Audi R10 lowers track record at Sebring by a second
Click on the photo for a gallery of high-res shots from Sebring
The updated 2007 Audi R10 TDi is continuing to dominate in qualifying for the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Marco Werner driving the #2 R10 shaved almost almost a full second off the lap record for the race he won in 2003 and 2004. After winning last years ALMS opener in the R10's debut, Dindo Capello, got the outside of the front row for the second Audi. Capello missed a chance at the pole when the practice session was interrupted while he was going for a hot lap. The German diesels will lose some of their fuel economy advantage in the race due a reduction in fuel tank size from 90 to 81 liters. The race starts at 10AM Saturday at Sebring. The Audi press release is after the jump.
[Source: Audi]
Gallery: Audi R10 TDI at Sebring
PRESS RELEASE:
Audi R10 TDI with record lap at Sebring
- Season opener of the American Le Mans Series
- Marco Werner takes pole position in US comeback
- Both Audi R10 TDI sports cars on the front row
The updated Audi R10 TDI makes a strong impression in its debut: In qualifying for the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA), Marco Werner lowered the track record by almost a second. With his record lap, the Audi factory driver made a perfect comeback in the American Le Mans Series which he already won twice in 2003 and 2004.
Defending champion Dindo Capello set the second fastest time in qualifying, allowing both Audi diesel sports cars to start from the front row on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (3 p.m. in Germany). The Italian was unlucky when Thursday's 25-minute qualifying sessions was interrupted while he was on a fast lap.
For the first time since the race at Road America last August, two Audi R10 TDI sports cars will start from the front row of the grid in the American Le Mans Series. It's the fifth pole position for the revolutionary diesel sports car in its ninth race.
The Audi drivers will face a more difficult challenge, however, in Saturday's race: The fuel tank capacity for diesel sports cars was reduced from last year's 90 litres to 81 litres. This means, that the R10 TDI has to come into the pits at Sebring about three laps earlier compared to 2006.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michael Karesh 9:51AM (3/16/2007)
What's with the red pointy things sticking up behind the driver's head? Team Satan?
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Mike 10:04AM (3/16/2007)
Those red pointy things ARE horns actually, when Audi sold their soul to the devil in order to win all those races the car started to become possessed!!!
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Tal 11:05AM (3/16/2007)
Keep proving the endurance and capabilities of diesel powered cars to the America public. It's still fossil fuel but diesels usally burn less when compared to gasoline when powering the same vehicle.
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Mike M. 11:17AM (3/16/2007)
Hmmmmm, I didn't know that using a TDI power plant constitutes selling one's soul??
Just wait for those that switch to diesel...they are selling!
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gus 12:14PM (3/16/2007)
Are they still using the GTL diesel from Shell?
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nagmashot 1:39PM (3/16/2007)
#5 a report said that Audi runs this year on Biodiesel with the R10, at least the 24h of LeMans. If they run the whole ALMS series on biodiesel I don´t know.
>>Audi's motorsports techies, titans of the oil-burning racecar scene, say they want to run the R10 racer on biofuel at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's part of a companywide move, says Audi Sport's head of engine technology Ulrich "Torquenstein" Baretzky, to develop biofuel combustion technology for VW/Audi. But they won't be using leftover horse lard from the local bistros; they're planning to use Biomass to Liquid (BTL) fuel, or a synthetic derivative of plant-based oil, the producers of which are owned by team sponsor Shell.
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Mike 1:13PM (3/17/2007)
#1, the red pointy things are rollover hoops mandated by ACO.
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