Backstretch Motorsports

It’s hard to remember a time when an Audi victory in the American Le Mans Series was considered a surprise. But that’s just what happened on Saturday though as Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr scored an unlikely victory in the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach as the two Audi R10 TDIs finished 1-2.

Werner crossed the finish line 1.964 seconds ahead of Emanuele Pirro in the sister Audi as the German manufacturer finished 1-2 overall in an American Le Mans Series race for the first time since St. Petersburg in 2007, also a street circuit.

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Back at the track where he and Romain Dumas started their run to the American Le Mans Series LMP2 championship a year ago, Timo Bernhard took pole position for Porsche and Penske Racing at the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on Friday. The German Porsche factory pilot posted a lap of 1:11.330 (99.324 mph) in a competitive and record-breaking day in southern California.

Bernhard’s lap around 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit was good enough for a 0.094-second gap over Luis Diaz in Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Acura ARX-01b. Bernhard, who again will team with Dumas, also broke Dario Franchitti’s track record of 1:11.838 set last season in Andretti Green Racing’s Acura.

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In the landscape of American motorsports, it doesn’t get much more glamorous than the Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. After a sensational debut in 2007, the American Le Mans Series returns again this weekend for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, Round 3 of the 2008 season. In addition to title sponsorship of Saturday’s race, Patrón also is the primary sponsor of the Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b, which David Brabham and Scott Sharp will pilot in search of the team’s first LMP2 victory. In preparation for the race, they discussed the challenges of the weekend.

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