New Acuras dominate ALMS race
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- It wasn't much of a contest Saturday as a radically new Acura prototype co-driven by David Brabham and Scott Sharp raced to an easy victory in the American Le Mans Series race on the temporary street circuit in downtown St. Petersburg.
Brabham, easily winning the LMP1 class, drove the second half of the race, which lasted just under two hours. He crossed the finish line on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn circuit a convincing 32.15 seconds ahead of runner-up Adrian Fernandez, sharing an LMP2 Acura with Luis Diaz.
"This championship has proven that you have to be consistent, otherwise it makes it very difficult to come back," said Brabham, whose team had mechanical problems and finished 15th at last month's season-opening Sebring 12-hour race. "The guys never missed a beat today."
The diesel-powered Audis and Peugeots that dominated Sebring were not entered here, leaving the battle up front in the 17-car field to the two LMP1 Acura ARX 02as, which employ a gasoline engine and a design that includes the same size tires on all four corners -- something not seen in major auto racing in about four decades.
The other new Acura prototype, co-driven by Simon Pagenaud and Gil de Ferran, started from the pole and stayed out front for a while. But Sharp put the pressure on the leader early and the car eventually encountered mechanical problems and went out of the race in 13th place.
"I can't say enough about the whole job [Honda Performance Development] and Wirth Research have done with this car," Sharp said. "Everything on it is new and we've come as long way in three or four months. ... We all feel this car has tremendous promise and will only get stronger and faster and better."
Third place, a lap behind the winners, went to the LMP2 Lola Mazda of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith, followed another lap back by the LMP2 Lola Mazda of Marino Franchitti and Butch Leitzinger.
Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister, driving a Porsche 911, finished fifth, winning the GT2 category.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
