SAMAX Motorsport bullpen drivers Ryan Dalziel from Scotland and Jean-François Dumoulin of Trois-Rivières, Quebec powered their way to a fourth-place finish on Sunday in Round 4 of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Virginia International Speedway (VIR). The two drivers were filling in for Milka Duno, who is now running in the Indy Racing League, and Patrick Carpentier, who missed the 400-kilometer race due to a family medical emergency.
Starting ninth after qualifying the Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype on Saturday, Dumoulin held his own in the first stint of the race prior to the initial round of pit stops on lap 9 following a full course yellow. Now working against the number one drivers who had replaced the starters, the French Canadian driver maintained the pace of the leaders until lap 40, when he handed over the car in 11th place to his teammate Dalziel.
The SAMAX team pitted Dumoulin earlier than the rest of the field for their final stop. This situation, along with a full course caution on lap 47, helped Dalziel to move up the field quickly as the other teams came in after him for their last stop. However, that decision to come in early would come back to haunt the team at the end of the race. On lap 48, Dalziel was third and held firm until the 76th and penultimate lap when a dry fuel tank cut out the engine power, as he was about to receive the checkered flag. It allowed David Donohue, who was right on his tail, to steal a podium finish away from the #11 SAMAX Motorsport entry.
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