The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) debuted in the streets of St. Petersburg last Saturday to prove a real street fight among racers. One of the participants that lived up to expectations is the new Highcroft Acura team with many lead changes and some racing incidents that battle back through the racing field.
Acura teams finished third and fourth in the LMP2 class during the wild ALMS event. The new Highcroft Acura team has David Brabham and Stefan Johansson as drivers. The team scored its first podium finish with a third place in the darkness at the checkered flag. The Penske Porsches, who started first and second on the grid, placed one to two after coming back from an assortment of mishaps.
"We ran a good pace today. I am very proud of the Highcroft team and the progress they have made with the new Acura car and engine. We had a pretty strong car in the race. The start was very interesting and I was just looking for a safe place. Gee, it was a twohour, 45-minute race. It is crazy to get too excited in Turn One. I got a good start and our Acura felt good," said David Brabham.
He added, "In the middle of the race, we were picking them off one at a time. We were in position to win the LMP2 class today and that is a tremendous feat for this young team. It was unfortunate that late in the race we had a problem. Stefan [Johansson] came in the pits late and he had to drive through. We lost some ground there. Overall, we'll take third to the Porsches right now. We are developing this team and I think we can run with the leaders in the streets and on the permanent circuits."
Johansson, Brabham's teammate, has this to say: "The car felt good in the middle of the stint. We just had a radio problem late that really cost us. I thought I needed to pit and the team wanted me to stay out on the track. So I drove through the pits and we got a penalty. We were leading the P2 class at that point. I'm not sure I could have held off the Porsches but the car is coming around for a new chassis. We are making some very good progress with this new car."
Some slam-bang action around the 1.8-mile circuit was contributed by Adrian Fernandez team, also from Acura. "It was a great race for us. We have to learn about some drivers and certain situations. But that is part of sports car racing. We have to know about cars that are in lapped position. Luis got caught in that type of situation and we got a penalty. So we learned and we will move on. I am pleased with the pace we were able to run with the Lowe's Acura. We didn't have that at Sebring. But here at St. Pete, we found a good race pace. We scored some points and look towards the whole season," said Fernandez.
The Lowe's Fernandez team took its Acura Lola to the lead in the middle of the race and was racing the more-powerful Audis for the overall win.
The Acura Team is proving what real racing might is all about. And the formula is not just using quality race cars equipped with sophisticated parts which are far from the that its parent company is offering - it includes passion, clever psyche, solid skill, and teamwork.
