By Johan Laubscher JCR Motorsports - Jeff Courtney Racing is busy preparing for the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge. Jeff Courtney will be driving a newly upgraded Audi R8 LMS ultra in the GT-A class. During 2013 JCR Motorsports competed in the Pirelli World Challenge, fielding a modified 2012 Audi R8 GRAND-AM (pictured below), the ex-Oryx Racing car that was briefly used in the 2012 Grand-Am Rolex Series.
JCR Motorsports has upgraded their 2012 Audi R8 GRAND-AM to the FIA GT3 Audi R8 LMS ultra specification. This is the first R8 GRAND-AM that has been upgrade to the R8 LMS ultra specification, visible by the three support struts in the front window, a feature which was mandated by the rules on the Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars and the later the GTD Audi R8 LMS versions.
They will be joining Audi R8 LMS ultra entries from GMG Racing and DragonSpeed, all competing within the PWC GT and GT-A classes. The first round of the PWC will be held at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, from 28-30 March.
Here is a nice onboard lap at Daytona with the car that won the event last year. The Weathertech Audi R8 GRAND-AM from Alex Job Racing and Audi Sport customer racing.
This is part 5 of our How to spot an Audi R16 article series. Part 5 focuses on the differences between the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version and the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra. All five articles within this series, covering all five versions of the Audi R16, can be seen via the five links listed below:
How to spot an Audi R16: Part 5: Audi R8 LMS GTD Version
2014 sees a new era beginning in North America, with the merger of the Rolex GRAND-AM Series and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), to form the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The Rolex GRAND-AM GT class was transferred to the new TUSC and called the GT Daytona (GTD) class. Audi debuted an Audi R16 version for the Rolex GRAND-AM GT class in 2012, which was also used in 2013, the Audi R8 GRAND-AM.
Heading into the new TUSC the car is now known as the GTD version of the Audi R8 LMS. The Audi R8 GRAND-AM and the Audi R8 LMS GTD Version are virtually identical visually, but there have been a few changes.
We have included two comparisons below. The first compares the 2013 Audi R8 GRAND-AM to the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version and the second compares the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra to the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version.
2013 Audi R8 GRAND-AM versus 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version
Rear View
Click on the photo for larger image
1. The biggest difference between the two North American Audi R16 models is the addition of the original 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra rear layout on the 2014 GTD version, that with the original more aggressive rear diffuser and the centralised exhaust outlets. Note: This rear layout was allowed on the Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars during the final two rounds of the 2013 Rolex GRAND-AM season, at Laguna Seca and Lime Rock.
2. The 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has straight rear wing mounting arms, in line with the standard R8 LMS mounting points on the bodywork. The older R8 GRAND-AM cars used this same rear wing, however the mounting points on the rear wing were narrower than that of the bodywork mountings, thus the rear wing mounting arms had a bend in their profile. Note: Some of the older R8 GRAND-AM cars that have been converted to run in GTD still have this bent profile, as the rear wings are the same. Note: The roll cage in the Audi R8 GRAND-AM was thicker. This was a requirement of the GRAND-AM rules for increased safety, due to the speeds and the banking which the cars experience when running at tracks like Daytona. The new GTD Version is allowed to run the thinner roll cage, which is also found on the Audi R8 LMS ultra, as this has now been allowed within the rules. The older R8 GRAND-AM cars that have been converted to run in GTD still have the thicker and heavier roll cage.
Side View
Click on the photo for larger image
3. The 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD version also has closed side windows, whereas the Audi R8 GRAND-AM had the mandatory open windows. The GTD has the same side windows as the Audi R8 LMS ultra. These windows are fixed, but there is a sliding opening on the driver’s side of the car.
4. From the side the different rear layout is visible with the protruding rear diffuser and the centralised exhaust outlets.
2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra versus 2014Audi R8 LMS GTD Version
Front View
Click on the photo for larger image
5. The windscreen of the Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has three support bars/struts for added protection, as per the rules. The FIA GT3 specification Audi R16 cars, which includes all of the R8 LMS and ultra versions, do not have these bars.
6. The R8 LMS GTD Version has a much smaller front splitter, which does not extend far outwards from the bodywork and follows the rounded contour of the front nose. The 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra splitter extends far out from the bodywork and has aggressively squared off edges and a virtually flat underside.
7. The small side front splitter of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra is a single and very large unit. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version side splitter is also a single unit, but much smaller.
8. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has a standard issue rear wing, which is much smaller than that of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra. These standardised rear wings are provided by the series organisers and they are the same standard rear wings that were used in the Rolex GRAND-AM GT Class.
9. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has the older R8 LMS side rear view mirrors, the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra has the more triangular shaped rear view mirrors.
10. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version shares the same general 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra bodywork, including the bonnet vents.
Side View
Click on the photo for larger image
11. The front splitter of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra has a side-plate, often in a wood colour, on the side of the splitter. This plate is not present on the Audi R8 LMS GTD Version. This wooden side-plate is fitted to the R8 LMS ultra to protect the large splitter when the car bottoms out. The wooden plate wears out, protecting the expensive carbon splitter.
12. The rear wing positions of the two cars differ as per the requirements of the specific rules for each car. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has a standard issue rear wing, which is much smaller than that of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra.
13. The 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra has as swan-neck mountings for its rear wing, whereas the GTD wing is mounted with fittings below the wing.
14. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has the older R8 LMS side rear view mirrors, the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra has the more triangular shaped rear view mirrors.
15. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has the original aggressive 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra rear end layout, that with the original more aggressive rear diffuser and the centralised exhaust outlets. The 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra originally also had this layout, but the rear diffuser was disallowed during the final 2013 homologation, thus the 2013 R8 LMS ultra has the centralised exhaust layout, but must use the older less aggressive R8 LMS/R8 LMS ultra rear diffuser.
16. Both the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra and the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version have the same closed windows. The R8 LMS GTD Version render pictured above has open windows, but the actual cars have the closed windows, as shown in point 3.
17. The small side front splitter of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra is a single and very large unit. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version side splitter is also a single unit, but much smaller.
18. The fuel filler locations also differ on the two cars. The 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra fuel filler is located on the right side, whereas the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version has its fuel filler on the left.
Rear View
Click on the photo for larger image
19. The Audi R8 LMS GTD Version rear wing is not as wide as that of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra, which extends the entire width of the vehicle.
20. From the rear the differences between the diffusers are evident. The more aggressive rear diffuser is fitted to the Audi R8 LMS GTD Version and the Audi R8 LMS ultra has the older less aggressive version.
This was part 5 of our How to spot an Audi R16 article series. Part 5 focused on the differences between the 2014 Audi R8 LMS GTD Version and the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra. All five articles within this series, covering all five versions of the Audi R16, can be seen via the five links listed below:
Limitless Racing and Dr Jason Lee took part in the 2013 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour with the #08 Audi R8 GRAND-AM.
It was a successful year for the team, who competed in the Majors to gain an entry for the 2013 SCCA National Runoffs Championship at Road America in September. They competed well during the Majors races and successfully qualified and competed at the Runnoffs.
The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:
Round 1: Sebring
The SCCA U.S. Majors Tour held its opening round at Sebring this weekend. Limitless Racing are continuing their SCCA participation this year by participating in the Majors as well as other SCCA events, aiming to compete at the 2013 SCCA National Runoffs later in the season. Dr Jason Lee, car owner and driver, did very well this weekend. He showed good pace and carried it over to qualifying by claiming second place in class for race one, followed by class pole for race two. During race one Dr Lee set the second fastest lap time on his way to fifth place in class. Race two saw the team loose a few positions during the beginning stages but a late yellow flag looked to close the gaps until the race finished under yellow resulting in sixth place in class.
The SCCA U.S. Majors were at Road Atlanta this weekend. The Limitless Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM of Dr Jason Lee was at the event. They qualified third for race three and held fourth during the race, until a last lap pass saw the Limitless Racing team take their first SCCA U.S. Majors podium finish.
New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) hosted the Eastern Conference of the SCCA U.S. Majors this weekend. The Limitless Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM, owned and driven by Jason Lee, was entered in the event. Dr Lee qualified fourth in class for both races. They were up to second in class during the first race and came home in a well deserved third place, eighth overall.
The final round of the SCCA U.S. Majors Eastern Conference was at Watkins Glen. Limitless Racing has competed in the series all year long with Dr Jason Lee driving his Audi R8 GRAND-AM. Dr Lee qualified fourth in class for race one and third for race two.
The SCCA National Championship Runnoffs took place at Road America this week. The Runoffs is the annual highlight in the SCCA National and Regional calendars. Originally three Audis had been entered for the Runoffs, including two Audi R8 GRAND-AM entries. The first Audi R8 GRAND-AM was that of Limitless Racing and Dr Jason Lee, who had qualified for the Runoffs GT2 class by competing in the 2013 SCCA U.S. Majors this year. The second R8 GRAND-AM was originally entered by Fall-Line Motorsports for Mark Boden, however the team switched to a Porsche 911 GT3 for the weekend, thus dropping the Audi R8 GRAND-AM count to only one car. The third Audi car was entered in the STU class, discussed in point 2.8 below. It was a steep learning curve for Limitless Racing as their driver, Dr Jason Lee, had never competed at Road America before. Despite this, Dr Lee was able to put in respectable lap times and continued to improve with each session. He ultimately qualified eighteenth within GT2 during the first dry session, behind the wheel of his #08 Audi R8 GRAND-AM. The race took place on a drying track. Dr Lee was able to progress very well and got up to eleventh overall on the first lap, but he would suffer on his wet tires later during the race. He was involved in a number of battles, trying to defend his position. Ultimately he lost places and dropped to twenty-fifth overall after the full-course yellow, finishing twelfth in class.
The first official TUDOR United SportsCar Championship pre-season test is coming up at Sebring this weekend. It has certainly been a very busy week with new additions to the Audi Sport customer racing family in North America. Last night news emerged on Racer.com regarding another new Audi Sport customer racing team.
Marshall Pruett’s original news breaking article on Racer.com can be seen HERE.
Marshall Pruett, from Racer.com, revealed that Paul Miller Racing is also planning to switch from Porsche to field an Audi R8 LMS in the GT Daytona class of the TUSC next year.
It is said that Paul Miller Racing is expected to debut their Audi R8 LMS at the Sebring tests this weekend. They will be joining Flying Lizard Motorsports and Fall-Line Motorsports at the test.
It is great to see the Audi Sport customer racing family continuing to grow in North America.
Flying Lizard Motorsports new Audi customer team in the USA
Two R8 LMS cars to be fielded in United SportsCar Championship
Head of Customer Sport Romolo Liebchen: “Other teams will follow”
Ingolstadt, November 11, 2013 – The Audi R8 LMS will be on the grid of the United SportsCar Championship in the 2014 motorsport season. As the first Audi customer team, Flying Lizard Motorsports from California has nominated two R8 LMS cars for the new U.S. sports car series.
“We’re delighted that such a renowned team has opted for the Audi R8 LMS,” says Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “Our aim is to increase our presence in U.S. motorsport. I’m convinced that Flying Lizard won’t be the only team in United SportsCar Championship to rely on the Audi R8 LMS in 2014. Other teams will follow.”
The customer sport program of AUDI AG was launched in 2009. At the beginning of the 2013 season, the 100th customer race car based on the Audi R8 was delivered. Victories in the world’s most important endurance races and numerous championship wins have been achieved with the mid-engine sports car. This year, Audi customer teams have won titles in Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Sweden as well as in the FIA GT Series and the GT Sprint International Series. In the VLN Endurance Championship on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the Audi R8 LMS ultra that took four overall victories was the most successful car of the season. Furthermore, Audi Sport customer racing achieved a one-two GT class victory in the 24-hour race at Daytona (USA) in January.
On January 25/26, 2014, Daytona will also be the venue of the first race of the United SportsCar Championship, which is a merger of the previous American Le Mans Series and the GRAND-AM. The classic U.S. endurance races at Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta are part of the racing series too, which consists of twelve events.
The Audi R8 LMS will compete in the GT Daytona (GTD) class for production-based sports cars. 50 percent of the parts are adopted from the production R8 unchanged. With maintenance intervals of 20,000 kilometers the robust and powerful 5.2-liter V10 FSI engine of the Audi R8 LMS is known to be particularly service-friendly and cost-efficient.
The GTD version of the Audi R8 LMS only differs from the Audi R8 LMS ultra GT3 race car in details. In the middle of November, the Flying Lizard team will be running initial test tracks with the Audi R8 LMS at Sebring and Daytona.
Two Audi R8 LMS for Full Inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Season
November 11, 2013 – Sonoma, California
Following a decade in the American Le Mans Series and coming off of a team championship clinching GTC class win in the final ALMS race at Road Atlanta, Flying Lizard Motorsports today announced that it would join the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with two cars to be run in the GT Daytona class for the 2014 season. The team will continue to campaign the No 45 as it has since the team's inception while adding the No 35 to its stable, replacing No 44. Flying Lizard will announce its 2014 driver lineup at a later date.
For the first time in its history, the team is working with a new manufacturer, and has taken delivery of two Audi R8 LMS race cars for the 2014 racing program. Based on the R8 street car, the R8 LMS has had significant success in GT3 format racing worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Chief Strategist Thomas Blam talked about the new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing and the opportunity to race the R8 LMS, saying "We are excited to be working with Audi. Their success with prototypes and the potential of the R8 LMS is a great fit for our experience and success in GT. While we have a huge amount to learn about this car and the new GTD class in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, our early assessment is that we are in a great position to work for race wins immediately and should be competing for the championship this year. This is, of course, absolutely our goal. The car has excellent potential and we can't wait to get started."
Team Principal and Driver Seth Neiman on the shift from Porsche: "This is certainly a substantial change for the team as Porsche has been a great partner for many years. Equally, Audi is a great company with a spectacular racing pedigree, a serious commitment to GT racing, and a clear commitment to forging an alliance to continue both of our winning traditions far into the future. They know how to win, we know how to win, and we both are totally focused on doing just that. This is a strong foundation for a long and successful relationship."
Flying Lizard will take to the track with its new cars for the first time on November 16th and 17th at Sebring International Raceway and on November 19th and 20th at Daytona International Speedway for the IMSA sanctioned season opening tests for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
About Flying Lizard Motorsports Flying Lizard is based on Sonoma, California, and has competed in the American Le Mans Series for ten consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2012 in the GT class and in 2013 in GTC. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009), one ALMS GTC team championship (2013), and have secured three ALMS GT Drivers' championships (2008, 2009, and 2010).
Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2012, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008, sixth in 2011, and fourth in 2012.
About Audi of America and the Audi R8 LMS Audi began a new chapter in 2009 with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8 LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8 street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi Space Frame and a variety of other components
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies.
Flying Lizard Motorsports, long-time Porsche entrants in North America, are going to be switching to Audi R8 LMS race cars for 2014. The news was broken by John Dagys on sportscar365.com this afternoon.
John Dagys' original news breaking article on sportscar365.com can be seen HERE. The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be debuting next year and multiple Audi R8 race cars are expected to appear in the series. Audi cars from Fall-Line Motorsports and GMG Racing have already been mentioned and now Flying Lizard Motorsports has been added to the line-up.
They will be fielding two Audi R8 LMS cars in the GT Daytona (GTD) class. They tested an Audi R8 last month and have taken delivery of their two cars this week. Their driver line-up is yet to be announced.
The team will be taking part in the pre-season test sessions at Sebring (16-17 Nov) and Daytona (19-20).
It is great to see more new teams joining the Audi Sport customer racing family in North America.
The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSCC) will debut in 2014, merging both the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The Audi brand will be represented in the GT Daytona class with the R8.
During 2012 and 2013 Audi competed in the Rolex Series with the R8 GRAND-AM. The car was basically a FIA GT3 R8 LMS ultra, but with major modifications to meet the Grand-Am GT rules. Audi teams performed very well this year by taking a fine 1-2 GT class win at the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona. For 2014 the R8 GRAND-AM will be competing in the GT Daytona class and will be joined by its sister R8 LMS. IMSA (International Motorsport Association) officials have finally allowed FIA GT3 spec cars to compete in GTD. The Audi R8 LMS will join the field with only slight modifications compared to the Audi R8 GRAND-AM. Now that we are approaching 2014 some stories are coming out about possible Audi teams and efforts with R8 race cars in next year's competition.
According to John Dagys (sportscar365.com), two Audi teams have indicated their plans to run R8 race cars in TUSCC next year. Fall-Line Motorsports, who raced with one Audi R8 GRAND-AM in the second half of the 2013 Rolex Series season this year, is planning a two-car effort for 2014. The other team is GMG Racing, the team had a successful 2013 season in the Pirelli World Challenge and narrowly missed the title. GMG Racing is planning to field one Audi R8 race car.
In addition to Fall-Line Motorsports and GMG Racing, there are also stories about possible R8 efforts from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Paul Miller Racing. Both teams competed in the American Le Mans Series with Porsches this year.
Unlike the GT Le Mans class (GTE), the GT Daytona class will adopt the Pro-Am formula and will have Continental as the exclusive tire supplier.
The Audi brand had a very mixed season in the demanding Rolex Series GT class this year. The American "R16" won the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona with a terrific 1-2 result. Five teams represented the Four Rings in the 2013 Grand-Am season, but none of them competed at all of the rounds as full season entrants. Alex Job Racing and Rum Bum Racing only took part in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. APR Motorsport had two cars at Daytona and then a single car at Austin, before they withdrew from the series. Fall-Line Motorsports debuted their Audi at Watkins Glen and they entered all of the remaining races and performed very well. Audi also entered two rounds with a factory effort from quattro GmbH/Audi Sport customer racing, competing in the two endurance events at Watkins Glen and Indianapolis.
The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:
Round 1: Rolex 24 at Daytona
The 2013 Grand-Am season got under way this weekend with the Daytona 24 Hours. Four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars were entered by three teams, APR Motorsport, Alex Job Racing and Rum Bum Racing. The teams showed good pace at the Daytona tests days and continued that form during the practice and qualifying sessions. The top Audi qualifier was the #24 AJR entry which originally qualified in sixth and was then upped to fifth place after another competitor was disqualified. The teams were ready for the race which started at 15:30 local time. The race got under way with the Audi teams maintaining their front running pace. All three teams ran at the front end during the afternoon and during the night. Audi held a 1-2-3 during the early evening until various problems, including penalties, dropped them back slightly, but all three remained in the top ten. As the race pasted half way the AJR Audi remained the highest placed Audi followed by the Rum Bum entry. The #52 APR suffered a crippling time penalty during the night. As the sun rose over Daytona both the AJR and Rum Bum cars were penalized and they dropped back. The #52 completed a tremendous comeback and was running in the leading group as the race headed into the afternoon followed by both the AJR and Rum Bum cars who were also completing great recovery drives. The race developed into a huge fight in the last thirty minutes as multiple cars stood a chance of winning. AJR managed to hold the lead after a splash and dash and lead a Audi 1-2-3 on the final lap. Tragedy struck as the Rum Bum car ran out of fuel on the last lap leaving the other two Audis to complete an Audi 1-2 with the #24 AJR winning ahead of the #52 APR. More details regarding the race can be read HERE.
Following the Daytona 24 Hours the second Grand Am round was held at the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Four Audis took part at Daytona, however only one Audi was entered for round two. APR entered the black #52 Audi R8 GRAND-AM which was driven by Ian Baas and Matt Bell. They qualified seventh. During the race the team ran very well. Within the last half an hour they were battling in the top five until an incident with a Ferrari put the APR Audi out of the race.
APR Motorsport withdrew their Audi R8 GRAND-AM entry after round two at COTA. There were no Audi entries at Barber Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Belle Isle Park and Mid-Ohio, rounds 3-6 of the series. However, this was not the end of the Audi R8 GRAND-AM in the 2013 Rolex Series, as Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars returned to the grid for the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, round seven of the season.
Round 7: Six Hours of the Glen
The Six Hours of the Glen was held this weekend. This event was round seven of the Rolex Grand-Am Series, but it was also round two of the North American Endurance Championship. The latter series consists of the endurance Grand-Am events, namely: the Daytona 24 Hours, the Six Hours of the Glen and the three hour race at Indianapolis. For the first time since round two of the Grand-Am series Audi cars again took part. Two cars were entered this weekend. Fall-Line Motorsports debuted their R8 GRAND-AM in the series for the first time, whilst the second car was entered by Audi Sport customer racing. The #24 Audi Sport entry will be entered for the remaining two endurance events. Their drivers: Felipe Albuquerque, Eduardo Mortara and Dion von Moltke, are leading the standings following their victory at the Daytona 24 Hours. The two Audis showed well during the weekend with the #24 car qualifying in fourth and the Fall-Line entry in twelfth. It was an up and down race for the two Audis. The Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM lead the race for five laps during the pit stop sequences, but they eventually dropped back and finished fourteenth. The #24 Audi Sport customer racing entry also fell back during the event and ultimately finished within the top ten, placing in ninth.
The Grand-Am Rolex Series headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, for the Brickyard Grand Prix. This event was the eighth round of the Rolex Series, and more importantly, it was the third and final round of the North American Endurance Championship. Two Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars were entered, the factory #24 Audi and the Fall-Line Motorsports car. The factory Audi squad showed excellent pace all weekend, and qualified in third for the three hour event, followed by the Fall-Line Motorsports entry in ninth. Filipe Albuquerque took the green flag in the #24 Audi R8 GRAND-AM and remained within the front battle for the first hour. He was running as high as second for the majority of his stint and things were looking good. Unfortunately tragedy struck within the second hour. The #94 BMW M3 lost control in the in-field section and collected Albuquerque from behind. The resulting damage ended the #24 Audi’s race and their bid for the NAEC title. Further back the Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM soldiered on well and came home for a top ten result, finishing ninth within the GT class.
Road America hosted round nine of the Grand-Am Rolex Series this weekend. Fall-Line Motorsports was the only Audi entry at the event, with their #46 Audi R8 GRAND-Am driven by Charles Espenlaub and Charles Putman. The team took part in the opening three practice sessions, but ultimately they made the decision to withdraw the Audi from the Road America weekend. The reason behind the decision was that the team has not had sufficient time to test and develop their new Audi R8 GRAND-AM. They have completed two races with the Audi, but hardly any testing. They will now focus on testing with the Audi and getting up to speed to challenge effectively in the Grand-Am Rolex Series. The team’s official press release regarding the withdrawal can be seen HERE.
Fall-Line Motorsports was back in the Grand-Am this weekend, taking part in round ten at Kansas Speedway. A week ago they withdrew their Audi entry at Road America due to lack of testing time since acquiring the car, but they were back this week, and with two new drivers in the Audi: Mark Boden and Bryan Sellers. They qualified tenth for the two hour forty-five minute race and finished fifth within the GT class.
The eleventh and penultimate Grand-Am race weekend headed to Laguna Seca. The Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM was entered, driven by Al Carter and Bryan Sellers. The team was also allowed to use the original 2013 specification Audi R8 LMS ultra rear diffuser, after it was cleared by the series organisers, but the car had to be fitted with penalty weight due to the change. They qualified sixth and finished the race in ninth place within the GT class.
Lime Rock Park played host to the twelfth and final round of the Rolex Grand-Am Series. Fall-Line Motorsports was again the lone Audi entrant with their #46 Audi R8 GRAND-AM, driven by Al Carter and Eric Lux this weekend. They qualified in twelfth and finished the 2 hour forty-five minute race in twelfth place as well.
Special thanks to our friend Dion von Moltke. The South African rising sportscar star raced twice with Audi in the Rolex Series this year. The Daytona 24 Hours GT victory was certainly a tremendous highlight. You can read our interview with Dion von Moltke right HERE.
The 2013 SCCA National Championship Runoffs took place at Road America this week. It was the fiftieth anniversary of this prestigious event and two Audis were entered in two different classes. The second Audi entered race was held on Friday morning and Limitless Racing showed good form with their Audi R8 GRAND-AM.
Originally three Audis had been entered for the Runoffs, including two Audi R8 GRAND-AM entries. The first Audi R8 GRAND-AM was that of Limitless Racing and Dr Jason Lee, who had qualified for the Runoffs GT2 class (SCCA GT2 class, not related to ACO GTE/GT2) by competing in the 2013 SCCA U.S. Majors this year. The second R8 GRAND-AM was originally entered by Fall-Line Motorsports for Mark Boden, however the team switched to a Porsche 911 GT3 for the weekend, thus dropping the Audi R8 GRAND-AM count to only one car. The next and final Audi car was entered in the STU class, the Continental Racing Audi A4 of Joel Weinberger. His B7 A4 is one of the ex-Stasis SCCA World Challenge touring cars.
The event normally takes place with an all-week format, as practice and testing begins on Monday, followed by the racing taking place from Friday to Sunday. Each of the various SCCA categories has one race with a duration of thirteen laps or forty minutes, whichever comes first.
Qualifying was held over two days, with two sessions for each of the classes. It was a steep learning curve for Limitless Racing, as their driver, Dr Jason Lee, had never competed at Road America before. Despite this, Dr Lee was able to put in respectable lap times and continued to improve with each session. He ultimately qualified eighteenth within GT2 during the first dry session, behind the wheel of his #08 Audi R8 GRAND-AM. It was wet during the second session, so the overall fastest times remained stagnant, but he was able to post the second fastest time of that session among the competitors that took part, despite the weather conditions. It so happened that both of the Audi entered races took place on Friday, with the STU race being the very first race to kick off proceedings at the Runoffs, followed by the GT2/GT3 race two hours later. The STU race was held earlier in very wet conditions. At 8:45 am local time it was a case of quattro weather and Joel Weinberger achieved a podium result in his Audi A4.
A few hours later, at 10:45 am local time, the SCCA GT2/GT3 race got underway. This race took place on a drying track. Dr Lee was able to progress very well and got up to eleventh overall on the first lap, but he would suffer on his wet tires later during the race. He was involved in a number of battles, trying to defend his position. Ultimately he lost places and dropped to twenty-fifth overall after the full-course yellow, finishing twelfth in class.
It was a good weekend for the Audi teams at the 2013 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Hopefully the number of Audis will increase at this prestigious event in the years to come.
The 2013 SCCA National Championship Runoffs took place at Road America this week. It was the fiftieth anniversary of this prestigious event and two Audis were entered in two different classes. The first Audi entered race was held early on Friday morning and Joel Weinberger performed very well in his Audi A4.
The event normally takes place with an all-week format, as practice and testing begins on Monday, followed by the racing taking place from Friday to Sunday. Each of the various SCCA categories has one race with a duration of thirteen laps or forty minutes, whichever comes first.
Two Audis had been entered in two different classes at the Runoffs this year. The first entry was that of Limitless Racing, with their Audi R8 GRAND-AM entered in the SCCA GT2 class. The second Audi car was entered in the STU class, the Continental Racing Audi A4 of Joel Weinberger. His B7 A4 is one of the ex-Stasis SCCA World Challenge touring cars. Weinberger is a strong and regular Runoffs competitor. He has previously won the STU class at the 2011 Runoffs and he again performed well last year by finishing runner-up.
Qualifying was held over two days, with two sessions for each of the classes. Qualifying for STU saw Weinberger suffering a brakes issue which dropped him back, this after he had been running at the front during practice. The team managed to fix the issues for qualifying on day two, but with unfavourable weather conditions the times were not bettered from day one and he would line up ninth for the STU race.
It so happened that both of the Audi entered races took place on Friday morning, with the STU race being the very first race to kick off proceedings at the Runoffs. At 8:45 am local time the STU grid got underway in very wet conditions. Weinberger, armed with quattro, was able to progress well through the field. He steadily moved up to third, his eventual finishing position. After a tremendous lead battle the STU race was won by Elivan Goulart in his #72 Lotus ahead of the #98 Mazda of Marc Hoover. This finish marked Joel Weinberger's fourth consecutive STU podium finish with his Audi: 2010 - 2nd, 2011 - 1st, 2012 - 2nd and 2013 - third. Update: The final STU results were released on Saturday, revealing that Marc Hoover's Mazda was disqualified after the post-race technical inspection, thus promoting Weinberger to second place overall in STU.
"Update Official results released for STU Class. Marc Hoover's Miata was DQ'd in post-race tech, so I officially came in P2. Sad for Marc in a way - he's the epitome of the SCCA racer."
Monterey, CA (September 9, 2013) - Al Carter and Bryan Sellers drove the #46 B+ Foundation/ Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM yesterday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and finished 9th for the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival in the Rolex Series GT class.
Carter and Sellers drove together for the first time and this driver combination had all the makings for a successful race. However, it was not in the cards and though the drivers drove a good race, the day did not turn out quite as planned.
Carter drove a solid first stint and pitted under yellow at the thirty-minute mark but a problem in the pits as they switched drivers prevented the crew from changing tires. Then, to add to the misfortune, they received a penalty for speeding in the pits and on the 2nd stop they received another penalty for making contact with a tire upon exiting the pits. But, the improvement in speed is obvious and the #46 scored the 3rd fastest lap in the GT race.
Over the past two months Fall-Line Motorsports and Audi Sport customer racing have worked in unison to develop the car. For yesterday's race GRAND-AM allowed the team to install a rear diffuser, which added a little more downforce and stability to the car's rear.
Michael Harvey, Team Manager: "Today was a tough day. We had a fast car, but as a collective team made some fundamental errors that didn't allow us to capitalize on our speed. I am proud of these guys and our relationship with Audi Sport customer racing for all their work that has allowed us to finish every racing lap. The Audi R8 GRAND-AM is coming alive and the more we get to know her the better the relationship becomes as we know look forward to Lime Rock."
The final round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series is September 26-28 at Lime Rock Park.
Fall-Line Motorsports is a premiere builder and fabricator of race cars for all levels of competition. Fall-Line specializes in BMW, Porsche, Audi and other high-performance makes. Fall-Line Motorsports unveiled their Grand-Am team in 2006 and won the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Championship title in 2010. In addition to fielding 3 GS BMW M3's in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Fall-Line also prepares and fabricates cars for other CTSCC teams, SCCA and NASA drivers, track day prepared and high performance street vehicles. www.fall-linemotorsports.com
ABOUT AUDI Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products, facilities and technologies.Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.
ABOUT THE B+ FOUNDATION: The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation honors the memory of Andrew McDonough. Andrew's mom, dad and sister founded The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. The overall goal of The B+ Foundation is to "Do Good". During the racing season, Al Carter and Hugh Plumb visit kids with cancer in hospitals before racing events to make a positive difference and keep the "B+" message alive through outreach efforts and talks. The B+ Foundation provides financial assistance to families of children with cancer nationwide. In the last two years, The B+ Foundation awarded over $1,000,000 to families of children with cancer while giving over $500,000 to support research efforts. Information about the Foundation and its activities can be found at www.BePositive.org.
