The victory was the first for the Patrón-backed Highcroft team and only the second for Acura since the manufacturer's arrival in the ALMS last season, and betters the team's previous best of second in class, which Brabham and co-driver Scott Sharp took in St Petersburg two weeks ago.
Brabham's triumph was his 13th win in the ALMS, but provided a major milestone as the Australian became the first driver to win in all four classes in the ten-year history of the series. Brabham had previously set an ALMS mark by being the first driver to win poles in all four classes, and the win added to the family's Long Beach legacy after elder brother Geoff won the Formula Atlantic events there in both 1981 and 1982.
"It is good to have a Brabham back in the winner's circle at Long Beach," David admitted, "Plus, to win here for Patrón in their title race and in the backyard of Acura is very big for our team. Winning in four ALMS classes is great for me but it doesn't mean as much as this effort that the team put forth today. We didn't have a good car on Thursday, 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.”
Team owner Duncan Dayton echoed Brabham's praise for the squad.
“I can't believe how many man hours it took to get here to victory lane," he said, "We came here with the wrong set-up on Thursday and had to fight our way back into contention for today. It is a tremendous feeling to get to the top of the podium against the Penske team
"This win is a huge tribute to the guys in the shop and the crew and drivers here at Long Beach. My heartfelt go to 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. Long Beach has a rich history in motorsports and it is an honour to win here.”
