It took a spectacular pass on Romain Dumas on lap 70 of the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series feature in Long Beach, but Highcroft Racing finally secured its first LMP2 class win for Acura.
David Brabham made the move on the leading Penske Porsche entering turn eight after charging from fifth to second in class by the penultimate lap, as the one hour 40 minute race turned into an Acura-Porsche battle in the last ten tours. Getting into the #9 car with 45 minutes left, the Australian fought his way through the ranks, passing Christian Fittipaldi's #26 Andretti Green Acura and Adrian Fernandez's #15 example with 20 minutes left before coming from three seconds to catch Dumas. Once past the Frenchman, he pulled away to a winning margin of 1.06secs.
“That was a pretty wild pass on Romain," Brabham admitted, "I knew we were quicker than the Penske cars in the corners, but they were a little quicker on the straights. I just had faith that something was going to open up for me. If there was an opportunity, I was going to go for it. I shifted down to first off the corner and I was able to shoot by him to the next turn.
"I'd clipped the front wing in the early part of my stint and the aerodynamics weren't just right, but I just kept charging and looking for a spot to pass. Then, it opened up and I went by him.
"We went down the back straight and he moved to one side, moving straight in front of me. He tried to protect his line, but I went to the inside. It was just good racing and the Acura engine performed beautifully. The team gave me a great car and to go up against the Penske Porsches, with their having been so dominant, is just fantastic. To cross the finish line first is a win on so many levels for the whole team, which put in a lot of work over the winter. It is paying off in spades this season. All in all, there is a huge difference when you win - you go to the next race knowing you can win, instead of just hoping."
