Pirelli World Challenge: Trio of Audis in the top 6 at Long Beach

By Johan Laubscher

The Pirelli World Challenge headed to Long Beach this weekend. An army of Audi R8 LMS ultra cars took part, a total of seven cars from three different teams. 

GMG Racing entered five Audi R8 LMS ultra cars, along with single car entries from JCR Motorsports and the debuting CRP Racing.

The GMG Racing cars were driven by James Sofronas (#14), Andrew Palmer (#21), Bret Curtis (#32), Brent Holden (#44) and Bill Ziegler (#95). The #99 JCR Motorsports R8 LMS ultra was driven by Jeff Courtney and Mike Skeen was behind the wheel of the new #2 CRP Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra.

RS Werkes rounded out the Audi entries with their #01 Audi TT RS in the GTS class, driven by Don Istook.

Andrew Palmer continued his strong form and was once again he was the highest Audi qualifier, placing fifth overall on the grid. James Sofronas was eighth and Mike Skeen was ninth, rounding out the three Audis within the top ten.

The race itself concluded with that trio of Audis finishing within the top six. They were lead by Andrew Palmer in fourth, James Sofronas in fifth and Mike Skeen in sixth. 

Jeff Courtney finished twelfth, Bret Curtis in fifteenth, Brent Holden in sixteenth and Bill Ziegler in nineteenth. Don Istook finished thirty-fourth overall in the #01 Audi TT RS and fourteenth in the GTS class.

Round three of the Pirelli World Challenge will be hosted at Barber Motorsports Park from 25-27 April.

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

Pirelli World Challenge: Istook Motorsport preparing their Audi TT RS for St. Petersburg opener

By Tarek Ramchani

The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season will kick off in Florida, at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, supporting the IndyCar Series.

In addition to multiple Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in GT class, the Audi brand will be represented in the GTS class with a single Audi TT RS. Istook Motorsport and Werkes Racing are busy preparing their TT RS for the season opener. At St. Petersburg the #01 Audi TT RS will be driven by team owner Don Istook.

Istook Motorsport and Werkes Racing are planning to field a second Audi TT RS as well an Audi A3 TDI in TC-A class later this year.

Photo credit: Werkes Racing

Pirelli World Challenge: RS Werkes Racing will enter an Audi A3 in the Touring Car A class

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi brand is already very well represented in the Pirelli World Challenge and it will see further expansion this season.
RS Werkes Racing (Istook's Motorsports) will be entering an Audi A3 TDI in the Touring Car A division (TCA).

RS Werkes Racing is no stranger to the Pirelli World Challenge, the team is already committed to the series with their Audi TT RS in the GTS class with Don Istook.

The Audi A3 TDI entry, same as the TT RS, is a privateer effort. This will mark the return of the Audi brand in the Touring Car related class of the SCCA sanctioned series.

RS Werkes will be using the older Audi A3 type vehicle, the 2010-2013 chassis configuration. The new Audi A3 models, based on the MQB chassis, are not available in the North American market as of yet.

Touring Car A is a new class, aimed at being an evolution of the current Touring Car class, in order to reduce the building and maintenance costs of the cars.

With the Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars in GT, the Audi TT RS in GTS and the Audi A3 in TCA, Audi will be one of few brands to be represented in so many of the classes.

The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge will kick off in St. Petersburg, March 28th-30th.

Photo: Audi Media