João Ricardo da Silva Coelho Barbosa (born 11 March 1975 in Porto, Portugal) is a Portuguese auto racing driver. He currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Sean Creech Motorsport in the LMP2 class.
Barbosa was runner-up in the GTS class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003 and fifth in the DP class in 2008, accumulating a total of seven overall victories. Barbosa won the 2010 and 2014, and was third in 2009 and 2011 and fourth in 2007 and 2013. Also resulted fourth in the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2012 12 Hours of Sebring.
Career
Early years
Barbosa began racing in karts and was the Portuguese kart racing champion for the 1988 and 1989 seasons. In 1994, he won the Portuguese Formula Ford championship; in 1995 he won the Italian Formula Alfa Boxster championship. In 1995, he won the Italian Formula Europa Boxer title, and in 1996 was runner up in the Italian Formula 3. Barbosa moved to the United States in 1997, where he was seventh in the 1997 Formula Atlantic.
Mosler (1999–2003)
In 1999, Barbossa contested two rounds in the United States Road Racing Championship with a Mosler Intruder official achieving victory at Lime Rock Park, and the Homestead's race of FIA GT Championship. In 2000, he participated in the first two races of the American Le Mans Series with a Colucci's Porsche 911. In 2001, he returned to run with Mosler three races of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, achieving a third place in the GT class at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.
Barbosa continued as Mosler's driver in 2002 Grand-Am series season. He earn a win and three second places in ten races, and finished fourth in the drivers' championship in the GT class. In 2003, he ran eight rounds with a GTS class' Molser, and two in a Ford Mustang in the same class. He earned three wins, and seven podiums, resulting runner-up championship. That same year, he completed in the 1000 km Spa and the 24 Hours of Spa with Mosler, achieving a class victory in the first of them.
Rollcentre and Brumos (2004–2009)
Barbosa completed eight of twelve Rolex Sports Car Series rounds with a Maserati 2004 in the GT class. Scored two third places and was placed 16th in the championship. Moreover, drives a Dallara SP1 of Rollcentre Racing in the LMP1 class: came fifth in the 12 Hours of Sebring, retired in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and earned a fifth place and a sixth in the four races of the Le Mans Series. Finally, disputed the Hockenheim race of the FIA GT Championship and Petit Le Mans ALMS in a Saleen S7.
In 2005, Barbosa continued driving a Rollcentre Dallara in the LMP1 class. He abandoned at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and achieved two third places and a fifth in the five races of the Le Mans Series. Meanwhile, he completed three rounds of the Grand-Am series with a Maserati, placing fifth in Mont-Tremblant race with Jeff Segal. Barbosa completed four rounds of the Le Mans Series 2006 with Rollcentre, now driving a Radical SR9 LMP2, obtaining a third class in the 1000 km Nürburgring as best result. Meanwhile, he finished fifth in his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although dozens of laps down. In the 1000 km of Spa he drove a Perrier's Porsch 911, being sixth in the GT2 class. Also, raced the FIA GT Championship Hungaroring race in a Saleen S7. He also ran two rounds of the Grand-Am series, now in the Daytona Prototype class. Barbosa continued with Rollcentre in the 2007 season. At the wheel of a Pescarolo 01 LMP1 class, resulted third place overall in the 1000 km of Silverstone and fourth at the 1000 km of Valencia with Stuart Hall, which was placed eighth in the drivers' championship and fourth in the team. In turn, was fourth in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, counting as third driver a Martin Short. That same year, he came in fourth the 24 Hours of Daytona Grand-Am series and arrived late in the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, in both cases with the Brumos Riley-Porsche.
Barbosa returned to contest the 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season, competing with Brumos Racing. Accompanied by JC France, he was fourth in five opportunities with a Riley-Porsche. Thus, he placed fifth in the drivers' championship in Daytona Prototype class, behind Scott Pruett / Memo Rojas and Jon Fogarty / Alex Gurney. In Europe, he continued as Rollcentre driver with whom he raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and four races of the Le Mans Series with a Pescarolo 01. In 2009, Barbosa continued in the Rolex Sports Car Series with JC France for Brumos Racing. They won in Homestead, were third in the 24 Hours of Daytona and fifth at Mid-Ohio, and being 16th in the drivers' championship. In Europe, he completed three endurance races with a Pescarolo 01 official with Bruce Jouanny, earning a sixth overall place in the 1000 km de Catalunya and an eighth in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, counting as third driver Christophe Tinseau.
Action Express (2010–2019)
Action Express Racing hired Barbosa to contest the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series season with a Riley-Porsche DP chassis with Terry Borcheller. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona, counting as additional drivers Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller. He was fourth at Lime Rock and tenth in five races and finishing 20th in the final placement. On the other hand, he completed two endurances races of the American LeMans Series with Extreme Speed Ferrari F430, being sixth in the GT2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Barbosa returned to have as co-driver of JC France in the Action Express in the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2011. He won at Virginia, with Terry Borcheller as third driver, and was third in the 24 Hours of Daytona, with Christian Fittipaldi and Max Papis as additional drivers. With five top-fives in 12 races, he placed ninth in the drivers' championship in the DP class.
Moreover, Barbosa also competed in five races of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with Level 5 with Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut. He managed sixth place overall and first in the LMP2 class at Petit Le Mans, and was third in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Imola. In 2012, Action Express started to use the new Chevrolet Corvette DP in the Grand-Am series. Barbosa scored two wins in Detroit and the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and had six top-fives with Darren Law, culminating ninth in the drivers' championship. Meanwhile, he raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring ALMS with Level 5. He resulted fourth place overall and first in the ALMS P2-class, although behind a World Endurance Championship LMP2 car.
Barbosa completed in the 2013 Grand-Am series with Action Express, counting as co-driver Christian Fittipaldi in most races. He won the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio, second in Detroit and Road America and fourth in the 24 Hours of Daytona and Kansas. He finished tenth in the drivers' championship DP class. Barbosa remained with Fittipaldi in the Action Express team in the 2014 United SportsCar Championship season, formed from the merger of the Grand-Am and ALMS series. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona, counting as additional driver Sébastien Bourdais.
In 2015, also with Action Express Team, finished in second in 24 Hours of Daytona and won the 12 Hours of Sebring (with his teammates Fittipaldi and Bourdais).
Sean Creech Motorsport (2021-present)
Racing record
24 Hours of Daytona results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 2001 Morrison/Mosler Racing Scott Deware John Heinricy Jim Minneker Mosler MT900R GT 61 DNF DNF 2002 Perspective Racing Michele Neugarten Thierry Perrier Mosler MT900R GT 653 13th 5th 2003 Perspective Racing Jérôme Policand Michele Neugarten Andy Wallace Mosler MT900R GTS 641 9th 1st 2006 Brumos Racing J. C. France Ted Christopher Hurley Haywood Fabcar FDSC/03-Porsche DP 559 DNF DNF 2007 Brumos Porsche/Kendall J. C. France Hurley Haywood Roberto Moreno Riley Mk. XI-Porsche DP 662 4th 4th 2008 Brumos Racing J. C. France Hurley Haywood Terry Borcheller Riley Mk. XI-Porsche DP 622 23rd 11th 2009 Brumos Racing J. C. France Hurley Haywood Terry Borcheller Riley Mk. XI-Porsche DP 735 3rd 3rd 2010 Action Express Racing Terry Borcheller Ryan Dalziel Mike Rockenfeller Riley Mk. XI-Porsche DP 755 1st 1st 2011 Action Express Racing Terry Borcheller J. C. France Christian Fittipaldi Max Papis Riley Mk. XI-Porsche DP 721 3rd 3rd 2012 Action Express Racing Terry Borcheller J. C. France Max Papis Coyote Corvette DP DP 739 9th 9th 2013 Action Express Racing Christian Fittipaldi Burt Frisselle Mike Rockenfeller Coyote Corvette DP DP 708 4th 4th 2014 Action Express Racing Christian Fittipaldi Sébastien Bourdais Coyote Corvette DP P 6951st1st 2015 Action Express Racing Christian Fittipaldi Sébastien Bourdais Coyote Corvette DP P 7402nd2nd 2016 Action Express Racing Christian Fittipaldi Filipe Albuquerque Scott Pruett Coyote Corvette DP P 731 4th 4th 2017 Mustang Sampling Racing Christian Fittipaldi Filipe Albuquerque Cadillac DPi-V.R P 6592nd2nd 2018 Mustang Sampling Racing Christian Fittipaldi Filipe Albuquerque Cadillac DPi-V.R P 808 1st 1st 2019 Mustang Sampling Racing Christian Fittipaldi Filipe Albuquerque Cadillac DPi-V.R DPi 573 9th 7th 2020 Mustang Sampling Racing Sébastien Bourdais Loic Duval Cadillac DPi-V.R P 833 3rd 3rd 2021 Sean Creech Motorsport Lance Willsey Wayne Boyd Yann ClairayLigier JS P320 LMP3 754 42nd2nd 2022 Sean Creech Motorsport Lance Willsey Malthe Jakobsen Sebastian PriaulxLigier JS P320 LMP3 722 15th2nd2023 Sean Creech Motorsport Nico Pino Nolan Siegel Lance WillseyLigier JS P320LMP372529th2nd2024 Sean Creech Motorsport Jonny Edgar Nolan Siegel Lance WillseyLigier JS P217LMP251045th 9th Source:
24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2004 Rollcentre Racing Martin Short Rob Barff Dallara SP1-Judd LMP1 230 DNF DNF 2005 Rollcentre Racing Martin Short Vanina Ickx Dallara SP1-Judd LMP1 318 16th 8th 2006 Rollcentre Racing Martin Short Stuart Moseley Radical SR9-Judd LMP2 294 20th 5th 2007 Rollcentre Racing Stuart Hall Martin Short Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 347 4th 4th 2008 Rollcentre Racing Stéphan Grégoire Vanina Ickx Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 352 11th 10th 2009 Pescarolo Sport Christophe Tinseau Bruce Jouanny Pescarolo 01-Judd LMP1 368 8th 8th 2011 Level 5 Motorsports Scott Tucker Christophe Bouchut Lola B08/80-HPD LMP2 319 10th 3rd 2015 Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson Ligier JS P2-Judd LMP2 323 32nd 12th 2016 Krohn Racing Tracy Krohn Niclas Jönsson Ligier JS P2-Nissan LMP2 338 22nd 13thSource:
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) YearTeamClassMakeEngine1234567891011121314RankPointsRef2008Brumos RacingDPRiley Mk. XIPorsche 3.99L Flat-6R2411MIA7MEX8VIR13MRY7S6H9MID5DAY4BAR7MON4WGI12SON 4NJP4MIL43rd3402009Brumos RacingDPRiley Mk. XIPorsche 3.99L Flat-6R243VIR8NJP14LAG13S6H6LEX5DAY8BAR9WGI8MON14†MIL7MIA19th2662010Action Express RacingDPRiley Mk. XIPorsche 5.0L V8R241MIA15BAR10VIR12LIM4S6H10LEX10DAY10NJP11WGI10MON10MIL1213th2602011Action Express RacingDPRiley Mk. XIPorsche 5.0L V8R243MIA5BAR7VIR1LIM6S6H7ELK7LAG8NJP5WGI7MON6LEX45th3142012Action Express RacingDPCorvette DP (Coyote CPM)Chevrolet 5.0L V8R249BAR7MIA8NJP7BEL1LEX6ELK6S6H1IMS5WGI8MON4LAG5LIM57th3422013Action Express RacingDPCorvette DP (Coyote)Chevrolet 5.0L V8R244TXS14BAR9ATL12BEL2LEX1S6H1IMS14ELK2KNS4LAG7LIM146th306 † Barbosa did not complete sufficient laps in order to score full points.
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results (key)(Races in bold indicate pole position, Results are overall/class)