- Fernández Racing
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Fernández Racing is a Mexican motor racing team that competes in the American Le Mans Series and previously Champ Car, the IRL IndyCar Series, and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The team was co-founded by Adrian Fernández and Tom Anderson in 2001.
Contents
Open wheel
The team competed in the Champ Car ranks with Fernández and Shinji Nakano driving. In 2003 they downsized to one car, dropping Nakano, but scored their first victory at Portland International Raceway. A late decision just prior to the start of 2004 saw Fernández Racing switch ranks, as many other teams did during a tumultuous two-year period, from Champ Car to the IndyCar Series. Adrian won three races that year, at Kentucky Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and California Speedway.
In 2005 Fernández himself only drove at the Indianapolis 500 in a joint effort with Mo Nunn Racing. The team had two branches under their banner: Delphi Fernandez Racing, which ran Scott Sharp, and Super Aguri Fernandez Racing, co-owned by Aguri Suzuki, that ran Kosuke Matsuura. The team has also branched into the Grand-Am ranks, under the Lowe's Fernandez Racing guise, fielding a Daytona Prototype for drivers Fernandez and Mario Haberfeld.
American Le Mans Series
For 2007, Fernández ended his involvement in both the IndyCar Series and Grand-Am series, with his partner Aguri Suzuki and driver Kosuke Matsuura leaving to join Panther Racing in the IndyCar Series. Fernández Racing became one of three factory supported teams in Acura's new LMP2 project in the American Le Mans Series. Fernández was chosen as the primary engine development team. Through 2007 the team ran a Lola B07/40 chassis, instead of the heavily-modified Courage that Highcroft Racing and Andretti Green Racing ran, in order to compare the engine's performance relative to other Lola teams. In the team's ALMS debut at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, drivers Adrian Fernández and Luis Díaz finished third overall and second in the LMP2 class, behind the Andretti-Green Acura. For 2008, the team raced the same Courage-derived Acura ARX-01b as the other Acura teams, beginning at Sebring. Fernández and Diaz returned as the drivers. In 2009, Highcroft moved up to the LMP1 class, leaving Fernández Racing as the only Acura team in LMP2.
Drivers
CART
Adrian Fernández
Shinji Nakano
Max Papis
Luis Díaz (2 races)
IRL IndyCar Series
Grand-Am/ALMS
Adrian Fernández (Grand Am & ALMS 2006-)
Mario Haberfeld (Grand-Am)
Luis Díaz (ALMS 2007-)
External links
Categories:- Champ Car teams
- Indy Racing League teams
- Grand American Road Racing Association teams
- American Le Mans Series teams
- American auto racing teams
- Mexican auto racing teams
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