Audi R8 LMS GT3 wins races in Italy, Great Britain and Thailand
Audi R8 LMS GT4 successful in French club racing
Class successes in sprint and endurance racing for the Audi RS 3 LMS in Belgium
On the first weekend in July, Audi customer teams worldwide started the second half of the season with great success. In GT3 racing, first and second place for the Audi R8 LMS in the international Misano 12-hour endurance race as well as victories in British endurance racing and in two road races in Thailand marked the highlights.
The production-based GT4 version of the mid-engined sports car prevailed in three sprints of a French club racing series. The Audi RS 3 LMS TCR touring car remains unbeaten in Belgian endurance racing this season. Finally, a customer from Italy defended his class championship lead in the TCR Europe with Audi.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
First victory in the European season: After an Audi customer team won the finale of the 24H Series Middle East Trophy in Dubai in January, the Audi R8 LMS has now achieved a 1-2 victory in a round of the European classification of the racing series. The long-standing Audi customer team Saintéloc Racing won the Misano 12 Hours.
Michael Doppelmayr/Elia Erhart/Swen Herberger/Pierre Kaffer won the competition with a six-lap lead. Nevertheless, it remained exciting until the final hour. It was only shortly before the end that the best pursuers of the Audi privateer quartet had to park their Mercedes-AMG in the pits for technical reasons.
Saintéloc Racing had already established itself at the front of the field during the first pit stop lap after a jump start despite the subsequent 10-second penalty. In the end, the French Audi privateer team recorded 297 of the 401 leading laps. Kaffer, Doppelmayr and Erhart are now second in the GT3 standings.
Juta Racing completed the 1-2 victory for Audi. The outfit celebrated its best result in this racing series with the Lithuanian driver pairing of Leonardas Dirzys/Arunas Geciauskas/Justas Jonušis/Simas Juodvirsis. There was also a class victory to celebrate on the Adriatic coast: Land-Motorsport took the Audi R8 LMS of Elmar Grimm/Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff/Stefan Wieninger to the finish line in sixth place overall and won the GT3 amateur classification.
In the Thailand Super Series in Asia, the Audi R8 LMS prevailed for the first time this year at the second event. The Winhere by B-Quik Absolute Racing team won the first race in Bangsaen from pole position. Sandy Stuvik from Thailand and his team-mate Deng Yi from China had a 12.6-second lead over two Honda race cars on the demanding street circuit.
The Chinese driver pairing of Lu Wenlong/Li Xuanyu won the second race in an Audi from B-Quik Absolute Racing. After their success the day before, Stuvik/Yi had to adhere to a long mandatory pit stop time on Sunday, but nevertheless improved from fifth to third position in the second half of the race.
In both competitions, Henk Kiks/Adisak Tangphuncharoen in another Audi from B-Quik Absolute Racing came out on top in the Am classification. The Bangsaen Grand Prix within sight of the Gulf of Thailand is regarded as a local highlight of the season, where Audi customer teams have won six of the past eight races.
In the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS racing series, the FAW Audi Sport Asia Racing Team celebrated a class victory with the Audi R8 LMS at the fourth event in Japan. Cheng Congfu/Adderly Fong won the Silver Cup classification for the third time this year on the Suzuka circuit in the second race. The duo continues to lead the China Cup of the racing series and is in second place in the Silver Cup standings.
In the British Endurance Championship, the PB Racing by JMH team remains the measure of all things. In the fourth race at Oulton Park, Peter Erceg/Marcus Clutton secured their fourth win of the season in the British privateer team’s Audi R8 LMS. They have extended their lead in the standings to eleven points.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
Three victories at Hockenheim: Two Audi customer teams were successful at the guest appearance of the French Ultimate Cup Series in Germany. On the third race weekend of this GT racing series, Philippe Thalamy in the Audi R8 LMS GT4 of Team Speedcar won his class in three of the four sprints and finished second in one race. His French compatriot Pierre Arraou from Herrero Racing took a second and a third place in another Audi R8 LMS GT4.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Good performance in Belgium: The Audi RS 3 LMS competed in two different racing series on the Spa circuit. In the TCR Europe, Nicola Baldan defended his lead in the Diamond Trophy standings with a second place and a victory in this class ahead of Honda driver Felipe Fernández. Baldan missed out on a podium finish in the overall standings by just 338 thousandths of a second in the second sprint.
At the third round of the Belcar Endurance Championship, the Audi RS 3 LMS scored its third class victory in a row. As in the second race, Nick van Pelt/Olivier Bertels with the VP-Racing team prevailed. After 125 minutes of racing, they had a 1.06-minute lead in the TA class. Third place went to Manfred Verbeke in an Audi from MD Racing.
Coming up next week
12–14/07 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CDN), round 6, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
12–14/07 Mugello (I), round 2, Campionato Italiano GT Endurance
12–14/07 Mugello (I), round 3, TCR Italy
12–14/07 Nürburgring (D), round 3, ADAC GT Masters
12–14/07 Snetterton (GB), round 5, British GT Championship
13–14/07 Croft (GB), round 4, TCR UK
13–14/07 Aragón (E), round 3, Campeonato de España GT
13–14/07 Estoril (P), round 2, Supercars Endurance
