By alley - Oct 1, 2016, 9:13 PM ET

IMSA: Cameron, Curran deliver Prototype title

Action Express Racing added another chapter to its illustrious history in IMSA's Prototype class after Dane Cameron and Eric Curran secured the team's third consecutive championship. Each championship, including the 2014 and 2015 titles for Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi in the sister AXR entry, were earned using the Corvette Daytona Prototype.

"It’s unbelievable, it’s going to take a while to sink in," Curran said after watching Cameron cross the finish line in fourth to clinch the title. "We really won this for Sonny Whelen."

“It’s special to have two different titles in two different categories," Cameron added. "It felt like a real fight the whole year. I know it’s going to mean a lot to Whelen, he’s been a huge supporter of racing, and Grand-Am and IMSA. So it’s been fun to race with him this season.

"When you have two cars that are identical, we know we’re racing them for race wins every weekend and for the championship. They were the two-time defending champions going for three. It was certainly difficult racing them all year. Sometimes its easier, sometimes it's harder being team mates, but you just have to play a little nicer than you do with the others on the track. Joao and Christian are always the first to come over and shake our hands, so it means a lot to be teammates.”

The championship completes a remarkable journey for Cameron and Curran.

Cameron raced and won in DPs within the former Grand-Am Rolex Series in 2013, lost his ride late in the offseason as the new IMSA series was preparing to launch, rebounded in its lowest-tier class, and promptly won the GT Daytona title.

As Sonny Whelen's longstanding driver, Curran scored multiple wins in the Pirelli World Challenge GT category before they moved to Grand-Am Rolex GT competition, and with his first introduction to DPs in 2014 with a different team, it's fair to say Curran was not provided with everything he needed to reach his potential.

Drafted into the AXR team as the leader of the No. 31 Whelen Corvette DP, Cameron took the role of prototype mentor and coach with his new teammate, and quickly shaped Curran's GT talent into something that led the team to Victory Lane.

Two wins in 2015 and third in the championship spoke volumes about their progress, and with a year of experience together, Curran found another gear once the new season began. Once considered easy prey for the prototype veterans, Curran spent a decent portion of 2016 either holding off his more celebrated teammates or building leads the two-time champions.

The all-American teammates, driving an American-built Coyote chassis powered by a Chevrolet V8 engine, for an American team ... IMSA has a wonderful story to tell until the next Prototype champions are crowned 12 months from now.