car driver Memo Gidley, who did the double at Portland via Lear Jet and helicopter]. 

MO: Really? Wow, busy boy! 

TB: I’m doing the Grand Am race on Saturday, and then flying back for the race at Mosport on Sunday. I’ve done it before; it’s going to be a fun weekend.