Joao Barbosa beat Scott Pruett to the checkered flag by .270 seconds to end TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing's record six-race winning streak, while Bill Lester (LEFT) took the GT victory in the Bosch Engineering 250 to become the first African-American to win a Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series event. Lester was joined by Jordan Taylor in the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
Barbosa took the lead in the No. 9 Action Express Riley-Porsche also driven by JC France and Terry Borcheller with 50 minutes remaining, and led the final 22 laps to score his first victory since the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
In addition to the $25,000 "bounty" posted by Grand-Am for the team that stopped the Ganassi team's winning streak, Action Express also pocketed an $18,750 Continental Tire Horsepower bonus in addition to the winner's share of the purse for an $83,750 payday.
Pruett didn't give up without a fight, though, closing up to Barbosa's rear wing on the final lap of the competitive race. It marked only the third time in 15 races since the 2010 Rolex 24 that Pruett and Memo Rojas failed to win in the No. 01 Telmex Riley-BMW.
Darren Law passed Max Angelelli with two laps remaining to give put the No. 5 Action Express Porsche/Riley in third, giving the team two cars on the podium.
The skies opened up moments before the start of the two-hour, 45-minute race, causing most of the opening hour to be run behind the pace car. By the time the checkered flag waved, the sun was shining over the 3.27-mile circuit.
The GT race also came down to the wire. Four days after his 20th birthday, Taylor led twice for 29 laps for his first victory in 26 races. He held off a late charge by Oliver Gavin in the No. 07 The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro. It marked the fourth second-place finish for co-driver Gunter Schaldach in the last six races dating back to 2010.
Bill Auberlen finished a strong third in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 started by Paul Dalla Lana, ending their two-race winning streak.
DP contenders Antonio Garcia – driving the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Coyote-Chevy started on the pole by Paul Edwards – and Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Riley-Chevy got together in Turn 3 to bring out the fifth and final caution. Following the restart, Pruett pressured Barbosa throughout the final seven laps to the checkered flag.