Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (12-13/05/2012)
By Johan Laubscher
1. The Weekend
Focussing this week on the weekend of 12-13 May 2012
2. The Events
- Grand Am
- Pirelli World Challenge
- Redbull Spain Record
- Monaco Historic GP
- SCCA National Club Racing
- British Hillclimb
- Swedish GT
- Grand Am Cup
2.1. Grand Am
Round four of the Rolex Grand Am series was the Global Barter 250 held at New Jersey Motorsport Park. Two of the now three Audi R8 GRAND-AM teams took part in the event. APR Motorosport and the debuting Limitless Racing, Oryx Racing did not take part this weekend. Limitless Racing got off to a good start by taking fourth place in qualifying followed by APR Motorsport in thirteenth. Both teams showed good pace all weekend. The race finished with both team just outside the top ten. The #08 Limitless Racing R8 GRAND-AM of Dr. Jason Lee and Elivan Goulart finished in thirteenth and the #51 APR R8 with Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman finished in fourteenth.
2.2. Pirelli World Challenge
The Pirelli World Challenge's fourth round saw the gird take part at the legendary Laguna Seca race circuit. Two Audi cars were entered for the event, the GMG Audi R8 LMS of Anders Hainer and the Audi TT RS of Don Istook. The GMG R8 LMS finished the race weekend in thirteenth place overall followed by the Istook TT RS in twenty-sixth overall. QuattroWorld.com was present at the event for coverage of the two Audis competing in World Challenge.
2.3. Redbull Spain Record
Red Bull Spain and Audi teamed up for a record attempt in Spain. Sitges Terramar, located in Spain is Europe’s second oldest race circuit, second only to Brooklands in England. It was built in 1923 and held a few race event until it was closed many decades ago. The lap record has stood since 1923 at 45.8 seconds. Carlos Sainz and Miguel Molina armed with a new Red Bull liveried Audi R8 LMS ultra were tasked with the challenge of braking this lap record on a track which has been dormant for decades. Nature has taken its toll on the circuit with ruts, dust and grass everywhere. The R8 LMS ultra jumped many times a lap on the rough surface. Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap of the day in the Audi breaking the existing lap record in the process. The new lap record at Sitges Terramar now stand at 42.6 seconds. During the week leading up to the weekend of 12-13 May Red Bull Spain released the news and video relating to this event, the actual event took place at the end of April 2012.
2.4. Monaco Historic GP
Audi Tradition was present at the 2012 Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The Belgian Jacky Ickx, six time Le Mans winner was there to drive the 1936 Auto Union Type C around the historic Monaco street circuit. It was a great sight to see this legendary car on this legendary track.
2.5. SCCA National Club Racing
The 2011 SCCA National Runoffs champion in the STU class Joel Weinberger and his Continental Audi team too part in their first race event of the 2012 season. A National SCCA Club event held at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in America which forms part of the build up towards this year’s SCCA National Runoffs. Joel Weinberger dominated the weekend overall in his ex-Stasis Audi A4 B7 race car.
2.6. British Hillclimb
The British Leaders Hillclimb series held events at both Barbon and Harewood this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday. The Kieth Edwards Motors sport quattro was at the events. The event saw the team struggle first with gearbox problems and then with a puncture on the first day with their monstrously modified Audi sport quattro.
2.7. Swedish GT
The first round of the Swedish GT series took place this weekend. Unfortunately the GT3 specification class did not take part at this event. The GT3 cars will take part in this year’s championship but not at every Swedish GT event. Two Audi R8 LMS teams are confirmed for the 2012 series. The Alfab Racing R8 LMS and the JB Motorsport R8 LMS. JB Motorsport are only scheduled to take part in the final round of the 2012 Swedish GT series as their focus this year is on the Blancpain Endurance Series.
2.8. Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (Grand Am)
The APR Motorsport Audi S4 did not take part in the event at New Jersey Motorsport Park despite the fact that the car was listed on the entry list. Hopefully we will see the car out on track next time out.
2.9. Other Audi news
The Truth in 24 II film was scheduled to be launched to the world via an international iTunes download release on Monday 14 May, according to the countdown timer on the official website. The countdown timer did reach zero but it was subsequently reset counting down to Tuesday 22 May 2012. The fans are now eagerly awaiting the launch of the film on 22 May.
Last week John Dagys broke the news on Twitter that Elton Julian’s Dragon Speed Racing team has received a new 2012 Audi R8 LMS ultra, making it the first R8 LMS ultra to arrive in North America. The details surrounding which championship the car will compete in has not yet been released.
3. Next Weekend’s events (19-20/05/2012)
- DTM
- Nurburgring 24 Hours
- Superstars
- British GT
- French GT
- Spanish GT
- RCN
- VdeV
- STCC
This weekend may have been a quiet weekend with few racing events, but the racing was still spectacular. There was the addition of another Audi R8 in Grand Am and the first R8 LMS ultra in America. Despite the lack of events the weekend still had highlights and next weekend promises another action packed weekend.
All photos are hosted at their respective website which are listed within the Weekend Round Up
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