The momentum of Acura’s ALMS program kept building, and 2008 turned out to be the manufacturer’s break out year, with Brabs and co-driver Scott Sharp scoring four class wins, including their unforgettable come-from-behind overall victory at Lime Rock. Brabham’s late-race tactics on race-leader Timo Bernhard forced the Penske Racing drive to spin under pressure on the second-to-last lap.

Over the years, Brabham has been known for his spectacular late-race advances, especially at the wheel of an Acura. (LAT)

“There was nothing else in my head other than, ‘I’m getting past you,’” Brabham said. “I was exhausted after that race, because it was an absolute sprint. We lost time with Scott with a damaged rear diffuser, so it was a massive fight back from there. People were crashing, but we kept it strong. To win it like that, at Lime Rock with the home race for the team, is fairy tale stuff.”

Brabham and Sharp were on a roll in the summer months, taking class victories at Road America and Mosport and headed into the Petit Le Mans with a fighting chance of claiming the P2 championship. However, he walked away heartbroken when Sharp crashed the Patron-sponsored Acura early in the running. Penske swept the podium, and Highcroft’s championship chances were over. Brabham had yet again come ever so close to his elusive first Series title.

This year, Brabham is a man on a mission. Not only is he targeting the LMP1 championship with Acura’s new ARX-02a prototype, Brabs feels he’s been given another chance to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall - the remaining “big one” not yet on his resume. In February, he signed with Team Peugeot Total to tackle the twice-around-the-clock French classic, but will first set his sights on the opening ALMS rounds aboard the Highcroft Acura.

After all, it’s the ALMS where Brabham feels right at home. The 2008 Most Popular Driver couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. As the humble warrior he is, it’s the people that makes Brabham’s memories the most cherished and valued.

The future looks bright for Brabham and Acura, as they embark on the 2009 season. (LAT)

“Brabs is just a fantastic guy, super easy to work with. He’s the ultimate team player,” Jan Magnussen said. “Obviously he has an ego like all other drivers, but he is very good at controlling it to get the best out of everyone around him. He’s an all-around great guy off on and off the track.”

“The thing I’ll remember more about the series is the people when I’m eventually out of the Series and have my walking cane,” Brabham said. “To me, the cars were great, the racing was great, all that. But it’s the people in the series. The community we have year in and year out. Racing is a small world.”

And with a track record to prove it, Brabham has become one sports car racing’s greats, certainly someone who the next generation of drivers will look up to as a hero of the American Le Mans Series.


Enjoy a two-part video from 2008 with David Brabham as he discusses his career, his involvement with Acura, and his philosophies on racing.







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