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The Audi RS 3 LMS has clinched six victories and 13 additional podium finishes in Europe and North America in a single race weekend. In addition, Audi customer teams are at the top of the standings ahead of the European finale of the 24H Series and after four of six rounds of GT4 France.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Winning weekend in Italy: The Audi customer teams convinced with strong results at Mugello at the halfway point of the TCR Italy season. In the first race, Franco Girolami in the Audi RS 3 LMS of the Aikoa Racing team gained five places from position nine already at the start. By the finish of the first sprint, he improved by another position after a penalty for an opponent.
In third place, he was the best of 15 Audi drivers. In the second race, Cupra driver Aurélien Comte had crossed the finish line in first place but received five penalty seconds for exceeding the track limits when overtaking. As a result, victory went to Audi privateer Felice Jelmini from Team PMA. A 1-2 victory for Audi customers was completed by Spaniard Rubén Fernández from Team Auto Club RC2 Valles.
It was the second success of the season for the Audi RS 3 LMS after Franco Girolami’s victory in the season opener at Imola. The Argentine Girolami remains the leader of the standings at the season’s halfway point, while Felice Jelmini has moved to within five points of him as the new runner-up.
The Audi RS 3 LMS was also leading in the TCR Italy DSG competitions for race cars with dual clutch transmissions: Vedat Ali Dalokay from Turkey won the first race with Bitci Racing Team AMS ahead of Luigi Gallo and Carlotta Fedeli. Their two Audi cars were fielded by Team RC Motorsport.
Gallo triumphed in the second race in a 1-2-3-4 Audi victory ahead of Dalokay, Filippo Barberi and Paolo Palanti. Vedat Ali Dalokay now has a ten-point lead over Carlotta Fedeli in the DSG standings.
Second win of the season in Denmark: Following victory at the season opener, the third event of the TCR Denmark produced another success for Audi’s customer teams. At the Danish racing series’ guest race at Falkenberg, Sweden, Mike Halder won the second sprint race. The German drove an Audi RS 3 LMS from TPR Motorsport.
The Swede Kevin Engman from the Auto Lounge Racing team followed Halder in another Audi with a gap of just 1.2 seconds, thus ensuring an Audi one-two. In the third race, Mike Halder was again the best Audi driver in third place ahead of Engman. After three of seven events, Halder has moved to within eight points of former Formula 1 driver and Cupra driver Jan Magnussen in the standings as the new runner-up. Engman is only four points behind Halder.
Victory and lead of the standings in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: After the opening victory of an Audi customer team at Daytona in January, the Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports team now achieved success at round six. In the two-hour race at Bowmanville in Canada, Mikey Taylor/Chris Miller prevailed for the first time this season in the Audi RS 3 LMS.
The South African Taylor turned a 20-second deficit at the halfway point into a one-lap lead thanks to a good strategy and tough driving in a duel with the Hyundai of Robert Wickens. While Miller/Taylor are third in the standings, Audi now leads the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge manufacturers standings ahead of Hyundai, Alfa Romeo and Honda.
Fourth victory of the season on the Nordschleife: Since the second of five races so far, the Audi RS 3 LMS has been unbeaten in its class in the 2023 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. Team Møller Bil Motorsport dominated for the third time in a row. In the six-hour race, the three Norwegians Anders Lindstad, Kenneth Østvold and Håkon Schjærin won the TCR classification. Team Møller Bil Motorsport thus leads the TCR standings in the Nimex Team Trophy by 17 points after five of nine rounds.
Three podiums in France: Team Espace Racing by CDRS returned from the fourth race weekend of the Championnat de France FFSA Tourisme series with three trophies. Christian Philippon secured second place in the second sprint at Val de Vienne, teammate Franck Labescat drove the Audi RS 3 LMS to second place in the third sprint. In the fourth sprint, Philippon recorded third place in the TCR classification in the mixed touring car racing series.
Podium results at Zolder: Bas Koeten Racing was among the best teams in its class with the Audi RS 3 LMS at the fourth round of the Supercar Challenge. In both 60-minute races at Zolder, Laurens de Wit finished second in the Supersport 1 Division. |
