Ingolstadt - January 11, 2007
Audi defends American Le Mans Series title
Audi AG continues its successful involvement in the American Le Mans
Series to coincide with the imminent Diesel offensive in the USA. The
Audi Sport North America team competes in every round of the world’s
leading sportscar race series with a pair of Audi R10 TDI cars during the
2007 season.
Proven drivers and US comeback for Marco
With defending champions Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish
(Scotland) plus Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany), Audi
relies on proven drivers to retain its crown. All four drivers have won the
American Le Mans Series at least once already. Marco Werner celebrates
his comeback in the USA after a year-out. The two-time ALMS Champion
and double Le Mans winner was heavily involved in the revolutionary Audi
Diesel racing car’s development during the 2006 season.
Audi Sport North America once again assumes responsibility for running
the brace of R10 TDI cars. The team’s core personnel originate from
Champion Racing. As last year, Dave Maraj’s team receives support in a
similar way from Audi Sport and Joest Racing.
The German-American combination proved itself to be extremely
competitive last season: The Audi R10 TDI remained unbeaten in its
seven races in the 2006 American Le Mans Series.
"Audi is convinced that TDI is also the strong and economical alternative
vehicle power source of the future for the United States”, explains Head of
Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The R10 TDI is a forerunner for the
nationwide Diesel offensive in the USA and the increasingly popular
American Le Mans Series is the perfect platform for this.”
Two R10 TDI cars contest all 12 races in 2007 season
The prestigious sportscar series consists of twelve races for the first time
ever in 2007. New additions to the calendar are the street circuit races in
Long Beach (California), St. Petersburg (Florida) and Detroit (Michigan) –
three important US markets. The season opens on 17 March with the
12-hour race at Sebring (Florida), in which Audi is unbeaten since the
year 2000, and where a Diesel engine won its first ever international
sportscar race.
The 2007 American Le Mans Series schedule
17.03. Sebring (USA)
31.03. St. Petersburg (USA)
14.04. Long Beach (USA)
21.04. Houston (USA)
19.05. Salt Lake City (USA)
07.07. Lime Rock (USA)
22.07. Mid-Ohio (USA)
11.08. Road America (USA)
26.08. Mosport (CDN)
01.09. Detroit (USA)
06.10. Road Atlanta (USA)
20.10. Laguna Seca (USA)
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