ACURA TO POWER 2 LE MANS TEAMS.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK MOTOR SPORTS

Andretti Green Racing and Fernandez Racing will enter the American Le Mans Series with Acura-powered cars in 2007, the two teams announced Thursday in Portland, Ore.

Honda Performance Development, based in Santa Clarita, will be designing and preparing the Acura engines for American Le Mans Series competition.

Andretti Green Racing plans on having three teams in the American Le Mans Series. Andretti Green and Fernandez Racing already have multicar teams that compete in the Indy Racing League. Every team in the IRL Indy Car Series uses Honda-powered cars.

Highcroft Racing Ltd. also announced it would enter American Le Mans Series competition with Acura engines.

Andretti Green and Highcroft Racing plan on using the Acura-Courage LC75. Fernandez Racing will use the Lola B07/40.

Andretti Green Racing said in a statement that it will announce its drivers at a later date.

``We're very excited to be expanding our operation and our relationship with Honda Performance Development by way of the Acura program,'' said Michael Andretti, part owner of Andretti Green Racing. ``We believe this will provide valuable depth and diversity to our racing operation and should help us continue to be successful for many more years.''

The Acura LMP2 entries will begin testing in August in preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, the first race of the American Le Mans Series.

Indy Racing League: Andretti Green Racing is 0-for-9 this season as the series heads to The Milwaukee Mile for Sunday's A.J. Foyt Indy 225.

For Valencia's Bryan Herta, a driver for Andretti Green, the Wisconsin track presents some challenges. He expects the track to be bumpy and the weather to be hot, but his team is confident it can turn things around and get Andretti Green its first win of the season.

``It's one of the most difficult and challenging circuits on our schedule,'' said Herta, a Hart High of Newhall graduate. ``It does always seem to be hot, that's for sure. I think it will be a difficult race, regardless of the heat.''

Herta's best finish at The Milwaukee Mile came in 2005 when he was sixth.

Herta is coming off an 11th-place finish at Nashville Speedway on July 15.

Marlboro Team Penske driver Sam Hornish Jr. leads the IRL Indy Car Series with 316 points.

Team Target driver Scott Dixon, winner of the Nashville Speedway race, is second in points, five behind Hornish.

Helio Castroneves, Hornish's teammate, is third in points, six out of first.

NASCAR Busch Series: No driver has been hotter than Ron Hornaday Jr. on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Over the past nine Truck Series races, Hornaday has moved from 18th in points to sixth. He also has two wins in that span.

He's hoping he can carry over some of that success into today's NASCAR Busch Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

The Truck Series is getting a well-deserved weekend off after races for nine-straight weeks.

But Hornaday won't get much of a break. He will be in the No. 33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Kevin Harvick Inc.

``Any extra seat time you can get at a track always helps,'' said Hornaday, a former Saugus Speedway champ from Palmdale. ``I've been fortunate to turn a lot of laps at Martinsville. I've drove the Truck there a bunch, and most recently for Kevin and DeLana (Harvick). I've had a lot of great runs there, and hopefully we can put it all together this weekend in the Outdoor Channel Chevrolet.''

Hornaday will be in KHI Busch Series car for the next three races. The last time he raced the Busch Series, he finished 16th at The Milwaukee Mile on June 24.

The next Truck Series race is Aug. 4 at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

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(1) NASCAR: BUSCH SERIES

(2) INDY RACING LEAGUE