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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[VIDEO: New Competition Sport Corvette footage shows car in action at Sebring ]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/" rel="tag">Sedan</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/videos/" rel="tag">Videos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chevrolet/" rel="tag">Chevrolet</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/special-limited-editions/" rel="tag">Specialty</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/corvettesebring_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>Competition Sport Corvette - Click above to watch video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/">after the jump</a></small></strong></em><a href="javascript:void(0);/*1237831518442*/"><br /></a></div>
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<br />Keith Cornett of Corvette Blogger spent last weekend down in Florida at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was likely one of the few whose attention wasn't solely fixed on the top tier Le Mans P1 class in which the new Audi R15 did battle with Peugeot and Acura. Keith was there for the Corvettes, and this particular race was significant for Corvette Racing. Later this season, Corvette will switch from the GT1 to GT2 class, so this was the final chance for the C6.R to open up a can at Sebring, and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/">open a can it did</a>.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/28/chevy-prices-corvette-competition-sport-package/">Competition Sport</a> is a new model offered by Chevy that celebrates the Corvette's success in racing, and it's more than just a pretty package. Keith got to sample what the Competition Sport has to offer while riding shotgun during a hot lap session at Sebring the day before the big race. His ride was #02 in the series, a fact that was evident to all thanks to the large door graphic that comes on these cars. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/">Follow the jump</a> for two videos that highlight Keith's hot lap in the Competition Sport Corvette and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/28/chevy-prices-corvette-competition-sport-package/">click here</a> for more info on the limited edition cars.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.corvetteblogger.com/index.cfm/2009/3/23/PICS-First-Look-The-2009-Competition-Sport-Corvette">Corvette Blogger</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>VIDEO: New Competition Sport Corvette footage shows car in action at Sebring </em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/">VIDEO: New Competition Sport Corvette footage shows car in action at Sebring </a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:29:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.corvetteblogger.com/index.cfm/2009/3/22/My-Hot-Lap-Around-Sebring-in-a-2009-Competition-Sport-Corvette>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1495797/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/video-new-competition-sport-corvette-footage-shows-car-in-actio/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>c6.r</category><category>competition sport corvette</category><category>CompetitionSportCorvette</category><category>corvette c6.r</category><category>CorvetteC6.r</category><category>sebring</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audi R15 wins debut at 12 Hours of Sebring]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/peugeot/" rel="tag">Peugeot</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/1445444/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/001_sebring09_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>2009 12 Hours of Sebring - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />The R8, the R10 and now the R15. Each of Audi's last three prototype Le Mans race cars have won their race debut, with the latest R15 recording its first victory yesterday at the 57th 12 Hours of Sebring. The winning #2 R15 was driving by Audi's dream team of Allan McNish, Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen. Of course, Audi's win did not come easy in the top tier Le Mans P1 class. Peugeot was right there the whole time with its pair of diesel-powered 908 HDi cars, swapping the lead with Audi a total of 23 times. In fact, both teams remained on the same lap with each other throughout the entire 12-hour race. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-sebring/">Follow the jump</a> to continue reading Autoblog's run down of the 57th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring.<br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/">12 Hours of Sebring - 2009</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/000_sebring09_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/001_sebring09_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/002_sebring09_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/003_sebring09_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/12-hours-of-sebring-2009/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/004_sebring09_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php">AmericanLeMans.com</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Audi R15 wins debut at 12 Hours of Sebring</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/">Audi R15 wins debut at 12 Hours of Sebring</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:41:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1494813/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/22/audi-r15-wins-debut-at-12-hours-of-sebring/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>allan mcnish</category><category>AllanMcnish</category><category>audi</category><category>audi r15</category><category>AudiR15</category><category>breaking</category><category>dindo capello</category><category>DindoCapello</category><category>peugeot</category><category>peugeot 908 hdi</category><category>peugeot908hdi</category><category>r15</category><category>tom kristensen</category><category>TomKristensen</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:41:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Acura steals pole position from Audi, Peugeot at 12 Hours of Sebring qualifying!]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/acura/" rel="tag">Acura</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/1436870/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/221317200994049218_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Tuesday's first official day of testing for the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race saw the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/09/audi-releases-more-details-on-the-r15-tdi/">Audi R15</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/">dominate</a> its long-time foes from Peugeot and two new entries from Acura in the fastest LMP1 class. Peugeot bounced back in Wednesday's testing session, however, with the quickest lap times of the day. We fully expected today's official qualifying session to be a knock down, drag out battle between the Europeans for pole position. No one saw this coming. <br /><br />Scott Dixon of De Ferran Motorsports driving one of the new Acura ARX-02a cars set the fastest lap time in qualifying and has earned a spot ahead of the big boys on the starting grid. Dixon managed a 1:45.278 lap time that just barely edged out legendary Le Mans racer Tom Kristensen in a brand spanking new Audi R15 by 0.082 seconds. Following the Acura and Audi will be the #7 Peugeot 908 HDi, which qualified 0.184 seconds behind the fastest Acura with Christian Klein at the wheel. Our kudos go to Acura and the De Ferran Motorsports team for achieving such a big victory before the 12 Hours of Sebring even begins. Of course, the hard part starts on Saturday and lasts a lot longer than just one lap.<br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/">LMP1 testing at 12 Hours of Sebring</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/000_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/001_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/002_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/003_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/004_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/19/sebring-12-hours-qualifying-report/">Planet LeMans</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/">Acura steals pole position from Audi, Peugeot at 12 Hours of Sebring qualifying!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:32:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1493189/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/19/acura-steals-sebring-pole-position-from-audi-peugeot/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>acura</category><category>acura alms</category><category>acura arx-02a</category><category>acura pole</category><category>acura pole position</category><category>acura sebring</category><category>AcuraAlms</category><category>AcuraArx-02a</category><category>AcuraPole</category><category>AcuraPolePosition</category><category>AcuraSebring</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audi R15 dominates first day of Sebring testing]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/acura/" rel="tag">Acura</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/peugeot/" rel="tag">Peugeot</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/1436856/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/221317200994049390_opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>LMP1 testing at 12 Hours of Sebring - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />See that blurry race car behind the Peugeot 908HDi in the above image? That's the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/09/audi-releases-more-details-on-the-r15-tdi/">Audi R15</a>, and when the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race gets underway this weekend, don't expect these two cars to be in this order very often. After Monday's first full day of official testing at Sebring, Audi's third-generation Le Mans racer, the R15, proved that it was the car to beat. Audi is fielding two R15s this year, and the No. 2 car driven by dream team Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello scorched the field yesterday with a fast lap of 1:43.596. That was a full half second quicker than the other Audi R15 driven by Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller, and 1.406 seconds quicker than the fastest Peugeot. Acura is also joining Audi and Peugeot in the top LMP1 class this year, though its cars fielded by two private teams were another 0.1 and 0.8 seconds slower than the Peugeots. <br /><br />Coverage of the 12 Hours of Sebring will begin this Saturday at 10:00 AM EST on SPEED, so let your spouse know now that you need a half day of no chores, family visits or slacks shopping. Also don't forget to set the mood by watching the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/15/catch-em-truth-in-24-em-this-friday-on-espn/">premier of <em>Truth in 24</em></a> on ESPN this Friday. <br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/">LMP1 testing at 12 Hours of Sebring</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/000_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/001_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/002_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/003_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/lmp1-testing-at-12-hours-of-sebring/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/004_lmp1testingsebring_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/index.php">americanlemans.com</a>, <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73737">Autosport</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/">Audi R15 dominates first day of Sebring testing</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:59:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1490873/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/17/audi-r15-dominates-first-day-of-sebring-testing/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>acura lmp1</category><category>AcuraLmp1</category><category>audi r15</category><category>AudiR15</category><category>peugueot 908</category><category>Peugueot908</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:59:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Event Alert: March Calendar of Automotive Events]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/geneva-motor-show/" rel="tag">Geneva Motor Show</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/auction-action/" rel="tag">Auctions</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/misc-auto-shows/" rel="tag">Misc. Auto Shows</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/event-alert/" rel="tag">Event Alert</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/geneva-2008-swiss-misses/683014/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/geneva08model.jpg" /></a><br /><small>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">This year's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/geneva-motor-show/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Geneva</span> Auto Show</a> should be huge</span><br /></div>
<br /></small>Besides the gradual thawing of most of the country, March means the beginning of the Formula One season as well as Sebring, the Geneva Motor Show, the Amelia Island Concours, and NASCAR ramping up to full speed. Those events alone would be enough to sate even the healthiest automotive appetites, but there's plenty more going on in the motoring world. As always, we tried to list the highlights as well as a few smaller events that we hope will be of interest to you. Feel free to use the comments section to add or modify listings.<br /><br />Our Google Calendar and select listings are <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/">after the jump</a>, all with links so you can get the full details. A few other March events worth noting are an homage to the <a href="http://www.legendsofriverside.com/">Legends of Riverside</a>; the Desert Classic Concours in Palm Springs; Hot Import Nights and DUB stops in L.A.; another <span style="font-style: italic;">Automotive World</span> alternative vehicle conference; and a variery of local and regional auto shows under the Motor Trend/Autorama/World of Wheels banners. Some events are listed <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/">after the jump</a>; all are in the Google Calendar.<br /><br />As always, we want to give a shout-out to our two favorite sources; <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/ref/automobiles/event_calendar.html"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/ref/automobiles/event_calendar.html">The </a>New York Times automotive calendar</a> for national and international stuff, and our buddy Dave Lindsay's <a href="http://www.socalcarculture.com/events.html">SoCalCarCulture</a> pages for local stuff here in Southern California. Dave's photographic coverage of these local events is fantastic. Check out the March event calendar we put together for you <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/26/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/">after the jump</a> and start adding to it. Oh, and don't forget we spring forward on the 8th.<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Event Alert: March Calendar of Automotive Events</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/">Event Alert: March Calendar of Automotive Events</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:28:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1472565/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/28/event-alert-march-calendar-of-automotive-events/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>amelia island concours</category><category>AmeliaIslandConcours</category><category>Dave Lindsay</category><category>DaveLindsay</category><category>Desert Classic Concours</category><category>DesertClassicConcours</category><category>dub</category><category>f1</category><category>formula 1</category><category>formula one</category><category>Formula1</category><category>FormulaOne</category><category>geneva 2009</category><category>geneva motor show</category><category>Geneva2009</category><category>GenevaMotorShow</category><category>hot import nights</category><category>HotImportNights</category><category>nascar</category><category>riverside</category><category>sebring</category><category>SoCalCarCulture</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank Filipponio]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:28:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audi R15 TDI arrives early ahead of race debut]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/audi-r15-tdi/1366545/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/audi_motorsport-090213-0085_opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><small>Click above to enlarge</small></span><br /></div>
<br /> It really is a shame that Audi has <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/05/embargo-12-5-6am-est-audi-withdraws-from-2009-american-le-mans/">pulled out of the American and European Le Mans Series</a>, choosing only to run its new R15 TDI Le Mans Prototype racer at this year's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/28/audi-r15-tdi-to-debut-at-sebring-attack-le-mans-in-june/">12 Hours of Sebring in March and 24 Hours of Le Mans in June</a>. All that money, effort and time to develop a replacement for one of the winningest cars in all of motorsports seems like a waste on just two races, even if they are the sport's biggest. <br /><br />This image released by Audi shows the design of the new R15 TDI ahead of its track debut in March. The new diesel-powered prototype car is much more radical compared to the R10 that it replaces than that car was to the R8. The most noteworthy difference is a new front end with an elevated nose that features two supports extending down to the pavement-scraping front chin spoiler. There's clearly some F1 influence up front, though Audi opted not to switch to a closed cockpit design like Peugeot uses for its 908 HDi. <br /> <br /> The new R15 TDI will makes its race debut on March 21 at the 12 Hours of Sebring where its predecessors, the R10 and R8, have won eight times. Two cars will be campaigned using the same driver teams as last year: defending Le Mans winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) in one car and Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner in the second. With <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/">Acura now competing</a> against Audi in the LMP1 class and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/aston-martin-returning-to-lemans-with-two-works-lmp1-cars/">Aston Martin joining the fray</a> in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we reiterate our sentiment that it's a damn shame the R15 TDI will only be campaigned twice. <br /> <br /> [Source: Audi]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Audi R15 TDI arrives early ahead of race debut</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/">Audi R15 TDI arrives early ahead of race debut</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1463356/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/17/audi-r15-tdi-arrives-early-ahead-of-race-debut/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>24 hours of le mans</category><category>24HoursOfLeMans</category><category>audi</category><category>audi r15 tdi</category><category>AudiR15Tdi</category><category>r15</category><category>r15 tdi</category><category>R15Tdi</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:58:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Acura LMP1 and BMW GT2 cars take Sebring testing by storm]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/acura/" rel="tag">Acura</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/1319925/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/007_acuralmp1_opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>Click above for image gallery of the Acura LMP1 ALMS cars</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />Despite losing Audi for the 2009 season, the American Le Mans Series still has a lot to celebrate. For one, as we told you yesterday, Acura is on hand this week at the Winter Test event for the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with its new LMP1 racer. The good news is that midway through the second day of on-track testing, one of the two Acura racers has the fastest lap time so far of 1:44:814 (126.723 mph) around Sebring's 3.7-mile circuit. Despite the good first showing of these ARX-02a prototype LMP1 race cars, the ARX-01b cars that raced last year in the LMP2 class were still turning in lap times that were often just as fast as their bigger brothers. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/1319941/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/002bmwgt2m3_opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>Click above for image gallery of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3 GT2 car</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />Also of worthy of celebration during the first two days of winter testing is the emergence of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team and its M3 GT2 car. This is the first track outing for the M3 GT2 since it <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/06/chicago-2008-bmw-back-in-alms-with-rahal-letterman-racing-m3/">was announced</a> less than a year ago at the 2008 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/Chicago-Auto-Show/">Chicago Auto Show</a>. The 12 Hours of Sebring, which also kicks off the 2009 ALMS season, will be its first contest against the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, Viper, Aston Martin, Panoz and even a Ford GT in the GT2 class. <br /><br />The 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring takes place March 18-21 and, along with the above new competitors, will be the only time that Audi races on North American soil this year with its brand new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/01/new-audi-r15-to-debut-in-march-at-sebring/">R15 TDI</a>. <br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/">Acura LMP1 ALMS cars</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/000_acuralmp1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/001_acuralmp1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/002_acuralmp1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/003_acuralmp1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/acura-lmp1-race-cars/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/004_acuralmp1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/">BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3 GT2</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/003bmwgt2m3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/004bmwgt2m3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/005bmwgt2m3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/006bmwgt2m3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-rahal-letterman-racing-team-m3-gt2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/002bmwgt2m3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=5120">American Le Mans Series</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/">Acura LMP1 and BMW GT2 cars take Sebring testing by storm</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1442487/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/27/acura-lmp1-and-bmw-gt2-cars-take-sebring-testing-by-storm/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>acura lmp1</category><category>AcuraLmp1</category><category>bmw m3 gt2</category><category>BmwM3Gt2</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: 12 Hours of Sebring officially in the books]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring/701602/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/sebring08_gt2lizard.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click image for a gallery of race photos from the '08 12 Hours of Sebring</span><br /><br />The 2008 running of the 12 Hours of Sebring took place yesterday, officially kicking off the sports car racing season. In case you recorded the race and haven't gotten around to watching it yet, we've placed the recap after the jump. Suffice to say, it looks like this year's ALMS and Le Mans competition should be both exciting and unpredictable. <br /><br />Follow the jump for the full Sebring rundown.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=4020">ALMS</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>SPOILER ALERT: 12 Hours of Sebring officially in the books</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/">SPOILER ALERT: 12 Hours of Sebring officially in the books</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=4020>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1141169/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/16/spoiler-alert-12-hours-of-sebring-officially-in-the-books/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>2008 sebring 12 hours</category><category>2008Sebring12Hours</category><category>sebring 2008</category><category>Sebring2008</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Merritt Johnson]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 Hours of Sebring: Audi finally beats Peugeot with week's fastest lap yet]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/peugeot/" rel="tag">Peugeot</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/695410/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/01_sebring08_opt.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /><em>Click above for high-res gallery from this week's 12 Hours of Sebring practice</em><br /><br />An epic battle is shaping up for this weekend's running of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/12HoursofSebring/">12 Hours of Sebring</a>. Audi versus Peugeot. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/search/?q=R10+TDI&amp;searchsubmit=">R10 TDI</a> versus the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/search/?q=908+HDi&amp;searchsubmit=">908 HDi</a>. Diesel versus diesel. This will be the first and perhaps only time that these two teams race on American soil, though the contest will be repeated many times in the European Le Mans Series this season. Since Monday, Audi and Peugeot have been battling for the best lap times during practice sessions in preparation for this weekend's endurance race at Sebring Raceway, and Peugeot got the upper hand on both Monday and Tuesday. Audi, which is fielding two cars to Peugeot's one, finally fought back today posting the fastest lap time of the week thanks to driver Dindo Capello, who ran a 1:45.491, just 0.017 seconds faster than Stephane Sarrazin in the Peugeot 908. <br /><br />But Audi and Peugeot in the LMP1 class should be wary of focusing too much on each other, as there are other entrants that could spoil their fun. Marco Andretti, for instance has been blisteringly fast in his Andretti Green Racing Acura ARX-01b, setting the second fastest lap time overall on Tuesday. As we learned from watching the LMP2 class beat up on Audi last year, Le Mans racing is anyone's game. The nature of endurance racing, however, favors fuel economy, and therefore the diesel-powered R10 TDI and 908 HDi should have the advantage. There will be plenty of great racing in the GT1 and GT2 classes as well, with Aston Martin squaring off against the Corvette Racing Team and Porsche taking on Ferrari, respectively. Stay tuned for race results probably late Saturday or early Sunday, and check out some spectacular images from this week's testing in the gallery below. <br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/">2008 12 Hours of Sebring - Practice</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/00_sebring08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/01_sebring08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/02_sebring08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/03_sebring08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-12-hours-of-sebring-practice/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/04_sebring08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=3979">ALMS</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/">12 Hours of Sebring: Audi finally beats Peugeot with week's fastest lap yet</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1138342/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/12-hours-of-sebring-audi-finally-beats-peugeot-with-weeks-fast/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>audi peugeot sebring</category><category>audi sebring</category><category>AudiPeugeotSebring</category><category>AudiSebring</category><category>peugeot sebring</category><category>PeugeotSebring</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coming to America: Peugeot to compete in 12 Hours of Sebring]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/peugeot/" rel="tag">Peugeot</a></p><p><a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3927"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/peugeot-sebringtest-2.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><em>Stephane Sarrazin pilots the Peugeot 908 HDi to a record 1:42.801 lap time at Sebring. (Photo courtesy of ALMS.)</em><br /></p>
<p>Race on Sunday, sell on Monday. That's the time-honored, though oft-refuted mantra used by motorsport's patrons to justify the enormous expense of top-class motor racing. It might be a bit of a stretch for Peugeot, however, who announced today their US debut at this year's 12 Hours of Sebring, the first race in the 2008 American Le Mans Series, now entering its tenth season. Peugeot doesn't even import to the United States, but this just goes to show how single-minded the French team is in its pursuit of victory over its diesel rivals at Audi.</p>
<p>According to ALMS chief Scott Atherton, "It is no secret that Peugeot's ultimate goal for 2008 is to once again claim victory at Le Mans, and there is no better proving ground than Sebring." Peugeot evidently agrees. The decision to compete at Sebring comes after last month's test session where Stephane Sarrazin set a record 1:42.801 lap time at the Florida track behind the wheel of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/11/le-mans-bound-peugeot-908s-race-livery-unveiled/">Peugeot 908 HDi</a>, beating the previous lap record set by Audi's Marco Werner last year by a full two seconds. It warrants repeating in case you missed it: two full seconds. That ended up being motivation enough for Peugeot to ship the car on over again to compete in the actual race, where <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/peugeot-confirms-roster-of-f1-drivers-for-le-mans/">Sarrazin will share driving duties with Nic Minassian and Pedro Lamy</a>. We'll see how Peugeot does against Audi and the rest of the field when the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring gets underway on Saturday, March 15.</p>
<p>Press release after the jump. <em>Thanks for the tip, Kamal!</em></p>
<p>[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3927">ALMS</a>]</p><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Coming to America: Peugeot to compete in 12 Hours of Sebring</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/">Coming to America: Peugeot to compete in 12 Hours of Sebring</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:27:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3927>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1118696/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/coming-to-america-peugeot-to-compete-in-12-hours-of-sebring/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 hours of sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>peugeot 12 sebring</category><category>peugeot 908 hdi</category><category>peugeot vs audi</category><category>Peugeot12Sebring</category><category>Peugeot908Hdi</category><category>PeugeotVsAudi</category><category>sebring 12 hours</category><category>sebring lap record</category><category>Sebring12Hours</category><category>SebringLapRecord</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Noah Joseph]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:27:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audi considering dropping out of ALMS?]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a></p><a href="http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fde.sports.yahoo.com%2F19032007%2F14%2Faudi-denkt-sieg-sebring-rueckzug.html&amp;langpair=de%7Cen&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/audiftw.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 7px;"> <script> var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/motorsport/Audi_considering_dropping_out_of_ALMS'; </script> <script src="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.js"></script></span>Despite racking up its eigth victory in a row at last weekend's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/12-hours-of-sebring-ends-with-audi-win-nail-biting-gt2-finish/">12 Hours of Sebring</a>, Audi is reportedly considering dropping out of the American Le Mans Series. Rumors of Audi yanking its unbeatable R10s from competition in the U.S. have been swirling ever since last season when race organizers began changing rules to slow down the Audis and give their competition a hope in hell of winning. Those revisions didn't work and the Audis kept winning. <br /><br />ALMS organizers also instituted "special" rules for the Audi in last weekend's running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, forcing the R10s to run with a smaller fuel cell that held 81 instead of 90 liters of diesel. Changes like this slow the Audi R10s enough to bring them within spitting distance of the LMP2 class that is incredibly competitive this year thanks to the arrival of Acura on the scene. From Audi's perspective, the temporary rule changes instituted at Sebring apparently were not in line with what it considers fair racing. As such, the German automaker is reviewing where it stands with the American Le Mans Series. <br /><br />We would hate to see Audi pull out of ALMS, even though it dominates every single race it enters. Ideally, ALMS should be recruiting more competitive LMP1 contenders, or perhaps it could institute a new class of diesel-powered racers called LMD1. We hear the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/11/le-mans-bound-peugeot-908s-race-livery-unveiled/">French</a> might be interested. <br /><br />BTW - <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ftw">FTW</a><br /><br />[Source: Yahoo Sports Germany via <a href="http://www.germancarblog.com/2007/03/audi-thinking-about-pull-out-from-alms.html">German Car Blog</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/">Audi considering dropping out of ALMS?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:57:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fde.sports.yahoo.com%2F19032007%2F14%2Faudi-denkt-sieg-sebring-rueckzug.html&amp;langpair=de%7Cen&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF8>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/857119/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/21/audi-considering-dropping-out-of-alms/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 Hours of Sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>ALMS</category><category>American Le Mans Series</category><category>AmericanLeMansSeries</category><category>audi</category><category>audi r10</category><category>AudiR10</category><category>diesel</category><category>r10</category><category>Sebring</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[John Neff]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:57:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audi running in front at Sebring... again]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/"><em><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07rearlr_450.jpg"  alt="" /></em></a><br /><em>Click on the photo for a high-res gallery of the 2007 Audi R10 TDi</em><br /><br />See that? It's the rear end of a 2007 Audi R10 diesel-powered ALMS racer. The 2007 American LeMans Series kicks off this weekend with the storied Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, and judging from the first day of test sessions on Monday, this view will become quite familiar to the rest of the field. <br /><br />During the first day of test sessions yesterday, one of Audi's new drivers, Tom Kristensen, beat his teammate's record setting qualifying lap from last year by a full 0.7 seconds, while fellow teammate Emanuele Pirro was just behind and almost a second ahead of the fastest LMP2 Porsche of Andy Wallace. <br /><br />Last year, Audi's pair of diesel-powered R10s were unbeatable, reaching the highest platform of the podium in each one of the eight races the cars contested, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the only race of the eight not part of the ALMS Series.<br /><br />[Source: American LeMans Series]<br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/">2007 Audi R10 TDi</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07pass_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07over_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07front3_4_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07rear_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2007-audi-r10-tdi/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/07rear3_4_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/">Audi running in front at Sebring... again</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:56:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=2862>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/851424/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/13/audi-running-in-front-at-sebring-again/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12 Hours of Sebring</category><category>12HoursOfSebring</category><category>2007</category><category>Emanuele Pirro</category><category>EmanuelePirro</category><category>R10</category><category>Sebring</category><category>Tom Kristensen</category><category>TomKristensen</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:56:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>