Adrian Fernandez: “I think we can have a good race. It is going to be very demanding”

The first practice session in preparation for the Northeast Grand Prix has set the grid for tomorrow’s 2-hour 45-minute race at Lime Rock Park following the cancellation of qualifying due to thunderstorms this afternoon.

The Lowe’s Fernandez Racing driving duo of Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz will line up the #15 Lowe’s Acura Lola sixth on the grid overall and sixth in the LMP2 class based on a best lap of 46.247 seconds (119.878 mph) set by Fernandez this morning.

Fernandez and Diaz will be making their first career starts on the 1.54-mile, 8-turn permanent road course. With three top-five finishes in five races to date, the pair are currently only seven points out of third place in the championship standings.

Qualifying Results (Overall):

1. Dumas/Bernhard (LMP2 Porsche/RS Spyder) 44.659 = 124.141 mph

2. Dyson/Smith (LMP2 Porsche/RS Spyder) 45.176 = 122.720 mph

3. Brabham/Johansson/Dayton (LMP2 Acura/ARX-01a) 45.799 = 121.051 mph

6. Fernandez/Diaz (LMP2 Acura Lola) 46.247 = 119.878 mph

Adrian Fernandez, #15 Lowe’s Acura Lola:

“This is definitely one of the bumpiest tracks that I have ever driven. It’s challenging because along with being bumpy, it has a lot of concrete patches which have absolutely zero grip. You are driving around the corners trying to find the pavement because that is where you find grip. It makes it very challenging to set up the car, especially for teams that haven’t been here before. We tested on Tuesday with Luis and we were able to improve the car a lot since then. When I jumped in the car this morning, the pace was better. We were not too far behind and I thought we could improve the car more for qualifying. Unfortunately, the weather was a factor for everyone today. The last practice session was really a washout with the rain. We went out but there was really nothing to learn. I think we can have a good race. It is going to be very demanding for the drivers because of the bumps and it is hard to keep your hands on the steering wheel. The pits are very tight here so pit strategy is going to be a factor as well. It is such a short track that it is going to be very tricky with the different classes and should be an interesting race where you have to be patient. The team is strong and Luis and I have been working well together. We have to capitalize on our experience as a team to get a good result tomorrow. ”

Adrián Fernández Fast Facts… is a veteran of a 12-year career at the top levels of open-wheel competition, winning in both Champ Car (CART) and IndyCar Series competition with a career record that includes 194 starts, 11 wins and 25 podiums… debuted in sports car competition in 2006, winning the Mid-Ohio Rolex Sports Car Series race and claiming four additional top-five finishes… began competing in select NASCAR Busch Series events in 2005, driving for Team Lowe’s Racing and Hendrick Motorsports and most recently finished ninth in the Busch race at Mexico City on March 4… finished fifth in the IndyCar Series championship in his inaugural season in 2004 with three wins and six top-five finishes… missed the 2000 Champ Car championship crown by only 10 points, finishing second in the series… has garnered numerous awards over the years including “Athlete of the Year in Mexico”… named one of Mexico’s 300 most influential people by a national magazine in 2006… 43 years old from Mexico City…resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., with wife Catalina and daughter Valentina.

Luis Diaz, #15 Lowe’s Acura Lola:

“We definitely have improved a lot from the test on Tuesday. My first feeling of the car was that there was a lot more grip overall and we fixed a lot of the problems that we were having with push in the car. The engineers made a great effort and good steps forward towards a good car. We are a lot closer now and anything can happen in this race. I think the smartest guys out there will win the race. We have to be thinking about points because a lot of strong races for us are coming. We have to be smart tomorrow and take as many points as we can. The car now is good enough to challenge for a podium. ”

Luis Díaz Fast Facts… debuted in sports car competition in 2004 and has claimed eight wins over the past three years as well as Rolex Sports Car Series Team Championship honors in 2006 and a second-place result in the driver championship co-driving with Scott Pruett… was named “Driver of the Year” in Mexico in 2006… won the Mexico Formula 3 championship in 1998… earned Rookie of the Year honors in the Mexican Indy Lights Pan-American Championship, Mexico Formula 3 Championship and Formula Reynard Series Mexico… U. S. open-wheel success includes a fourth-place finish in the 2002 Atlantic championship… began racing go-karts at the age of 12, winning several national championships… 29 years old from Mexico City… resides in Toluca, Mexico, with wife Carolina… nickname is “Chapulín” (Cha-poo-leen) which means grasshopper.