Media Release: Brabham Celebrates 100th ALMS Race At Mosport
London, UK – Monday, August 23, 2010; David Brabham is poised to celebrate his 100th American Le Mans Series race in style, aiming for outright victory in the Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport as the 2010 title fight heads to Canada and the penultimate round of the season.
Mosport holds happy memories for the Brabham family. Not only has David celebrated back-to-back class wins at the track in the previous two years, with LMP2 victory in 2008 and the outright LMP1 win last year, it’s also where his triple Formula One World Champion father, Sir Jack, won the first Canadian Grand Prix in 1967. How apt that 43 years later, Brabham Junior returns to celebrate being part of an exclusive club of two drivers to ever reach the milestone of 100 American Le Mans Series race starts – only Johnny O’Connell can also claim such a feat. Brabham’s auspicious American Le Mans Series CV makes for impressive reading. Over his 99 race starts, the Australian has notched up 96 top ten finishes, 58 of which were podium results. Furthermore, the sportscar legend boasts 22 race wins and 13 class pole positions. Brabham is also the only driver in Series history to boast pole positions and race wins in the GT1, GT2, LMP1, LMP2 and LMP classes. “It’s pretty cool to get to 100 races,” said Brabham. “I’ve been a part of the Series since the beginning and I’ve done the majority of races in its history. I’ve had the privilege of working with a lot of great teams and a lot of great teammates across the years. “I’ve enjoyed some fantastic on-track battles and off-track companionships. That’s what makes this Series unique. Racing my 100th event with Patrón Highcroft Racing, with who I took my first title last year, makes this occasion even more significant. It’s a special time in my career. “Celebrating this milestone at Mosport, where Dad took the first Canadian GP victory over 40 years ago, means a lot as well. There’s definitely a family connection with this circuit and the Canadians are always a wonderful crowd.” Heading into the Series’ only Canadian round, Brabham and teammate Simon Pagenaud hold a 20-point advantage in the LMP title fight after the Patrón Highcroft duo scored their seventh podium finish in as many rounds with third overall last weekend at Road America. With two rounds remaining in the 2010 title fight, and a maximum of 50 points available, Brabham will be hoping to celebrate his centenary in style with a return to the top of the podium in Canada. “Like at the previous round at Elkhart Lake, we have an impressive record at Mosport International Raceway,” continued Brabham. “Obviously, it being my 100th American Le Mans Series race, it would be nice to mark the occasion with another win and a hat-trick of victories for that circuit. “Mosport is the fastest track in terms of average speed, so once again developing a race setup with our new aero package will be key. We have the important chance to test on Wednesday, which is something we haven’t been able to do all season. We’ll be using that valuable track time to help us understand and make the most of our package.” Action for round eight of the American Le Mans Series at Mosport International Raceway starts with the promoter test day on Wednesday, August 25, followed by testing on Friday. Practice on Saturday precedes qualifying for the LMP classes at 4.50pm local time. Racing goes green for the Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport on Sunday, August 29, at 3.05pm local time. Live race audio is available online at www.radiolemans.com while the full event schedule, live timing, and latest ALMS news can be accessed via www.americanlemans.com -Ends- Please click on the thumbnails below to download the images. For further information on David Brabham, including his career history and biography, visit www.davidbrabham.com David Brabham Media Contact Emma Spearing, Hazel PR: Mobile: +44 (0)7736 341828 E-mail: emma.spearing@hazelpr.com
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