Audi celebrates Le Mans victories with its
employees in Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt
News from Audi Motorsport
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Demo drives by Mike Rockenfeller at
the plants
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Autograph sessions of the Audi
drivers |
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Additional appearances in Goodwood
and at the Norisring |
INGOLSTADT/NECKARSULM
(June 18, 2010) — Audi will celebrate its record victory at the Le Mans
24 Hours, which saw the highest speed in the history of the endurance
classic that has been held since 1923, with its employees at the Neckarsulm
and Ingolstadt locations.
On Monday (June 21) the victorious Le Mans squad will visit the Neckarsulm
plant where the more than 440-kW V10 TDI engine of the LMP1 sports car is
being built. Mike Rockenfeller, at the age of 26 the youngest Audi driver
who celebrated a victory at Le Mans, will pilot the Audi R15 TDI designated
as car number "9" across the plant’s premises. Afterwards, from 2 to 3 p.m.,
Rockenfeller and his driver colleagues Timo Bernhard, Dindo Capello, Romain
Dumas, Marcel Fässler, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish will sign autographs
in public in front of the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm for one hour.
In the afternoon the winning squad will travel to Ingolstadt, the
headquarters of Audi and Audi Sport. There, Mike Rockenfeller will do a lap
around the plant premises as well before the Le Mans winning #9 Audi R15 TDI
and the other two Le Mans vehicles - cars #7 and #8 - will be showcased for
public viewing at the Piazza in front of the Audi museum mobile. From
approx. 10:15 a.m. the successful Audi drivers will be giving interviews and
signing autographs. In Ingolstadt, Benoît Treluyer will be present as well.
André Lotterer cannot attend on either of the two days due to a racing
commitment in Malaysia.
At the Festival of Speed in Goodwood (United
Kingdom) from July 2 to 4 and at the DTM race at the Norisring on the same
weekend the Audi R15 TDI can be seen in action as well. Le Mans record
winner Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish will take "their" R15 TDI along to
Goodwood. Prior to the start of the DTM race at the Norisring the original
winning car of the Le Mans 24 Hours will do some demo laps on the
2.3-kilometer city street circuit along the Dutzendteich Lake. The
victorious Le Mans driver squad Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller
will be at the Norisring too and sign autographs.
Neckarsulm, Ingolstadt, Goodwood and Nuremberg are just four of numerous
venues at which the Le Mans winners will be in action. Ever since they
crossed the finish line, the phones in Ingolstadt and those of the three Le
Mans winners have not stopped ringing. PR commitments and requests are
continually increasing. Romain Dumas, for example, will join the crew of
Jochen Schümann’s yacht from the Audi A1 team as the "13th hand" to sail a
regatta on the final day of the Audi MedCup in Marseille.
Mike Rockenfeller was appropriately received at his home in Altnau on Lake
Constance on Monday night: his driver colleague and friend Lucas Luhr had
arranged a spontaneous party for the brand new Le Mans winner.
Audi achieves record victory at Le Mans
with new technology
News from Audi Motorsport
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First Le Mans exploit with Variable
Turbine Geometry (VTG)
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New distance record thanks to
efficiency and reliability |
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Audi R15 TDI cars in top three places
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INGOLSTADT/LE
MANS (June 13, 2010) - For the ninth time Audi has won the legendary 24
Hours of Le Mans and thus equalized Ferrari’s position in the roll of honor
in the French endurance classic. Only Porsche’s track record reflects more
victories.
At the 78th edition of the race, efficiency and reliability were the
decisive factors yet again - both are special fortes of the Audi brand which
has a reputation of developing highly efficient automobiles. The three Audi
R15 TDI cars of Audi Sport Team Joest ran without the slightest technical
problems over the entire distance and occupied the top three places after
the fastest Le Mans race of all time. After 2000, 2002 and 2004, Audi thus
managed to achieve a one-two-three triumph at Le Mans for the fourth time.
"Everyone at Audi can be proud of this historic exploit. Reliability,
efficiency and sustainability are particularly important topics for car
manufacturers today. And these are exactly the areas in which we have
demonstrated our expertise this weekend," commented Audi Chairman Rupert
Stadler, who witnessed the captivating race live on location. "It was one of
the most thrilling races in Le Mans history, a do-or-die battle. This
one-two-three victory is the fourth 1-2-3 for Audi at Le Mans and no doubt
the most valuable victory claimed after the fiercest battle in our company’s
history. I express my thanks and great respect to the entire squad. They
have performed an incredible and flawless feat of energy. Peugeot was a
formidable rival who required us to give everything. We express our respect
to the French squad for this."
"After taking third place last year, it
was our declared aim to bring the Le Mans trophy back to Ingolstadt and
Neckarsulm, and we managed to do this in an impressive way," said Head of
Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "I’m incredibly proud of this squad
and sincerely thank the entire team and everyone who has contributed to this
achievement."
The ninth triumph - in total - of the brand at Le Mans was also made
possible by a technology which Audi Sport developed for racing during the
past three years in strict secrecy: the V10 TDI engine of the Audi R15 TDI
with an approximate power output of 440 kW has a turbo-charger with Variable
Turbine Geometry (VTG).
VTG turbo-chargers are standard with Audi TDI engines in production
vehicles. Their use at Le Mans helps the Audi engineers to continue to
develop the technology for smaller, highly efficient turbo engines to be
used in the future. "At Le Mans we’re dealing with temperatures above 1,000
degrees centigrade which have not been encountered with production engines
so far," explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport.
"As a result of downsizing, production development will enter into similar
temperature ranges. This makes VTG another good example of how the
technology transfer between motorsport and the production side of the house
works at Audi."
In 2010 the demands made on diesel engines were particularly high due to the
restrictions imposed by the regulations. "Squeezing higher output out of the
engines without sacrificing reliability posed a great challenge which our
team mastered in an outstanding manner," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich after the race. "We did not use the full potential of the
V10 TDI engine this year in order to be absolutely on the safe side. That’s
why it was clear to us even before the race that we wouldn’t have the
fastest car - but a very reliable and efficient one. The development
objective of the R15 plus was 20 percent higher efficiency. We managed to
achieve this. We’ve been working very hard for this exploit over the past
few months. This makes this success, which was enabled by a perfect team
performance as well, even more rewarding."
The
victorious Audi R15 TDI with Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France)
and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) completed a total of 397 laps in the 24
hours. With the covered distance of 5,410 kilometers, the trio broke the
1971 record set by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep in the Porsche 917
that was considered unbeatable because the Hunaudières straight at that time
had no chicanes - another demonstration of the performance capabilities of
Audi TDI technology.
Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller drove an absolutely
flawless race on their way to their first Le Mans victory and the new
historic record. Except for a slow puncture shortly before the end of the
race and a right-hand mirror that had come off, the race went without the
slightest problems for the winners. Second place was taken by Marcel
Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Treluyer on whose R15 TDI the front
bodywork had to be changed twice after contact with the track barriers.
The 2008 winners, Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who were
the best-placed Audi team in the early phase, were struck by major
misfortune. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen had to evade a slow GT2
vehicle on Saturday night and slid backwards against the track barrier of
the Porsche corners in the process. With fast lap times, Capello, Kristensen
and McNish pushed back into the group of the front runners and in the end
were rewarded with a podium result.
Spirit of Le Mans Shines through
Drayson Racing Perseverance
News from Drayson Racing
LE
MANS, France (June 13, 2010) - To those who know Le Mans, they know the
intangible "Spirit of Le Mans" that permeates the event. A special drive to
succeed, to overcome any obstacle in pursuit of finishing the 24 hours.
Drayson Racing personified "The Spirit of Le Mans" at this weekend's 24
Heures du Mans. Despite a myriad of obstacles put in front of them, the team
behind the No. 11 Drayson Racing Lola Coupé with Judd Power never wavered in
its commitment to see the chequered flag at the conclusion of the 12-13 June
classic. It was a determination rewarded by finishing as the sixth highest
Le Mans Prototype One (LM P1) with the trio of drivers: Paul Drayson (London
and Gloucestershire, UK), Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) and Emanuele
Pirro (Rome).
From
the start the team seemed to be challenged at every turn. Wednesday's first
qualifying session ended with a precautionary engine change. Forced to use
its race engine in all the remaining sessions, the engine swap would limit
the laps available for practice and qualifying and everything that followed.
The change meant that the team had only 20 laps to find the setup and
qualify without jeopardising the life of the Judd V10 powerplant. Despite
that, Jonny Cocker was still able to run a qualifying lap quick enough for
14th on the 55-car grid. In a race that would see much attrition, the No. 11
faced its own adversity but, unlike others, was able to overcome multiple,
often intertwined, issues to better all but five cars in its class.
Within the first 30 minutes of the world's most famous endurance race, it
was as if the next 24 hours was charted as the initial chronic problem, a
degenerating vibration, began to show its head. The Dale White (Bozeman, MT,
USA) managed organisation was able to continuously put the issues behind
them; fighting throughout the day and night, the American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) regulars were able to overcome 17 separate issues over the course of
the famous 24 hour race. With its longest stop nearly three hours, the
Drayson crew, tired from two weeks of preparation and travel from the ALMS
event in Monterey, California never waivered. They held true to the "Spirit
of Le Mans" and showed their true passion for this event, overcoming the
seemingly relentless adversity at every turn.
Working closely with technical
partners Michelin Tyres, Lola Cars and Judd Engines, the Drayson Racing team
was able to better its career performance of the Lola closed-cockpit B06/09
today. They also bettered their 2009 debut at Le Mans in the GT2 class by
reaching the full 24 hour race distance. Their rookie year ended with the
car stopped at the Mulsanne Corner with just two hours remaining. This year,
Paul Drayson, who also started the event and took part in the ceremonial "Le
Mans Running Start", was able to see the chequered flag fly over his
prototype; his team cheering from the pit wall.
Jaguar Marks Its 75th Anniversary with
Return to Le Mans
News from RSR
LA
SARTHE, France (June 3, 2010) - Jaguar returns to the starting grid at
Le Mans on June 12, as the stunning XKR GT2 sports car lines up alongside
the world's leading endurance racers for the classic 24-hour event. As
Jaguar celebrates its 75th anniversary of building and racing cars, it is
fitting that the British marque returns to competition at the circuit where
it earned seven race wins between 1951 and 1990.
Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars said, "Motorsport has
always been important to Jaguar. Our domination of Le Mans in the 1950s was
a foundation stone in our history and our success in the late '80s and early
'90s reinforced our reputation as one of the great sports car manufacturers.
"As we look to the future with our new range of high performance 'R'-branded
cars - the XKR and XFR - we aim to make the Jaguar brand synonymous with
motorsports once again. It's good to be back"
XKR GT2 Racer Shares Road Car Technology
The XKR GT2 racer competing at Le Mans is being run by JaguarRSR, and shares
many of the basic components and technologies with the road-going XKR.
Jointly developed by Jaguar's engineering and design groups and the RSR
team, the racer features the road car's lightweight aluminium body structure
and a tuned version of its 5.0-litre supercharged AJ133 V8 engine developing
in excess of 500 horsepower.
Drivers Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and Paul Gentilozzi will be piloting the
car during the punishing 24-hour race, having gained initial experience with
the vehicle during the American Le Mans Series events earlier during 2010.
Belgian driver Goossens is vastly experienced in sportscar racing, and has
competed at Le Mans on nine previous occasions.
"As a sportscar driver, the Le Mans 24 Hour race provides the greatest
challenge, so competing in the American Le Mans Series events has provided
valuable training," he commented. "It is a great honour to be selected as
one of the drivers for Jaguar's return to Le Mans."
Teammate Dalziel, born in Scotland, brings extensive experience in
single-seaters and sportscars, but is racing at Le Mans for the first time.
"It has always been my dream to compete at Le Mans, and, as a British
driver, to be at the wheel of a Jaguar makes it even more special,"
explained Dalziel. "It will be without doubt the highlight of my racing
career."
The trio of drivers is completed by the American Paul Gentilozzi, one of the
principal partners of the JaguarRSR team, who is making his third appearance
at Le Mans in the GT2 class.
"It is great to return to Le Mans after 15 years, and I look forward to the
chance to drive there again," said Gentilozzi. "The track is like no other
in the world. It is a challenge to every driver, but I know I have
exceptionally talented team-mates, and we will do the best we can out there
in the XKR GT2 with race number 81!"
Jaguar Heritage at Le Mans
The names of Jaguar and Le Mans are inextricably linked. With a total of
seven wins between 1951 and 1990, the marque is the single most successful
British car maker in the history of the race.
During the 1950s, Jaguar's founder Sir William Lyons sought to prove his
cars were as fast and as strong as far more expensive rivals, with legends
such as Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn behind the wheel of the iconic
C-type and D-type racers.
In 1951, the C-type won Le Mans at its first attempt, with a further victory
in 1953. Its successor the D-type took Le Mans wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957.
Technical innovations such as the C-type's disc brakes made their debut on
Jaguars at Le Mans, and were rapidly adopted by car makers the world over.
After a two-decade absence, Jaguar returned to France with a works team in
the late 1980s and once again took race wins in 1988, with the V12-powered
XJR-9LM Group C car, and in 1990, with the XJR-12, featuring drivers
including Johnny Dumfries and Martin Brundle. Such was the success of the
XJR racers, that Jaguar was crowned World Sports Car Champions three times
in five seasons.
JaguarRSR confirms driver line-up for Le
Mans 24 Hours
News from RSR
EAST
LANSING, Michigan (May 26, 2010) - Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens and Paul
Gentilozzi are the confirmed driver line-up for JaguarRSR at the 24 Hours of
Le Mans. 2010 marks Jaguar's return to the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours for the
first time in 15 years.
Racing an XKR run by JaguarRSR in the GT2 class is Scottish-born Ryan
Dalziel, who has never experienced the Le Mans track. "It has always been my
dream to drive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a British driver, to be at the
wheel of a Jaguar, being that it's such a prestigious British brand makes it
even more special," commented the 28-year-old. He added, "It will be without
doubt the highlight of my racing career to date and I know that the team
will represent Jaguar and all its fans around the world with pride."
The vastly experienced sportscar driver Goossens is a Belgian native and
returns to the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race after his last run there in
2008. He has nine starts under his belt at Le Mans. Goossens stated, "As a
sportscar driver, the biggest challenge is the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we
have been training for it by competing in the American Le Mans Series.
"Everyone at JaguarRSR is working really hard and we have one goal; to put
on the best show possible for all the Jaguar enthusiasts."
Doubling up as JaguarRSR Principal Partner and driver, Paul Gentilozzi will
make his third appearance at Le Mans in the GT2 class.
"It is great to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has been 15 years
since my last race." said Gentilozzi. "I look forward to the chance to drive
there again and for Jaguar. The track is like no other in the world. It is a
challenge to every driver, but I welcome that and I know I have
exceptionally talented team-mates. We will do the best we can out there in
the #81 JaguarRSR XKR GT2."
The 24 Hours of Le Mans begins at 15.00 h CET on Saturday 12th June. Follow
the English-language broadcast on Radio Le Mans www.radiolemans.com. Live
timing and scoring at www.lemans.org
Highcroft Locks In Three-Time Le Mans
Winner Werner for 24 Hour Assault
Photos
© 2010 Patron Highcroft Racing
DANBURY,
CT (March 25, 2010) -- Highcroft Racing has finalized its driver line-up
for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with three-time race winner Marco
Werner joining Marino Franchitti and last year's victor David Brabham.
The reigning American Le Mans Series LMP1 champions will campaign the Honda
Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis for its Le Mans debut
in the LMP2 class.
With three Le Mans victories in a row in 2005, 06 and 07, three Sebring
wins, a 24 Hour of Daytona title and an American Le Mans Series LMP1
driver's title to his credit, selecting Werner to fill the available
third-driver role was an easy decision for Highcroft boss, Duncan Dayton.
Following Highcroft's second place in LMP2 in Saturday's Twelve Hours of
Sebring, the Danbury, CT-based squad stayed on at the historic Florida venue
for two days of testing on Monday and Tuesday - taking advantage of the
opportunity to provide Werner with some valuable seat-time alongside his new
teammates.
"Compared to the Audi, this is going to be a completely different world for
me so I am really looking forward to driving the car at Le Mans," Werner
said.
"I know the car in Sebring as an
LMP2 was very competitive and it is much lighter than the Audi. I'm looking
forward to having a much more agile car to drive.
"It will be very different at Le Mans. We know that LMP2 and LMP1 are in a
different world, but at circuits like Sebring there isn't that much
difference."
Highcroft Racing will be the sole American team contesting the LMP2 class at
this year's French endurance classic. While team-owner Dayton has contested
the race as a driver in the past, this year's Le Mans will not only be the
team's 24 Hour debut, but also its first overseas race.
"I'm very proud to be joining the team for Le Mans as I think we have a
great chance to win the LMP2 class," Werner said.
"Highcroft is a real high-level team and we have a great driver line-up with
David and Marino
"You obviously need a complete package for Le Mans and you need a little bit
of luck but I think we will be the team to beat.
"The diesel is a very heavy car and it is sometimes difficult to drive over
the bumps. This car is very nimble and brings back some memories - the car
almost has a Formula 3 feel to it. You can brake so much later into the
corners than what you could in the Audi. It's a very different driving style
which takes a bit of getting used to.
"Coming to Highcroft will be a new environment for me. I'm enjoying working
with the guys and having competed against them before; I know they are very
tough opponents.
"At Le Mans it is imperative to have every aspect of your package at the
highest level. I think we have everything in place - from the Michelin
tires, the crew, the chassis, the engine, the drivers - I don't see on the
list any other team where they have everything in place."
With
Highcroft Racing's resident Frenchman Simon Pagenaud competing for the
Peugeot factory team in LMP1 at Le Mans this year, Highcroft sought
additional endurance experience for its Le Mans debut.
Not only do they now have four overall race wins in the history books, the
Highcroft driver line-up also has a pair of GT1 victories in Brabham's name.
In fact, the Australian ace will be aiming for his fourth consecutive class
win after winning GT1 for Aston Martin in 2007 and 2008 and the LMP1
division and overall title for Peugeot last year.
"It has been fun to see that hot pink helmet of Marco's in a green car. With
our team going to Le Mans for the first time this year we have quite a bit
to learn," Highcroft Racing, President, Duncan Dayton said.
"Obviously we will rely a lot on David's expertise and experience but when
it came to completing our driver line-up it was important for us to find
somebody who had great experience and knew how to win there.
"Marco knows the rhythm of the race and the weekend and clearly when he
became available, there was certainly nobody else we could grab to help us
quickly learn how to win there.
"Now that he is in an LMP2 car, he's probably never gone so slow down the
straight but so fast through the corners over the past ten years. It is a
totally different driving style that he has to get used to in this car but
he did a great job in the test.
"He is a consummate professional and has been very consistent with his
times. Driving this car does give your neck a bit of a beating but by the
time we get to France he will be ready to go.
"I'm very excited about our entire line-up of David, Marino and Marco and I
believe we have a very strong package for our debut at Le Mans."
Drayson Racing Privileged with Second
Invitation to Le Mans
News from Drayson Racing
Photos
© Drayson Racing
LE
MANS, FRANCE (4 February 2010) - Drayson Racing is privileged today to
earn its second consecutive invitation to participate in the 24 Hours of Le
Mans. The Automobile Club De l'Ouest (ACO), official sanctioning body of the
24 Heures du Mans, has named Drayson Racing as one of 21 Le Mans Prototype
One (LM P1) entries to its field. 84 total entries were received across the
four classes to fill the 55 position starting grid for the 78th running of
the classic sports car race. The 12-13 June event will also mark the second
time for drivers Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker
(Guisborough, Yorks, UK) to campaign a car on the 13.629 Km/8.468 mile-long
Circuit de la Sarthe for Drayson Racing. The duo will share a Lola B09-60
Coupé with Judd V10 power on Michelin tyres with a third driver to be
announced at a later date. "The ACO announcement is great news,” said
owner/driver Paul Drayson. “In my head I've imagined what it's going to be
like racing down the Mulsanne at night - and probably in the wet - at top
speed in an LM P1 and now I'm going to be doing it for real; totally,
totally incredible. Brilliant news!"
The United Kingdom-based team
premiered at the world's most famous endurance race competing in the LM GT2
class for production-based cars in 2009. The programme ran competitively
within the top 10 of class during the race. Despite a mid-race alternator
failure, they rallied to make it within two hours of the chequered flag when
a second electrical malfunction brought the team's day to a close. For the
final three race weekends of the season, the Dale White (Bozeman, MT,
USA)-managed operation changed to the purpose-built prototype class with a
Lola closed-cockpit chassis and 650 horsepower Judd engine. Drayson and
Cocker culminated the change by earning one pole position and setting two
fastest race laps on the way to winning the Michelin ® Green X Challenge ®
in the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series championship.
While still a young effort, Drayson Racing is not without its Le Mans wins.
Team Manager White is a two-time winner at La Sarthe having managed GT teams
to victory in 2003 and 2004. The American brings that experience to the
privately owned LM P1 programme for a second season. "It's a dream come true
to receive an invitation to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P1
class,” said White. “We're a small team but we have assembled what we think
is the best crew and car package for a privateer to challenge for the
overall win at Le Mans against the top factory and privateer teams in the
world. It will be a massive test but one we are approaching with a level
head and high expectations. We are going to do everything we can to be the
'David' to their 'Goliath'."
Drayson Racing will open its 2010 season at the 12 Hours of Sebring on 20
March. It will campaign the full American Le Mans Series season with races
in Long Beach, Calif. (17 April) and Monterey, Calif. (22 May) prior to the
annual twice-around-the-clock event in France. Events in Utah (10 July),
Connecticut (24 July), Ohio (7 August), Wisconsin (22 August) and Canada (29
August) will precede a homecoming for the first Intercontinental Cup race at
the Silverstone Circuit in England on 12 September. A 2 October return to
North America for the 10 hour/1000 mile Petit Le Mans in Atlanta marks the
second Intercontinental Cup event. The season, and the Intercontinental Cup,
will conclude for Drayson Racing with races in the Asian Le Mans Series in
late October/early November in Japan and/or China. The Intercontinental Cup
is the highly anticipated precursor to a full, ACO-sanctioned world
championship in the coming years.
Heavy Series Flavor in First List of 2010
Le Mans Invitations
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON,
Georgia (November 21, 2009) — Five teams and six entries from the
American Le Mans Series are among the first 29 teams offered official
invitations to next year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As has been
the case for the last 11 seasons, all championship-winning entrants in each
American Le Mans Series class receive invitations to compete the following
year in the world’s greatest auto race along with class winners at the
annual Petit Le Mans.
Risi Competizione’s two entries and the first invitation for reigning LMP1
champion Patrón Highcroft Racing lead the Series’ contingent. Not only did
the trio of Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo give Risi its second
straight GT2 crown at Le Mans this year, but the trio also drove the Risi
Ferrari F430 GT to a second consecutive class win at Petit Le Mans in
September.
Flying Lizard Motorsports appears on its way to a sixth straight appearance
at Le Mans with its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The team won its second consecutive
Series GT2 championship this year with six victories for Porsche works
drivers Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister.
Both
Patrón Highcroft and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing – LMP2 – also received entries
for their championship performances. Patrón Highcroft owner Duncan Dayton
has made no secret of his ambitions to take his team to Le Mans in the past.
Corvette Racing also received an invitation for winning the GT1 class in
2009. With the team’s move to GT2, however, it is likely that it will
decline the automatic entry.
Since 1999, American Le Mans
Series teams have been driving forces at Le Mans with eight overall
championship and 25 class championships.
JOHNNY O - SAFETY FIRST: Corvette Racing’s Johnny O’Connell says the
crew at Pratt & Miller have been hard at work restoring and rebuilding the
Corvette C6.R that was heavily damaged in the epic last-lap duel between
teammate Jan Magnussen and Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Jörg Bergmeister in
the Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by Patrón.
The Corvette and Porsche banged side-to-side coming out of the final turn in
a frantic GT2 battle. As they beat on each other toward the finish,
Magnussen went around hard into the outside wall just before the
start-finish line.
“Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of Corvette Racing is the close
association we have with the production side, and the relationship between
the two,” O’Connell wrote on his personal blog. “Included in that is the
importance both place on safety. Jan’s wreck was huge. He’s still not back
to 100 percent but is getting close. That said, many aspects of the crash
have been analyzed and changes made to the car to better protect us in the
future. Just like was done when Dale Jr. had his crash and fire (at Infineon
in 2004); things have been changed and improved. So as we move to the future
all of us drivers will be confident in the safety or our car and know that
everything has been looked at many times by the best in the industry.”
BUILDING
INTERSPORT'S LADDER: The addition of a Le Mans Prototype Challenge entry
for the 2010 American Le Mans Series season has kept things busy at
Intersport Racing. Mitch Pagerey will drive the team’s ORECA FLM09 prototype
next season alongside the team’s Lola B06/10-AER for LMP1, driven by the
father-son duo of Clint Field.
Rounding out the 2009 season with a third-place championship finish in LMP1
and celebrating its 100th Series start in the season finale at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca seemed to not only be an accomplishment but also an inspiration
for the offseason to make the future of the team bigger and brighter.
“We were pretty surprised when we found out we were entering our 100th race
in Monterey,” said Intersport’s Team Manager Brian Alder. “It was exciting
to talk about it throughout the week since it was definitely a nice way to
end the season.”
Intersport is charging full speed into 2010. Along with its LMP1 and LMPC
efforts, the team will continue in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lights
Championship with an Elan DP02 as part of IMSA’s prototype development
series. Intersport, the 2005 LMP2 champion, will become the first team to
field entries in all three rungs of the prototype development ladder within
IMSA.
“We are excited about the tiers of the ladder system within our team,” Alder
said.
The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s
greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented
by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35
a.m. ET on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED.
The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February
22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway.
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24 Hours of Le Mans
Marino
Franchitti and Highcroft Racing Complete First Le Mans 24 Hours
By
Kay Wilson
LA
SARTHE, France (June 13, 2010) — Expectation was high as Marino
Franchitti, his two co-drivers, David Brabham and Marco Werner, together
with the entire Highcroft Racing team arrived at the famed 24 hour circuit
in Le Mans nestled in the Sarthe region of France. Both David and Marco each
had three Le Mans wins to their credit, albeit two of David’s were in
categories other than his overall win in an LMP1 last year, and Marino was
about to take full advantage of all their experience and hard fought success
to settle himself into the event. Qualifying on Wednesday and Thursday went
well, the team having secured 2nd place in LMP2 next to the HPD ARX-01c
chassis of Strakka Racing who had put their team on the LMP2 category pole.
David Brabham took the wheel of the Highcroft Racing Honda Performance
Development factory backed ARX-01c for the start of the 78th running of this
historic event which is also renowned as the biggest motor racing challenge
for any man or machine taking part in it. As the hours passed by the
driver’s cycled through their rotations steadily and consistently holding on
to their second placing.
In total the team suffered three
punctures all resulting from the debris strewn track, one of the punctures
befell Marino after approximately ten hours of running and just after the
start of a new lap as he arrived at the Dunlop Bridge. This required Marino
to use all his skill in bringing the car back to the pits at just 60kph for
the remainder of the 8.5 mile lap in order not to cause any unnecessary
damage to the car.
The solid performance of all three drivers continued right through the night
and at one point the team actually led their class when pit stop rotations
were taken by the Strakka Racing team.
It was 9.00am when David Brabham completed his dawn stint today handing the
car over once again to Marino for his next set of multiple stints. No sooner
had Marino begun to make strong inroads into the Strakka lead than he was
forced to pit by the
HPD engineers who wanted to investigate a cooling issue which had arisen in
the Malaria No More liveried Highcroft car. It took five lengthy pit stops
to try to resolve the problem which eventually robbed the Highcroft team of
their Le Mans podium.
However, the car was repaired sufficiently for Marino to get back into it
and complete the final 2.5 laps giving the Highcroft team their first Le
Mans race finish.
“Disappointment is the over-riding feeling after such a programme and having
spent so long in its preparation,” said Marino after the race, “But I am
very proud of the job the whole Highcroft team did at their first Le Mans,
and I am very proud of the job
David and Marco did also. Everything about the team, and everything within
their control, was first-class, and we are not going to let such a
disappointment get us down, we will turn that into a positive for the
future. Congratulations to the Strakka team; they did a fantastic job. I
know Highcroft will be back, they were at such a high level already and next
time they will be at a different level again.”
Marino returns to the US with the Highcroft team in just three weeks time
when the team contest the second half of the ALMS season which begins in
Salt Lake City on Saturday, 10th July.
OAK Racing
complete Le Mans podium hat-trick
News from OAK Racing
LA
SARTHE, France (June 14, 2010) —OAK Racing Team Mazda France continued
their incredible run of form at the Le Mans 24 Hours in recent years with a
third consecutive podium finish.
The #35 Pescarolo-Judd driven by Matthieu Lahaye, Guillaume Moreau and Jan
Charouz produced a typically professional performance to run quickly and
consistently throughout the twice-round-the-clock endurance race on their
way to second position in LMP2 and seventh overall.
Meanwhile, the team’s #24 entry of Jacques Nicolet, Richard Hein and
Jean-Francois Yvon came home fourth in class, one place shy of their own
podium finish from 2009. overall 9th
Moreau was quickly into his stride after Saturday’s 3pm start and had moved
up to fourth by the end of his stint. There the car stayed as both Lahaye
and Charouz completed stints of their own until passing Quifel ASM’s Zytek
in the darkness. And when the pre-race class favourite Highcroft HPD machine
hit trouble, the crew were primed to pounce, taking a second position they
would maintain to the flag.
While the #35 car enjoyed a relatively straight-forward race, the same
couldn’t be said of the #24. Running 7th just after midnight, Hein was
squeezed by two faster LMP1 cars and forced into an accident with the
stationary Matech Ford GT.
Both machines suffered significant damage with the Pescarolo losing much of
its front left side. But just half-an-hour after limping back to the pits,
the Monegasque returned to action, OAK Racing’s mechanics having effected an
incredible rebuild.
Throughout the night the car continued to run like clockwork, picking off
those that fell by the wayside to seal fourth in class and an overall top
ten finish.
Francois Sicard, Team Manager: “A third consecutive podium for the team is
incredible, especially as it’s so difficult to even finish at Le Mans. I’m
also proud of the job done by the team and drivers because we got both
entries inside the top ten overall. The car was very quick and reliable but
we knew from the outset that it would be impossible to fight against the
HPDs because of their straight-line speed, so we decided to focus on our own
race. I asked the drivers to look after the car and thanks to the Pescarolo
and Judd’s reliability, combined with our Dunlop tyres’ durability and
consistency, we managed a great result.
“Now we’ll look forward to the rest of the Le Mans Series where we’ve
already scored two podiums, but I’m hopeful of taking the next step. I think
our car will suit Portimao so let’s wait and see. We’ve succeeded at Le Mans
so I see no reason why we can’t in Portugal or Hungary.”
Matthieu Lahaye: “It’s fantastic for the team which has scored podiums here
every year since 2008. OAK Racing has become the team of choice for drivers
wanting to finish on the Le Mans podium! We had no reliability issues with
either car and both finished in the overall top ten. In the Le Mans Series
one car is second and the other fourth in the championship which proves
there’s a great team effort and spirit. I’m delighted to have been a part of
that since the beginning and hopefully it will continue.”
Guillaume Moreau: “I rejoined OAK Racing this year and have completed two Le
Mans Series races, scoring two podiums. Now, in my third, we finished on the
Le Mans podium. We started the race with our confidence high whilst
remaining cautious and realistic. Jan, who was quick and reliable, helped us
put the HPDs under pressure. I’m delighted to finish second and sure it’s a
good sign for the rest of the season. The team were great, especially when
Richard had his accident. They repaired the car so quickly, proving we are
as competitive in the garage as on the track.”
Jan Charouz: “I’m really happy to be back at Le Mans after focusing on
single seaters this year. Luckily I haven’t forgotten how to drive a
prototype! I’m also pleased that after four years of trying I’ve finally
finished on the podium. It was great to drive in LMP2 for OAK Racing. The
team did a great job, the car was amazing and although we were losing out a
bit on the straights, we gained more in the corners. Everyone was very
professional and it was a pleasure to be a part of the team.”
Jacques Nicolet: “As a driver I’m very happy with how the race went and had
a great time. I completed a quadruple stint last night which was fantastic,
as was the car. The accident revealed what a great bunch of mechanics we’ve
got though. The crews from both cars got together to repair damage in 36
minutes which is similar to a manufacturer team. I’m also very proud as a
team owner that with Francois Sicard we were able to put together an
operation like this. To have two LMP2s in the top ten is an exceptional
result. 2010 has been great so far and it’s not finished yet. I’m thinking
of Le Mans 2011 with even more enthusiasm now. I’m also proud to represent
Pescarolo and hope that Henri’s fans are happy with the result.”
Richard Hein: “It’s fantastic for the kids in #35! They deserve it and I’m
very proud of them. This proves that when you mix youth with experience it
works well! It was going well until I ran out of luck at 3am when two Audis
overtook me. There was a Ford GT stationary on the racing line with no
lights on and no yellow flags out so the first I knew of it was when the
cars in front darted left and right. It was a big impact – maybe 192km/h –
but the team did a great job.”
Jean-Francois Yvon: “I’m very happy for the team and it’s a magnificent
result to get two cars in the top nine overall. The car was exceptional but
we had to work hard to maintain the level of performance. A big thanks to
the entire team for preparing such a fantastic car. I hope they will have me
back again next year as I think myself, Jacques and Richard form a fantastic
partnership together.”
Last gasp
heartbreak for Hancock at Le Mans
News from Sam Hancock Racing
LA
SARTHE, France (June 13, 2010) — Aston Martin Racing factory driver Sam
Hancock endured a heartbreaking exit to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours after
retiring from the petrol-powered lead and fourth overall with less than an
hour remaining.
The #009 LMP1 coupe had belied the world famous twice-round-the-clock
endurance race’s mantle as motorsport’s greatest test of man and machine
with a sublime, trouble-free run for over 23 hours.
But luck can be a fickle master at La Sarthe. Having all-but completed his
final triple stint and with team mate Darren Turner waiting in the pits to
reel off the race’s final 50 minutes, the Aston Martin slowed dramatically
with smoke coming from the rear.
The problem terminal, Sam was left with little choice but to park the car at
Arnage corner and leave with it any hopes of a first Le Mans 24 Hours finish
for another season.
Despite his desperate misfortune, Hancock along with team mates Turner and
Juan Barazi enjoyed a fantastic drive for much of the race. Starting ninth,
the car maintained a quick and consistent pace that helped promote it one
position to eighth as darkness fell on Saturday night.
There the crew stayed until Sunday morning when, following a faultless
night-time display, they took the petrol-powered lead after a gearbox
bearing failed on the sister #007 prototype.
And when unreliability also struck three of the leading diesel contenders,
Hancock found himself an incredible fourth overall with a comfortable
advantage over his pursuers, before retiring late in the day.
Sam Hancock: “Obviously it’s gutting to come so close to the best result of
my Le Mans career and have it snatched away at the death. The car had been
fantastic up to that point and we were able to lap very consistently
throughout the race. But I’m not going to dwell on it too much. The whole
team has worked fantastically well this week so it’s as much of a shame for
them as me. I’d like to thank my team mates, the 009 crew and everyone at
Aston Martin Racing for welcoming me into the team. Despite the result, it’s
been a huge privilege to drive for them this week and an opportunity I will
cherish. I’ll have another crack in the LMP1 car at Silverstone later this
year so at least there’s a chance to make up for this disappointment.
“Although we never had a realistic chance of beating the diesels in a
straight fight, just like last season our reliability initially allowed us
to profit from their demise. We were on target to equal Aston Martin
Racing’s result from 2009 and winning the petrol class again would have been
a great achievement. But it wasn’t to be this time round.”
Silverstone’s 1000km classic on September 12 marks the final round of this
season’s Le Mans Series and opening race of the Intercontinental Cup.
Flying Lizard
Announces 2010 Le Mans Program
Bergmeister, Law
and Neiman to Return in the No. 80
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
Photos
© FLM
SONOMA,
California (May 3, 2010) –– Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today
the details of their sixth 24 Heures du Mans program. Drivers Jörg
Bergmeister (Germany), Darren Law (USA), and Seth Neiman (USA) will return
in the No. 80 Porsche GT3 RSR for the 24-hour endurance classic, June 12-13
at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The No. 80 will be sponsored
by ShoreTel and Openwave, both sponsors of the team's 2010 ALMS season.
Flying Lizard has competed in GT2 in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through
2009, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, and sixth in 2008. "Le Mans
is such a great and unpredictable race," said Flying Lizard principal and
No. 80 driver Seth Neiman. "We are honored to have the opportunity to
participate again in 2010. We've run the gamut of experiences here; each
year we learn more about how to compete in this incredible event."
Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam
added, "This will be the second year that Jörg, Darren and Seth have driven
together at Le Mans. Last year Jörg qualified on the pole; we had a fast car
and a strong showing until the hour 15 crash. This year, we expect an even
tougher GT2 field with both Corvette and BMW now in the mix. We are coming
off our recent ALMS win in the streets of Long Beach and we hope to carry
that momentum through Laguna and to Le Mans."
All three drivers have significant endurance racing experience. Bergmeister
is a Porsche factory driver and is currently tied for the lead in the 2010
ALMS GT championship in the Flying Lizard No. 45 Porsche (with co-driver
Patrick Long). He has raced at Le Mans eight times, three years with Flying
Lizard: 2007, 2008 and 2009. He won GT2 in 2004 (with Sascha Maassen and
Patrick Long) and has finished on the podium three times. In the ALMS,
Bergmeister is four-time GT2 champion: 2005, 2006, 2008 (with Wolf Henzler)
and 2009 (with Patrick Long). He has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona three times
— in GT in 2009, both GT and overall in 2003 and GT in 2002.
Law
and Neiman co-pilot the No. 44 Flying Lizard Porsche in the ALMS in the 2010
season. Neiman finished seventh in the ALMS GT2 drivers' championship in
2009 and Law was tenth. In 2009, Law won overall at the 2009 Rolex 24 at
Daytona; notable ALMS finishes include second in 2008 in the No. 44 at the
Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring(with Neiman and Alex Davison) and 2nd in GT2
at Long Beach and Detroit (with Patrick Long) in 2007. Since 2005, Law has
consistently finished in the top ten of the Porsche Cup ranking of
non-factory Porsche drivers: 5th in 2009, 4th in 2008, 2nd in 2007, 7th in
2006, and 10th in 2005.
In the ALMS, Flying Lizard has won back to back GT2 team and driver
championships: 2008 and 2009. Two races into the ALMS 2010 9-race season,
the No. 45 is currently tied for the championship lead.
Follow the Race
The 24 Heures du Mans begins at 15.00 h CET (9:00 am Pacific Time) on
Saturday June 12. Flying Lizard will broadcast the team radio live during
the race. Fans can follow English-language broadcast on Radio Le Mans
www.radiolemans.com and SpeedTV. Live timing and scoring at
www.lemans.org
Strakka Racing
Aiming for Le Mans
News from Strakka Racing
Photos
© Strakka Racing
February
4, 2010 -- Everyone at Strakka Racing is delighted to have received
confirmation that the team’s application to participate in this year’s Le
Mans 24 Hours has been accepted by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
The news came through on Thursday 4th February that the Strakka Racing entry
for a single ARX-01c in the LMP2 category had been listed by the ACO. The
car will carry the number 42, and will be co-driven by Nick Leventis, Danny
Watts and Jonny Kane. The announcement came just two days after Strakka was
pleased to confirm the appointment of Ulsterman Jonny Kane as the team’s
third driver for the 2010 season.
“We are naturally delighted to have
been accepted to compete in the 2010 Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans, the
world’s greatest and toughest motor race,” said Team Manager Piers Phillips.
“The team is honoured to be representing the HPD brand alongside the world’s
best teams and manufacturers. We are also proud that HPD, Michelin and the
ACO have recognised the significant strides that Strakka Racing has made
over the last three years in infrastructure, professionalism and technical
capability.”
“We feel very privileged to be granted an entry for this prestigious race,”
said Nick Leventis, team driver at Strakka. “It will be our third
participation in the 24 Hours, although only the second under our own name,
but I feel we’re in a much stronger position this year. We face the
challenge from the foundation of having a better understanding of what it
takes to compete at this level, and we also have the benefit of an even more
experienced team of personnel. I hope we can demonstrate the strength of the
HPD-Strakka partnership, and make the most of this opportunity at our third
attempt.”
Eight other cars are listed in the LMP2 category, as well as twenty-one LMP1
prototypes, eight GT1 entries, seventeen in GT2, and ten reserves. “The LMP2
category is fiercely competitive this year, with several teams fielding some
exceptionally strong driver line-ups,” added Piers. “Even so, we expect to
take the fight to them, and to challenge for honours. We now have more
experience, backed up by technical know-how, and our initial testing has
shown the HPD ARX-01c to be both fast and reliable. Now we just can’t wait
for June to arrive!”
The team will have the opportunity to judge exactly how tough that
competition is during the first two rounds of the Le Mans Series, including
an eight-hour race at the Paul Ricard circuit (April 9-11) and in the Spa
1000 Kilometres (May 7-9).
Audi names its
driver line-up for Le Mans
News from Audi Motorsport
Photos
© Audi
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Three
Audi R15 TDI cars to run in most important sports car race
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Capello/Kristensen/McNish to spearhead the squad |
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Strong driver teams also for the other two cars |
INGOLSTADT
/LE MANS (February 4, 2010) – Audi will
start the 78th edition of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12/13
with a total of three diesel-powered racing sports cars. At a press
conference of the organizer, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), in Le
Mans (France), Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich announced Audi’s
driver line-up for the most important sports car race of the year.
The Audi squad will be spearheaded by the Italian Dindo Capello, Le Mans
record winner Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and the Scot Allan McNish, who in
total, have scored twelve Le Mans victories. In 2008, they jointly clinched
the eighth Le Mans triumph for Audi.
With eight wins under his belt, Tom Kristensen (42) is the most successful
Le Mans driver of all time and has just been voted "sports car driver of the
decade" by the British racing magazine "Autosport." Allan McNish (40) was
the runner-up in this voting. With a track record of 29 overall wins, Dindo
Capello (45) leads the roll of honor in the American Le Mans Series by a
wide margin.
The second Audi R15 TDI will be shared by Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain
Dumas (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany). The two Porsche "factory"
drivers Timo Bernhard (28) and Romain Dumas (32) made a strong showing in
their first race for Audi at Le Mans last year. Audi "factory" driver Mike
Rockenfeller (26) won the Le Mans Series in 2008 in the Audi R10 TDI and
successfully began his 2010 season with an overall victory at the 24-hour
race at Daytona (USA) at the end of January.
New signings Marcel Fässler (Switzerland), André Lotterer (Belgium) and
Benoît Treluyer (France) have been selected to drive the third R15 TDI.
Marcel Fässler (33) and Benoît Treluyer (33) have contested the 24-hour race
at Le Mans several times before. André Lotterer (28) performed admirably
last year on his Le Mans debut at the wheel of a privately fielded R10 TDI.
All three Audi R15 TDI cars are entered by Audi Sport Team Joest and
designated as cars number 7, 8 and 9. The third sports-prototype will
officially run as "Audi Sport North America," the name under which it was
nominated.
"We are pleased that the ACO has accepted our three nominations for the
world’s most important sports car race and that we will again be able to
compete with three cars," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
"Our stated goal is to bring back the Le Mans trophy to Ingolstadt and
Neckarsulm. Three cars mean three chances – and we feel that all three R15
TDI cockpits have been filled with top-class drivers. I would also like to
take this opportunity to thank our colleagues from Porsche for again making
two of their best drivers – Timo (Bernhard) and Romain (Dumas), with whom we
were very pleased at their first Le Mans race for Audi – available to us."
Eight victories in just eleven Le Mans races
Audi has been competing in the 24-hour race at Le Mans since 1999 and,
having started just eleven of the events, has won the French endurance
classic as many as eight times. By clinching its ninth win, the brand with
the four rings would equal Ferrari’s ranking in the race’s roll of honor.
Only Porsche has scored more victories in its long Le Mans history.
Audi has deliberately opted for a long-term commitment at Le Mans. In
addition to speed, reliability and efficiency are the key factors of success
in this race. Furthermore, the LMP1 class is unrivaled by any other
motorsport category in terms of offering the opportunity to field
production-derived technologies and to test them in racing conditions.
Audi’s victorious campaign at Le Mans has been closely tied to technological
innovations from the outset. In 1999, Audi clinched a podium result at its
first Le Mans race thanks to reliable technology. In 2000, the pioneering
Audi R8, which dominated the sports car scene for more than six years and
celebrated a total of five Le Mans victories, made its debut.
From 2001 onward, a TFSI engine was used. Audi then successfully introduced
the combination of gasoline direct injection and turbo-charging into
production vehicles as well. Today, this technology has become an integral
element of Audi AG’s model range.
Triumph of TDI technology
In 2006, Audi made worldwide headlines by clinching the first victory of a
diesel-powered racing sports car in the 80 plus year history of the Le Mans
race. As with the Audi R8, Audi Sport Team Joest scored three successive Le
Mans wins with the revolutionary Audi R10 TDI. This makes Audi the only
automobile manufacturer in the world to "own" as many as two Le Mans
trophies. Only a team that manages a hat-trick at Le Mans may keep the
silverware.
In 2010, Audi again banks on TDI technology which continues to be considered
the world’s most efficient technology for the French endurance classic. The
Audi R15 TDI that was fielded for the first time last year, has been
subjected to further development in numerous details and internally bears
the project name "R15 plus." It is the first second-generation diesel racing
sports car to be powered by an Audi V10 TDI engine with a power output of
over 440 kW and features numerous technological innovations such as a
lithium ion battery and a higher-voltage onboard power supply system.
Racing debut at the 8-hour race at Le Castellet
The roll-out of the "R15 plus" is scheduled for the end of February. In
March, an extensive testing program is on Audi Sport Team Joest’s agenda,
and the first racing commitment on April 11, at the 8-hour race at Le
Castellet (France). As a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi
will contest the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 9
with three cars.
After the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12/13, Audi plans to participate
in the newly incepted Le Mans Intercontinental Cup featuring races in Great
Britain, the United States and Asia with two R15 TDI cars. The Cup will
precede a worldwide racing series for Le Mans sports cars to be staged from
the 2011 season onward.
The Audi Teams at Le Mans 2010
#7 Dindo Capello (I)/Tom Kristensen (DK)/Allan McNish (GB)
#8 Marcel Fässler (CH)/André Lotterer (D)/Benoît Treluyer (F)
#9 Timo Bernhard (D)/Romain Dumas (F)/Mike Rockenfeller (D)
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