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[VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/video-audi-posts-more-than-two-dozen-clips-from-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Audi does Petit Le Mans - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Over the past weekend, while the Joest Racing crew was working away preparing the two Audi R15 TDIs for the extra-Petit Le Mans, reserve driver Mike Rockenfeller and a camera crew were out and about shooting a series of videos. Audi has now posted more than two dozen videos on its YouTube page that include driver and crew interviews, tours of the garage, pits and a tour of Road Atlanta. There's plenty of up-close action as everyone gets ready for what proved to be a rain shortened race.

During the track tour, Rockenfeller (a.k.a. Rocky) describes some of the physical attributes required to get through certain corners at maximum speed. For those unfamiliar with Road Atlanta - or what goes on behind the scenes with a team like Audi - it's worth checking out the vid posted after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans

VIDEO: Audi posts more than two dozen clips from Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesaudiaudi r15audi r15 tdiaudi sport team joestAudiR15AudiR15TdiAudiSportTeamJoestfalsepetit le mansPetitLeMansvideoTue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST<![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.

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2009 Petit Le Mans - Click above for high-res image gallery

The American Le Mans Series held its flagship race, the Petit Le Mans over the weekend at Road Atlanta, and it was more petit than normal. The race is scheduled to run for 10 hours or 1,000 miles - whichever comes first. However, the rains that have plagued the Atlanta region for the past two weeks just couldn't hold off any longer Saturday afternoon. After relatively clear running Thursday and Friday for practice and qualifying, the clouds returned Saturday for race time. After sporadic showers and drizzle throughout the first several hours, the clouds really opened up in the fifth hour.

The safety car came out for a full course yellow for a while, but the ground around the track was already waterlogged, making proper drainage impossible. With cars aquaplaning everywhere even on full rain tires, continued running became impossible and the race was red-flagged at 4 hours and 52 minutes in hopes the rain would subside. Unfortunately, it never did and the race was called at 9:30pm. Click on the jump to find out what happened while the cars were still running.


Gallery: 2009 Petit Le Mans


[Images: Chris Graythen/Darrell Ingham/Getty]

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: Rain, Rain Go Away! Downpour makes Petit Le Mans even more so

Spoiler Alert: Rain, Rain Go Away! Downpour makes Petit Le Mans even more so originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scott Sharp's accident at the Petit Le Mans Thursday practice session - click above to watch the video after the jump

Earlier, we told you about the Patron Highcroft racing team's marathon 20 hour build of a brand new Acura ARX-02a the day before the Petit Le Mans. The reason the crew had to work even harder than normal on a race weekend was a crash during Thursday's afternoon practice that left many observers astonished as Scott Sharp walked away unharmed.

Sharp's LMP1 Acura was heading into turn 3 at Road Atlanta when it apparently made contact with another racer exiting the pit lane. This caused the Acura's front end to lift, and that's never a good thing in one of these high-powered prototypes. Into the air the car went. After makng 3.5 revolutions, Sharp managed to crawl out of the car's remains with just a clump of mud stuck to the top of his helmet.


"I really don't know what happened," Sharp said. "I was heading up the hill in sixth gear and felt a hit in the right rear. The wheel arches are very high with the wide front tires on the Acura - I didn't see a thing - only felt the contact. I knew it was a big one and I am just really grateful to Acura and all the boys at Patrón Highcroft Racing for building such a strong car. I'm shattered for Duncan, all the guys, Brabs and Dario (Franchitti). We went through this last year and I can't believe it's happened again. I was just thinking to myself how much I like this place when next thing I'm headed upside down with a mouth full of Georgia clay."

Heading into Atlanta, Sharp and co-driver David Brabham were tied at 142 points and leading the LMP1 drivers championship race, a position they maintained by finishing sixth in yesterday's rain-shortened Petit Le Mans. The video of the crash is available after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Ryan.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Scott Sharp's Acura prototype completely destroyed during Petit Le Mans practice

VIDEO: Scott Sharp's Acura prototype completely destroyed during Petit Le Mans practice originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 Petit Le Mans2009PetitLeMansAcuraALMSAmerican Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSerieshighcroft acurahighcroft acura arx-02ahighcroft racingHighcroftAcuraHighcroftAcuraArx-02aHighcroftRacingpatron highcroft racingPatronHighcroftRacingPetit Le MansPetitLeMansRoad AtlantaRoadAtlantaScott SharpScott Sharp crashScottSharpScottSharpCrashvideoSun, 27 Sep 2009 19:06:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Patron Highcroft team builds new Acura prototype in just over 20 hours [w/VIDEO]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/patron-highcroft-team-builds-new-acura-prototype-in-just-over-20/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/patron-highcroft-team-builds-new-acura-prototype-in-just-over-20/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/27/patron-highcroft-team-builds-new-acura-prototype-in-just-over-20/#commentsFiled under: ,

Scott Sharp driving the Highcroft Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009 - click above for high-res image gallery

A mere 42 hours after Scott Sharp walked away from a horrific 3.5-revolution crash during practice for the Petit Le Mans, a freshly-built Acura ARX-02a was rolled out for the morning warmup on Saturday. The Highcroft crew put in marathon sessions Thursday and Friday to ensure that their pre-race work did not go in vain. Unlike Formula One teams, ALMS teams don't typically bring a spare car along with them, even to a big race like Petit Le Mans.

Sharp's crash happened at 3:43 PM EDT on Thursday, and by 6 pm a spare carbon fiber tub was picked up from the Honda Performance Development shop in California. As the tub was being shipped across the continent, the crew at Road Atlanta set about stripping down what was left of the crashed car. In the end, only 10 percent of the old parts were re-used on the new car.

The new tub arrived at the track at 9:30 AM Friday morning and the team went to work; a whole new race car had to be built up from thousands of parts. 15.5 hours after they started, the engine was fired at 1 AM. By 5:45 AM, setup was complete and at 9:45 AM Saturday morning the car hit the track. SPOILER ALERT: Petit Le Mans was ended early due to heavy rains, with the Highcroft Acura finishing sixth overall, 4 laps down from the winning Peugueot.

Update: Time lapse video of the build is embedded after the jump.

Gallery: Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a at Mid-Ohio 2009


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

Continue reading REPORT: Patron Highcroft team builds new Acura prototype in just over 20 hours [w/VIDEO]

REPORT: Patron Highcroft team builds new Acura prototype in just over 20 hours [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:50:00 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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Click above to view the video after the jump

With the American Le Mans Series returning to Road Atlanta this weekend for its flagship event, the Petit Le Mans, Audi has returned to take on the French. Peugeot, of course, won this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans after a multi-year battle with the diesel-powered Audis. So far, in the first three open practice sessions on Thursday, Peugeot's diesels continued to have a speed advantage over the Audi entries, with Frank Montagny setting the fastest time of the week so far during the night practice session at 1:07.912, three-quarters ahead of the second Peugeot, and the Audis also running third and fourth.

Earlier on Thursday, one of Audi's reserve drivers for the ten hour race, Mike Rockenfeller, conducted a backstage tour of the Audi paddock where the crew were preparing the cars for the first practice. This is back in an area that spectators don't get to see much of. As the cars were being taken out to the track, Rockenfeller went into the big tent behind the pit where the engineers were pouring over telemetry data on their screens trying to figure out how to make the R15 faster. Check out the videos after the jump.


Gallery: Audi R15 TDI


[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Mike Rockenfeller guides a tour of the Audi pit at Petit Le Mans

VIDEO: Mike Rockenfeller guides a tour of the Audi pit at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>almsamerican le mansamerican le mans ser...american le mans seriesamerican lemans seriesAmericanLeMansAmericanLeMansSer...AmericanLeMansSeriesaudiaudi r15audi r15 tdiAudiR15AudiR15Tdifalsemike rockenfellerMikeRockenfellerpetit le mansPetitLeManspeugeotpeugeot 908 hdipeugeot908hdiplmvideoFri, 25 Sep 2009 15:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/jaguar-xkr-gt2-will-debut-this-week-at-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jaguar XKR GT2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

After announcing earlier this year that it would enter the American Le Mans Series with a new GT2 class XKR, Jaguar has remained silent on when the car would actually appear. That silence is now over as the car is roaring to life at Road Atlanta today in practice for Saturday's Petit Le Mans.

The new racer has been prepared by long-time Jaguar racing collaborator Paul Gentilozzi and his RSR team. RSR is the successor to Rocketsports racing with which Gentilozzi campaigned XKRs in the Trans Am series. Like the new GT2 C6.R Corvette, the XKR started its life as a production aluminum body-in-white that was then transformed into a racer. Most of the aerodynamic development of the body was handled by the engineers at Jaguar before being fabricated in carbon fiber by RSR and a local Michigan-based supplier. RSR is mainly using this weekend's debut race as an extended track test session to prove-out the new car before participating in the entire 2010 season. We'll let you know how it does.


Gallery: RSR Jaguar XKR GT2 racer


[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans

Jaguar XKR GT2 will debut this week at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:32:00 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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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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Click above for high-res gallery of Audi at the 2008 Petit Le Mans


The 10th anniversary of the Petit Le Mans occurred this weekend at Road Atlanta, and the annual endurance event that occurs before the season-ending race of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca did not disappoint. Peugeot arrived ready to take up its diesel-powered feud with Audi in the LMP1 class that recently concluded overseas in the European Le Mans Series with the German brand on top. The LMP2, GT1 and GT2 classes were also hotly contested, and the most drama came from Helio Castroneves, who arrived at the track to drive an LMP2 Porsche for Penske after having been in handcuffs the day before facing tax evasion charges. Follow the jump for a quick rundown of a truly exceptional Petit Le Mans.

Gallery: Audi at the 2008 Petit Le Mans


[Source: AmericanLeMans.com]

Continue reading [SPOILER ALERT] Late night winner at 2008 Petit Le Mans

[SPOILER ALERT] Late night winner at 2008 Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 Petit Le Mans2008PetitLeMansALMSAmerican Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesPetit Le MansPetitLeMansMon, 06 Oct 2008 14:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Record qualifying time puts Peugeot on pole at Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/04/record-qualifying-time-puts-peugeot-on-pole-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/04/record-qualifying-time-puts-peugeot-on-pole-at-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/04/record-qualifying-time-puts-peugeot-on-pole-at-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: ,

It was a record setting day yesterday at Road Atlanta, with all four classes setting qualifying records including a blistering 1:06.242 by Stephane Sarrazin in his Peugeot 908 HDi to take the top overall spot. Peugeot has continually proved that it has a fast car, taking the last two pole positions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it was Audi on top at the end of that race. Allan McNish will be putting plenty of pressure on the Peugeot team, who qualified just .085 seconds behind the Peugeot in his Audi R10 TDI. In P2, Penske racing not only captured pole with a record qualifying time of 1:07.061, but also grabbed the top three spots. It was all Corvette Racing in GT1, but it will be a close race between the two Corvette who were separated by only .047 seconds. Finally, Risi Competizione qualified first in GT2 for the second straight year.

Coverage of the event starts today at 11:00 AM EST on SPEED TV today, with the green flag waving at 11:15. A NASCAR race splits up the coverage from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. EST, but you can still watch the race on AmericanLeMans.com (as well as look up live timing and scoring) or listen in on XM channel 166. Full details of the qualifying and driver quotes can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: AmericanLeMans.com]

Continue reading Record qualifying time puts Peugeot on pole at Petit Le Mans

Record qualifying time puts Peugeot on pole at Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ALMSAmerican Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesAudi R10AudiR10Petit Le MansPetitLeMansPeugeot 908 HDiPeugeot908HdiRoad AtlantaRoadAtlantaSat, 04 Oct 2008 02:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Petit LeMans ends in Audi's favor]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/08/petit-lemans-ends-in-audis-favor/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/08/petit-lemans-ends-in-audis-favor/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/08/petit-lemans-ends-in-audis-favor/#commentsFiled under: ,

An outright victory for Audi in the American Le Mans Series has been a long time coming, the team having narrowly missed the mark on many occasions since it last happened at the St. Petersburg race in March. The two diesel-powered Audi R10 LMP1 cars have been saddled with restrictions by the ALMS organizing body to keep the season competitive, and pesky Porsche RS Spyders from Penske Racing in the LMP2 class have been beating the Audis consistently all year long. That ended last Saturday in a fitting way at the 10th Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, though it wasn't easy.

Dindo Capello piloted his R10 across the finish line after 1,000 miles of racing just 0.923 seconds ahead of Penske Racing's Romain Dumas in his Porsche RS Spyder. Dumas had a 30-second lead over Capello with a half hour left of racing to go, but a caution period allowed the Audi to work its way up through lap traffic after falling behind. Once behind Dumas, it reportedly took Capello eight minutes to pass him with 15 laps to go. With the win, Capello and co-driver Allan McNish also secured their second straight LMP1 drivers championship, and Audi earned the distinction of sweeping the three big enduro events of the year: Sebring, Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans.

Follow the jump for results of the top ten finishing cars and check out the gallery below for pics from the race courtesy of Audi.

[Source: Americanlemans.com]

Gallery: 2007 Petit Le Mans

Continue reading Petit LeMans ends in Audi's favor

Petit LeMans ends in Audi's favor originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ALMSAmerican Le Mans SeriesAmericanLeMansSeriesaudi petit le mansaudi r10AudiPetitLeMansAudiR10petit le mansPetitLeMansMon, 08 Oct 2007 14:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Audi R10 wins little Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/02/audi-r10-wins-little-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/02/audi-r10-wins-little-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/02/audi-r10-wins-little-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: ,



Despite regulations allowing its competitors to race with 143 lbs. less weight, Audi managed to claim the win this weekend at the Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta. Other LM P1 cars from Zytek, Creation and Porsche were actually faster than the Audis thanks to the rules that lightened their load, but the R10's bulletproof durability and lower fuel consumption, combined with error-free driving from Alan McNish and Dindo Capello, carried one of the two Audi cars across the finish line first. The second R10, driven by the Le Mans winning team of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner, was poised to finish alongside or ahead of its counterpart, but contact with a slower GT car pushed the team back to seventh overall and fourth in LM P1.

With the win, Audi clinches the Manufacturers' Championship in LM P1, having already won both the Drivers' and Teams' Championship. It's also the seventh straight Petit Le Mans victory for Audi and the tenth straight win at Road Atlanta. That is what they call merciless domination, folks. Watching the diesel-powered R10 mow down its gas-powered competitors all season makes us a little more than excited for the start of the next 24 Hours of Le Mans where Peugeot is preparing to fight fire with fire by fielding its own diesel-powered Le Mans racer, the 908.

[Source: Audi]

Audi R10 wins little Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Le MansLeMansLM P1LmP1motorsportsPetit Le MansPetitLeMansR10racingMon, 02 Oct 2006 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Audi reunites Le Mans winning trio for Petit Le Mans]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/22/audi-reunites-le-mans-winning-trio-for-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/22/audi-reunites-le-mans-winning-trio-for-petit-le-mans/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/22/audi-reunites-le-mans-winning-trio-for-petit-le-mans/#commentsFiled under: ,



Six races, six wins so far this year for the incredible (and eerily quiet) Audi R10 TDI: Sebring, Le Mans, Salt Lake City, Portland, Road America and Mosport. They've already clinched the Teams' and Drivers' Championships. Now all that remains is to sew up the Manufacturers' Championship in the "Champions League" LM P1 class for Audi. Heading into this week's Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta they've decided to take no chances and have brought together the Le Mans-winning trio of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, and Marco Werner.

The Petit Le Mans has grown to be one of the most important endurance races in motorsports. Although locking up the championship is still a concern, the Audi team has won the race six years in a row with the R10's predecessor, the R8, and they'd hope to keep the streak alive. Additionally, because it is one of the longer races on the calendar it gives teams a chance to test late season improvements for next year. The revolutionary diesel-powered R10 would also be one step closer to finishing off its maiden season with a perfect record. Full release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi reunites Le Mans winning trio for Petit Le Mans

Audi reunites Le Mans winning trio for Petit Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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