| Founded | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Teamprincipal(s) | Alex Job |
| Current series | United SportsCar Championship |
| Former series | American Le Mans Series Rolex Sports Car Series IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge |
| Teams' Championships | 4 (2002,2003,2004,2012) |
| Drivers' Championships | 5 (2002,2003,2004,2012,2013) |
Alex Job Racing is a former professionalsports car racing team based in theUnited States. The team, which is noted for its long-time association withPorsche, has competed in theAmerican Le Mans Series, theIMSA GT3 Cup Challenge series, and theRolex Sports Car Series, and fields a two-car effort in theTudorUnited SportsCar Championship. On November 22, 2017, it was announced that Alex Job Racing will cease its professional racing operations to focus on its historic restoration and competition business.
Alex Job Racing was established in 1988 by Alex and Holly Job at their home in Florida. Alex Job raced sports cars, beginning with aPorsche 356 in 1969 and in 1976 competed in the24 Hours of Daytona. After finishing second at the12 Hours of Sebring in 1991, Alex Job moved the team into a commercial shop and then retired from racing the following year.
In 1999, for the inaugural season ofIMSA'sAmerican Le Mans Series, Alex Job Racing competed with aPorsche 993 Carrera RSR. The team claimed a victory at the season opening12 Hours of Sebring and again atMosport and the team would finish the season 2nd in the GT Teams' Championship.[1]
For the 2000 season, the team ran the new 996 GT3-R chassis. Claiming victories atMosport and theTexas Motor Speedway but failing to finish the season opening12 Hours of Sebring and the season finale atAdelaide, the team finished second in the GT Teams' Championship to Dick Barbour Racing with driversRandy Pobst fifth and Bruno Lambert sixth in the Drivers' Championship.[2][3]
The 2001 season saw even more success for the team. Claiming three straight victories in the first three races, the team finished second to theBMW Motorsport team in the increasingly competitive GT category.[4] DriversLucas Luhr andSascha Maassen finished third and fourth in the Drivers' Championship.[5]
The team's hard work[citation needed] paid off in the2002 season as the team expanded to a two-car operation. WithTimo Bernhard andJorg Bergmeister piloting the #22 car, andSascha Maassen andLucas Luhr sharing the #23 car, the team claimed wins at eight of ten races finishing the season first in the GT class Teams’ Championship with Maassen and Luhr winning the Drivers’ Championship.
The 2003 season would see record-breaking success from the Alex Job Racing team. With the same driver line-up as the previous season, the team would win all but one race atRoad America and claim pole position and set the fastest race lap at every event. The team finished the season first in the GT Teams’ Championship with drivers Maassen and Luhr first and Bernhard and Bergmeister second in the Drivers’ Championship. The team also helped developPorsche's sequential gearbox that would be used on all cars worldwide the following year.
The 2004 season would see even tougher competition for the team.Timo Bernhard andJorg Bergmeister again piloted the #23 car with the new addition ofMarc Lieb andRomain Dumas sharing the #24 car. Despite strong efforts fromFlying Lizard Motorsports andRisi Competizione, the team claimed wins at seven of nine races. The team finished the season first in the GT class Teams’ Championship.
2005 saw a shift for the team, running only a single factory-supported car piloted byTimo Bernhard andRomain Dumas. The second car was driven byIan Baas andDarren Law. Having scored no points at the season opening12 Hours of Sebring, the team won four races in a row atMid-Ohio,Lime Rock,Infineon, andPortland. By season's end they would finish second in the GT2 Teams' Championship behind the Petersen/White Lightning group.
The Alex Job Racing team ran only a single car, piloted for the majority of the season byMike Rockenfeller andMarcel Tiemann for the 2006 season. The team faced much tougher competition fromRisi Competizione,Flying Lizard Motorsports, and the Petersen/White Lightning group. By season's end they would claim only a single win at theReliant Park street circuit, the team's 50th profession win, and would finish fifth in the GT2 Teams' Championship withMike Rockenfeller tenth in the Drivers' Championship.
In 2010 the team return to competition in theAmerican Le Mans Series with a customer program in the newly formed GT Challenge class. Bill Sweedler andRomeo Kapudija would compete together in a full season effort with Juan González andButch Leitzinger competing in a second car for the first four races. González and Leitzinger, with the help ofLeh Keen would score a victory at the season opening12 Hours of Sebring followed by a second win atLong Beach. The team would finish the season second in the GTC Teams' Championship with full season drivers Sweedler and Kapudija fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Drivers' Championship.
The team only ran a single car driven by Bill Sweedler andLeh Keen for the 2011 season with Brian Wong andButch Leitzinger substituting for Keen at certain races. The team faced tough competition[citation needed] from Tim Pappas and the Black Swan Racing Team. With three second-place finishes, the team finished second in the GTC Teams' Championship with Bill Sweedler fourth in the Drivers' Championship.
The 2012 season saw Alex Job Racing compete in both the GTC class with a Cooper MacNeil andLeh Keen drivenPorsche 997 GT3 Cup and in the GT class with aTownsend Bell and Bill Sweedler drivenLotus Evora GTE that started at the second round of the season in Long Beach. Claiming three class victories and finishing the season with consistent results earned Alex Job Racing the GTC Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships.[6][7] The Lotus Evora program was less successful. With no support to develop the car from Lotus, the team struggled to bring the car up to speed in the more competitive GT class.Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler finished the season 17th in the Drivers’ Championship and 7th in the Teams’ Championship.[6][7]
The 2013 season would be the final season of theAmerican Le Mans Series before it merged with theRolex Sports Car Series for the 2014 season. For 2013, the team continued its championship winning GTC program and also partnered with West Racing to campaign aFerrari 458 GT2, replacing the failed Lotus Evora program. This year Cooper Macneil teamed withJeroen Bleekemolen in the Porsche while the Ferrari was piloted by last year's team ofTownsend Bell and Bill Sweedler. Despite only claiming two class wins, the team's consistent performance earned them their second GTC Drivers’ Championship, while the Teams’ Championship went to theFlying Lizard Motorsports team.[8][9] The teams GT campaigned started the year at Sebring with a suspension failure-induced wreck and subsequent DNF. The team however repaired the car and campaign the rest of the season. Bill Sweedler andTownsend Bell finished 16th and 15th in the Drivers’ Championship and 8th in the Teams Championship.[8][9]
In 2006, the Alex Job Racing team competed for the first time in theGrand AmRolex Sports Car Series with aPorsche-poweredDaytona Prototype. DriversMike Rockenfeller andPatrick Long recorded two overall wins atHomestead andVirginia International Raceway. By season's end, Rockenfeller would finish 5th in the Drivers' Championship.
In 2007, the team's second full season of competition, driversPatrick Long andJorg Bergmeister, would claim an overall win atLaguna Seca as well as three top-five finishes and eleven top-ten results. Long would finish the season seventh in the Daytona Prototype Drivers' Championship.
In 2008 would claim two podium finishes as well as three top-five and seven top-ten results. Full season driversBill Auberlen andJoey Hand would finish outside the top ten in the Daytona Prototype Drivers' Championship.
With the merging of theAmerican Le Mans Series and theRolex Sports Car Series for the 2014 season, the Alex Job Racing team would field a two car Porsche 911 GT America effort in the new GT Daytona class.[10]Cooper MacNeil would team withLeh Keen in the WeatherTech entry whileMario Farnbacher andIan James would pilot the "Heart of Racing" entry in partnership withTeam Seattle.[11] Macneil and Keen managed a season best second-place finish atRoad America and the pair finished second in the GTD Drivers' Championship. The pair of Farnbacher and James claimed a second-place finish atBelle Isle with Farnbacher ending the season tenth in the Drivers' Championship.
