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Acura Records 1-2-3 Sweep On The Long Beach Streets

De Ferran Team Takes 1st ALMS Win, Lowe's Fernandez Notches 3rd 2009 Victory

Acura was the marque of the day in the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series race Saturday in the famed streets of Long Beach .

A 1-2-3 overall sweep for the auto manufacturer yielded the second complete podium in Acura's two-and-a -half-year history in ALMS, following the Detroit sweep last August. In addition, Acura recorded its second consecutive victory in the LMP1 and LMP2 categories following the St. Petersburg double class win two weeks ago.

The Acura team of Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud scored its first ALMS career win by taking a onesecond victory over David Brabham and Scott Sharp under caution to earn the overall event victory and the LMP1 title. Meanwhile, the Mexican duo of Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz notched their third straight LMP2 triumph of the 2009 campaign.

Pagenaud made a sensational first-turn pass of Scott Sharp to grab the lead in the one hour, 40-minute sports-car event. Pagenaud, pole winner at St. Petersburg , came from the second starting spot to vault to a foursecond advantage by Lap 11 in the No. 66 de Ferran XM Radio Acura ARX-02a prototype.

But Sharp, LMP1 winner with David Brabham in the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-02A at St. Petersburg , fought his way back to take the lead from Pagenaud on Lap 21. Pagenaud's mount then lost rear bodywork and began sliding more than the French driver would have liked. But he drove hard to close within a second of Sharp before handing driving chores to the former Indy 500 winner, de Ferran.

When Brabham jumped in the Patrón Acura during the team's only pit stop, a penalty was assessed to the car for a pit violation. That 20-second penalty gave Brabham a difficult margin to make up on de Ferran. A laterace caution flag moved Brabham within a second, but the race finished under yellow and the XM Radio-sponsored team celebrated its first victory since de Ferran formed the team last year.

The second-place finish for Patrón Highcroft Racing kept its point lead in the LMP1 class, with de Ferran in second place. The Lowe's Fernandez operation holds a strong lead in the LMP2 standings.

The American Le Mans Series returns to action May 15-17 at the beautiful Miller Motorsports Park outside Salt Lake City , Utah for the fourth stop on the ten-race ALMS tour. Acura will be seeking its first win at the Utah racing facility, after just missing the winner's circle last year.

Acura will be seeking its first win at the Utah racing facility, after just missing the winner's circle last year.