Ingolstadt, July 12, 2002
Five weeks after the triple victory at Le Mans and two weeks after the latest
win in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the successful Audi team now
faces the fifth round of the ALMS in Washington D.C. Not only is it the first
race in 80 years to be contested in the US capital, it is also the first from a
total of three street races in the 2002 ALMS.
The circuit in Washington has been set up in a parking area alongside the
famous Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (RFK) and measures 1.7
miles (2.736 kilometres) in length. Spectators can expect a unique show
with all of the grandstands allowing a view of almost the entire length of the
track.
The Audi Sport North America team, which this year has already won three
ALMS races and leads the overall rankings, faces a special challenge in
Washington: The 610 hp Infineon Audi R8 has been developed primarily for
fast race tracks like Le Mans. Due to the circuit characteristics Panoz, with
their front-engine sportscar, should prove to be a particularly tough
competitor. Additionally, for the first time since the season-opener in
Sebring, Cadillac starts again in the ALMS.
Street races are not totally new for the R8 and Audi Sport North America: At
the end of 2000 Audi won the “Race of the Millennium” in Adelaide,
Australia – on a street circuit featuring, however, many quick sections.
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