Subscibe to our feedFrom Endurance to a Heat Race, Fernandez Team Remains Strong
Adrian Fernandez and Jimmie Johnson have a lot more in common these days than blue race cars and backing from Lowe’s. Both are recent winners on their respective circuits.
Fernandez and his teammate, Luis Diaz, recently scored their first victory in the American Le Mans Series with a powerful and flawless performance in the LMP2 Class in the 57th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, one of road racing’s most historic and prestigious events. The two led all but two laps in their class during the 383-circuit contest. They finished fourth overall despite rules changes that favor the Audi and Peugeot LMP1 machines. It was the third straight year they were still running at the 12-hour mark.
Johnson recently collected his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory this season at Martinsville Speedway.
Both Fernandez and Johnson appear poised for continued strong results as their seasons roll along.
For Fernandez, the switch from Sebring to the April 4 Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg represents a dramatic shift in the requirements placed on the team and driver. The courses are somewhat similar – they’re both in the state of Florida and they both use airport runways for straightaways -- but the races are entirely different. Sebring is a grueling endurance test for man and machine, while St. Pete is a heat race by comparison.
“In Sebring it was just Luis and me, the two of us where most teams use three drivers,” Fernandez said. “It was a very punishing, physical race. But you also have to be patient. You have time to make up a lap if you need to. It’s 12 hours.
“At St. Pete, you don’t have that. It’s a short race, less than two hours. You do not have that privilege of being a lap down and having the time to make it up. You have to push a lot more.”
Fernandez said that even though time is short, he and Diaz still must be careful racing on the same track with drivers in two other classes competing at the same time – the faster LMP1 cars and the slower GT2s.
“I always have to remind myself that I’m not competing with them,” he said.
While Sebring is contested on a dedicated racing course, the St. Pete event is run on a 14-turn, 1.8-mile makeshift course consisting of temporarily closed public thoroughfares, one of the landing strips at a local airport and a portion created just for the race. It has long straights and some really tight corners. Many have described it as Florida’s version of Monaco since the course runs along the Tampa Bay basin with the area from Turn 9 through Turn 11 offering a view of yachts at sail.
“It’s a nice ride,” Fernandez said, adding it’s very challenging to run at high speeds. “It’s part highway, part airport and part permanent race course. It’s three different race tracks, all challenging and unique. Parts are very tight, others very flowing.”
Fernandez said he’s especially anxious to get on the track because he and Diaz want to capitalize on the momentum from their Sebring win, which came in the first race after a long off-season.
“It’s nice to get back on the track right away,” he said. “We’re very fresh from racing at Sebring. We’re used to the cars. It’s a good time to continue.”
Fernandez also knows it’s a good time to take advantage of his team’s apparent edge over Dyson Racing, which struggled at Sebring to adapt to a new Mazda.
“Last year we were quicker than them a lot of times, but we always had problems,” Fernandez said. “They’re a strong team, but they weren’t as competitive with the new package with Mazda. But I don’t expect them to stay that way for long.
“At Sebring we had a good points day for the championship, but we’re going to be sure not to rest on our laurels.”
Fernandez believes he can deliver a championship this year, which would be great timing given the current economic climate.
“You can’t deny the economic crisis, and the American Le Mans Series is not exempt,” he said. “But we are racing in St. Pete and in Long Beach (on April 16-18). “I’m proud to have Lowe’s and glad that we can give them recognition and exposure.
“We just have to keep working efficiently and have a successful year.”