Patrón Highcroft Racing's Dario Franchitti and Scott Sharp completed the final laps of pre-event testing at Sebring International Raceway today as the team undertook final preparations for this week's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

The team's Acura ARX-02a will hit the track tomorrow for official practice at 10:45am - marking the Danbury, Connecticut, squad's debut in the LMP1 class of the American Le Mans Series.

Being Scottish and not Irish - Franchitti's luck wasn't on his side on Saint Patrick's Day.  The 2007 Indy 500 and IndyCar champion clashed with one of the GT1 Corvettes at the hairpin - damaging the left front bodywork.

Franchitti completed 15 laps in the 90-minute session before handing over to Sharp who recorded a further 16 laps of the historic Sebring venue.

The team concentrated on endurance running today and finished the afternoon 5th fastest overall with a best time of 1:48.020

David Brabham did not get behind the wheel of the Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura today, but he will take the opportunity to take his first laps this afternoon aboard the 1959 Cooper Climax that his father used to clinch his first Formula 1 World Championship at Sebring.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sir Jack Brabham's first Formula 1 World Championship, David will climb back aboard the car on Saturday morning prior to the race for a series of parade laps.

SCOTT SHARP"We are beginning to learn more and more about the car but we could still use some more track time.  It was a little short overall today."Dario and I both got some laps and we made a number of changes. We are making some progress but we need to keep making more."We were in race trim today concentrating on making the car more consistent.  I had quite a long run out there this afternoon."

DAVID BRABHAM"I took the opportunity today to head out to a few corners and watch Scott and Dario at work."It was interesting to not only watch our car but see our opposition and look at corner splits and how the cars are behaving on different parts of the track."You can pick up quite a lot of information including where they are fast and where they are not."It is all good information that you can bring back to the team and play a constructive role despite the fact I didn't drive the car today."

DARIO FRANCHITTI"We tried a much different set-up again today.  We're trying different stuff but I hope we can still go back to the same set-up we had at the endurance test because that worked well."Unfortunately, I ended up in a tangle with one of the Corvettes down in the hairpin."I flashed the lights to let him know I was coming and he obviously didn't see me.  I was down the inside of him for quite a while - it wasn't a late dive bomb or anything.  It was a pity because we damaged the left front lower dive plane."

SEBRING BY THE NUMBERSFastest Corner: Turn 1Maximum Corner Speed: >225 kph (140 mph)Maximum Lateral Gs: >3.2 G in turn 1Slowest Corner:  Turn 7Minimum Corner Speed:  >75 kph (47 mph)Fastest top speed: 2009 small wing >265 kph (165 mph)Percentage of lap on full throttle:  70%Maximum Braking Gs: >3.0 GNumber of Brake Applications: 9Gear Changes per lap:  approx 34Left Turns: 6Right Turns: 11

SEBRING TIMETABLE

Wednesday, March 18

10:45am - 11:40am: Practice2:40pm - 3:35pm: Practice

Thursday, March 19

10:20am - 11:15am: Practice3:15pm - 3:40pm: Qualifying6:30pm - 6:45pm: David Brabham's 1959 Cooper Climax reenactment7:15pm - 9:00pm: Practice

Friday, March 20

9:55am - 10:55am: Practice11:45am: Malaria No More / Patrón Highcroft Racing Press Conference

Saturday, March 21

7:50am - 8:15am: Warm up8:50am - 9:15am: David Brabham parade laps, 1959 Cooper Climax10:30am - 10:30pm: Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

HIGHCROFT RACING AT SEBRING

2008 Acura ARX-01B Brabham/Sharp/JohanssonQual:    11th    1:47.819Race:    5th    349 laps

2007 Acura ARX-01a Brabham/Johansson/DaytonQual:    4th    1:47.109Race:    6th    346 laps

2006 Lola EX257/AER Dayton/Knoop/FiskenQual:    7th    1:51.549Race:    29th    DNF 128 laps (mechanical)

SEBRING ON TV

USASPEED TV (all times Eastern Standard Time - EST)Thursday March 19:

7:00pm - American Le Mans Series Preview8:00pm - Project LMP1: Acura's Next Challenge12:00am - Project LMP1: Acura's Next Challenge

Friday March 20:

3:00am - Project LMP1: Acura's Next Challenge

Saturday March 21

9:00am - Project LMP1: Acura's Next Challenge10:00am-12:00noon: Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (live)2:00pm-11:00pm: Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (live)

EUROPEMotors TVSaturday March 21

2:30pm - ALMS Preview3:00pm-3:45am - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (live)

Tuesday March 24

9:00pm - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)

Wednesday March 25

10:00am - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)

UNITED KINGDOMMotors TVSaturday March 21

1:30pm - ALMS Preview2:00pm-2:45am - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (live)

Tuesday March 24

9:00pm - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)

Wednesday March 25

4:15am - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)10:00am - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)

Thursday March 26

2:00pm - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (highlights)