FERNANDEZ ON THE CHALLENGES THIS WEEKEND:
“Two words: track time. We have 45 minutes of practice before qualifying and you need to try to give both drivers some time in the car in that window. Then we have 20 minutes of final practice before the race. It is going to be challenging and more than ever, you need to roll out to pit lane for the first time with a good-handling car. Qualifying is very important and, as for the race, it is all about traffic. You have four classes of cars in ALMS and you are all battling for the same piece of real estate on a track that doesn t have much forgiveness if you put a foot wrong. This is a track that Luis and I know very well and, after our performance in St. Petersburg, I feel very good about this weekend. ”
FERNANDEZ ON RETURNING TO LONG BEACH:
“I have been coming to Long Beach for so many years that it really feels like a home event for me. You have to love this race – the fans, the atmosphere. No matter where you go in the city, it is all about the Grand Prix. My first race in Champ Car was here in 1993 so I have a lot of great memories but I m still missing a win. I would love to be able to do that this weekend especially as an Acura-powered team with HPD [Honda Performance Development] based in Santa Clarita and American Honda in Torrance. It would be very special to give them a win in their own backyards. ”
FERNANDEZ ON THIS STAGE OF HIS CAREER:
“I turn 44 in two weeks [April 20] and I can honestly say that I am at the best point of my life right now. I have won in Champ Car, IndyCars and Grand-Am and for sure my next two goals are wins in the ALMS and, hopefully, Busch at some stage. We have a great sports car program in partnership with Lowe s and Acura, and my wife, Catalina, and I are expecting our first child in two weeks. Life is pretty good right now. ”
DIAZ ON HIS WIN AT LONG BEACH LAST YEAR:
“I love racing at Long Beach so it was pretty special last year when I qualified the car on pole and Scott [Pruett] brought it home. This is the second of three street course races in a row and our performance at St. Petersburg has given us a lot of momentum heading into Long Beach. For me personally, after the penalty in St. Petersburg, I learned a lot and want to show that this weekend with a good result. The team, Adrian and myself all know Long Beach well and I think that will really help us. ”
DIAZ ON HIS APPROACH TO THE RACE:
“There is a lot to think about and race strategy will be important. It is an hour and 40-minute race and you need to make a driver change during that time. Traffic will always come into play especially on a tight circuit like this and each class in the series will have strengths at different parts of the track that you need to consider. You have to balance between being patient when you need to and aggressive to get the job done and mistake-free as much as possible. The challenges of racing on a street circuit are what makes it so enjoyable. ”
About the Drivers:
Adrian Fernandez… 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.
Luis Diaz… 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.
About the #15 Lowe s Acura Lola:
• Powered by the new 3.4-liter Acura LM V-8 engine designed and developed by HPD [Honda Performance Development], Honda s wholly-owned racing subsidiary based in Santa Clarita, Calif.
• Chassis is the Lola B05/40 LMP2 sportscar
• Tires are Michelin
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