Today at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Acura announced that Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta (corrected) will be driving the new Acura ALMS race car next year. Long time Honda backers, Andretti-Green Racing, will field the car.

The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) will consist of factory backed efforts from Audi, Porsche and Mazda, and many independents.

Here's the original announcement that Acura will competing in the ALMS.

XM Satellite Radio Press Release
XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio company with more than 7 million subscribers, announced it will be the primary sponsor of the Andretti Green Racing (AGR) Acura Courage car in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The car is being unveiled today by drivers Bryan Herta and Dario Franchitti at the XM booth at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas.

In addition to driving the XM-sponsored ALMS car, Herta and Franchitti will serve as two of the co-hosts of “The Andretti Green Racing Hour” along with the 2007 Andretti Green Racing team lineup. The show will be among the high-profile motorsports programming exclusively available on the XM Sports Nation channel (XM 143), the exclusive home to racing’s biggest stars.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing my relationship with XM Satellite Radio and also to the opportunity to spearhead Andretti Green Racing’s entrance into the American Le Mans Series,” said Herta. “I look back on my 13 years as an IndyCar driver and have a lot of great memories. Now, it's on to the next chapter of my career, and I'm very excited to drive a world-class Acura Courage sponsored by XM.”

Franchitti also welcomes the new opportunity.

"2007 should be a great deal of fun for me, having the chance to drive both a Honda-powered IndyCar and an XM-sponsored, Acura-powered Courage in the ALMS," said Franchitti. "It will make for a full racing season, but that's what I love to do."

"XM is dedicated to supporting our automotive partners on the open road and at the race track. We’re especially pleased to be part of Acura’s debut season in the American Le Mans Series with Andretti Green Racing," said George Perry, director, Partnership and Event Marketing, XM Satellite Radio. "We’re also looking forward to the launch of the new ‘Andretti Green Racing Hour’ show that will include a behind-the-scenes look into the ALMS."

The Acura Courage features the first racing engine completely designed and developed in-house by Honda's racing subsidiary Honda Performance Development of Santa Clarita, Calif.

Last edited by RyanDL on November 01, 2006 15:31