Fernández Racing

Super Aguri Fernandez Racing's #55 car driven by Kosuke Matsuura

Fernández Racing is a Mexican motor racing team that competes in the American Le Mans Series and previously Champ Car, the IRL IndyCar Series, and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The team was co-founded by Adrian Fernández and Tom Anderson in 2001.

Open wheel

The team competed in the Champ Car ranks with Fernández and Shinji Nakano driving. In 2003 they downsized to one car, dropping Nakano, but scored their first victory at Portland International Raceway. A late decision just prior to the start of 2004 saw Fernández Racing switch ranks, as many other teams did during a tumultuous two-year period, from Champ Car to the IndyCar Series. Adrian won three races that year, at Kentucky Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and California Speedway.

In 2005 Fernández himself only drove at the Indianapolis 500 in a joint effort with Mo Nunn Racing. The team had two branches under their banner: Delphi Fernandez Racing, which ran Scott Sharp, and Super Aguri Fernandez Racing, co-owned by Aguri Suzuki, that ran Kosuke Matsuura. The team has also branched into the Grand-Am ranks, under the Lowe's Fernandez Racing guise, fielding a Daytona Prototype for drivers Fernandez and Mario Haberfeld.

For 2007, Fernández ended his involvement in both the IndyCar Series and Grand-Am series, with his partner Aguri Suzuki and driver Kosuke Matsuura leaving to join Panther Racing in the IndyCar Series.

American Le Mans Series

Fernández's Lowe's-sponsored Lola B06/43-Acura at Mid-Ohio.
Fernández Racing's Acura ARX-01b at Miller Motorsports Park.

In 2007, Fernández Racing became one of three factory supported teams in Acura's new LMP2 project in the American Le Mans Series. Fernández was chosen as the primary engine development team. Through the 2007 season, the team ran a Lola B07/40 chassis, with Highcroft Racing and Andretti Green Racing running heavily modified Courage chassis in order to compare the engine's performance relative to other Lola teams. In the team's ALMS debut at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, drivers Adrian Fernández and Luis Díaz finished third overall and second in the LMP2 class, behind the Andretti-Green Acura. After a strong start to the 2008 season for Acura, the Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyders would dominate the rest of the season claiming the next eleven races including eight overall victories. The team finished their debut season fourth in the LMP2 Teams' Championship with Fernández and Díaz eleventh in the Drivers' Championship.

For 2008, the team raced the updated Courage-derived Acura ARX-01b just as the other Acura teams. The 2008 season saw titanic battle between the LMP2 Acura and Porsche teams, and the LMP1 Factory Audi Sport North America team. Despite their consistent pace, the team's best result came as a second place at Mosport. The team finished the season 5th in the LMP2 Teams' Championship with Adrian Fernández and Luis Díaz 12th in the Drivers' Championship.

In 2009, Highcroft Racing and de Ferran Motorsports moved up to the LMP1 class, leaving Fernández Racing as the only Acura team in LMP2. By season's end, the team finished first in the P2 Teams' Championship ahead of the their main rival Dyson Racing with Fernández and Díaz first in the Drivers' Championship. 2009 would be the final season of competition for the Fernández Racing with the team leaving American Le Mans Series competition. However, HPD would continue to develop the ARX line of LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes.

Drivers

CART

IRL IndyCar Series

Grand-Am/ALMS

Racing results

Complete CART FedEx Championship Series results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Chassis Engine Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
2001 Reynard 01i Honda HR-1 V8t MTY LBH NAZ MOT MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH CHI MDO ROA VAN LAU ROC HOU LAG SRF FON
Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 19 16 19 16 5 12 19 21 3 25 10 22 3 21 24 23 14 10 19 18
Japan Shinji Nakano 52 18 12 15 8 16 13 22 22 9 22 16 18 15 14 22 17 15 21 12 21
2002 Lola B02/00 Honda HR-2 V8t MTY LBH MOT MIL LAG POR CHI TOR CLE VAN MDO ROA MTL DEN ROC MIA SFR FON MXC
Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 13 10 7 2 18 14 13 9 11 8 18 12 4 14 7 DNS
Italy Max Papis 15 14
Mexico Luis Díaz 19
Japan Shinji Nakano 52 15 12 10 18 14 11 5 4 10 11 9 11 9 16 16 14 13 15 14
2003 Lola B02/00 Ford XFE V8t STP MTY LBH BRH LAU MIL LAG POR CLE TOR VAN ROA MDO MTL DEN MIA MXC SFR
Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 15 4 2 12 15 6 7 1 11 9 12 12 7 8 5 8* 8 12

Complete IRL IndyCar Series results

(key)

Year Chassis Engine Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
2004 G-Force GF09B Honda HI4R V8 HMS PHX MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY PPIR NAZ CHI FON TXS
Mexico Adrián Fernández 5 20 18 7 5 7 6 10 8 12 1 2 7 1* 1 5
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 11 11 8 11 16 14 18 9 10 17 4 13 21 21 13 19
2005 Panoz GF09C Honda HI5R V8 HMS PHX STP MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY PPIR SNM CHI WGL FON
Mexico Adrián Fernández 5 14
United States Scott Sharp 8 13 5 18 2 7 4 17 6 4 10 7 1 9 12 8 9 4
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 12 10 13 9 17 7 9 20 14 11 16 8 13 6 23 6 19
2006 Dallara IR-05
Panoz GF09C		 Honda HI6R V8 HMS STP MOT INDY WGL TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY SNM CHI
United States Scott Sharp 8 7 10 16 9 9 5 5 18 17 12 6 16 14 9
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 6 7 7 15 18 8 12 8 13 17 9 19 13 11

External links