ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 5, 2008) – Bryan Herta and Christian Fittipaldi drove the XM Satellite
 
Radio Acura to a fifth-place finish in the LMP2 class at Saturday’s running of the Acura Sports Car Challenge from the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Starting sixth overall and fifth in LMP2, Fittipaldi benefited from a sensational start by passing three cars between the start/finish line and Turn 1 on the opening lap of the race. However, on the second lap, Fittipaldi overshot a turn and nearly spun, forcing him to the back of the field. Fittipaldi returned to the course and fought to regain the lap he lost on the incident. When the driver switch occurred during a pit stop on lap 42, Herta took the reigns in ninth place overall and seventh in class. Herta gained a position by making a pass on lap 47 and another when the Lowe’s Acura was involved in an accident.
Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner won the overall race. Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard won the LMP2 class and finished second overall.
The next event on the ALMS schedule is the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on April 19. ABC Sports will provide coverage of the event on April 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).

Bryan Herta, #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura:
“This is a disappointing finish for us but I really have to give it to the guys on the XM Satellite Radio Acura crew. They did a great job hanging in there with us. The car was good today and that gives us a lot tolook forward to at Long Beach.”

Christian Fittipaldi, #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura:
“I didn’t do anything special at the start. I had a good start and a good run, that’s all. I had practiced the start this morning so I knew where I could break on cold tires in the XM Acura. There was a gap there and I just went for it and it worked out well for us. Then, on the second lap, I just made a mistake. When I went to brake, it was two inches too deep, then the rears unloaded, locked and I half-spun and barely touched the barrier.”

 

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