Audi R8 LMS Cup: “Franky” Cheng Congfu wins Round 6 in Malaysia

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

• Chinese driver “Franky” Cheng Congfu crosses the finish line ahead of Alex Yoong and André Couto
• Yoong regains the series lead ahead of Rahel Frey and Cheng
• GTM category lead for Jacky Yeung balances disappointing GT Asia results

Sepang, Malaysia, August 17, 2014 — “Franky” Cheng Congfu pulled away after taking an early lead to secure victory in Round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Starting from position four on the grid, Cheng jumped to the front to snatch the lead from André Couto in the first lap, having a 60 kg weight advantage over the experienced Macanese. Local Malaysian hero, Alex Yoong, had a good start as well and passed Couto early. Yoong held on to second position but was not able to close the gap to Cheng.

“The introduction of the push-to-pass function as well as the weight additions has fully paid off. The races are very competitive, and the field is very close. André Couto has proven that it is possible to reach the podium despite a 60 kg weight addition,” commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

Couto put in a good performance with consistent and steady driving. Marchy Lee, himself carrying an additional 40 kg from his second place in Round 5, was always right behind him, but Couto never allowed him the opportunity to pass and held on to third.

The battles for positions fourth to seven were close, with Lee being chased by Rahel Frey, who herself had to fend off Adderly Fong and Zhang Zhiqiang throughout the race. Fong succumbed to a final push by Zhang in the last lap, but kept sixth position, as Zhang later received a 30-second penalty for an incident on turn two with Stefano Montesi earlier in the race.

“The drivers’ championship is very close now, with only nine points between the top four drivers. I expect more close races to come in Shanghai in October”, said Rene Koneberg.

After Round 6, Yoong once again tops the overall standings with 84 points, followed by Frey (82 points), Cheng (79 points) and Couto (75 points).

In the amateur category, Steven Lin secured another victory to extend his lead at the top of the amateur standings. Malaysian Ashraff Dewal had to retire in the first lap to give Lin an easy path to victory. Lin leads the amateur championship with 142 points, ahead of Dewal (88 points) and Jacky Yeung (75 points).

Running alongside the Cup, GT Asia was held at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. The professionals’ qualifying saw Audi on pole position and P2 with the pairings of Christopher Mies/Jeffrey Lee and Alex Yoong/Philip Ma, but Round 7 ended with disappointment as both cars had to retire due to mechanical problems. In Round 8 on Sunday, car 7 of Mies/Lee achieved 5th place and car 98 of Yoong/Ma finished in 14th place. However, Jacky Yeung again provided a positive for Audi. With 2nd and 4th place finishes in the GTM class, he took the overall lead in the standings for this category.

Next up, the Audi R8 LMS Cup heads to Shanghai, China for Rounds 7 and 8 on October 18-19, 2014.

“Franky” Cheng Congfu: “Getting off to a good start and taking the lead early was the key today. Neither Alex nor I had weight additions, so we both could have taken the lead from the start. Alex is a very good driver and the local hero here, and I’m really sorry about our incident yesterday. However, I’m happy to have won ahead of him today.”

Alex Yoong: “We all raced very hard. I don’t think I could have won today. Franky was too fast and I struggled with some tyre problems. I just knew I had to take André and keep him behind me. I saved my push-to-pass boosts for the end, so he couldn’t catch me.”

André Couto: “The car was good today, except for the extra 60 kg of course! I survived and finished in a good position. Luckily I had no major problems this time.”

Rahel Frey: “I got some more points on the board this weekend, which is really important for the championship. We had some interesting races – everyone was really close together, which shows the high level and competitiveness of the competition. I’m happy so far, but I’d really like to repeat last year’s win in Shanghai, which will help me to win the championship this year.”

Steven Lin: “Unfortunately for Ashraff he had to retire early. I could then push myself against the professional drivers, which was an interesting race for me. It was great!”

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi R8 LMS Cup: André Couto wins on a perfect day for BRT

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

• Couto wins ahead of Marchy Lee and Sun Zheng
• Rahel Frey leads the overall championship ahead of Alex Yoong and André Couto
• Steven Lin wins in the amateur category to give BRT third podium

Sepang, Malaysia, August 16, 2014 — André Couto took a start-to-finish victory in Round 5 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Couto maintained a comfortable lead ahead of 2012 champion Marchy Lee in second place, and teammate Sun Zheng in third. With Couto and Sun on the podium, it was a fantastic day for the Brothers Racing Team of China.

“The first podium finish for Sun Zheng this year further underlines the competitiveness of the Cup, after we already had six different drivers on the podium in the previous two rounds at Fuji. André Couto had a superb race, while Rahel Frey’s jump to the top of the standings proves again that consistency is a key factor in success,” commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

Local hero, Malaysian former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong, started the race strongly, despite carrying an extra 60 kg of ballast for his win in Round 4, but was nudged off the track midway through the race by “Franky” Cheng Congfu. Yoong had to eventually settle for a disappointing 10th place. The contact resulted in a drive-through penalty for Cheng.

At the front of the field there were intense battles between the top drivers. Throughout the race, 2013 champion Adderly Fong and Sun Zheng fought for third place, with both executing spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. However, Adderly was forced to retire right at the end of the race, giving Sun Zheng a clear third place finish.

Behind them, Swiss GT specialist, Rahel Frey, youngsters Matt Solomon and Aidan Wright, and Korean driver K.O. You changed positions numerous times as they all drove hard. Even though she carried an extra 40 kg weight from her second place in Round 4, Frey eventually ran ahead to take fourth, securing enough points to go top of the overall standings. Solomon fell back after contact with K.O. You, while Wright ensured an exciting end to the race as he narrowly edged past the Korean in the last few metres to cross the finish line in fifth.

In the amateur competition, Steven Lin notched up another victory, ahead of Massimo Vignali, who made his 2014 cup debut, and local Malaysian hopeful Ashraff Dewal.

Going into Sunday’s Round 6, André Couto will start from pole position having clocked the fastest lap time today. He will have 60 kg added for his win. Marchy Lee will start from second with an additional 40 kg, while Alex Yoong, who recorded the third fastest lap time today, will start from position three without carrying any extra weight.

So far in the competition, Rahel Frey tops the overall standings with 72 points, ahead of Alex Yoong (66 points) and André Couto (60 points).

Round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup will take place at 11:55 Malaysia local time (UTC +8) on Sunday, August 17.

André Couto:
“It was not an easy race today, even if it looked easy. Sepang is very difficult in the heat, which is really hard on the tyres. I focused and had the fight in me to push ahead and finish the race with a win.”

Marchy Lee:
“It was crowded at the start of the race. Once I passed Adderly, using my push-to-pass, I knew I could catch Franky and Alex. I took the opportunities to move past them and ended the race in second. André was too far ahead for me to catch up though. It was a good race and a good result!”

Sun Zheng:
“It was a difficult race. There were always cars right in front of me and right behind me! But I think I did a good job. I am happy with the third place finish.”

Steven Lin:
“It was a good race for me. My main rival, Ashraff, had a little incident, which allowed me to take the lead. It worked out well for me today.”

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi R8 LMS Cup: Top five finish for Solomon in Audi R8 LMS Cup at Fuji

Matt Solomon Press Release

Just a week after claiming his maiden race wins in the Formula Masters China Series in South Korea, Audi Hong Kong’s rising star Matt Solomon was back in Japan for the second event on the Audi R8 LMS Cup program.

After claiming sixth on debut during the opening round in South Korea, the former GT Asia Series race winner suffered a DNF in race two whilst within reach of a top five finish, showing he has what it takes to compete with the established stars.

For Fuji, Solomon was reunited once more with ‘The Hulk’, the Hong Kong teenager quickly up to speed in practice and right back where he’d left off in South Korea..

“Practice got underway on Friday morning and I had a decent session to be sixth in P1, and then I got to grips with the circuit and the car and everything was not too bad during the second session,” Solomon explained.

“It was qualifying next and there was a little bit of mayhem in the pits, and I got stuck behind some traffic leaving pit lane, so I had to find myself a good gap and do my fast lap with only six push to pass functions – and with the tyre situation the way it was, you really only had one lap to set a time.

“So, on my best lap I had to overtake two cars and that obviously cost me a lot of time and I ended up qualifying ninth. However, carrying over my grid penalty from Korea, that put me down to 14th to start the first race.

“Despite that I got a mega, mega start and fought my way through the field to be tenth after the opening lap. I went on to catch the guys in front and had a good fight with Adderly [Fong] and Aiden [Wright] which ended up being one of the best fights I have had yet in my car racing career. It was great, pass after pass after pass – all three of us were battling really close and then Alex Yoong got in the mix. Then collectively we caught the group in front, so it was the top positions, from three to nine, all being disputed in those last couple of laps.

“Going through turn four I got a good run on the Korean driver [Kyong-Ouk You] – I was looking to pass him into the next corner, however as I did that he moved over in the braking zone – which you’re not allowed to do – and hit the front right of my car. That sent me left and into Alex Yoong who was trying to pass me with that same move, and we also ended up having contact.. so I was sandwiched in the middle, and damaged both my front wheels, and both front tyres popped off the rim, and I was forced into retirement.

“That was a shame because you know, up until then I was having a good race, and I think a top four or five in the race would not have been out of the question.

“Whilst the DNF wasn’t great, my lap time at the start of the race was good enough for tenth, so as a result, I would start tenth in the second race.

“I had a good start and moved into eighth after the first two corners and was chasing down the guys in front and I had another good fight, this time with Franky Cheng. That was a good battle, and I managed to make it up to fifth, and I just had to maintain my pace for the rest of race and pull away from the guys behind – Sun Zheng and Adderly Fong. I had a decent pace to keep up with Franky, but he was just a little bit too far ahead and I was unable to catch him in the end.

“I am happy to finish in the top five and have a good result to end the weekend. Now we move on to the next race in Sepang – that is going to be difficult because I am doing both Formula Masters and the Audi Cup, so it’s going to be a bit tricky.

“That said, Sepang is a track I have been too many times and I’ve set two lap records [there] so it should be doable, and hopefully I can score good results in both, and try and close down the championship on James Munro in Formula Masters, and try and fight for a top three finish in the Audi Cup.”

The Malaysian round will see event four on the Formula Masters China Series program and event three of the 2014 Audi R8 LMS Cup Series at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur on August 15-17.

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Q&A: Interview with Rahel Frey - Audi GT factory driver

Rahel Frey is racing with Audi since 2011. First in the German DTM touring car series for two years and since 2013 the Swiss driver switched to GT racing with competing in various events around the world from German ADAC GT Masters to the Asian based Audi R8 LMS Cup.

Our friend Jean-Baptiste Lassaux at IG Autorennsport had a a very interesting interview with Rahel Frey at the Nürburgring about her 2014 season.

1/ First, a look back to the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Tell us more about your race with the Audi race experience in the Green Hell?

My summary of the 2014 24h race at the Nürburgring is really positive. Our priority was to finish the race, what we did on P22. Furthermore all four drivers on the car (including myself) could improve our personal laptimes compared to last year or compared to former races which was for my the most important. Incidents can always happen in a 24h race and they did unfortunately for us! But our team and especially our mecanics mad a fantastic job to fix this incidents in no time - therefore big thanks once again!

2/ Now, your next race is in Fuji in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. This will be your first time there, so  how do you learn the track before the race weekend?

As usual when I dont know a racetrack, I will watch onboard videos and studying important datas I got from the team. I will be prepared for it.

3/ What are your targets this year in the Audi R8 LMS Cup?

My target is to win the Audi R8 LMS Cup 2014. Right now I'm 10 point behind the leader - a cap which I can still close when I'm clever on driving and on strategy.

Taking care about the tyres is an important point for but as well being clever on using the new "push-to-pass" system which gets us 50hp more when we press the special button for it. Furthermore it's performance balance we get for the first three places (60kg for P1, 40kg for P2 and 20kg for P3) can take influence on the results.

4/ Let's talk about your season in ADAC GT Masters. What do you think about your season so far in the German series?

We had a good start into the new season with immediately scoring points in both races at Oschersleben. Afterwards we made some mistakes where we had to pay for not being in the position for fighting for point anymore. But we learn from every mistakes we do and for sure we will get back stronger again.

5 / What are you expecting in the second half of the season?

As I just mentioned, we will get back stronger and aiming again for more points. Therefore each race track is a new challenge. For sure sometimes one race track fits better for the driver another race track fits best for the car. But in my opinion the BOP 2014 is more equal as last year!

6 / After your two years in the DTM, you switched to GT racing with Audi. Tell us more about what you have learnt traveling and discovring many prestigious tracks and events around the world?

Always when traveling the world you have to find your way through! I got already a lot of experience with traveling around the world for racing and I wont miss any. Some were tough, some were really nice but they all formed my personality like I am today. And for sure each race driver has a list with races or race tracks he likes to drive in or on. I have my list too, some of these tracks were on - some are still on.

7 / Any racing track or series you want to compete in?

Taking every challenge I get! But I would like to drive once in America maybe in the oval with a Nascar.

Photo credit: Autorennsport

Audi R8 LMS Cup: Audi R8 LMS Cup debuts in Japan

Audi Press Release

• Audi R8 LMS Cup visits the Fuji International Speedway
• Alex Yoong leads the drivers’ championship
• Japanese film actor and race car driver Koichi Iwaki to drive for Team Audi Japan

Fuji, Japan, July 24, 2014 — The Audi R8 LMS Cup visits Japan for the first time ever this weekend. Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2014 season of the sprint race series will be held at the Fuji International Speedway on July 26. After his first and third places at the season opener in Korea, former Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong from Malaysia, arrives in Fuji as points leader, ahead of Round 1 winner “Franky” Cheng Congfu and Rahel Frey.

“The addition of the Japan race weekend to the Audi R8 LMS Cup is the next step in the expansion of the series around Asia. It emphasizes the commitment of Audi to the development of motorsport in the region,” commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia. “Audi won here a few weeks ago in the GT Asia series, and we anticipate another weekend of exciting motorsport action.”

Qualifying will take place on Friday June 25, with Rounds 3 and 4 both to be held on Saturday, July 26. The Fuji International Speedway has been host to the Japanese Grand Prix, sitting beneath the symbolic Mount Fuji. It is a 4.5 km circuit, featuring 16 turns, challenging corners and a high-speed 1.5 km straight, one of the longest among motorsport tracks.

Team Audi Japan, representing the brand in the host country, will join the competition for the first time. Starting for the local Audi team will be actor and race driver, Koichi Iwaki. Team Tunewear Racing will field two additional Japanese drivers with Kato Gachi and Kenji Abe.

Young regulars Matt Solomon and Aidan Wright will be joined by fellow Formula Masters China driver Ronald Wu in Fuji, who debuts in the Audi R8 LMS Cup.

After the season opener at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South Korea, Alex Yoong sits top of the leader board (40 points) after two podiums with his 3rd place finish in Round 1 and victory in Round 2. “Franky” Cheng Congfu is just four points behind him (36 points) with his start-to-finish win in round 1 and 5th place in Round 2. In third place is the young Swiss female driver, Rahel Frey (30 points).

Meanwhile, in the Amateur Cup, Steven Lin of Brothers Racing Team comfortably tops the standings (51 points) after back-to-back wins in South Korea.

The Audi R8 LMS Cup is the first brand cup in the history of Audi. After its successful maiden season in China in 2012, and expansion to Malaysia and South Korea in 2013, the sprint race series has added Japan to its stops around Asia this year.

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi R8 LMS Cup: 2014 season boasts strong field

Audi Press Release

•          Up to 24 race cars with push-to-pass system for the first time
•          Rahel Frey, André Couto and young talents from Asia on the grid
•          Audi R8 LMS Cup to be held in China with WEC

Ingolstadt, May 7, 2014 – The Audi R8 LMS Cup is about to start its third season. With up to 24 entrants in the field it is more popular than ever and with a new push-to-pass system offers even more overtaking maneuvers than before. Among others, the driver line-up includes the Swiss Rahel Frey, the former Macau GP winner André Couto and young talents such as Aidan Wright from Australia and Matt Solomon from HongKong. The series features twelve rounds on six race weekends. 

The popular Cup again unites high-caliber protagonists this year, including the 2012 and 2013 overall winners Marchy Lee and Adderly Fong (both from HongKong), the Chinese motorsport talent ‘Franky’ Cheng Congfu and the former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong from Malaysia. The Swiss GT specialist Rahel Frey – last year’s race winner at Shanghai – will be hunting for points in Asia again as well. Together with André Couto, Aidan Wright and Matt Solomon they form the spearhead of a driver field with which the Audi R8 LMS Cup helps to further develop motorsport in the region.

Another highlight is the push-to-pass function. By pushing a button, the drivers can briefly draw on a 50 hp power boost that may be tactically used in overtaking maneuvers. The number of these permitted boost events is specifically defined for each race track. Furthermore, race drivers who achieve a podium position have to add ballast to their cars for the next round. “The push-to-pass function is a new strategic component and will make additional overtaking maneuvers possible while the ballast to be added after achieving success will make the competition at the front of the field even more intensive,” explains Rene Koneberg, Head of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

At the same time, the Cup, as Audi’s first one-make series, continues its internationalization. Launched in China in 2012, the racing series will visit the circuit at Fuji, Japan, for the first time this year. The South Korean track at Yeongam, Sepang in Malaysia and Shanghai in China complement the calendar by three other Formula 1 circuits. The race track at Shanghai will be hosting a joint event with the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The Audi R8 LMS has perfectly proven its suitability as the technical foundation for the Cup in the past two years. More than 50 percent of the race car is based on the production model. It is powered by a V10 FSI engine and uses the Audi Space Frame (ASF) as an equally light and robust backbone. Besides the race drivers who are seasoned campaigners, amateur drivers rely on the GT3 race car as well. In addition, Audi Sport customer racing Asia offers a wide range of services to its customers. The offering includes sports car training sessions, courses to obtain a racing license as well as the ready-to-race Cup cars.

Audi R8 LMS Cup calendar

May 17–18 Korea International Circuit, Yeongam, South Korea (GT Asia)
Jul 26–27 Fuji Speedway, Fuji, Japan (Super Taikyu)
Aug 16–17 Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia (GT Asia)
Sep 27–28 Guangzhou, China
Oct 18–19 Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China
(Sports Car Champions Festival)
Oct 31–Nov 02 Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China (WEC)

Official Audi R8 LMS Cup website: www.audir8lmscup.com

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

Audi R8 LMS Cup: 2014 season opener in Yeongam, South Korea

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

• The 2014 season will kick off on May 17-18, at the Korea International Circuit
• This year’s series visits four Formula One tracks across Asia - Yeongam, Fuji, Sepang and Shanghai
• 2014 race calendar published

Beijing, April 29, 2014 – The 2014 season of the Audi R8 LMS Cup will get un-derway on May 17-18 at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South Korea. With the addition of Yeongam, the 2014 race calendar now includes four Asian Formula One tracks. 

“I am very much looking forward to our season opener at Yeongam. The Korea International Circuit is a demanding track with great facilities for fans, drivers and teams. We have put together an exciting calendar for the 2014 season with some of the best racing circuits in Asia”, commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

The Audi R8 LMS Cup was founded in 2012 as Audi’s first ever brand cup world-wide. The 2014 season comprises twelve races over six race weekends. The sprint race series will visit Formula One tracks in South Korea (Yeongam), Japan (Fuji), Malaysia (Sepang) and China (Shanghai). A street race in South China’s Guang-zhou is also included in the calendar, where the cup supports the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). The Cup will perform twice in Shanghai, with the Volkswagen Group Sports Car Champions Festival (SCCF) and then alongside the World Endurance Championship (WEC).  

The 2014 season opener was originally planned to be held at South Korea's Inje. Due to operational uncertainties at Inje, the first race weekend has now been moved to Yeongam.  

Audi R8 LMS Cup 2014 Race Calendar

Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website: www.audir8lmscup.com

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi R8 LMS Cup: 2014 season opener postponed

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

Beijing, April 24, 2014 – Audi R8 LMS Cup postpones season opener.
According to the event promoter and due to operational uncertainties at Inje Speedium International Circuit in South Korea, the planned racing events at Inje on the first weekend of May cannot proceed. This also affects the Audi R8 LMS Cup. The planned races of the Audi R8 LMS Cup at Inje on May 3 and 4 are now cancelled. Audi is in negotiations to stage the opening weekend of the 2014 season in May at another location in South Korea. We expect to be able to update you soon!

Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website: www.audir8lmscup.com

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

TSS: BQRacing testing Audi R8 LMS at Sepang

By Johan Laubscher

The Sepang circuit in Malaysia saw the BQRacing team conducting their first track tests of their newly acquired Audi R8 LMS. The car was still in its "Audi ultra" livery from the Audi R8 LMS Cup and it will soon be receiving its new yellow B-Quik livery.

The team is currently preparing for a two-car entry in the 2014 Thailand Super Series. BQRacing acquired their first Audi R8 LMS Cup car a few weeks ago and they also announced that they will be upping their team to two cars for the 2014 season.

The Thailand Super Series (TSS) has a number of very potent GT3 race cars competing in the series and Audi R8 LMS cars will be debuting on the grid this season.

The team’s two cars will be driven by Khun Prantarit Nerngchamnong, alongside team leader, Khun Henk J. Kiks. They will be competing in Super Car Class 2-GTM.

The yellow livery designs of the #22 and #26 Audi R8 LMS cars from BQRacing have also been revealed in recent weeks (pictured above and below).

The 2014 Thailand Super Series gets underway at Sepang in Malaysia, 10-11 May.

Photo credit: BQRacing

Audi R8 LMS Cup: Audi introduces engine boost to Asian racing series

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

• Push-to-pass function increases horsepower for easier overtaking
• Weight additions to increase competition in the Audi R8 LMS Cup
• André Couto and Rahel Frey join 2014 season 

Zhuhai, April 6, 2014 - The Audi R8 LMS Cup will introduce a push-to-pass boost for overtaking and weight additions for podium drivers. The new features for the 2014 season were announced during the test weekend at Zhuhai International Circuit in South China on April 5-6.

Portuguese driver André Couto achieved excellent lap times during the two days of intensive testing. Raised in Macau, the former Macau Formula 3 champion is one of the most accomplished racers in Asia and joins the 2014 cup season for Brothers Racing Team (BRT). In addition, Swiss female racing star Rahel Frey will return to the Audi R8 LMS Cup for the 12 races of this year's campaign. She looks forward to meet her former colleagues from the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) during our DTM support race in Guangzhou.

"Rahel Frey and André Couto will increase the strong competition even further. I expect the new push-to-pass boost to increase overtaking opportunities. It also adds a new strategic component, as the number of boosts will be limited", commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

By activating a special "push-to-pass" button, drivers will be able to temporarily add about 50 horsepower to their engine output. The maximum number of boosts will be adjusted to the different circuit layouts. Another new feature is the weight additions. To increase competition at the head of the field drivers that reach the podium will have success ballast added for their next race.

Commenting on the upcoming campaign, André Couto said : "I am very happy to be part of this great championship. The Audi R8 LMS Cup has been growing quite a lot and has clearly raised the level of motorsport in Asia. We race at some of the best circuits in Asia, including many Formula 1 tracks. A new generation of young and talented drivers are joining the cup and I want to be part of that momentum. After we worked together for my home race, the Macau GT, last year, I am excited to now further extend the partnership with Brothers Racing Team. I feel strong and prepared for a successful season."

Up to 24 cars are expected to compete in the 2014 Audi R8 LMS Cup season. 16 drivers took the opportunity to test in Zhuhai, including some perspective new drivers. Debuting in the Audi GT3 race car were two of Asia's hottest racing talents: 19 year old Aidan Wright from Australia, who won the 2013 Formula Masters, and 18 year old Matt Solomon from Hong Kong, who shared a GT cockpit with former Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen in 2013.

The Audi R8 LMS Cup is the first brand cup of Audi worldwide. The sprint race series expanded in Asiain 2013. This year the competition is scheduled to visit South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and China, including support races for the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in Guangzhou and for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Shanghai. The strong field includes star drivers like 2013 cup champion Adderly Fong and Asian veteran and 2012 cup winner Marchy Lee, both from Hong Kong, as well as Malaysian former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong and Chinese racer "Franky" Cheng Congfu.

Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website: www.audir8lmscup.com

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

Audi R8 LMS Cup: Official testing at Zhuhai

By Johan Laubscher

The Audi R8 LMS Cup was at Zhuhai in China this weekend for the first official test days for this season. Multiple Audi R8 LMS cars and drivers took part in the testing.

Sixteen drivers were behind the wheel of the various Audi R8 LMS cars during the test and up to twenty-four cars will be taking part in the series during 2014.

The one-make Chinese Audi series will be hosting six rounds this year, getting underway at Inje in South Korea, from 3-4 May.

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup

TSS: Two-car Audi R8 LMS team for BQRacing in Thailand

By Johan Laubscher

BQRacing will be entering two Audi R8 LMS cars in the 2014 Thailand Super Series.

BQRacing acquired their first Audi R8 LMS Cup car a few weeks ago and they will now be upping their team to two cars for the 2014 season.

The Thailand Super Series (TSS) has a number of very potent GT3 race cars competing in the series and Audi R8 LMS cars will be debuting on the grid this season.

The team’s two cars will be driven by Khun Prantarit Nerngchamnong, alongside team leader, Khun Henk J. Kiks. They will be competing in Super Car Class 2-GTM.

The yellow livery designs of the #22 and #26 Audi R8 LMS cars from BQRacing have also been revealed (pictured above).

The 2014 Thailand Super Series gets underway at Sepang in Malaysia, 10-11 May.

Photo credit: Thailand Super Series

TSS: BQRacing debuting Audi R8 LMS in Thailand

By Johan Laubscher

BQRacing has acquired one of the Audi R8 LMS Cup cars and they will be entering it in the 2014 Thailand Super Series.

The Thailand Super Series (TSS) has a number of very potent GT3 race cars competing in the series and an Audi R8 LMS will be debuting on the grid this season. The BQRacing R8 LMS is the “Audi Ultra Team” car that was used by Cheng Cong Fu and Andre Couto in the 2014 Audi R8 LMS Cup.

BQRacing’s Facebook page can be seen HERE.

Photo credit: BQRacing

Audi R8 LMS Cup: Audi China forms motorsport partnership with Chinese racing team BRT

Audi R8 LMS Cup Press Release

• Audi China forms motorsport partnership with Chinese racing team BRT
• Cooperation supports internationalization of Chinese motorsport
• Audi China driver “Franky” Cheng Congfu to race for BRT in Europe
• BRT to field four cars in the 2014 Audi R8 LMS Cup

Beijing, January 21, 2014 – Audi Sport customer racing China has entered into a partnership with Brothers Racing Team (BRT) for the 2014 motorsport season. Audi will provide operational support and training for this year’s extended international motorsport program of the Chinese racing team. The cooperation also includes a driver exchange program. Audi China driver “Franky” Cheng Congfu is scheduled to race an Audi R8 LMS ultra for BRT in European GT competitions.

“BRT is one of the most ambitious racing teams in China and we are very happy to form this new partnership with them. Audi and BRT share the vision of further developing motorsport in China and are both committed to offer new opportunities to Chinese drivers to compete on the world stage”, says Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia. “We are looking forward to further advance the internationalization of Chinese motorsport, together with Audi as our strong partner”, commented BRT founder “Ricky” Ren Wei.

As part of the extended cooperation, BRT will field a record four cars in this year’s Audi R8 LMS Cup, compared to two cars in the 2013 season. The Audi R8 LMS Cup was founded in 2012 and is the first brand cup of Audi worldwide. The Asia-based competition will visit China, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia in 2014, including support races for the German Touring Car Championship, DTM, and the WEC in China.

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup