2009 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg
# 2009 Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg

The 2009 Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg was the second round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on April 4, 2009. The Acura ARX-02a earned its first overall victory under the Patrón Highcroft Racing team after early leader de Ferran Motorsports suffered mechanical issues. Acura also won the LMP2 category with Lowe's Fernández Racing, while GT2 was won by the Porsche of Flying Lizard Motorsports.

## Report

### Qualifying

In qualifying solely for the GT2 category, due to the lack of GT1 class competitors for this event, Jaime Melo in the Risi Competizione Ferrari led the pack before a red flag stopped the session due to an incident involving eventual fifth place qualifier Patrick Long in the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche. Farnbacher-Loles and the two BMWs completed the top of the GT2 grid.

In prototype qualifying the Acura of Simon Pagenaud dominated by earning de Ferran Motorsports a pole position by nearly a second over the other Acura of Patrón Highcroft Racing. Acura also led the LMP2 category as the Lowe's Fernández Racing car was piloted by Luis Díaz to third overall, beating the closest Dyson Lola-Mazda by three tenths of a second.

**Qualifying result**

Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold.

| Pos | Class | Team | Qualifying Driver | Lap Time |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | LMP1 | #66 de Ferran Motorsports | Simon Pagenaud | 1:03.776 |
| 2 | LMP1 | #9 Patrón Highcroft Racing | Scott Sharp | 1:04.722 |
| 3 | LMP2 | #15 Lowe's Fernández Racing | Luis Díaz | 1:05.178 |
| 4 | LMP2 | #16 Dyson Racing Team | Guy Smith | 1:05.464 |
| 5 | LMP2 | #20 Dyson Racing Team | Marino Franchitti | 1:05.666 |
| 6 | LMP1 | #37 Intersport Racing | Chapman Ducote | 1:09.044 |
| 7 | GT2 | #61 Risi Competizione | Jaime Melo | 1:12.892 |
| 8 | GT2 | #87 Farnbacher-Loles Racing | Wolf Henzler | 1:13.173 |
| 9 | GT2 | #90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Joey Hand | 1:13.267 |
| 10 | GT2 | #92 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Dirk Müller | 1:13.458 |
| 11 | GT2 | #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports | Patrick Long | 1:13.465 |
| 12 | GT2 | #21 Panoz Team PTG | Dominik Farnbacher | 1:14.109 |
| 13 | GT2 | #40 Robertson Racing | David Murry | 1:14.281 |
| 14 | GT2 | #28 LG Motorsports | Eric Curran | 1:14.633 |
| 15 | GT2 | #11 Primetime Race Group | Joel Feinberg | 1:15.938 |
| 16 | GT2 | #22 Panoz Team PTG | Tom Sutherland | 1:15.996 |
| 17 | GT2 | #44 Flying Lizard Motorsports | Seth Neiman | 1:18.592 |

### Race

**Race result**

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).

| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Tire | Laps |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Engine | Tire | Laps |
| 1 | LMP1 | 9 | Patrón Highcroft Racing | David Brabham Scott Sharp | Acura ARX-02a | M | 93 |
| 1 | LMP1 | 9 | Patrón Highcroft Racing | David Brabham Scott Sharp | Acura AR7 4.0 L V8 | M | 93 |
| 2 | LMP2 | 15 | Lowe's Fernández Racing | Adrian Fernández Luis Díaz | Acura ARX-01B | M | 93 |
| 2 | LMP2 | 15 | Lowe's Fernández Racing | Adrian Fernández Luis Díaz | Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 | M | 93 |
| 3 | LMP2 | 16 | Dyson Racing Team | Chris Dyson Guy Smith | Lola B09/86 | M | 92 |
| 3 | LMP2 | 16 | Dyson Racing Team | Chris Dyson Guy Smith | Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 | M | 92 |
| 4 | LMP2 | 20 | Dyson Racing Team | Butch Leitzinger Marino Franchitti | Lola B08/86 | M | 91 |
| 4 | LMP2 | 20 | Dyson Racing Team | Butch Leitzinger Marino Franchitti | Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 | M | 91 |
| 5 | GT2 | 45 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | M | 88 |
| 5 | GT2 | 45 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Patrick Long Jörg Bergmeister | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | M | 88 |
| 6 | LMP1 | 37 | Intersport Racing | Jon Field Clint Field Chapman Ducote | Lola B06/10 | D | 88 |
| 6 | LMP1 | 37 | Intersport Racing | Jon Field Clint Field Chapman Ducote | AER P32C 4.0 L Turbo V8 | D | 88 |
| 7 | GT2 | 92 | BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Tommy Milner Dirk Müller | BMW M3 GT2 | D | 86 |
| 7 | GT2 | 92 | BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Tommy Milner Dirk Müller | BMW 4.0 L V8 | D | 86 |
| 8 | GT2 | 21 | Panoz Team PTG | Ian James Dominik Farnbacher | Panoz Esperante GT-LM | Y | 86 |
| 8 | GT2 | 21 | Panoz Team PTG | Ian James Dominik Farnbacher | Ford 5.0 L V8 | Y | 86 |
| 9 | GT2 | 28 | LG Motorsports | Lou Giglotti Eric Curran | Chevrolet Corvette C6 | D | 85 |
| 9 | GT2 | 28 | LG Motorsports | Lou Giglotti Eric Curran | Chevrolet LS3 6.3 L V8 | D | 85 |
| 10 | GT2 | 44 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Darren Law Seth Neiman | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | M | 84 |
| 10 | GT2 | 44 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Darren Law Seth Neiman | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | M | 84 |
| 11 | GT2 | 40 | Robertson Racing | David Robertson Andrea Robertson David Murry | Ford GT-R Mk. VII | D | 83 |
| 11 | GT2 | 40 | Robertson Racing | David Robertson Andrea Robertson David Murry | Ford 5.0 L V8 | D | 83 |
| 12 | GT2 | 87 | Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports | Wolf Henzler Dirk Werner | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | M | 74 |
| 12 | GT2 | 87 | Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports | Wolf Henzler Dirk Werner | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | M | 74 |
| 13 DNF | LMP1 | 66 | de Ferran Motorsports | Gil de Ferran Simon Pagenaud | Acura ARX-02a | M | 66 |
| 13 DNF | LMP1 | 66 | de Ferran Motorsports | Gil de Ferran Simon Pagenaud | Acura AR7 4.0 L V8 | M | 66 |
| 14 DNF | GT2 | 11 | Primetime Race Group | Joel Feinberg Chris Hall | Dodge Viper Competition Coupe | D | 38 |
| 14 DNF | GT2 | 11 | Primetime Race Group | Joel Feinberg Chris Hall | Dodge 8.3 L V10 | D | 38 |
| 15 DNF | GT2 | 22 | Panoz Team PTG | Tom Sutherland Ryan Phinny | Panoz Esperante GT-LM | Y | 38 |
| 15 DNF | GT2 | 22 | Panoz Team PTG | Tom Sutherland Ryan Phinny | Ford 5.0 L V8 | Y | 38 |
| 16 DNF | GT2 | 90 | BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Bill Auberlen Joey Hand | BMW M3 GT2 | D | 28 |
| 16 DNF | GT2 | 90 | BMW Rahal Letterman Racing | Bill Auberlen Joey Hand | BMW 4.0 L V8 | D | 28 |
| 17 DNF | GT2 | 62 | Risi Competizione | Jaime Melo Pierre Kaffer | Ferrari F430GT | M | 27 |
| 17 DNF | GT2 | 62 | Risi Competizione | Jaime Melo Pierre Kaffer | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | M | 27 |
