HIGHCROFT RACING
Based in Danbury, CT, and led by team owner Duncan Dayton, Highcroft Racing competes in the American Le Mans Series, a series of endurance sports car races patterned after the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France.
American Le Mans Series events are broadcast throughout the season on ABC or ESPN from March through October.
This championship differs from many other forms of motorsport. American Le Mans Series endurance events range from 100 minutes to 12 hours and each feature two to three drivers alternately sharing the same car.
Multiple separate classes do battle on track at the same time. The ultimate road race sets high-performance exotic prototypes against grand touring sports cars like you may see on the highway.
2006
Highcroft Racing opened its Danbury facility and made its American Le Mans Series debut at the Twelve Hours of Sebring aboard a privateer Lola with team boss Duncan Dayton joined by Rick Knoop and Gregor Fiskin.
The team ran selected races and finished with a season best result at Petit Le Mans where Dayton, Vitor Meira and Memo Gidley finished third overall.
This giant-killing performance by the Connecticut-based squad was just a sign of things to come.
2007
Highcroft Racing was one of the original teams selected by Acura/Honda Performance Development (HPD) to debut their sports prototype (ARX-01a) in the 2007 American Le Mans Series season.
Brought on to focus on chassis development for Acura, Highcroft Racing exceeded all expectations in its first season, taking the overall pole at the Houston Grand Prix and finishing on the podium four times.
The team’s Acura teammates included the high profile IndyCar squads Andretti Green Racing and Fernandez Racing, but it was Highcroft that led the way in the points for Acura at season end.
2008
With the Patrón Spirits Company joining as title sponsor in 2008. Patrón Highcroft Racing successfully campaigned the Acura ARX-01b with drivers David Brabham and Scott Sharp in the 11-race championship.
The team exceeded its 2007 performances dramatically in 2008 with Brabham and Sharp scoring four LMP2 class victories, an overall win at the team’s home track in Lime Rock, Connecticut, and just missed out on clinching the LMP2 series championship.
2009
Highcroft went one better in 2009 as they debuted Acura’s first LMP1 class challenger. David Brabham and Scott Sharp took victories at St Petersburg, Road America and Mosport on their way to taking Highcroft’s first American Le Mans Series championship win.
The championship battle went right down the wire with Highcroft pulling out all stops at Petit Le Mans when they had to build a completely new car in less than 24 hours after a dramatic practice crash - Brabham, Sharp and Dario Franchitti went on to extend the team’s points lead in the race with a brand new car.
2010
Highcroft Racing earned back to back American Le Mans Series championship victories in 2010 - taking the crown in the most competive season in series history. Five teams and manufacturers took overall victories as the LMP1 and LMP2 classes were combined into a single class for the year.
Frenchman Simon Pagenaud joined David Brabham as his full-season team-mate with Scottish ace Marino Franchitti taking the third driver role. All three drivers took a pole position and the team three victories in a row at Long Beach, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Salt Lake City to set up its championship fight. Brabham, Pagenaud and Franchitti clinched the crown with the LMP2 class victory at Petit Le Mans aboard the Honda Performance Development factory ARX-01c entry.
