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Fernández Racing

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

Fernández Racing was a Mexican motor racing team that competed in the American Le Mans Series, 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

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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

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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 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

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CART

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IRL IndyCar Series

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Grand-Am/ALMS

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Racing results

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Complete CART FedEx Championship Series results

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

Year Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Pts Pos Pts
2001 MTY LBH TEX NAZ MOT MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH CHI MDO ROA VAN LAU ROC HOU LAG SRF FON
Reynard 01i Honda HR-1 V8t F Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 19 16 C1 19 16 5 12 19 21 3 25 10 22 3 21 24 23 14 10 19 18 18th 45
Japan Shinji Nakano 52 18 12 C1 15 8 16 13 22 22 9 22 16 18 15 14 22 17 15 21 12 21 26th 11
2002 MTY LBH MOT MIL LAG POR CHI TOR CLE VAN MDO ROA MTL DEN ROC MIA SFR FON MXC
Lola B02/00 Honda HR-2 V8t B Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 13 10 7 2 18 14 13 9 11 8 18 12 4 14 7 DNS 14th 59
Italy Max Papis 15 14 19th 32
Mexico Luis Díaz 19 23rd 0
Japan Shinji Nakano 52 15 12 10 18 14 11 5 4 10 11 9 11 9 16 16 14 13 15 14 17th 43
2003 STP MTY LBH BRH LAU MIL LAG POR CLE TOR VAN ROA MDO MTL DEN MIA MXC SFR
Lola B02/00 Ford XFE V8t B Mexico Adrián Fernández 51 15 4 2 12 15 6 7 1 11 9 12 12 7 8 5 8* 8 12 8th 105
  1. ^ The Firestone Firehawk 600 was canceled after qualifying due to excessive g-forces on the drivers.

Complete IRL IndyCar Series results

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(key)

Year Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts Pos Pts
2003 HMS PHX MOT INDY TXS PPIR RIR KAN NSH MCH GAT KTY NAZ CHI FON TXS
Dallara IR-03 Honda HI3R V8 F United States Roger Yasukawa 55 14 17 21 10 9 17 11 7 15 8 18 12 8 8 7 10 12th 301
2004 HMS PHX MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY PPIR NAZ CHI FON TXS
G-Force GF09B Honda HI4R V8 F Mexico Adrián Fernández 5 20 18 7 5 7 6 10 8 12 1 2 7 1* 1 5 5th 445
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 11 11 8 11 16 14 18 9 10 17 4 13 21 21 13 19 14th 280
2005 HMS PHX STP MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY PPIR SNM CHI WGL FON
Panoz GF09C Honda HI5R V8 F Mexico Adrián Fernández 5 14 29th 16
United States Scott Sharp 8 13 5 18 2 7 4 17 6 4 10 7 1 9 12 8 9 4 5th 444
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 12 10 13 9 17 7 9 20 14 11 16 8 13 6 23 6 19 14th 320
2006 HMS STP MOT INDY WGL TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY SNM CHI
Dallara IR-05
Panoz GF09C
Honda HI6R V8 F United States Scott Sharp 8 7 10 16 9 9 5 5 18 17 12 6 16 14 9 12th 287
Japan Kosuke Matsuura 55 6 7 7 15 18 8 12 8 13 17 9 19 13 11 13th 273

IndyCar wins

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# Season Date Sanction Track / Race No. Winning Driver Chassis Engine Tire Grid Laps Led
1 2003 June 22 CART Portland International Raceway (R) 51 Mexico Adrián Fernández Lola B02/00 Ford XFE V8t Bridgestone 3 15
2 2004 August 15 IRL Kentucky Speedway (O) 5 Mexico Adrián Fernández (2) G-Force GF09B Honda HI4R V8 Firestone 4 51
3 September 12 IRL Chicagoland Speedway (O) 5 Mexico Adrián Fernández (3) G-Force GF09B Honda HI4R V8 Firestone 10 83
4 October 3 IRL Auto Club Speedway (O) 5 Mexico Adrián Fernández (4) G-Force GF09B Honda HI4R V8 Firestone 4 18
5 2005 August 14 IRL Kentucky Speedway (O) 8 United States Scott Sharp Panoz G-Force GF09C Honda HI5R V8 Firestone 7 60
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