Nürburg, 21 May, 2009
Just a few days after the successful DTM season opener, the next major
motorsport event is on the agenda for Audi: The 24-hour race on the
Nürburgring next weekend will be the ultimate endurance test for the new
Audi R8 LMS which has been developed for the customer sport before
customer deliveries start this fall – and a gift to fans on the occasion of
the 100th anniversary of the Audi brand.
A total of four of the fascinating GT3 sports cars will start from the grid
with factory support by Audi. The two race teams, ABT Sportsline and
Phoenix Racing, managed putting together a high-caliber drivers’ lineup.
The 14 successful endurance race drivers sharing the cockpits have as
many as 27 overall wins at 24-hour races around the world to their credit
between them. Five of them (Lucas Luhr, Emanuele Pirro, Mike
Rockenfeller, Timo Scheider and Hans-Joachim Stuck) have also won
the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring at least once.
The two teams are familiar with the endurance classic on the notorious
Nürburgring-Nordschleife as well. ABT Sportsline already clinched
podium results with vehicles of the Audi brand. Team Phoenix Racing,
which just celebrated its tenth anniversary, won its first race at the
Nürburgring in 2000 right away and celebrated another triumph at the
24-hour race in 2003. For Ernst Moser’s squad based in the industrial
park of Meuspath, directly alongside the Nordschleife, the 24-hour race is
really a home round.
Audi provides factory support for a fielding of cars at this extremely tough
race for the first time again since 2004. Then, the ABT Sportsline team
contested the event with two modified Abt-Audi TT-R cars from the DTM.
This time, the race car is a thorough-bred sports car with a V10 engine
delivering almost 500 hp that has successfully been used in initial races.
On the first weekend in May, ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing clinched
maiden victories of the Audi R8 LMS at Assen and Spa-Francorchamps.
In test races on the Nordschleife, podium results were achieved.
The Nürburgring event serves to provide the R8 LMS with its definitive
technical fine-tuning. But Audi also wants to present a gift to fans on the
occasion of the brand’s 100th anniversary and thrill the expected crowd of
some 200,000 spectators with distinguished drivers from Audi’s
successful motorsport history. Frank Biela, Hans-Joachim Stuck and
Emanuele Pirro are part of the lineup as well as the two DTM Champions
Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider, who – fitting the anniversary year –
will take the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS marked as car number 100.
Most of the drivers and team members already traveled to the
Nürburgring at the beginning of the week. A motorcade around the
Nordschleife on Wednesday night will be the first highlight. Practice will
start on Thursday. The race will start on Saturday at 4 pm. DSF will
broadcast a total of about 14 hours of live coverage from the Nürburgring.
Quotes before the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport)
"The 24 hours on the Nürburgring are the ultimate endurance test for our
new R8 LMS customer sport project. We know that this circuit is
particularly demanding and that it’s really one of the toughest races in
existence. We’ll go there with our partner teams to give the R8 LMS its
definitive fine-tuning before delivering larger volumes of the car to our
customers next year. For me, personally, this will be the first 24-hour race
on the Nürburgring. I’m very excited about it.”
Christian Abt (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline)
"I still have some unfinished business with the 24 hours Nürburgring: In
1997, 2003 and 2006, I finished as the runner-up. We worked very hard
together to prepare for the race. The Audi R8 LMS is an excellent car
which, despite being close to the road-going version, is at least at the
level of a DTM car from 2002 or 2003. Our most recent win at the ADAC
GT Masters at Assen was a nice feeling. The fans around the
Nordschleife are enthralled with such a car.”
Jean-François Hemroulle (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline)
”I’m contesting the Belgian GT Championship with the R8 LMS and have
come to really appreciate the car on the Nordschleife as well. It’s easy to
drive and very pleasant – better than any other car I’ve previously driven on
the Nordschleife. In addition, I get along very well with my teammates. It’s
a congenial atmosphere.”
Pierre Kaffer (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline)
"I’m looking forward to my run in the Audi R8 LMS at the 24-hour race on
the Nürburgring with extremely eager anticipation. As everyone knows, the
Nordschleife is my home track as well as my most favorite one. In
addition, I love endurance races. I won the GT2 class at the 12 hours of
Sebring just in March. A top-caliber team and a super sports car provide
the best prerequisites for a successful race at the Nürburgring.”
Lucas Luhr (Audi R8 LMS #97/Team ABT Sportsline)
"I’ve got only the fondest – and also the funniest – memories of the 24
hours Nürburgring, at least since our victory in 2006. A fan once towed us
over a country road at pretty high speed after we broke down at a remote
area of the track. The Audi R8 LMS, in which we’re contesting the race this
year, is a lot of fun, especially on the Nordschleife, where it feels even
better than on the Grand Prix circuit of the Nürburgring. I’m really looking
forward to the 24-hour races this season. Only three weeks later, Le
Mans will be on my agenda.”
Frank Biela (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing)
"Even after five Le Mans victories, the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring is
something really special for me. The reason is the Nordschleife, which is
simply always a challenge and real fun – no matter how often you’ve
driven there. No matter how old you are. No matter what car you’re driving.
For me, the race is also a sort of home round because I started racing at
Zolder and on the Nürburgring, and I come from Neuss: I always meet a
lot of people up there whom I’ve known for a long time.”
Marcel Fässler (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing)
"I’m really happy to be competing for Phoenix Racing again – and also
really look forward to the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. Driving on this
track is a very special challenge. I already won the 24-hour race at Spa.
Spa-Francorchamps is a fascinating track as well but the Nordschleife is
even more intensive. In addition, there are many different vehicle
categories. That makes this race unique. I think the 24-hour race on the
Nürburgring is one of the toughest in the world – if not the toughest of all.”
Emanuele Pirro (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing)
”I remember my victory in 1989 well, but don’t remember the track that
well, so I had to learn it again. 20 years ago, the race seemed like
traveling back in time. You really had to take big risks as a driver. Since
then, a lot has changed, both in terms of safety on the track and for the
cars. I really look forward to the race – particularly to being able to drive
together with my old friends Frank (Biela) and Hans (Stuck).”
Hans-Joachim Stuck (Audi R8 LMS #98/Phoenix Racing)
"In 1970, I won the first 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. While browsing
through Audi’s media booklet, I noticed that eight of my current driver
colleagues had not even been born then! Although I’ve contested as
many as 60 single 24-hour races, there’s always something new: The
start next weekend will be my first with Audi at a 24-hour race. I’m really
looking forward to that.”
Marc Basseng (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing)
"The Nordschleife has become near and dear to my heart because I’ve
been contesting the endurance championship for many years and have
celebrated a number of nice exploits there. On this track, it’s crucial to
have a reliable car and to consistently drive at a good pace. Our race car
recently proved its viability, from the first functional test through to the
finish of the four-hour race – that wasn’t a bad start. I’m proud to be able
to contest the 24-hour race with Phoenix and Audi.”
Mike Rockenfeller (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing)
"I won the 24-hour race in 2006 and just recently contested an endurance
race on the Nordschleife again. That was fun and we finished as the
runners-up. But we’re in for 24 hours on the most demanding track of all.
A lot can happen there. The car has only been in existence for a short
time but already has a very good base. It’s difficult to make a prediction. In
any event, all of us are highly motivated.”
Frank Stippler (Audi R8 LMS #99/Phoenix Racing)
"This race will be my highlight of the season for which I worked for a
whole year. I was involved in the testing and development program of the
R8 LMS. And now I’m able to compete at my home round. For me, this is
the toughest race in the world because no other 24-hour race is staged
on such an extreme circuit with bumps, hilltops, differences in elevations,
and a track length of 24 kilometers.”
Mattias Ekström (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline)
”I’ve contested the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in completely different
cars. In 2001, I drove a car that was actually a Group N rally car. We
finished sixth. In 2003 and 2004, I started from the grid in an Abt-Audi
TT-R. Now, I’m returning in an Audi R8 LMS, which is a thorough-bred
sports car. The Nordschleife is a sensational natural track, which
resembles a special stage of a rally.”
Timo Scheider (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline)
"I’m happy to be able to – finally – contest the 24 hours in a top-caliber car
again, after our 2003 overall win. The Audi R8 LMS is a very special car
that was already a lot of fun during the preparation stage. I really look
forward to competing in front of about 200,000 fans on the Nürburgring.
I’m hoping for a nice week because I’ve already been on location since
Monday night.”
Marco Werner (Audi R8 LMS #100/Team ABT Sportsline)
"It would be nice to win another 24-hour race after Daytona and Le Mans.
I’ve got special ties to the Nordschleife because I grew up on it and
contested my first race there in the endurance cup, which I managed
winning right away too. So, in that respect, the loop is now closing for me.
After a long period of not racing in Germany, I’m happy to be competing
again at the Nürburgring.”
Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Team ABT Sportsline)
"We’ve participated in the 24-hour race on several occasions. So far,
we’ve clinched second places in these events. Now, we may have the
chance to claim victory. The prerequisites are good. We’ve got highly
experienced, fast drivers, and are extremely well set. Of course it’s also
clear that we’ve got a new car that we know is fast. But it will be equally
crucial to drive throughout the race without any problems. You’ve got to be
consistently fast and need a good strategy. Of course, there’s a sound
competition between ABT and Phoenix. But the important thing will be for
the R8 to deliver a positive performance. That’s why the project has
factory backing. We’ll jointly try and clinch the best result for the Audi R8
product.”
Ernst Moser (Team Director Phoenix Racing)
"The final tests showed that we’ve managed reducing the gap to the
favored Porsches and improved our reliability. If we consistently drive
without any problems, we’ve got chances of being among the top
finishers. We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare but made the best
possible use of it. To win one of my favorite races with Audi after ten years
of Phoenix Racing would be a dream. But we’ve got strong rivals, in our
own camp as well. ABT and we are both racers, and both of us want to
win. But we worked together extremely well before the race and will
continue to do so. In the race, the team that makes the fewest mistakes
will be the front runner.”
Facts and figures
The 24-hour race Nürburgring will be staged for the 37th time this year ...
Hans-Joachim Stuck was part of the winning team at the race’s first
edition in 1970 ... The combination of the Grand Prix circuit and the
Nordschleife is 25.378 kilometers long; it has 33 left- and 40 right-hand
turns ... Last year, 220,000 spectators witnessed the 24-hour race ...
Some 180 vehicles have been nominated for the race ... Audi has been
providing the official vehicles for the 24-hour race since 2002 ... One of
the four Audi R8 LMS cars promotes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which take
place on June 13/14. For the two 24-hour races, a combination ticket is
available.
The 24-hour race schedule
Wednesday, May 20
18:30 hrs Participants’ motorcade around the Nordschleife
Thursday, May 21
10:00 – 11:00 hrs Meet the Audi teams (Audi Team & Media Hospitality)
13:30 – 15:00 hrs Free practice
16:00 hrs Preview press conference (Media Center)
19:30 – 23:30 hrs Qualifying 1
Friday, May 22
10:30 – 11:30 hrs Meet the Audi teams (Audi Team & Media Hospitality)
14:00 – 16:00 hrs Qualifying 2
16:30 hrs Pole position press conference (Media Center)
Saturday, May 23
09:30 – 10:00 hrs Book presentation "10 Years of Phoenix Racing”
(Audi Team & Media Hospitality)
14:30 – 15:20 hrs Starting grid formation
16:00 hrs Start
Sunday, May 24
16:00 hrs Finish
16:30 hrs Winners’ press conference (Media Center)
TV broadcasting schedule (DSF)
Thursday, May 21
15:35 – 16:00 hrs Free practice live
19:45 – 21:15 hrs 1st qualifying live
22:15 – 23:30 hrs 1st qualifying live
Friday, May 22
14:00 – 16:30 hrs 2nd qualifying live
22:00 – 22:45 hrs Preview reports
Saturday, May 23
15:00 – 17:30 hrs Start live
20:30 – 22:00 hrs Race live
Sunday, May 24
00:00 – 00:30 hrs Race live
07:00 – 09:15 hrs Race live
13:30 – 16:30 hrs Race, finish and podium ceremony live
|
