Season finally starts.....!!!

[Rob]

Yahoo.....weekend time in the shop will finally be filled with the background noise of racing once again. Looking forward to it. Looks like the Audi team may just have a race on their hands this year too.....

Sebring is this weekend...

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...8/newsletter01

[Rob]

Sebring updated from Autoweek:
Looks like they shut down qualifying early due to a wreck..... Audi and McNish are on the pole. Should be interesting race as not surprisingly the Renault TDI is starting in the #2 spot. (For the record....Bosch diesel technology of both :-) ....shameless plug for my day job)

Audi on Sebring pole after crash stops qualifying - AutoWeek Magazine

[David Morton]

	Communication Motorsport Jürgen Pippig Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 34200 E-mail: motorsport-media@audi.de Eva-Maria Veith Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 33922 E-mail: eva-maria.veith@audi.de 14 March 2008 Audi to defend title in the American Le Mans Series Two Audi R10 TDI cars in all eleven races of the 2008 season Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner to contest full championship Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro in the second R10 TDI Ingolstadt/Sebring – In spite of regulations that further penalize the most powerful cars, AUDI AG once again will compete in the American Le Mans Series as a factory team in the 2008 season. Team Audi Sport North America enters two Audi R10 TDI prototypes in all eleven races of the popular sportscar championship. Audi confirmed this prior to the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA), the opening round of the American Le Mans Series. Although computer simulations show that the lighter LM P2 sports cars have an advantage over the "bigger" LM P1 class on seven of the eleven circuits visited by the American Le Mans Series, Audi nevertheless faces this challenge. "The American Le Mans Series is an excellent platform in America for an automobile manufacturer to compete in motorsport at a high-level with innovative technology," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "We want to continue to use this platform and, more specifically, to support the diesel campaign in the USA. We will show fighting spirit and in spite of the situation with the regulations try to win." The near 650-hp Audi R10 TDI was the pioneer for the "Green Racing" initiative with which the American Le Mans Series regards itself as a meaningful, environmentally aware race series in its tenth year of existence. The R10 TDI also heralds the TDI offensive that Audi starts in the USA in 2008. The two Audi R10 TDI cars are entered in the American Le Mans Series by Team Audi Sport North America again in the 2008 season. Champion Racing members form the team’s core. German duo Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner contest the full championship. Frank Biela (Germany) and Emanuele Pirro (Italy) share the second Audi R10 TDI from the St Petersburg race onwards. Reigning LM P1 Champions Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) will not defend their title: Both will race for Audi Sport Team Joest in the Le Mans Series in Europe this season. Their team mates in Europe will be Alexandre Prémat (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany). Audi has competed in the American Le Mans Series since 2000, winning the LM P1 class championship eight times in succession with 61 overall race victories and is by far the most successful automobile manufacturer in the series. 2008 American Le Mans Series schedule 15/03 Sebring (Florida) 05/04 St Petersburg (Florida) 19/04 Long Beach (California) 18/05 Salt Lake City (Utah) 12/07 Lime Rock Park (Connecticut) 19/07 Mid-Ohio (Ohio) 09/08 Road America (Wisconsin) 24/08 Mosport (Ontario/CDN) 30/08 Detroit (Michigan) 04/10 Road Atlanta (Georgia) 18/10 Laguna Seca (California) Photographs and information can be obtained at www.audi-motorsport.info
	Download Download image AUDI AG 85045 Ingolstadt info@audi-motorsport.info Audi of America > Home Sitz/Domicile: Ingolstadt Registergericht/Court of Registry: Amtsgericht Ingolstadt HRB Nr./Commercial Register No.: 1 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats/Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Martin Winterkorn Vorstand/Board of Management: Rupert Stadler (Vorsitzender/Chairman), Ulf Berkenhagen, Michael Dick, Frank Dreves, Axel Strotbek, Werner Widuckel Wichtiger Hinweis: Die vorgenannten Angaben werden jeder E-Mail automatisch hinzugefügt und lassen keine Rückschlüsse auf den Rechtscharakter der E-Mail zu. Important Notice: The above information is automatically added to this e-mail. This addition does not constitute a representation that the content of this e-mail is legally relevant and/or is intended to be legally binding upon AUDI AG.