Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Audi and Porsche win Michelin GreenX Challenge at Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/audi-and-porsche-win-michelin-greenx-challenge-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/audi-and-porsche-win-michelin-greenx-challenge-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/audi-and-porsche-win-michelin-greenx-challenge-at-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Audi R15 TDI leading Petit Le Mans - click above for high-res gallery

The American Le Mans Series ran half of its annual flagship race this past weekend at a rain-saturated Road Atlanta track in Georgia. The race marked the first anniversary of the inauguration of the ALMS Green Challenge, and in spite of the truncated race length, organizers announced winners in both the prototype and GT categories and the winners all came from the Volkswagen Group.

Among the prototypes, the No. 1 Audi R15 TDI led for more than four hours until shortly before the race was red flagged. However, the combination of the diesel's fuel efficiency and performance gave the Audi sufficient points to be declared the Michelin GreenX Challenge winner. Among the GT cars, several problems hurt the performance of the cellulosic E85-fueled Chevrolet Corvettes. Thus, the Flying Lizard team's Porsche 911s had the best combination of carbon footprint and performance. With only one race remaining at Laguna Seca, the Porsches look like strong contenders to win the season-long Green Challenge championship. Galleries below, official press releases after the jump.


Gallery: Audi R15 TDI at Petit Le Mans 2009


Gallery: Flying Lizard Porsche at Petit Le Mans 2009


[Sources: Audi, Porsche]

Continue reading Audi and Porsche win Michelin GreenX Challenge at Petit Le Mans

Audi and Porsche win Michelin GreenX Challenge at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsalms green challengeAlmsGreenChallengeamerican le mans seriesamerican le mans series green challengeAmericanLeMansSeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesGreenChallengeaudiaudi r15 tdiAudiR15Tdiflying lizardFlyingLizardmichelin greenx challengeMichelinGreenxChallengepetit le mansPetitLeMansporsche 911 gt3Porsche911Gt3Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:58:00 EST<![CDATA[ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/alms-announces-2010-schedule-laguna-seca-moves-to-may-becomes/#commentsFiled under:

2008 ALMS at Laguna Seca - click above for a high res image gallery

On Friday, prior to this weekend's Petit Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series announced its planned 2010 schedule. Tentatively, nine of this year's 10 venues are carried over, with only the St. Petersburg, FL street race going away. There are a couple of date changes for the existing venues, however. The Utah race, which had been run in May in recent years, will move to a July slot after the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The big change for 2010 however, concerns the annual race at Laguna Seca. This California event has long been the season-ender following Petit Le Mans. In 2010, though, it moves to the May 22 slot and the race length grows to six hours (it's currently a four-hour event). Unfortunately for fans in Michigan, the Detroit race won't return in 2010 because of its local sponsors' poor financial situation; organizers still hope to revive the race in 2011. The schedule is after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 ALMS at Laguna Seca


All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Continue reading ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro

ALMS announces 2010 schedule; Laguna Seca moves to May, becomes 6-hour enduro originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson Racing B09/96 running at Mid-Ohio - click above for high-res image gallery

When we spoke with American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show last January, he revealed that discussions were being held between the series and parties interested in racing with a new fuel. At the time, he declined to reveal the nature of the fuel but expected to announce something during the 2009 season. We're now down to the second to last race of 2009 and a fourth series fuel has finally arrived.

Dyson Racing's LMP2 #16 Lola-Mazda is running unclassified at this weekend's Petit Le Mans because its fuel tank will be filled with a blend of biobutanol and ethanol. This is the first use of butanol in an ALMS car. Dyson has been working with its primary sponsor BP and engine supplier Mazda to develop the new fuel which is currently produced from sugar cane but can also be produced from cellulosic sources. Butanol has several advantages over ethanol including higher energy density allowing mileage and power closer to that of gasoline. What's more, because it doesn't have the same tendency to absorb water (which causes corrosion), it can be blended with gasoline in higher concentrations without modifying the engines. Hopefully, we'll see cars running for points fueled by butanol all season long in 2010. Check out our high-res gallery below and the official press release after the jump.


Gallery: Dyson Racing Mazda-Lola at Mid-Ohio


[Source: American Le Mans Series]
All photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans

Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R15 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Audi vs. Peugeot endurance racing battle will continue next month at Road Atlanta as the German team finally confirmed it will bring the R15 TDI back to America. Peugeot announced several weeks ago that it would run its Le Mans-winning 908 HDI at both the Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca. So far Audi has only committed to the 10-hour race in Georgia. Audi Sport Team Joest will be running the two R15s for the German automaker.

The diesel-powered racers opened up the season battling at the 12 hours of Sebring with the R15 grabbing a debut victory. From there, the Franco-Prussian war moved on to the 24 Hours of Le Mans where Peugeot finally came through with a win after three years of trying.

Audi motorsports boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich blamed a lack of testing for the team's failure in France this year and plans to have the team test at Road Atlanta the week prior to the race next month. Hopefully, Audi will stick around for the California race, as well. Full press release after the jump, and thanks to all for the tips!


Gallery: 12 Hours of Sebring - 2009


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Game On! Audi headed to Petit Le Mans to challenge Peugeot

Game On! Audi headed to Petit Le Mans to challenge Peugeot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The all-new Corvette C6.R GT2 is on track at Mid-Ohio this morning for the first official practice session ahead of tomorrow's American Le Mans Series Race. So far, the 'Vettes look good and sound great, although they aren't running at the front of the pack. As of this writing, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen are running third and fourth, respectively, in GT2 in the number 4 and 3 Corvettes. Bill Auberlin is leading the pack in the #90 BMW M3.

While the new GT2 contenders don't look quite as aggressive as their GT1 predecessors, the updated yellow and black livery looks great on the ZR1-inspired bodywork and their thunderous exhaust note won't be mistaken for any of the Porsches or Ferraris mixing it up on the circuit. Considering the limited track time the team has had, both 'Vettes seems to be running strong. We'll have a better idea of how strong this afternoon when they head out for qualifying.

UPDATE: In GT qualifying this afternoon, Joerg Bergmeister took the pole in one of the Flying Lizard Porsches with Jan Magnussen grabbing third in the #3 Vette and Oliver Gavin following in sixth in the #4 Vette.

Gallery: Mid-Ohio ALMS 2009: Corvette C6.R GT2


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Mid-Ohio 2009 ALMS: Corvette C6.R GT2 hits the track! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 - click above for high-res image gallery

After a decade of competing with the GT1 big dogs in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this weekend marks the start of a new era for Corvette Racing. The race at Mid-Ohio this Saturday (we'll be on hand live) will mark the debut of the all-new GT2 Corvette C6.R. For the last two years, the Corvettes have run without any factory competition in the ALMS GT1 class, and with GT2 being where all the action is, Chevrolet has decided the time was ripe for a change.

The original GT1 C5R debuted in 1999, and in 2005, the team transitioned to the then-new C6.R body style. Over the years, competitors like the Dodge Viper, Aston Martin DBR9 and Ferrari 575 have come and gone, but the Vettes have soldiered on to fight the good fight. After farewell races at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans earlier this year, the GT1 cars have been retired. Mark Kent, GM Racing manager, Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager, Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer, Johnny O'Connell, driver No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R all took part in a conference call today to discuss the move to GT2, and we were on the line Read all about it after the jump and check out the high-res gallery below.


Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2


[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Officially Official: GM reveals details on new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2

Officially Official: GM reveals details on new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot has confirmed that for the second year running it will be sending its 908 HDi prototypes to Atlanta in September for the Petit Le Mans. Peugeot will be looking to follow up its victory at Le Mans last June with its first win at the ALMS flagship race. In France, Peugeot had a resounding victory over Audi's new R15 TDIs but so far the biggest competition in Atlanta will come from the LMP1 Acuras. Peugeot will be bringing two of the 908s to Georgia for the race that joins Sebring in becoming increasingly known as a warmup for the 24 hour race in France.

There have been repeated rumors that the R15s would return to the U.S. for the final two races at Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca for several months. We checked with Audi Motorsports spokeswoman Eva-Maria Veith, who said, "There is no decision made about any more races with the Audi R15 TDI this year. I hope that we will know more in the near future." Hopefully an official commitment from Peugeot will prompt Audi to try and avenge their loss in France.

[Source: American Le Mans Series]

The Peugeots are coming to Petit Le Mans! Now, about those Audis... originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Following the 2008 American Le Mans Series, Chevrolet announced that its Corvette Racing team would abandon the largely uncontested ranks of GT1 and take on the challenge of GT2. As General Motors careened toward bankruptcy court this spring, the team competed in its final GT1 races at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans - but the big question was whether the GT2 program would be still-born.

Well, Corvette fans can now breath a sigh of relief - the news has just come from the American Le Mans Series that GM has filed official entry forms to compete in the GT2 class at Mid-Ohio in August. The existing driver pairings of Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen and Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin will pilot the new Vettes, which will feature bodywork inspired by the ZR1 - including double side vents. We're certainly looking forward to seeing Chevrolets take on Ferrari, Porsche and Aston next month as they take to the roadcourse the weekend of Aug. 6-8.


Gallery: Corvette Racing GT1 Mega Gallery


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Corvette C6R GT2 cars officially entered for Mid-Ohio ALMS race originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acura's new ARX-02a race car made its first public appearance this morning at the American Le Mans series winter test at Sebring in Florida. Acura announced its move up to the LMP1 class in the American Le Mans Series at last year's Detroit Grand Prix, but hasn't yet provided any details on the car. More information, including hopefully some news on the powerplant, will be announced later today. Unfortunately, Acura will be entering the LMP1 class just as Audi and its indomitable R10 are leaving. Though Audi has announced it will replace the aging R10 with a new car called the R15, it has pulled out of the both the ALMS and the European Le Mans Seres for 2009 and will only race the new car at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Gallery: 2009 Sebring Winter Test: Acura ARX-02a


[Source: American Le Mans Series]

BREAKING: First appearance of Acura LMP1 car at ALMS winter test originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Detroit Sports Car Challenge

American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton visited the Detroit Auto Show last week and talked about the successes and challenges the series faces in 2009. Racing series' around the world are losing teams this year as a result of the worldwide economic slump, and the American Le Mans Series is no exception. In spite of both Audi and Porsche withdrawing as full-time participants in the prototype classes, Atherton is optimistic. Audi won't be racing full-time, but its new R15 TDI will make its world debut at the season opener in Sebring.

Also coming at Sebring will be the announcement of a new manufacturer joining the series, possibly as soon as the race at Long Beach. Mazda is also expanding its involvement its involvement through a tie up with Dyson Racing. Hoping to take advantage of the Green Challenge that will be a full season aspect of ALMS this year, an energy company has approached Atherton about introducing a fourth fuel to the current mix of E10, cellulosic E85 and diesel. Yet another manufacturer is hoping to introduce a new type of hybrid technology as well. Check out the whole story at Green Fuels Forecast.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


[Source: Green Fuels Forecast]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

2009 ALMS season will see a new manufacturer join, new fuel maybe coming originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click on the Highcroft Acura for a high res gallery from the Detroit Sports Car Challenge

The current economic climate has only just started to wreak havoc in the motorsports world, with last week's announcements that Honda is pulling out of F1 and Audi is leaving the American LeMans Series. Things are likely to get worse before they get better as other automakers, including those based in Detroit, will almost certainly cut racing programs and budgets.

What won't be affected - at least for now - are Honda's non-F1 endeavors, including its motorcycle programs, the Indy Racing League and the American Le Mans Series. The ALMS and IRL programs are both operated by Honda Performance Development out of Torrance, CA. Unlike the F1 program, the IRL engine program generates revenue from the teams that lease these engines. The Acura ALMS program will definitely continue in 2009 as the team moves up from the LMP2 to the LMP1 class. The big bummer is that Acura won't have any competition from the Audi R10, which is leaving the ALMS next year.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: F1-Live]

Honda commits to remaining motorsport programs after F1 pull out originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click the R10 above for a high res gallery from the Detroit race

The self proclaimed leader in "green racing", the American Le Mans Series, will be losing one of its premier teams for 2009. After winning nine consecutive LMP1 championships with the R8 and then the R10 TDI, Audi will no longer have a works team in the ALMS in 2009. The only official Audi appearance in North America will be the debut run of the new R15 TDI at Sebring in March. After that, the R15 will go to Le Mans and Audi will be represented by the new A4 in DTM and the R8 LMS in GT3 racing.

Audi hasn't indicated whether it will make the R10s available to Champion Racing or any other team. Champion has been operating the Audi Sport North America program for several years. The current economic conditions have been cited by Audi racing boss Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich as part of the reason for withdrawing from ALMS and also the European Le Mans Series.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading BREAKING: Audi withdraws from 2009 American Le Mans Series

BREAKING: Audi withdraws from 2009 American Le Mans Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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click for a high-res gallery from the 2008 Detroit Sports Car Challenge

2009 will be a transition year for the American Le Mans Series as the GT1 class all but disappears after the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Corvette Racing team announced a few weeks ago that it will switch from GT1 to the GT2 class. In an ALMS conference call, program manager Dough Fehan revealed that the engineering work on the new car is done and assembly of the first car will start in the next 7-10 days. Visually, the new car will be almost indistinguishable from the GT1 racer, with the biggest difference being a smaller rear wing. Underneath the skin, the carbon brakes will have to go as they aren't allowed in GT2 so steel rotors will have to dissipate the kinetic energy. Creating kinetic energy will be a new, smaller, 6.0L version of the engine currently used. The GT2 engine will continue to run on cellulosic E85.

The GT2 cars will likely make their competition debut at the Mid-Ohio ALMS race in early August. Before that happens, the GT1 cars will make three final runs at Sebring, Long Beach and of course Le Mans to try and win one more time.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


[Source: American Le Mans Series]

Corvette Racing just about ready to start building GT2 C6.R originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican le mans series green challengeamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesGreenChallengecorvettecorvette c6-rcorvette c6.rcorvette c6rcorvette racingCorvetteC6-rCorvetteC6.rCorvetteC6rCorvetteRacinggt1gt2Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Audi R10 driver Emanuele Pirro stepping down after 15 years]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/audi-r10-driver-emanuele-pirro-stepping-down-after-15-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/audi-r10-driver-emanuele-pirro-stepping-down-after-15-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/audi-r10-driver-emanuele-pirro-stepping-down-after-15-years/#commentsFiled under: ,


Pirro piloting the Audi R10 TDI at the Detroit Sportscar Challenge

After 15 years of hustling factory Audi race cars around tracks the world over, Emanuele Pirro will have his last run in the R10 TDI this weekend at the American Le Mans Series' final race at Laguna Seca. The Italian driver first hooked up with Audi in 1994 running in the Italian and German Touring Car Championships where he won titles three years in a row. Later he moved over into sports cars where he has spent the last decade driving the R8 and R10 TDI. Over that span, he and his teammates have conquered the 24 hours of Le Mans five times including the first victory by a diesel-powered car in the 2006 R10. Pirro's most recent victory came just two weeks ago at the Petit Le Mans where he teamed with Alan McNish and Dindo Capello to storm back from two laps down to defeat the Peugeot 908 HDi. Pirro is also an avid pilot, so he'll probably be getting more of his thrills in the air now.

It's not known if Pirro is retiring completely from competition or just leaving his team, but he will continue to be a brand ambassador for Audi, a task at which he should excel. Having met the man on several occasions, I can say first hand that he is very warm, friendly and personable and almost always has a big smile on his face.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R10 driver Emanuele Pirro stepping down after 15 years

Audi R10 driver Emanuele Pirro stepping down after 15 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click the Corvette for a high res gallery from the Detroit Sports Car Challenge

As the 2008 American Le Mans Series season winds down with only two races left, teams are starting to make announcements about the 2009 season. One of the question marks over the last several years has been the future of the Corvette Racing program. With no really competition to speak of, one has to wonder why GM stays in the GT1 ranks. This year, they switched fuels and now run on cellulosic ethanol. Today, the team announced that 2009 will be a transition season as the GT1 C6Rs continue in limited competition. The GT1 cars will run at Sebring and Long Beach before going for a sixth class victory at Le Mans. After Le Mans, a new GT2 Corvette will debut running the rest of the season in preparation for 2010. New international GT class rules take effect in 2010 and are closer to current GT2 rules.

The new C6R will be based on the body and chassis of the ZR1 and cars will be run by the factory team, as well as being available to independent teams. A 6.0-liter version of the LS7.R from the GT1 car will be used in GT2 competition next year, while the 2010 car gets a new 5.5-liter version of the production engine. Like the current GT1 car, the new GT will keep running on cellulosic E85.

Gallery: Detroit Sports Car Challenge 08


[Source: American Le Mans Series]
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Corvettes back in ALMS in 2009 with GT1 and GT2 programs originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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