Two Audi R8 racers in the American Le Mans Series
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2005 @ 23:06:11 GMT
Author: audioc
Topic: Audi in Motorsport
Audi of America increases its involvement in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS): Team ADT Champion Racing, which had already contested the final two races of the 2004 season with two cars, enters two Audi R8 prototypes in all ten races of the North American sports car series this year. Dave Maraj's team also lines up at the start with two R8 prototypes at the Le Mans 24-hour race on 18/19 June.

- Audi of America increases involvement
- Two Audi R8 prototypes also for Le Mans
- DTM drivers compete at Sebring and Le Mans

AUDI AG once again assists the importers' commitment to sports car prototypes with the loan of their works drivers. Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) contest the 2005 ALMS. The defending ALMS champion will again team up with Finn JJ Lehto. Lehto/Werner won six of the nine ALMS races last season. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, one of the ALMS championship's most successful driver pairs, return to the series: Biela/Pirro celebrated a total of nine ALMS victories together between 2000 and 2002 with the Audi R8.

At the season's opener at Sebring on 19 March and at Le Mans, Audi strengthens the team with two extra works drivers, who are mainly competing in the DTM this year with the Audi A4 DTM: Allan McNish (Great Britain) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark). Furthermore, the team's entry at Sebring and Le Mans will be supported by the British Audi importer.

With Biela, Kristensen, Lehto, McNish, Pirro and Werner, Team ADT Champion Racing has a driver squad available that could hardly be of higher calibre: All six Audi drivers have won the Le Mans 24 Hours, the 12-hour race at Sebring or the American Le Mans Series at least once.

The Audi R8 enters its sixth and final season in 2005, before new sports car prototype regulations come into force. It is already the most successful Le Mans prototype of all time with 52 wins from 62 race starts. The R8 remains unbeaten to date in the 12-hour race at Sebring. Audi won the ALMS title five times in succession with the R8, and the Le Mans 24 Hours four times. With its Turbo FSI engine the Audi R8 is again considered the sports car to beat in the forthcoming 2005 season.

This article comes from Audifans.net
http://www.audifans.net

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