Team Management: Building a new DP team in 2005

One of the greatest challenges I faced in 2005 was helping to establish the new CB Motorsports Daytona Prototype team. In addition to engineering the car, the hardest aspect of the project was to groom and teach Bingham’s business manager how to run a racing team. Building the team infrastructure in under a month—defining crew roles, pit lane duties, event schedules, operational documents, and about 50 other items all needed to be implemented ASAP.


With the deal coming together so late, our first event, the California Speedway event in April, was a long weekend of very little sleep. That’s not a complaint–just a reality. Between staying up until 3-4am each night in the week preceding the event and during the event creating the aforementioned infrastructure, making Microsoft PowerPoint presentations for the crew.

With many of them new to GrandAm, the litany of rules, procedures, and policies that had to be memorized was vital. The hectic but controlled pace of our debut didn’t end when our day at the track was done— it just meant it was time to scour the local Fontana CompUSA at closing time to find laptops best suited for data acquisition, buy matching pants for the crew, and various other items that were necessary for an impressive showing on and off the track. With all of this in mind, I’m quite proud of debuting with a very respectable 14th starting place and a finish in 13th place.

We team went from strength to strength after Fontana, but the investment of time, energy, and expertise to launch a brand new professional sportscar team in under a month will stand as one my most rewarding team management accomplishments.

A kind note from Chris Bingham:

“Marshall has been instrumental in the success of our team. Since he joined us the energy level and enthusiasm he has shown has been beyond all expectations. Maintaining such a cool head and building cohesion with a new team on a new car has been admirable. The dedication to the teams success and effort in reaching that success has been on par with many team owners I have spent time with. Marshall filled many roles for our team, often beyond those that were asked, and did so with a unique and positive manner. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with him and look forward to future successes, in no small doubt thanks to his help.”

Chris Bingham
Owner/Driver CB Motorsports
Grand Am Daytona Prototype Team #15