Team Acura Parts Blog

Athletes never lose the itch to compete. It has been proven time and time again. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson are one of those athletes who came back for the love of the game during the late 90’s (Jordan did it again last 2001 when he joined the Washington Wizards). John McEnroe did the same in 2006 when he joined the doubles tournament of the ATP Tour during that year. Whatever sport it may be there are those who just don’t lose the itch to compete and the drive to prove to the world that they’re the best at what they do. Now, Gil De Ferran wants to do the same.

Gil De Ferran has announced that he will be coming out of retirement and join the American Le Mans Series this year. He will be racing for his own team De Ferran Motorsports, which will be based in the Indianapolis area. De Ferran has established himself as one of the premiere racers of his generation. He has won numerous racing events including back-to-back CART titles last 2000 and 2001 and an Indy 500 title in 2003. He was also able to set a new record at the California Speedway in 2001 for the fastest qualifying lap hitting the speed of 241.43 miles per hour. De Ferran retired from racing during the end of 2003 and served as a sporting director for Honda’s F1 team from 2005 to present.

Now that he has decided to race again this season, De Ferran will enter before the mid- season of the ALMS and will be competing using Acura’s LMP2-class Acura ARX-01b race car. Created by Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Wirth Research, the vehicle sports a 3.4-liter, normally-aspirated V8 engine.

The campaign of De Ferran Motorsports is considered to be Acura’s fourth entry into the LMP2 division of the race. The car manufacturer joined the competition last 2007 and provided LMP2 Acura-powered cars during the tour for teams Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing. This marked as the first factory motorsports program that Acura has joined in its 20-year history. During its debut in the ALMS tour, Acura was able to win the LMP2 class title of the “Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring” competition thanks to the victories of their drivers at that time, Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. Aside from this victory, the car company has also been able to score in nine other podium finishes in 2007.

Acura, as a manufacturer, has been able to establish itself as an innovator due to the different features they’ve been able to incorporate into their vehicles such as the VTEC variable timing and lift valvetrain system, in-dash satellite-linked navigation system and the Active Noise Cancellation feature just to name a few.

Sources: BuzzTracker, AutoBlog, Wikipedia, Wiki

Acura has a lot to smile about these days. Aside from being able to acquire a fourth entry for the ALMS series by having Gil De Ferran join their team, Acura has also been able to make waves during the speed testing conducted at the winter testing held in Sebring for the American Le Mans Series. It was during this testing that Acura sported its new prototype car, the Acura ARX-01b, on the course.

The speed testing for the Acura ARX-01b was done by a number of teams including the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura team from Andretti Green Racing Team. The team is the current and defending Sebring champions in the LMP2 class. One of its drivers, Bryan Herta was able to hit the speed of 127.413 miles per hour during the speed testing while driving the Acura ARX-01b. It was the top speed recorded during the three-day testing.

Veteran race car driver Scott Sharp, who has established himself by competing in the IndyCar series, also joined in the testing by teaming up with David Brabham and Stefan Johansson. During the testing, the drivers were able to reach a speed of up to 126.139 miles per hour. All three drivers (Sharp, Brabham and Johansson) are part of the No. 9 Patron Spirits Acura team. Sharp and Brabham will join the 12-race ALMS campaign while Johansson will be campaigning at Sebring and Atlanta.

Another team that took the road using the Acura ARX-01b prototype car is the Lowe’s Fernandez team. The team comprises of racing vets Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz who campaigned in the Lola last year. During the team’s first test drive using the Acura ARX-01b race car, the drivers were able reach the speed of 125.877 miles per hour.

The speed testing will continue this February for the three Acura teams in order for them to gauge the modifications they would still need to make for the competition. The race will begin on March 15 starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Acura Sports Car Challenge will take place afterwards in St. Petersburg on April 5 and will be followed by the Long Beach Grand Prix which will be held on April 19.

Yup, Acura has definitely a lot to smile about these days.

Sources: Buzztracker, SpeedTV

The three Acura teams were headed for a tough challenge, with only one of them surviving at the end of Petit Le Mans marathon.

Highcroft Racing brought home the #9 ARX.01a home in eighth overall and sixth in the highly competitive LMP2 class, as it tried so hard until the very end to endure the course at Road Atlanta.

The other two Acura teams are Andretti Green Racing (AGR) and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing, finishing ninth and eight in LMP2, respectively.

The last Acura racing team left standing evaded lots of spinning cars and flying debris, but fell prey to a 23-minute pit-stop to substitute a disappointing starter in the middle of the race.

Driver David Brabham sees the turn of events as a learning experience for the team. “We came into the event with fairly high expectations of doing well but, unfortunately, we’ve had a few issues which certainly stopped our progress in the race. But situations like this can be great motivators to dig deeper and be even more prepared for next year,” Brabham was quoted as saying by a report in Crash.net.

Brabham’s fellow driver Stefan Johansson has fairly the same assessments on the performance of the team. “We started out pretty well, but then we began having starter problems and dropped down the order,” the Swede reported, “The car was difficult to drive in those conditions. We did a long stop on a yellow to adjust the rear wing, and it made some difference, but the car had very low grip in general. With the grip issues, you had to work a lot harder than normal with the steering. It was just tough out there,” said Johansson in the same report.

Source: Crash.net

Three new Acura sports car teams debuted in the victory celebration held last Saturday at the 10th annual Petit Le Mans sports car classic, the largest and most prestigious road racing event in the United States.

Comprising the Acura line up are the prototype teams Andretti Green Racing (AGR), Lowe’s Fernandez Racing, and Highcroft Racing. The teams are led by 12 hours of Sebring winners Andretti Green Racing.

Three separate practices were held last Thursday with more than 30 machines running through the north Georgia hills where the Road Atlanta facility is located.

Winning in Acura’s very first sports car event and on the Sebring circuit was impressive, according to Honda, the manufacturer of Acura vehicles. Clarke is looking forward at the Acura squads on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta circuit.

“Winning the first race at Sebring (with Andretti Green in the LMP2 class and second overall) was hard to believe and that was quite an accomplishment for the new Acura program,” said President of Honda Performance Development Robert Clarke, in an interview with WhoWon.com. “When you win the season opener, you feel that you can win some races. But we were realistic about the 2007 season. We weren’t looking for on-track results. This was a learning year for us.”

In the same interview, Clark expressed his hopes for an Acura victory at Road Atlanta. “We are out of the championship this year. Learning the ALMS series and sports car racing in general was the goal in 2007 for Acura. But I believe we have an outstanding driver lineup for the Petit Le Mans. Our teams are ready for long race.”

The present Indy 500 title holder Franchitti has left the AGR group to join NASCAR in 2008.

Driver Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series champion, won at the Sebring and ranked third in the IndyCar points. Like Clark, Kanaan expected a win for Acura team.

“I was driving an Indy Car Wednesday in Iowa and it is completely different than driving the XM Acura today. Every time I jump into the Acura I have a blast. This is a big reality check for me with this car. It is so much bigger than an Indy Car. The downforce is much greater also. It is much more physical driving the Acura than my Indy Car. It really wakes you up the first couple of laps with the Acura car. It was great winning at Sebring and racing with my friends. I really have a lot of fun driving this car. I hope we can repeat our Sebring performance this weekend with another win,” Kanaan was quoted as saying by Planetlemans.com.

Kanaan’s fellow veteran driver Bryan Herta shares the similar view. “The Acura has been very reliable all season. We have a good driver lineup and a very good crew. We have had our ups and downs this year as it has been a learning year for the Acura and AGR in sports car racing. Porsche has been racing in this form for decades. This is the debut year for Acura, HPD and AGR. We think we have a good car for Road Atlanta,” Herta was quoted in the same article.

Source:
Planetlemans.com
WhoWon.com

The very first Japanese luxury brand Acura had its 2008 model introduction in a close by place in Detroit in connection with the recently concluded Detroit Sports Car Challenge, where the team finished third, held at the street of Belle Isle. The Acura team is really all over the place as it was also present in other weekend races such as the American Le Mans Series and IRL Race. Aside from the skilled and seasoned drivers for Acura, the performance parts equipped in every vehicle are big factors for such feat.

For the next months, Jack Spurney of Honda Performance Development (HPD) has given a rundown of the activities for Acura development team. Debuting this year in the speed wars are the Acura LMP2 cars and these are enjoying a spot behind the leading Porsche RS Spyders in the manufacturer standings. As a sport luxury brand, Acura has decided to go against the tech-driven and competitive American Le Mans Series (ALMS) rivals such as Porsche, Audi, and Mitsubishi.

The Acura vehicles will be geared with an ALMS V-8 engine, which was designed and engineered completely at the HPD headquarters with no outsiders involved. To date, this engine is the first Honda race engine that was crafted outside of Acura’s homeland. The development, design, and final touch-ups were done in solely in the California-based HPD. Moreover, other Acura parts such as the chassis will also be designed and made in the HPD headquarters. The original Courage LC75 chassis will no longer be utilized by Acura racing vehicles because this chassis did not meet the needs of the Acura vehicles. As a replacement, HPD developed the ARX-01 Acura chassis.

For next year, HPD is also planning a chassis overhaul in order to further improve the performance of the car as well as its serviceability. The present car has encountered difficulties in repairing during race propers.

Behind the wheels of the No. 9 Highcroft Acura ARX-01a prototype, the seasoned driving tandem of David Brabham and Stefan Johansson, who were former Formula One drivers, has successfully collided and survived the toughest racers for a third overall spot in the inaugural Detroit Sports Car Challenge held in the streets of Belle Isle last weekend.

To date, this recent win of Brabham and Johansson has registered the fourth podium finish for this year for Highcroft Racing. Furthermore, bagging a place in the race series has given the Acura team duo with a comfortable third place in the division point standings of the American Le Mans Series. Not only that, the Detroit Sports Car win of the Acura ARX-01a prototype provided the Acura Team’s ninth visit in the winning column since the luxury Japanese brand’s debut in the American Le Man Series season.

“It really is just getting to the finish in this one. Anything can happen out there,” said Brabham. “People are starting to make mistakes and you can take advantage of it.”

The third spot, however, was not that easy to achieve as the duo encountered technical difficulties as well as tough contenders in the speed battle. At the start of the two-hour and 45-minute race war was not for the Acura Team as the four-wheel machine was hit twice during the first hour. Moreover, Brabham and Johansson had to avoid a GT-2 Porsche, which was on fire, and some flying bodywork from other cars. The No.9 Highcroft Acura managed to get back on track down the stretch, thanks to the solid pit work and excellent fuel strategy. For the last grueling 30 minutes of the car challenge, the duo breezed past fellow Acura driver Adrian Fernandez for a third spot.

Acura teams, which are heading for the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race track, will be relying on their seasoned drivers, such as Adrian Fernandez and Brian Herta, to acquire podium finishes in the 12-race American Le Man Series (ALMS) road racing set on the first day of September.

The new Acura sports car teams which include the Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing, and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing have already established a good season debut in the 2007 ALMS opener, the Sebring. This season of racing is sure going to be a learning experience for these three not-so novice Acura teams. According to the Acura officials, the teams have yet to show what they are made of in the ALMS proper. These teams, however, have already shown their potentials after their wheel-to-wheel encounter with the Penske cars in the ALMS opener.

“Winning the first race at Sebring (with Andretti Green in the LMP2 class and second overall) was hard to believe and that was quite an accomplishment for the new Acura program,” said Robert Clarke, president, Honda Performance Development. “When you win the season opener, you feel that you can win some races. But we were realistic about the 2007 season. We weren’t looking for on-track results. This was a learning year for us.”

This time around, the drivers behind the Acura vehicles are sure to explode at the street circuit set on Bell Isle and may even go away with the a title or two.

“At Belle Isle, I think the Acuras can be very competitive,” said Clarke. “We are not really in the championship battle this year. Learning the ALMS series and sports car racing in general was the goal in 2007 for Acura.”

Team i-MOTO drivers Nick Wittmer and Kuno Wittmers, who were driving an Acura TSX, dominated the Grand Prix De Trois-Rivieres race from the beginning down to the last stretch yesterday.

The no.31 Acura TSX remained in the driver’s seat of the speed battle held in the French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada. The Wittmers enjoyed the first lap advantage with a 30-second cushion over other participants. Piloting the Honda-produced Acura TSX, the duo almost fell behind because of the periodical scheduled pit stops, but the Wittmers still managed to steer the vehicle into the winning column. The Acura TSX crossed the finish line and clocked in at 28.446 seconds and left behind its wheels the Billy Johnson and Karl Thomson-driven no.76 Kensai Racing Acura TSX. Taking the last podium slot was the no. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i which was driven by Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood. One of the not so fortunate racers are Koni Challenge-staple Tom Long and team owner Glenn Bocchino, who were behind another Acura TSX under no. 32, as the duo settled for a decent 10th place finish.

Team i-MOTO’s future looks brighter with the win. Not only that, Nick Wittmer bagged the third spot, while Bocchino took the fifth in the Driver’s point’s standings. The Acura vehicles, on the other hand, were given the highest place in the Manufacturer point’s standings, thanks to these vehicles high-performing parts.

With only two speed battles left this season, the i-MOTO racing team has a brighter future ahead. The team will sure to see a lot of action in another racing event that will be held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah this coming September 14.

Race teams geared up with Acura vehicles like the Andretti Green Racing Team managed to make decent finishes in the weekend ninth leg of the Grand Prix of Mosport’s American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Amongst the men behind the Acura models, Marino Franchitti and Bryan Herta, who are members of the Andretti Green Racing Team, successfully steered the no. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01a prototype to a third place finish in the American Le Mans Series. The Andretti Green Racing tandem of Franchitti and Herta were aiming for a top podium finish in the speed event, but was greatly challenged by strong contenders Penske Porsches on the fast 2.45-mile of the Mosport International Raceway race track. The Radio Acura ARX-01a prototype fought hard in the 45-minute contest and raced wheel-to-wheel with the Penske machines, which have six straight titles in the ALMS events overall. At the end of the of the Grand Prix of Mosports speed battle, the Andretti tandem of Franchitti and Herta settled for a decent third.

“The XM Acura was awesome today and I think we had the measure of the Penske Porsches today, but we had a couple of little electronic issues which took a few laps for me to work out,” said Franchitti. “We lost the dash and other lights but we were keeping [Romain] Dumas honest. I think we actually had a faster car but it is very difficult to pass here. The Acura ARX-01a chassis was fantastic and the AGR guys had the car right on the money today.”

Another Acura vehicle, which was a Lowes Team entry, almost pocketed a podium finish last weekend, but unfortunately faltered down the stretch of the American Le Mans Series and took the eighth to sixth finish. The no. 15 Acura, which was driven by Luis Diaz and Adrian Fernandez, suffered from an errant piece of bodywork for another race car. The misplaced body part got stuck in the front of this Acura vehicle and had to be removed on a pit stop.

The next Grand Prix of Mosport’s ALMS speed war is set on the first day of September in Detroit.