David Brabham - Magic Man. Photo credit: Rick Dole

David Brabham – Magic Man of the ALMS

David Brabham is not a magician; it just seems like magic that has made him one the premier drivers on the international sports car scene, especially when he stalks the leader late in a race to make a stunning move for the victory.

Brabham is the only driver in history to win poles and races in LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2 in the American Le Mans Series. He is also the 2009 ALMS LMP1 champion with Patrón Highcroft Racing and co-driver Scott Sharp. You must then add his 2009 win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot. Oh yes, last month, he teamed with Highcroft’s Simon Pagenaud to win the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Brabham’s racing skills come as no surprise. He hails from a legendary racing family. His father, Sir Jack Brabham was the first Australian F1 World Champion (1959, 1960, 1966) and ironically, winner of the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1969. David’s brother Geoff was also a Le Mans winner with Peugeot.

An environmental leader, Brabham wrote a now historic letter to American Le Mans Series President Scott Atherton that helped lead to the ALMS becoming America’s first series to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy and EPA.

“Brabs is so many things wrapped into one perfectly balanced package,” said Marshall Pruett, auto racing editor at SPEEDTV.com. “He sports the best traits from nature – he’s incredibly efficient in his driving and in how he leads his life; there’s no waste or excessive displays. He possesses incredible vision – that ten-thousand-foot perspective on his team, the car, the race, and how all the pieces need to fit together to succeed.”

“Tucked away behind the ever-present smile and peaceful exterior lies the instincts of a big cat with incredibly sharp teeth,” said Pruett. “Brabs likes to hunt – Astons, Audis, Porsches, Mazdas, and anything else he can bring down. And like a big cat, once he’s had his feast and the job is done, it’s back to a state of calm and contentment. There’s no one like him in the sport.”

After Laguna Seca, Duncan Dayton’s Patrón Highcroft Racing and Brabham will head to Le Mans for a shot at the LMP2 class win. Winning both prototype classes at Le Mans in back to- back years with different teams, manufacturers and co-drivers, now that would be magical.