TUSC: Paul Miller Racing wins Petit Le Mans - Race Report

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Bryce Miller, Christopher Haase, Matt Bell and the No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS Team Take Victory in Season-Ending 10-Hour Race

BRASELTON, Georgia (Oct. 5, 2014) - Paul Miller Racing and team drivers Bryce Miller, Christopher Haase and Matt Bell scored a strong GT Daytona (GTD) victory in Saturday's season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS.

The win was a first for the established Paul Miller Racing team and its drivers in the inaugural season of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and came in one of the toughest events on the schedule. The timed endurance race is basically a 10-hour sprint to the finish and few teams have had to fight as hard for a Petit victory than the No. 48 Audi R8 LMS squad did on Saturday.

FOX national television coverage of Petit Le Mans highlights airs today in a two-hour telecast scheduled around the network's NFL programming. Viewers can check local listings for times.

Paul Miller Racing's victory capped a challenging season on a high note not only for the team and drivers but Audi as well that earned its first IMSA TUDOR Championship win in the 11th and final race of the season.

Bryce Miller and Haase also jumped two positions in the final IMSA TUDOR Championship GTD driver championship point standings to take runner-up honors for the season.

"It's been a good year and a great team effort with a lot of support from Audi," said Team Owner Paul Miller. "I'm really proud of the guys and the drivers and the team. Our pit stops were great, the car was beautifully prepared and it was just great overall. It's just so nice to end the year with this kind of result, to work our way through the field in a major endurance race like this to cap off the season."

All three team drivers led during the race and the competitive run began with starting driver Bryce Miller who quickly moved up from a 13th-place starting position. The heads-up opening stint was followed by a strong shift in the middle of the race when he led and handed the car off to Haase from second place.

"This is incredible," Bryce Miller said. "We've been on the BoP (Balance of Performance) slide all year but the guys keep making things happen for us from the pit cart. Like all year, we knew we couldn't win this race on pure pace alone, but the team called a brilliant strategy, executed outstanding pit stops, and provided a good solid setup with a focus again on tire preservation to try and improve our lapping average, which has been a tremendous challenge all season long. The drivers kept the car free of contact, didn't make mistakes and our Audi R8 LMS again proved reliable and we picked up positions due to attrition too."

Haase was at the wheel in the race's final hours and three times raced back into the lead. He also defended the team's hard-earned first-place position when the last of the race's mass of yellow-flag periods forced a dash to the finish. The car behind him didn't make it easy.

"The team did a good job and so did my teammates," Haase said. "At the end we stayed out of trouble and had no mistakes. We tried to keep a fast and constant pace and the best team performance, which gave us a chance to fight for the win. The traffic was really tough and at the end the last lap was a bit crazy. In Turn 7 the car behind me crashed into me and afterwards on the back straight. The car is messed up but we can be happy we won, we can be really happy."

Bell raced with Paul Miller Racing at both the Daytona and Sebring endurance events and came home a winner in his first race at Road Atlanta.

"It went quite well," Bell said. "It was a big challenge, especially for me. This was my first time here and my first time back in the car since Sebring. A lot had changed and I just gradually relearned the car over the weekend. I brought the car in ninth, handed it over in fourth and gave it to my teammates who brought it home in the lead. It was an absolutely brilliant job from Bryce and Chris and just the whole Paul Miller Racing team and Audi crew. A big thank you to them for having me and a big thank you for making it possible to win."

Noteworthy

- Saturday's season-ending result couldn't have come at a better time. "This gives us a good boost headed into next season," Paul Miller said. "Our team has really grown a lot over the course of the year. I think we're in a great spot right now. We felt like we had the car and the team to do this all year long, we just kept missing it. We had two seconds and a third and a fourth and we led the Daytona 24 hour from the pole for 13 hours, so it's great to get a good win at Petit. We're very excited."

- A key to success Saturday and all season was tuning the car to maximize its long-run performance in the absence of competitive pace. "We didn't know if we had a win in the cards this year under the current rules configuration, but the pressure has been on this team for so long to find other ways to scrap for results," Bryce Miller said. "It's made us really strong in very specific areas of our play and now here we are with a win a Petit Le Mans. It's a great feeling and a wonderful under-dog story. I'm really proud of the team for staying after it and never giving up. They've earned this result and I'm proud of them."

About Paul Miller Racing
Paul Miller Racing is among the top GT teams competing in North American sports car road racing. In 2014, the team will contest the full GT Daytona (GTD) season in the new IMSA TUDOR SportsCar Championship in a new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing. Bryce Miller and Christopher Hasse will co-drive the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS. The racing team is affiliated with the Paul Miller Auto Group, which has operated Paul Miller Audi since 1976, races in support of Full Circle Home, and competes with the support of Castrol EDGE, Search Marketing Group and Motegi Racing.

Follow Paul Miller Racing on Twitter @paulmilleracing @bryceracer and @ChHaase, on Facebook fan pages at Facebook.com/paulmillerracing, and at Facebook.com/brycemiller.net, and www.paulmillerracing.com,  www.brycemiller.net and www.christopher-haase.de.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS Team Take Victory in Season-Ending 10-Hour Race

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Bryce Miller, Christopher Haase, Matt Bell and the No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS Team Take Victory in Season-Ending 10-Hour Race 

ATLANTA (Oct. 4, 2014) - Paul Miller Racing and team drivers Bryce Miller, Christopher Haase and Matt Bell scored a strong GT Daytona (GTD) victory in Saturday's season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS.

The win was a first for the established Paul Miller Racing team in the inaugural season of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and came in one of the toughest races on the schedule. The timed endurance race is basically a 10-hour sprint to the finish and no team was on the winning pace more at Petit than the No. 48 Audi squad.

Starting driver Bryce Miller coupled a heads-up opening stint with a strong shift in the middle race when he challenged into the top five. That paved the way for Bell and race closer Haase to bring the No. 48 to the finish.

"It's been very long season for us," Bryce Miller said. "I think our whole team has felt held back so it's just a wonderful end-of-season result to be able to work our way up and win a big endurance race like this to cap off the year."

Haase was at the wheel in the race's final hours and twice raced back into the lead. He also defended the point when the last of the race's many yellow-flag periods forced a dash to the finish.

"The team did a good job and so did my teammates," Haase said. "At the end we stayed out of trouble and had no mistakes. We tried to keep a fast and constant pace and the best team performance, which gave us a chance to fight for the win."

A full report from Petit Le Mans follows.

About Paul Miller Racing:
Paul Miller Racing is among the top GT teams competing in North American sports car road racing. In 2014, the team will contest the full GT Daytona (GTD) season in the new IMSA TUDOR SportsCar Championship in a new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing. Bryce Miller and Christopher Hasse will co-drive the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS. The racing team is affiliated with the Paul Miller Auto Group, which has operated Paul Miller Audi since 1976, races in support of Full Circle Home, and competes with the support of Castrol EDGE, Search Marketing Group and Motegi Racing.

Follow Paul Miller Racing on Twitter @paulmilleracing @bryceracer and @ChHaase and become a Facebook fan at Facebook.com/paulmillerracing and Facebook.com/brycemiller.net. Learn more information about Paul Miller Racing and the team's drivers at ww.paulmillerracing.com, www.brycemiller.net and www.christopher-haase.de.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing

TUSC: Hard qualifying for Audi teams at Road Atlanta

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi teams faced a hard and unlucky qualifying session at Road Atlanta. None of the three Audi R8 LMS cars made it into the Top 10 for today's Petit Le Mans, the finale of the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Best of the Audis was the #48 R8 LMS entry from Paul Miller Racing. The car in the hands of Christopher Haase, Bryce Miller and Matt Bell qualified in thirteenth place within the GT Daytona class with a best time of 1:23.592.

Best of the Audi's w/a P13 starting position tomorrow for the No.48 #Audi #welcomechallenges @mattbellracing @chhaase @bryceracer #PLM
— Paul Miller Racing (@paulmilleracing) October 3, 2014

The two Audi cars from Flying Lizard Motorsports were right behind. The #35 R8 LMS with drivers Nelson Canache, Spencer Pumpelly and Andrew Palmer qualified in fourteenth place with a best time of 1:23.595.

The sister #45 Audi R8 LMS was eighteenth, the car is driven by Dion von Moltke, Seth Neiman and Alessandro Lattif.

The 45 will start 14th, the 35 will start 18th. 10 hours to get to the front
— Flying Lizard (@FlyingLizard_MS) October 3, 2014

GT Daytona pole position went to the #007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 from TRG-AMR. The #58 Porsche GT America from Dempsey Racing was second. The #73 Porsche GT America from Park Place Motorsport was third.

Petit Le Mans qualifying results can be seen here.

The race is a 10-hour endurance event with a live stream coverage available at www.imsa.com.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Flying Lizard Motorsports

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing, Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase Survive for 11th at Road America

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Following a series of on-track incidents in a caution-plagued event, Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS drivers Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase endured a long day to finish 11th in the GT Daytona (GTD) division in Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America.

The eighth round of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship would be a tough one for the No. 48 team, and many other competitors, but Paul Miller Racing’s championship hopes remain alive despite finishing just outside of the top 10.

More than half of the timed 2-3/4 hour race was run under caution, with more than 90 minutes of yellow flags from six different incidents.

“I never saw a race like this, much less driven in one,” Bryce Miller said. “I think the amount of caution time compared to the overall race time was ridiculous. There were so many incidents and we somehow got caught up in all of them. It never seemed to be our weekend. We just had to try and make something out of it, and the guys did a really good job. We need to focus on the next race and get back to doing what we do.”

Gridding ninth, Miller made a strong start to his day, surviving a wild set of opening caution laps due to a spate of incidents around the track. The race-slowing cautions compounded the fact that the current rules BoP (Balance of Performance) clearly did not favor the Audi R8 LMS ranks on the four-mile Road America circuit.

A timely caution period just past the 30-minute mark gave the team a break they needed only to see Miller suffer a double contact incident. The first hit was in the door by a fellow Audi competitor, and moments later the No. 48 was struck again by a GTD-class Porsche that came together with Miller as he slowly drove his stricken Audi back to the pits.

Although the Audi driver later apologized, the incident cost the No. 48 team two laps and any realistic shot at the victory.

Haase took over and all attention turned to regaining the lost ground. The steady stream of cautions twice allowed the Paul Miller team to take advantage of yellow-flag wave-arounds to eventually claw back on to the lead lap in the final hour of the race.

With only minutes remaining, Haase charged to improve within the top-10 only to spin into the Turn 1 gravel trap. Safety crews eventually towed the No. 48 out but the team was back to being two laps down and locked into 11th place until the checkered flag.

“The weekend was very difficult for the Audi teams,” Haase said. “We saw it in the performance. We were running on the edge and just couldn’t go faster. By the end of the race we were running out of time. To improve the position I had to do something but it didn’t work in the first corner. I spun and was in the gravel. I held the position but I couldn’t improve it.”

With the busy summer season still under way, Paul Miller Racing and several classes of the IMSA TUDOR Championship will return to action in less than two weeks at Virginia International Raceway, August 22 – 24. The featured Oak Tree Grand Prix can be seen in live coverage on FOX Sports 1, Sunday, August 24, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

TUSC: Second place for Paul Miller Racing Audi at Indianapolis

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi R8 LMS performed well again in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. A fine second place for the Paul Miller Racing run Audi at Indianapolis.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS in the hands of Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller finished in a very strong second place within the GT Daytona class in the Brickyard Grand Prix. The two drivers were right behind the winning Ferrari 458 Italia from Scuderia Corsa.

The Paul Miller Racing team battled really hard in what is clearly seen the most fought class in the North American sportscar series. The car was leading the GT Daytona field in most of the second half of the race before the final pit stops. In the closing stages of the race Christopher Haase charged back chasing the leading Ferrari but the time run over. A strong result for the team and drivers and big points collected for the overall championship standing.

Best of the Flying Lizard Motorsport Audis was the #45 R8 LMS, eighth within the GT Daytona field. The car was shared by Nelson Canache Jr and Spencer Pumpelly. Their team-mates Dion von Moltke and Seth Neiman were thriteenth in class driving the #35 Audi.

The #46 Audi R8 LMS from Fall-Line Motorsports finished the 2h45 event in fourteenth place in GT Daytona class with drivers Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman.

Indianapolis race results can be seen here.

The next stop for TUDOR United SportsCar Championship teams and drivers will be at the very popular and fast Road America, August 8th-10th.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsport / Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

TUSC: From Mosport to a motorsport legend: Christopher Haase and TUSC travel to Indianapolis

Christopher Haase Press Release

Two 8th place finishes in a row – nevertheless Audi driver Christopher Haase was happy after the races at Watkins Glen and Mosport. At the former Formula 1 track in upstate New York, he and his team mate Bryce Miller were able to fight themselves back into a point scoring position following a tactical error that saw the car coast to a halt, out of fuel. And in Canada's Mosport, also a track with a rich racing tradition, the duo again collected points towards the overall championship, despite a very difficult situation at the outset of the race.

„In qualifying, we missed the top spot by two tenths“, Haase recalls a particularly challenging weekend with the Audi R8 LMS of Paul Miller Racing, „the race itself was very fast, not just because of the track itself which with its many elevation changes and an amazingly high average speed certainly qualifies as the „little Nordschleife“. There were also no yellow flag periods, and all competitors showed a very equal performance. The only way you can make a pass the hard way, and we avoided anything like this. So in the end we scored another 8th place, and again collected important points. This puts Bryce and myself up into 5th place in the drivers' standings; and we are not missing much on the championship leaders now, as almost all direct competitors finished behind us. Now we will work hard to improve our performance in qualifying, because we certainly want to bring home better race results!“ Christopher Haase and his team mate Bryce Miller are already thinking ahead, to the next race in two weeks' time at the legendary the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the „Brickyard Grand Prix 2014“.

USCC GTD category – drivers' championship standings:
1. Townsend Bell/ Bill Sweedler (Ferrari 458 Italia) 164 points
2. Andy Lally/John Potter (Porsche 911 GT America) 161
3. Leh Keen/Cooper MacNeil (Porsche 911 GT America) 157
4. Dane Cameron/Markus Palttala (BMW Z4) 155
5. Christopher Haase/Bryce Miller (Audi R8 LMS) 150
6. Mario Farnbacher/Ian James (Porsche 911 GT America) 149
7. Seth Neiman/Dion von Moltke (Audi R8 LMS) 145
8. Jan Heylen/Madison Snow (Porsche 911 GT America) 143
9. Nelson Canache Jr./Spencer Pumpelly (Audi R8 LMS) 141
10. Jeff Westphal 140 (Ferrari 458 Italia)

Follow Christopher Haase on Facebook www.facebook.com/haase.christopher and Twitter https://twitter.com/ChHaase!

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

TUSC: The Audi teams qualified well at Candian Tire Motorsports Park

By Tarek Ramchani

As was the case in all free practice sessions, the Audi squad performed well again in the 15-minute GT Daytona qualifying session at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

Three Audi R8 LMS cars were among the Top 10 in what it is seen as the most competitive class in the newly formed TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Flying Lizard Motorsports put their #45 Audi R8 LMS in the front row and will start from second place in the TUSC 2h45 race. Spencer Pumpelly qualified the car with a best time of 1:19.159 and was right behind the pole setting SRT Viper GT3-R of Jeron J.Bleekemolen.

The second Flying Lizard Motorsports entry qualified well too, the #35 car  a fine fifth place within the GTD class.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS from Paul Miller Racing made it into the Top 10. Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller will start from position 10.

The Fall-Line Motorsports #46 Audi R8 LMS had a harder session. The all blue car in the hands of Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman will start from position seventeen.

UPDATE: The #45 Audi R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsports will start from the back of the pack after a ride height infringement.

The qualifiying session results can be seen here.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsports / Bob Chapman

TUSC: Strong Audi performances in Canadian Tire Motorsports Park practice sessions

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi teams performed very well in the two TUDOR United SportsCar Championship practice sessions at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

The Audi R8 LMS cars dominated the first practice session. A storming 1-2-3 for the Audi Sport customer racing squad in the demanding GT Daytona class.

The #35 Audi R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsports lead the field with drives Neiman/von Moltke/Pumpelly with a best time of 1:19.679. Second place for the #48 car from Paul Miller Racing in the hands of Haase/B.Miller. Third place for the second Flying Lizard Motorsports entry, the #45 car shared by Canache Jr./Pumpelly/von Moltke. The #46 Audi from Fall-Line Motorsport was eleventh in class.

First practice session results can be seen here.

Strong performances in the second practice session as well. Fast lap times and three Audi R8 LMS cars made it into the Top 10.

The #45 car from Flying Lizard Motorsports was third within the GT Daytona class right behind the two leading Porsche GT America cars. The sister #35 machine was sixth. The #48 Audi from Paul Miller Racing was tenth. The #46 R8 LMS from Fall-Line Motorsport was sixteenth.

Second practice session results can be seen here.

Action will resume today at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park with a third and final practice session followed by qualifying.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsport / Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

TUSC: The Audi teams heading to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

By Tarek Ramchani

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is moving up north to Canada this weekend at the very popular Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, better known as Mosport. The Audi Sport customer racing squad will be represented once again by four Audi R8 LMS cars.

In Canada the Audi teams will be eager to perform well and secure a first GT Daytona class win this season. The R8 LMS cars were so close to victories in many races this year but were unlucky as was the case at Daytona, Laguna Seca and Detroit.

Flying Lizard Motorsports will field their two regular cars. The #35 Audi R8 LMS will be shared by Seth Neiman and Dion von Moltke. The two drivers are fourth in the overall driver's standing with 127 points each.

Their team-mates at Flying Lizard Motorsports Nelson Canache Jr. and Spencer Pumpelly will share the sister #45 Audi R8 LMS. The two drivers are ninth in GT Daytona standing with 119 points.

Fall-Line Motorsport will field the #46 Audi R8 LMS with drivers Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman who are sixteenth overall with 67 points.

The fourth Audi effort is coming from Paul Miller Racing. The #48 Audi R8 LMS will be driven by Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller, they are fifth overall in the GT Daytona standing with 126 points.

Action at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park will start on Friday with two practice sessions. The third practice session and qualifying will be held on Saturday. The 2h45 race is set for Sunday.

Photo credit: IMSA

TUSC: More points for Christopher Haase at Watkins Glen

Christopher Haase Press Release

Audi driver Christopher Haase did not spend much time celebrating his major success, the overall victory in the 24 hour race at the Nürburgring: the man from Bavaria travelled straight to the USA for the next round of the United Sports Car Championship (USCC), again with Paul Miller Racing. And again he was able to make the acquaintance of a legendary racetrack: “It is a special experience to get to know a track such as Watkins Glen. Add to this the fact that almost all road courses in the USA are natural circuits, with elevation changes and fast, flowing combinations of corners. They are a dream come true, even though – or because – you need major commitment to be fast here.”

Qualifying on the 5.472 kilometer track brought no problems for Haase and his team mate Bryce Miller, and the set-up of their Audi R8 LMS seemed to be good right away. In the race, which ran over a duration of six hours, initially all went well for Miller and Haase: “The start went smoothly, we were able to make up several spots right away. Then it was a perfect team performance by Bryce and myself which saw us in 4th position in the GTD class after about two hours”, says Haase, who then unfortunately ran out of luck. “I was on the last lap of my stint when the Safety Car came out. We wanted to take advantage of this situation, and make up some more time. Had it worked out, we would have been on course for the class win. But then I ran out of fuel, just a few hundred meters before the pit entrance.” This mishap cost them four laps which ultimately denied them not only their chance at winning in class but also the podium finish they had believed was secure.

8th place was damage limitation for Haase and Miller. “After the unfortunate incident, we were determined to get some points, and with 8th position we did just that”, says Christopher Haase who only gets to spend a little over a week at home in Germany before he returns to North America. “We have come to the half-way point of the year already, and I would like to thank Paul Miller Racing for the terrific first half of the season. Racing in the USA is fun! We’ll try to get on the podium a few more times in the second part of the year. Maybe we’ll get there already at Mosport, on the next legendary track!”

Follow Christopher Haase on Facebook www.facebook.com/haase.christopher and Twitter https://twitter.com/ChHaase!

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Champan

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing Consistency Keeps Title Hopes Alive in Tough Watkins Glen Race

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Paul Miller Racing drivers Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase endured a grueling Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday to finish eighth in the No. 48 Castrol EDGE Audi R8 LMS, the fifth round of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's GT Daytona (GTD) class at Watkins Glen International.

"Today wasn't quite what we'd hoped for, but we have a clean car and we're really hitting our marks as a team," Bryce Miller said. "Everything was very well prepared, and with each session we're really clicking and understanding what the car needs. We're fifth in the points and that's a great place for the second half of the season, however we really need to work hard to catch the championship leaders."
A pre-race decision to change tires moved the No. 48 to the back of the starting field, but opening driver Miller quickly improved several positions, gaining immediate ground on the leaders. With Miller and Haase trading driving duties throughout the six-hour race, the emphasis during the early stages was to carefully close the gap on the field in front while preserving the Audi for the end.

An unusual amount of green flag laps in the opening hours had the team gamble to run fuel stints for as long as possible. But a yellow flag near the two-hour mark caught the team off guard and the Paul Miller Racing entry ran out of fuel. After stalling on track, the No. 48 team lost several laps to the leaders and, as is often the case at Watkins Glen, never really had an opportunity to make them up in the second half of the race.

With the team needing a series of caution periods to try and gain ground while working a comeback strategy, a long green-flag stretch at the race's midpoint made the rebound difficult. The team still managed a top-10 finish despite the challenges, crossing the finish line in eighth place, five laps down from the leaders.

"We were really hoping for more yellows in the race, but they never came," Miller said. "It could have been a lot worse, and we really need a clean car for Mosport, so we'll take what we've learned and be ready."
Paul Miller Racing came to Watkins Glen on the heels of consecutive podium finishes of second and third in the last two TUDOR Championship races at Laguna Seca and Belle Isle Detroit, respectively.

Haase was an important part of that success and managed to continue the top results at last weekend's 24 Hours of Nurburgring. He won the race overall for the second time in three years in a Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS. Among his co-drivers was Rene Rast who also raced with Haase, Bryce Miller and British driver Matt Bell in the No. 48 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

"For sure, I have enjoyed this success a lot but you have to stay calm and focus yourself on each race weekend like new," Haase said. "As a driver, I need a great team which I have with Paul Miller Racing and Phoenix Racing in Europe. On the other hand, I love the Audi R8 LMS and the will of iron to win races for Audi Sport Customer Racing as well for the teams."

With two weeks until the next event, Paul Miller Racing will turn the Audi R8 LMS around quickly for the upcoming race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. As a tricky, 2.46-mile course with sweeping elevation changes, the team has high hopes that the course configuration will suit the needs of the Audi.

Practice will begin Friday, July 11, with the race being broadcast Sunday, July 13, at 2 p.m. EDT live on FOX Sports 1.

Noteworthy

- While The Glen was an all-new experience for Haase, it is practically a home track for the New Jersey-based Millers. Team owner Paul Miller, Bryce Miller's father, was born in the Rochester, New York community of Pittsford and first attended a Watkins Glen event in 1951 at the age of six. He and his brother, Kenper Miller, went on to become regular and competitive sports car drivers in IMSA and Trans-Am, and Paul Miller has made countless starts on the 3.4-mile Glen road course. A young Bryce Miller was there for many of his father's races. "The Glen is a little bit of a stomping ground for us," Bryce Miller said. "Our family always made it up to the Glen to watch my Dad's races years ago. When I was racing formula cars, The Glen was always part of our circuit as well. The track and that area are familiar to our family and it brings back a lot of memories and nostalgia."

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

TUSC: Audi teams performed well in Watkins Glen first practice session

By Tarek Ramchani

A positive day 1 for the Audi teams at Watkins Glen in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. A single free practice session was done yesterday with good performances from the Audi R8 LMS cars in a demanding GT Daytona field.

The best ranked Audi was he #45 R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsports, which ended the session in a strong fourth place within the GTD class. The car driven by Nelson Canache Jr, Spencer Pumpelly and Brett Sandberg with a best time of 1:51.110.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS from Paul Miller Racing was sixth fastest with a best time of 1:51.295 in the hands of Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller.

The second Flying Lizard Motorsport entry, the #35 Audi R8 LMS of Spencer Pumpelly, Dion von Moltke and Seth Neiman was eleventh with a best time of 1:52.038.

Fall-Line Motorsports was seventeenth with their #46 Audi R8 LMS shared by Charlie Putman, Charles Espenlaub and Marco Bonanomi with a best time of 1:54.297.

First practice session results can be seen here.

Action will resume today with two practice session followed by the qualifying session.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsports / Bob Chapman

TUSC: More joy for Christopher Haase - A podium result in Detroit with the Audi R8 LMS

Christopher Haase Press Release

The Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit was last weekend’s venue for Christpher Haase‘s next motor racing
assignment in North America. As soon as the young German and his team Bryce Miller went into free practice on the temporary race course with its many bumps and potholes, they found that much setup work on the Audi R8 LMS lay ahead of them: „We had to make several changes to the settings in both free practice sessions. In the end, it went quite well; but we weren’t able to carry that performance over into qualifying.“

The end of qualifying practice saw them only in 12th place of the GTD category, not a particularly good starting point for the Paul Miller Racing crew. The team made a few setup adjustments during the warm-up session, with the desired result: „These minute changes had a very positive effect“, says Christopher Haase who watched his colleague Miller take the start, „we got away without trouble, and the new setup allowed us to get on the pace of the leading cars in terms of our lap times.“

Just as at Laguna Seca, the team’s brilliant strategy and a fantastic recovery drive by Haase cleared the way onto the class podium, where the man from Bavaria was jubilant. “Just 35 minutes into the race, we had the first Safety Car period which we used for a pit stop for fresh tyres, refuelling and driver change. The boys at Paul Miller Racing did perfect and super fast work, which gained us a few positions right there in the pits. And at the restart, I got the crucial information over the radio at just the right time, so I got past a few competitors right when the lights turned from yellow to green. Things got extremely exciting toward the end when I was in touch with the leading group. It was close combat for 30 minutes, bumper-to-bumper on the streets of Detroit where you tend to lean on the retaining walls under acceleration... When we consider our position on the starting grid, this 3rd place is the maximum of what we could achieve, there was nothing more in it. Our Audi once again ran without any problem, so a victory should only be a matter of time! Right now I am looking forward to the highlight of my season, because my next race will be the 24 Hours on the Nürburgring!“

Follow Christopher Haase on Facebook www.facebook.com/haase.christopher and Twitter https://twitter.com/ChHaase!

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman Photography

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing rides podium to the Motor City with No. 48 Audi R8 LMS

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Riding a wave of momentum straight to the Motor City after a season-best second-place finish
one race ago at Laguna Seca, Paul Miller Racing and No 48 Audi R8 LMS drivers Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase are primed for more podium success at this weekend's IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race on Belle Isle in Detroit.

Saturday's featured sprint is the fourth TUDOR Championship GT Daytona (GTD) round of the year and starts at 12:10 p.m. EDT. The 100-minute race, which also includes the top-tier Prototype class, can be seen in virtual live coverage - the telecast will begin before the race is over - on FOX Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT. Live coverage can also be heard on MRN Radio starting at Noon and local Detroit radio network WDFN-AM 1130.

"Laguna was a great morale boost for the team and it's important that we've rebounded at this early stage in the season after our results from Daytona and Sebring," Bryce Miller said. "If we can get into the points battle before the season's halfway point it will position us better to manage risk going into the last races."

The great weekend at Laguna Seca began with a third-place qualifying effort by Haase who joined co-driver Miller in battling for the race win from the start of the two-hour sprint. The team fought its way back into race-leading contention more than once, frequently battling in the top five and, for the last turns of the final lap, the race victory.

"First of all, we were always good already in the first races but we had no luck," said Haase, a German driver in his first full season of North American racing. "At Laguna the luck came back to us and we were able to fight at the front. It is a great motivation for the team. Never give up."

The persistence has already moved the Paul Miller Racing team and drivers into the early-season points race in the TUDOR Championship's competitive GTD division. Miller and Haase rank seventh in the driver championship standings with 69 points, trailing the sixth-place drivers by three points and just six points out of the top five. The No. 48 team has the same 69 point tally to rank seventh in the GTD team standings heading to Detroit.

Another strong result in Motown would keep the team's championship aspirations alive but it will have to be earned on a track that neither team nor the drivers have ever even seen.

"This will be my first time at Detroit Belle Isle," Bryce Miller said. "I was moonlighting some hours this week to catch some in-car footage. I think there are other tracks that will favor the Audi more than the Detroit circuit but it will also be both Christopher's and my first time driving here. We will know more after the first session."

A two-day event, the Detroit schedule begins Friday with a pair of practice sessions from 9:35 until 11:05 a.m. and 1:35 to 3:05 p.m. The GTD division qualifies later on Friday from 5:25 to 5:40 p.m. Race-day Saturday starts with a 20-minute warm-up at 8 a.m. before the start of that afternoon's race at 12:10 p.m.

Noteworthy

- Bryce Miller feels right at home on temporary road courses. "I quite enjoy street circuits," Miller said. "We finished fourth in 2011 at Long Beach in the ALMS GT class and I finished on the podium in Montreal in 2007 so it would be nice to break some of that dry spell at Detroit."

- Haase has a familiar drill leading up to his first time at any new circuit. "For me, it will be my first time here," Haase said. "My preparation is always the same. I do some laps on my simulator. Also, I look for onboard videos as well data. At the end you have to learn quickly in the free practice."

- After starting the season with the Rolex 24 At Daytona - where Haase won the pole and the No. 48 team set the pace for more than half the race - and the 12 Hours of Sebring, Detroit is the second GTD short sprint in a row. The GTD class also joined the Prototype Challenge (PC) division at Laguna Seca for a two-hour sprint.

About Paul Miller Racing: Paul Miller Racing is among the top GT teams competing in North American sports car road racing. In 2014, the team will contest the full GT Daytona (GTD) season in the new IMSA TUDOR SportsCar Championship in a new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing. Bryce Miller and Christopher Hasse will co-drive the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS. The racing team is affiliated with the Paul Miller Auto Group, which has operated Paul Miller Audi since 1976, races in support of Full Circle Home, and competes with the support of TOTAL Lubricants, Search Marketing Group and Motegi Racing.

Follow Paul Miller Racing on Twitter @paulmilleracing @bryceracer and @ChHaase and become a Facebook fan at Facebook.com/paulmillerracing and Facebook.com/brycemiller.net. Learn more information about Paul Miller Racing and the team's drivers at www.paulmillerracing.com, www.brycemiller.net and www.christopher-haase.de.

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.

Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Champan

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing Takes Close Second-Place Finish at Laguna Seca in No. 48 Audi R8 LMS‏

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

PAUL MILLER RACING EARNS CLOSE SECOND-PLACE FINISH AT LAGUNA SECA WITH AUDI

Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase Co-Drive No. 48 Audi R8 LMS to Near-Victory in Monterey

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 5, 2014) - Paul Miller Racing, and team drivers Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase, moved into early-season IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) title contention with a close second-place finish in Sunday's Continental Tire Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS.

The runner-up showing was earned in just the team's third race with Audi Sport customer racing and made good on some class-leading but near-miss showings this year in the inaugural IMSA TUDOR season.

"It's just such a relief for the whole team," said Paul Miller Racing Team Owner Paul Miller. "We were leading for more than 13 hours at Daytona and then had a mechanical. Then we got drilled at Sebring, so to be here and finally have a result that's reflective of the effort that these guys have been putting forth is just tremendous. We are really excited, it's a big burden lifted off of everybody. We really had a shot at the win today for sure. It was a great race. You can't ask for anything more."

The top weekend also included a third-place qualifying effort by Haase who joined co-driver Bryce Miller in battling for the race win from the start of the two-hour sprint. The team fought its way back into race-leading contention more than once, frequently battling in the top five and, for the last turns of the final lap, for the race victory.

Bryce Miller, Paul Miller's son, drove the race's opening shift and kept the No. 48 Audi R8 LMS in the lead pack throughout his stint.

"Awesome race," Bryce Miller said. "The team did a great job with the strategy and it played perfectly into our hands. This was Christopher's first time here ever and he did an incredible job to bring us back to the front, fighting back through all of the muck and everything else. I think there was a win here for us today but we'll take this second." 

Haase has quickly become one of the competitive GTD division's top drivers. He won the pole in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and then recorded the top-three qualifying result at Laguna Seca in his track debut.

"This was a great race for us, my first race at Laguna Seca," Haase said. "The team did such a great job with strategy and we had enough fuel at the end, which was the most important thing. We had great fights, it was quite tough but close. To improve the position I would have needed one more lap or another 100 meters but second place is great. I'm happy."

The entire Paul Miller Racing team was happy and has hit on a soon-to-be winning combination this year.

"I'm really proud of the team, they worked really hard for this podium and deserve it," Bryce Miller said. "They rolled the car off the truck with a really good setup from the very beginning and the preparation was good all weekend as well. I'm really happy and proud for everyone."

Next up for Paul Miller Racing and the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's GT Daytona (GTD) class is the fourth round of the year at the Raceway on Belle Isle Park in Detroit, May 30 - 31.

About Paul Miller Racing: Paul Miller Racing is among the top GT teams competing in North American sports car road racing. In 2014, the team will contest the full GT Daytona (GTD) season in the new IMSA TUDOR SportsCar Championship in a new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing. Bryce Miller and Christopher Hasse will co-drive the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS. The racing team is affiliated with the Paul Miller Auto Group, which has operated Paul Miller Audi since 1976, races in support of Full Circle Home, and competes with the support of TOTAL Lubricants, Search Marketing Group and Motegi Racing.

Follow Paul Miller Racing on Twitter @paulmilleracing @bryceracer and @ChHaase and become a Facebook fan at Facebook.com/paulmillerracing and Facebook.com/brycemiller.net. Learn more information about Paul Miller Racing and the team's drivers at ww.paulmillerracing.com, www.brycemiller.net and www.christopher-haase.de.

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.

Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing [2014 Bob Chapman, Autosport Image]