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: 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: Flying Lizard Arrives At Detroit For Round 4 of 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Season

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

The Flying Lizard Motorsports transporters rolled into Detroit today for a full race week
of activities at Belle Isle Park on the Detroit River, starting with an appearance for the cars, drivers, and crew at Audi of Rochester Hills tonight, a transporter parade through downtown tomorrow, and practice and qualifying sessions on Friday of this week, followed by the 1 hour and 40 minute Chevrolet SportsCar Classic starting at 12:10pm ET on Saturday, May 31st. The team enters the race weekend in very competitive shape in the GT Daytona class drivers' championship, with Dion von Moltke (South Africa) and Seth Neiman (United States) sitting in 4th place, just 6 points behind the championship leaders, in the No. 35 PR Newswire / UBM Tech / eSilicon Audi R8 LMS, and with Nelson Canache Jr. (Venezuela) and Spencer Pumpelly (United States) in 2nd place, 4 points back of the leaders, in the No. 45 Venezuela / eSilicon No. 45 Audi R8 LMS.

This race will feature two of the series' four classes – Prototype and GT Daytona, with 32 cars, of which 21 are in GTD with the two Lizard entries. It will be held on a 2.35 mile, 14-turn temporary road course on which only two of the Lizard drivers, Spencer and Dion, have race experience. Live timing and scoring for the race and all practice sessions and qualifying can be found at www.imsa.com and on the IMSA mobile app. In the United States, the race will be televised starting at 1:30pm ET on Saturday, May 31st on Fox Sports 1 and also available on the Fox Sports Go mobile app. Outside of the United States, the full race broadcast will be available at www.imsa.com.

Driver quotes:
Dion von Moltke, No. 35 Audi R8 LMS:
"Detroit could be the most demanding track which we go to in terms of what you need out of the car performance-wise and regarding the precision the drivers to have in order to turn a fast lap and have a clean stint. Unlike more traditional street circuits, Detroit has some very quick corners like the turns 1 and 2 complex and at the end of the back straight. It is an extremely bumpy track too, which is where we might have a bit of an advantage. Our engineers had the cars working well over the bumps at Sebring although some of the corners at Detroit can make Sebring look like a conventional, smooth road course by comparison. But you will see plenty of passing and side-by-side racing, and hopefully we can get both cars to the front by the end of the race!"

Spencer Pumpelly, No. 45 Audi R8 LMS:
"The circuit on Belle Isle is definitely one of my favorites. Like most street courses it presents the challenge of being precise with car placement given the proximity of the concrete walls but unlike many other temporary circuits it does offer some very fast corners. Turns 1 and 2 have a great flow to them and there are long straightaways which lend themselves to passing and side-by-side racing. We have lots of bumps and surface changes to contend with but I think we will have an advantage on terrain like this, and hopefully we can grab our first win of the season after having been so close in two of the three races so far."

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.

Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com.

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: Flying Lizard Motorsports

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]

TUSC: Heartbreaking race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Lizards

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

Flying Lizard Motorsports completed a heartbreaking 2-hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today, leading essentially the entire race with the Venezuela / eSilicon No. 45 Audi R8 LMS driven by Nelson Canache Jr. and Spencer Pumpelly, and running as high as 4th place in the PR Newswire / UBM Tech / eSilicon No. 35 Audi R8 LMS of Seth Neiman and Dion von Moltke.
Thanks to Spencer's pole position in yesterday's qualifying session, Nelson started the race from 1st in the GT Daytona class with Seth starting from the 5th position on the grid. Their opening stints lasted just over 40 minutes into the race, until the yellow flag came out for a stopped car on track. The team immediately brought both cars in for what should have been their only stop of the race, changing tires, filling the fuel tanks, and changing drivers. With one hour and fifteen minutes remaining the race returned to green, but with the fuel stint length of their Audis just shorter than that, both cars switched into fuel conservation mode in hopes of making it to the end without stopping. During the run to the finish Dion was able to set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:27.509, just 4 tenths of a second off of his qualifying time. Unfortunately the 35 car stumbled going up the hill to the Corkscrew with only one lap to go, requiring a quick splash of fuel prior to the run to the finish, dropping it back one position. The 45 car came within a ½ lap of the race win, running out of fuel as it came to the top of the racetrack and coasting down, only to stop just past Turn 11, in view of the finish line, leaving the team's gamble for the win just short with the No. 45 finishing in 6th position.

The team will return home for a few weeks of prep followed by its next trip to the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan, for a race on the street circuit there on May 31st.

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.

Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com.

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: Flying Lizard Motorsports [2014 Bob Chapman, Autosport Image]

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing podium and heartbreak for Flying Lizard Motorsports at Laguna Seca

By Johan Laubscher

Round four of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship was at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend. Four Audi R8 LMS cars competed in the GT Daytona class, entered by three different Audi Sport customer racing teams.

This was the first time since round two at Sebring that the GT Daytona (GTD) class was back on track. Flying Lizard Motorsports were back and entrusted their two cars to Seth Neimann and Dion von Moltke (#35) and Nelson Canache Jr and Spencer Pumpelly (#45). The #48 Paul Miller Racing R8 LMS had Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller behind the wheel. The #46 Fall-Line Motorsports R8 LMS saw the car driven by the two “Charlies” - Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman.

The GTD pole position went to the #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS of Canache and Pumpelly. Paul Miller Racing qualified third in class, followed by the #35 Lizards R8 LMS in fifth and the Fall-Line Motorsports R8 LMS in twentieth.

The exciting two hour race concluded with a fuel conservation race and tragedy for Flying Lizard Motorsports. The #45 Audi R8 LMS was leading on the final lap, after stretching its fuel, but they sadly ran out of fuel in the closing meters of the race. They were passed by the leading #94 BMW Z4 of Turner Motorsport, closely followed by the #48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS, the top two finishers in the GTD class.

The #35 Lizards R8 LMS finished fifth within GTD. The race leading #45 Lizards R8 LMS was unofficially classed in sixth. Fall-Line Motorsports unfortunately joined the list of retirements.

Round five of the TUSC will be heading to Detroit Belle Isle, 30-31 May.

Photo credit: IMSA.com

TUSC: Flying Lizard On Pole For Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Race

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

May 3, 2014 – Monterey, California. Flying Lizard Motorsports was able to take the pole and 5th place starting positions for tomorrow's 2-hour TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race despite an interrupted qualifying session caused by a car stuck in the Turn 4 gravel.
After only six minutes the red flag came out and the team returned to pit lane. The session did restart however and was extended by enough time to meet the minimum 10-minute time requirement dictated by the rules. In the short extension period both Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS race cars were able to move up the order, with Spencer Pumpelly on pole in the Venezuela / eSilicon No. 45 car, which he will share with Nelson Canache Jr. and Dion von Moltke in 5th place in the PR Newswire / UBM Tech / eSilicon No. 35, which he will share with Seth Neiman.

Quotes from the qualifying drivers:

Spencer Pumpelly, No. 45:
"I am super proud of the Flying Lizard team. They have put a lot of work into getting the cars up to speed including our recent test here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and it's their dedication that put us on pole. The car was set up perfectly for qualifying and I was on a knife edge the entire last lap. I really love racing here and getting our first pole for Audi at the team's home race really feels great."

Dion von Moltke, No. 35:
"Our No. 35 PR Newswire / UBM Tech / eSilicon Flying Lizard Motorsport Audi R8 LMS was fantastic during qualifying. We worked really hard during the test we had here two weeks ago and our engineers Steve Conover and Thomas Blam found a sweet spot for this track with the car. I was a little worried after the red flag in qualifying as we might not have had enough laps to develop enough front tire temperature to get optimal grip for a quick lap, but after it went green again it worked out perfectly. Spencer turned a great lap to grab pole on his last lap too. I believe we have a good setup package for the race tomorrow and I know it will be vital for us to look after our rear tires throughout the race."

Live timing and scoring for the race can be found at www.imsa.com and on the IMSA mobile app. In the United States, the race will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 and also available on the Fox Sports Go mobile app. Outside of the United States, the full race broadcast will be available at www.imsa.com.

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.

Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com.

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: 
Nelson Canache
Flying Lizard Motorsports

TUSC: Fall-Line Motorsports heads to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with 'the Charlies' in GTD

Fall-Line Motorsports Press Release

Buffalo Grove, IL (May 1, 2014) - Following a successful 12-hour race at Sebring in March, the Fall-Line Motorsports TUDOR United SportsCar Championship team heads to the beautiful coast of Northern California at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with the two "Charlies" of (Charlie) Putman and (Charles) Espenlaub.

Putman and Espenlaub will pilot the #46 Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 LMS for the third race of the season at the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. The pair currently sit 21st in overall GTD driver standings after a heartbreaking race at the season-opening Daytona race, but bounced back at Sebring and nearly came up with a podium. They had to settle  for 6th after a late race incident with a Prototype.

The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix will take place Sunday at 1:15p ET and will be the first non-endurance event of the 2014 season and will feature two, two-hour races. The (GT Daytona) GTD class will race with the Prototype Challenge (PC) class in the first race followed by the Prototypes (P) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) later in the afternoon.

With only two classes on-track at once, traffic will be manageable but still factor into overall strategy. A much shorter format than the first two races of the season will force a different approach for the GTD team but they are as prepared as ever.

Charlie Putman: "Mazda Raceway at Laguna will be our first short race of the year and thus we only have two drivers.  Back to just '"the Charlies" in the Audi R8 LMS will be fun, but yet challenging for us. The layoff between races presents more challenges for the team than you might imagine. We were just getting into our groove at Sebring, and the entire team will have to concentrate in order to pick up where we left off. Charles (Espenlaub) and I have been busy testing and racing to stay ready and the crew has had time to go through the #46 and get ready for the tough schedule ahead.  We are chomping at the bit. Let the fun begin!"

Charles Espenlaub: "After a very long wait, we are ready to get back to racing. I couldn't be happier! It's just Charlie and I again and I couldn't be more pleased to get back behind the wheel of our Audi R8 LMS!"

Michael Harvey, Fall-Line Motorsports Team Manager: "It's great to get back to racing again, this break has been quite long but has enabled us to do much work in preparation for the hectic schedule coming up. It's always great to race at Mazda Raceway and this event represents the first track of 2014 that we raced in 2013 with our Audi. Charlie and Charles are ready after just coming back from some running at the Nurburgring. As always the GTD field is the most competitive in the TUDOR series and this weekend is the first time all teams will be running just their regular two driver pairings, so we are excited to get going."

Tune into IMSA.com to watch the IMSA Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix Powered by Mazda Qualifying at 7:55p ET on Saturday, May 3rd. The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race (GTD/ PC) will be televised LIVE on Fox Sports 1 on Sunday May 4th at 1:00p ET.

Fall-Line Motorsports is a premiere builder and fabricator of racecars 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 M3s in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and an Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Fall-Line also prepares and fabricates cars for other CTSC teams, SCCA and NASA drivers, track day prepared and high performance street vehicles. www.fall-linemotorsports.com @FallLineMotors www.facebook.com/Falllinemotorsports

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: Wes Duenkel Motorsport Photography / Fall-Line Motorsports

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing set for Audi R8 LMS sprint race debut in Monterey

Paul Miller Racing Press Release

Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase Co-Drive No. 48 Audi R8 LMS at Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix

Bryce Miller and Paul Miller Team Return to a Favorite Track with New Audi; Christopher Haase Makes Laguna Seca Debut

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 1, 2014) - Paul Miller Racing, and team drivers Bryce Miller and Christopher Haase, will run their first sprint race in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS at this weekend's Continental Tire Grand Prix of Monterey, GT Daytona (GTD) Round 3 of the inaugural IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, at Laguna Seca Raceway, May 3 - 4.

Sunday's race, the first of an IMSA TUDOR doubleheader, starts at 10:15 a.m. EDT with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT. The two-hour sprint will be for GTD division cars like the Paul Miller Racing Audi that will share the track with the Prototype Challenge (PC) class.

After opening the season with 36 hours of endurance racing between January's Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, Sunday's race will be the first sprint for the GTD and PC classes in IMSA TUDOR history. At just 120 minutes, the race will amount to little more than a Daytona or Sebring double driving stint, but the Paul Miller Racing team is up for the challenge and strategy that comes with the year's first sprint.

In its first season with Audi Sport customer racing, Paul Miller Racing ran competitively in the year's opening rounds, particularly at the Rolex 24. Debuting team driver Haase won the pole at Daytona and the team was the race-leading GTD car to beat before early-morning overheating issues knocked the No. 48 from winning contention.

The Paul Miller team still finished 16th at Daytona and improved to 12th at Sebring despite losing valuable time off track after being taken out by a wayward Prototype competitor, and a pre-race IMSA BoP (Balance of Power) rules adjustment that didn't favor the Audis.

After well over month-long breaks between both races, everyone on the Paul Miller Racing team is ready to return to racing this weekend. 

"This has been a long break so I'm eager to get back into the swing of things," Bryce Miller said. "I always very much look forward to Laguna Seca and it's the perfect track to get the season rolling again."

Then racing with Porsche, Paul Miller Racing, with Bryce Miller co-driving with Marco Holzer, contended for the win last year at Laguna Seca and ran as high as third before finishing sixth in the competitive race.

Although this year's Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix will be half the length of 2013's four-hour contest, the new GTD division, other new team, driver and manufacturer combinations, and several debuting drivers should make it a wide-open race. 

"For me, it is a completely new chapter to participate in the GT sprint races in the United SportsCar Championship," Haase said. "So I am really excited and I can´t wait to be back in America. I have, with my teammate Bryce Miller and the team at Paul Miller Racing great guys where I can learn a lot in American motorsport."

Haase is not only making his IMSA TUDOR sprint race debut, it is also the young German driver's first time ever at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course.

"It is my first time in Laguna," Haase said. "I have heard a lot about the track and, for example, the 'Corkscrew!" I used some hours on simulator racing to learn the track, corner combinations, and all that stuff. At least I know in which direction I have to drive out of the pits!" Anyway, it will be hard work, but I am looking forward to going there."

Bryce Miller has raced at Laguna Seca and other famous circuits around the world but admits the Corkscrew is a thing of its own.

"Laguna Seca is definitely one of my top-five favorite tracks among others like Spa and Road America," Bryce Miller said. "There is nothing else like the Corkscrew segment anywhere else in the world."

A two-day event, the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Monterey begins with practice and qualifying on Saturday. Race-day Sunday starts with a 20-minute warm-up at 8 a.m. PDT for all IMSA TUDOR classes before the 10:15 a.m. PDT race start for the GTD/PC race.

Noteworthy

- Both Bryce Miller and Haase have had at least some time at the wheel in the long break since Sebring. "We did a light rollout with the car a couple weeks ago to conduct some smaller tests," Bryce Miller said. "The car feels great, I'm coming into the car now and really enjoy driving it." Haase raced in the German VLN series back home at the Nurburgring. "I just did one VLN race last week," Haase said. "That's it, so I am happy to be back in the race car." 

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

TUSC: Flying Lizard Enters Home Race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

In the 5-week hiatus since the 2nd GT Daytona class race of the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season, Flying Lizard Motorsports has focused its attention on prepping its two 2014 Audi R8 LMS race cars, including testing at its home track, Sonoma Raceway, and at the site of this weekend's Continental Tire Sports Car Festival race weekend, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The tests prepared the team well for what will be a busy weekend including only two hours of practice on Saturday, May 3rd. The race itself will be a two hour event as well with the Lizards' GTD class sharing the track with the Prototype Challenge class on Sunday, May 4th, from 10:15am PT to 12:15pm PT, followed by the Prototype and GT Le Mans classes racing together that same afternoon in a separate two hour race necessitated by the number of entries which are part of the 2014 championship.

For the race weekend the No. 35 PR Newswire / UBM Tech / eSilicon R8 LMS will be driven by Seth Neiman (USA) and Dion von Moltke (South Africa), with the No. 45 Venezuela / eSilicon R8 LMS driven by Nelson Canache Jr. (Venezuela) and Spencer Pumpelly (USA). Nelson and Spencer sit 4th in the drivers' championship with Dion and Seth in 7th place amidst a very deep, 58 position driver championship for the GT Daytona class.

Steve Conover, Chief Engineer, talked about the team's recent test and preparation for the race, saying, "The Laguna test was very productive both in establishing an appropriate setup for the upcoming race as well as exploring setup options for future events. This is the first "typical" road course we've run our Audis on so there was much to learn prior to the race weekend and we should have an advantage going into Sunday thanks to our additional trip down to Monterey two weeks ago."

Live timing and scoring for the race and all practice sessions and qualifying can be found at www.imsa.com and on the IMSA mobile app. In the United States, the race will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 and also available on the Fox Sports Go mobile app. Outside of the United States, the full race broadcast will be available at www.imsa.com.

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.

Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com.

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: Flying Lizard Motorsports [2014 Bob Chapman, Autosport Image]

TUSC: Flying Lizard Motorsports testing Audi R8 LMS at Laguna Seca

By Johan Laubscher

Flying Lizard Motorsports was out testing at Laguna Seca on Monday. 

The team was testing their GTD class Audi R8 LMS cars at the Californian circuit. They are currently preparing for the fourth round of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which will be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from 3-4 May.

Post by Dion von Moltke.

Photo credit: Dion von Moltke

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing testing Audi R8 LMS at Road Atlanta

By Johan Laubscher

Paul Miller Racing was out testing at Road Atlanta this week. 

Their #48 GT Daytona (GTD) class Audi R8 LMS was testing on the track that the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be visiting for the Petit Le Mans in October later this year.

The TUSC will soon be heading to round three of the series at Long Beach, however the GTD class will not be taking part there. The GT Daytona class will be back on track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from 3-4 May, round four.

Photo credit: Road Atlanta

TUSC: Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 LMS has strong showing at Sebring 12 Hour

Fall-Line Motorsports Press Release

Buffalo Grove, IL (March 18, 2014) - Following a heartbreaking season-opener at Daytona in late January, #46 Fall-Line Audi R8 LMS crew rebuilt and came close to redemption at Sebring International Raceway for the 2014 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. The trio of Charlie Putman, Charles Espenlaub, and Christopher Mies finished the race on the leap lap, just 17 seconds behind the leader in the GT Daytona (GTD) class in what was a crash-plagued race with 11 full-course cautions.

 Mies qualified the #46 car in 20th after catching traffic on his flying lap. He started the race and drove a double stint to make it all the way to P1 in just over two hours. Espenlaub was second in the car and drove for one hour before pitting and handing over the reigns to Putman who drove three hours straight. Putman got hit by a DP car that sent him spinning but he was able to make an impressive save and kept the car from any major damage.

At the halfway mark the #46 was running P11 under full-course caution and Espenlaub was back in. After more lengthy yellows, there was green flag running and Espenlaub drove a notable run climbing all the way to 3rd. Mies got in to drive the closing laps and was running P4 with two hours to go when he was also the victim of another on-track incident that cut the left front tire and he had to pit under green. Although the pit stop was executed very efficiently the time lost driving with a flat meant the #46 lost a lap. The lap was gained back as the leaders pitted and the #46 was back in the lead pack for the last hour. An emergency stop for fuel under the next yellow as the pits were closed cost the opportunity to run for the win as they went to the back of the line. The green then flew with just 20 minutes to go. Mies drove an impressive final few laps at ten-tenths but just wasn't able to make the podium and settled for 6th.

Charlie Putman:"You have to be pretty spoiled not to be happy with a 6th place finish at the Sebring 12 Hour as the teams and drivers in this race are the "Who's Who" of sports car racing.  We certainly had the potential for the win or a podium finish but it just didn't come to fruition as we had hoped.  A small traffic incident causing Chris (Mies) to brush a concrete wall and flatten a tire, cost valuable track position that we could not recover that late in the race.  Chris did a great job saving the car from what could have been a disastrous crash and bringing it home for a new tire.  Nathan's (McBride, lead engineer) strategy was inspirational and cool-headed and actually kept us in the battle right up to the checkered flag.  It was a hard fought 12 hours as the number of crashes and resulting caution periods demonstrated.  We did manage to run in the top-5 for the largest part of the race and Charles (Espenlaub) actually led the field for the majority of his first stint.  I was proud of the crew as they picked up a position for us on almost every pit stop.  We may not have taken first, but I was extremely proud of the entire team."
  
Christopher Mies: "I am quite happy with the result we achieved. We came all the way from P20 and finished P6. With a little bit more luck we could have finished on the podium and we were for sure one of the teams who could have won this race. But in the end you always need a little bit of luck.A huge thanks to Fall line Motorsports and my teammates Charles (Espenlaub) and Charlie (Putman) for their brilliant job.We worked very well together and improved the car each session. In the end the car was just phenomenal to drive during the race and I enjoyed every single lap.
The team and my teammates did a great job without mistakes and I hope I can come back with them next year. Sebring was one of the toughest races I have ever done, and finishing just 17 seconds behind the class winner is more than awesome! I would love to join them at a later date and I wish them good luck for the rest of the races." 

Michael Harvey, Fall-Line Motorsports Team Manager: "I am so proud of everyone at Fall-Line Motorsports and although a tinge frustrated with 6th place overall very happy. The guys on the both sides of the wall competed flawlessly and with 2 hours remaining we had a strong shot at the win. Unfortunately we got attacked by a DP and although not a killer blow, it was enough to dampen our day. It was great to rebound after the disappointment of Daytona and to run at the front in this historic event. A huge thanks to Audi Sport customer racing for all their support and encouragement, without Brad (Kettler) and his team the post Daytona rebuild would definitely have been much more difficult."

Fall-Line Motorsports is a premiere builder and fabricator of racecars 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 M3s in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and an Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Fall-Line also prepares and fabricates cars for other CTSC teams, SCCA and NASA drivers, track day prepared and high performance street vehicles. www.fall-linemotorsports.com @FallLineMotors www.facebook.com/Falllinemotorsports

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: Wes Duenkel Motorsport Photography / Fall-Line Motorsports

TUSC: Paul Miller Racing Finish 12th in the 12 Hours of Sebring

Paul Miller Racing Press Release 

PAUL MILLER RACING AND TEAM DRIVERS BRYCE MILLER, CHRISTOPHER HAASE AND MATT BELL FINISH 12TH IN THE 12 HOURS OF SEBRING

No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS Team Bounces Back from String of Challenges to Finish Endurance Event Inside the Top 12

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2014) - In a long day filled with all of the challenges that can be expected from a 12-hour endurance race, Paul Miller Racing brought its No. 48 Audi R8 LMS home in the 12th position in the 62nd Running of the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 15.

The Audi team was having a routine day until contact on the track and the resulting damage forced the No. 48 to the garage shortly after the eight-hour mark. Returning to the track just 12 minutes later, the Paul Miller Racing team found themselves racing inside the top-15, yet removed from contention for a podium finish.

"The 12 Hours of Sebring is a very tough race with very tough conditions," Bryce Miller said. "Our Paul Miller Racing team didn't have an easy week.  We had small mistakes here and there and those types of things add up, especially when a 12-hour race is involved. Chris [Haase], Matt [Bell, co-drivers], and the team did an awesome job, and we were able to make it to the finish.  Like I said, this is a very tough race, so just making it to the finish is an accomplishment."

After overcoming a series of setbacks earlier in the week, the team started the 12 Hours of Sebring focused on a solid finish.  Starting out the day with a routine race, the team made calculated moves as they rotated through co-drivers Miller, Christopher Haase and Matt Bell.  With just standard stops for fuel and tires, the team was competing at their own pace and had moved into the top six with Bell behind the wheel just before the halfway point.

"It was cracy race," Haase said. "I did  the start and already there it felt like a one-hour race. My only target was to stay out of trouble and keep the car in one piece. We had  a lot safety car situations which showed how difficult  the race was. Every restart was just  tough because of all the different classes which where fighting. Our race was not bad, for a long time we could stay consistent at the top eight to stay in touch with the leaders."

With the race entering its eighth hour, competitors in the 12 Hours of Sebring were challenged by the sunset hindering their vision as they navigated the narrow, bumpy course. With Miller behind the wheel, the Paul Miller Racing team was navigating traffic when a competitor in a much-faster Prototype, who was also navigating traffic, made contact with Miller in Turn 17.  Miller brought the car to the attention of his crew, first on pit lane and ultimately in the garage, where the Paul Miller Racing team diagnosed a bent rear toe arm.  The Audi team worked quickly and within just 12 minutes, Miller returned to the track.

"There was an incredible amount of driver error in this race which contributed to the exceptionally high number of caution flags thrown," Bryce Miller said. "Unfortunately we were one of many that fell victim to poor judgement by others. Our incident was an example in how not to drive with one hand while trying to block the sun with the other and execute overtaking maneuvers at the highest speed on the circuit." 

Following the incident, the Paul Miller Racing drivers completed one last round of driver changes without incident and while fighting their way through the field.  At the completion of the 12th hour, the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS was scored in the 12th position.

"It's great to be able to make it to the finish here," Bryce Miller said.  "We had 11 cautions, so to be able to finish the race and score the points is a good thing.  There are a lot of cars that didn't finish and there was a high rate of attrition. We definitely have things to feel good about.  Despite all the challenges, we had a really good car with good pace for the last hour of the race.

"We have a lot of takeaways from the day, but we're focused on the entire season and getting better week after week. I think we'll be able to learn from our experience today and be a better Audi team in Laguna Seca."

The Tudor United SportsCar Championship GTD Class will next compete at the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, May 3-4, 2014, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

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 become a Facebook fan at Facebook.com/paulmillerracing and Facebook.com/brycemiller.net. Learn more about the team at www.paulmillerracing.com.

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