Danbury, CT, January 22, 2008 — Highcroft Racing announces exciting changes for the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. Scott Sharp will be joining the team and partnering with Le Mans-winning driver, David Brabham, with Patron Spirits as the team’s title sponsor. Patron Spirits is the distiller of Patron Tequila, the world’s number-one selling ultra-premium tequila.
The team will be known as Patron Highcroft Racing. Highcroft Racing is a factory-backed team which campaigned an Acura ARX-01a in the LMP2 class in the 2007 ALMS season.
Duncan Dayton, Team Principal of Patron Highcroft Racing, said, “I am truly excited to announce the partnership between Patron Spirits and Highcroft Racing’s Acura program in the ALMS. Our ability to attract Patron Spirits is a testament to the hard work that Highcroft has put in over the past 18 months and our results on the track. This partnership represents a significant milestone for this young team and for the ALMS.
“The team is delighted to welcome Scott Sharp to the Patron Highcroft Racing family,” Dayton continued. “Scott comes from a long line of sports-car racers and holds strong family ties to the Connecticut area. In fact, some of our team members worked for the original Newman-Sharp teams over 20 years ago. Scott’s distinguished career in the Indy Racing League certainly bodes well for a successful partnership with Patron Highcroft Racing, Acura and David Brabham.”
In moving from the IndyCar Series to the ALMS, Scott Sharp’s career has come full circle. Sharp began racing sports cars in the beginning of his professional career, and is returning to the arena once again. Sharp has won nine IndyCar events and has 35 top-five finishes in the Series. He holds the record of 138 consecutive IndyCar starts. In 1996, he was the IndyCar Series co-champion and also won the 24 Hours of Daytona. He is a two-time Trans-Am champion, winning 15 races over three seasons.
Patron Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham said, “I am really looking forward to the next season racing for the Patron Highcroft Racing team and driving with Scott. I believe Scott will be a great addition to the team. I had a fantastic time working with Highcroft and Acura last year and I am honored to continue as one of their drivers. Highcroft came in ahead of the other Acura teams last year, and as drivers, Scott and I will be pushing not only to be the lead Acura team, but also to be at the front of the P2 class in 2008.”
David Brabham raced in Formula One, Formula 3000 and Formula 3 before becoming one of the world’s leading sports car racers in the American Le Mans Series and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. He took top honors at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans driving an Aston Martin. David is the only American Le Mans Series driver to have taken the pole in all four Series classes. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2005 and 2006 in the GT1 class. Other notable career victories include the Bathurst 1000, which he won with his brother, Geoff, in 1997, the 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium and the Macau Grand Prix, where he defeated Michael Schumacher.
Patron Highcroft Racing also announced that Stefan Johansson, who was David Brabham’s teammate last season, will be joining the team again for the two endurance events ??? the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. One of the most experienced drivers in all of motorsports, Stefan Johansson has competed in everything from Formula One and Champ Car to prototype sports cars, with great success in every division. Notable career achievements include winning the 12 Hours of Sebring twice, in 1984 and 1997, and an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997 with Joest Racing. Stefan drove full time for Highcroft in the 2007 season and helped the team take third place in the LMP2 championship.
“We are thrilled to have Stefan joining Patron Highcroft Racing for the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans,” Dayton said. ” His long, successful career and his results for Highcroft last year speak for themselves. We’re looking forward to having his experience in the Acura program contribute to our efforts in 2008.”
Founded in 1989, Highcroft Racing started as a vintage racing and restoration company and moved into the modern racing arena a few years later. Both the racing team and restoration company are housed in a state-of-the-art 48,000 square foot shop in Danbury, Connecticut. In addition to Patron Spirits, Patron Highcroft Racing’s other sponsors are Acura, Takata, Forbes and Beta Tools. The team’s technical partners include Honda Performance Development, Wirth Engineering, Hewland Engineering, McLaren Electronics and BERU Systems.
Simply Perfect in every way, Patron is the world’s #1 selling ultra-premium tequila. From the finest, most expensive Weaber Blue agave plants grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, to the centuries-old distillation process, to the signed, handcrafted glass bottles, Patron is produced with unparalleled attention to detail. Imported and marketed by Las Vegas-based The Patron Spirits Company, brands in the portfolio consist of Patron Gran Platinum, Patron Anejo, Patron Reposado, Patron Silver, Patron XO Caf?? (tequila and coffee blend), and Patron Citr??nge (extra fine orange liqueur), Ultimat Vodka (80 proof, Black Cherry and Chocolate Vanilla), as well as Pyrat Pistol, Pyrat Cask, and Pyrat XO Reserve Caribbean rums.
For more information visit: highcroftracing.com and Patronspirits.com
American Le Mans SeriesUnited SportsCar Championship