Exciting Victory For Patron-Acura Team At Long Beach
Apr 23, 2008
ALMS
When David Brabham took the checkered flag and LMP2 victory in the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, it marked an impressive list of accomplishments for Brabham and teammate Scott Sharp, Patrón Highcroft Racing and Acura.
Highcroft driver David Brabham brought the team all the way back from fifth place in the class and made a gusty pass, beating Romain Dumas’ Penske Porsche to the inside with just two laps left to lift the second-year team to its first LMP2 class victory in the American Le Mans Series.
“This is exhilarating,” Highcroft founder and owner Duncan Dayton said. “The amount of hours and effort the team has put in is unbelievable. This win is a tribute to the team. It’s absolutely a dream come true.”
“We were the fastest car on the track at the end,” Brabham said. “We had a very good car and a lot of determination to get this done. This is just a terrific result for the Patron-Acura team.”
“Winning in four classes is great for me but it doesn’t mean as much as this effort that the team put forth,” Brabham said. “To win here for Patrón in their title race and in the backyard of Acura is very big for our team. We didn’t have a good car when practice opened. But the crew worked hard to develop a balance, and Scott and I worked well together. This is very exciting for me and the rest of the team.”
“I can’t believe how many man-hours it took to get here in Victory Lane,” Dayton said. “This win is a huge tribute to the guys in the shop and the crew and drivers here at Long Beach. My heartfelt thanks for Acura for their support as well as Honda Performance Development. They worked so hard to help us last year. And this victory is very exciting for Patrón. They came on with our team this year and we were able to win their race here at Long Beach. It is a tremendous feeling to get to the top of the podium against the Penske team.”
Dumas successfully blocked Brabham for several laps, nearly putting him in the wall at one point. But as the leading pair approached lapped traffic, the Penske driver got loose on a turn, which provided Highcroft’s Brabham just enough room to squeeze past.
“I knew at that point I just had to go for it,” Brabham said of Dumas’ slight slip. “We we’re both going for the same spot and touched tires. I actually lost part of the body of the car. To beat a Penske team in a dogfight was incredibly satisfying. I was pumped.”
“It’s a huge step for us,” Sharp said. “Penske has been so dominant so anytime you beat Roger Penske it sure gives you more confidence. It was a great day to get the first win for Acura and Patron, especially considering they were the race’s title sponsors.”
“We’ve obviously got to keep working hard,” Sharp said. “This win has really pumped everyone up and could give us that confidence we need to take the next step.”
