Ingolstadt/Nürburg, 2 April, 2009
Three drivers, who have made a major contribution to AUDI AG’s
successful motorsport history, will be honored in a special way next
weekend: in the new Audi R8 LMS’s first test race, the former Audi
"factory” drivers Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and
Hans-Joachim Stuck (Austria) will take the wheel of the GT3 sports car
powered by more than 500 hp.
Biela, Pirro and Stuck will contest the "ADAC Westfalenfahrt,” the season
opener of the BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring (VLN)
on the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife on Saturday, April 4, for Team
Phoenix Racing.
Frank Biela (44) was an Audi factory driver from 1991 to 2008. In his first
year with Audi, the German clinched the title in the German Touring Car
Championship (DTM) in the Audi V8 quattro straight away and celebrated
numerous other successes with Audi over the past 18 years, including
five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Emanuele Pirro (47) drove for Audi from 1994 to 2008. The Italian won
several touring car titles and, together with Frank Biela, also won the 24
Hours of Le Mans five times. Pirro clinched a total of nine podium
positions at Le Mans.
Hans-Joachim Stuck (58) competed for Audi from 1988 to 1995. His
biggest exploit in the service of the brand with the four rings was winning
the 1990 German Touring Car Championship in the Audi V8 quattro.
Since January 2008, Stuck has been the Volkswagen Group’s
Representative for Motorsport.
The first test run in racing conditions marks the beginning of the next
stage of the new Audi R8 LMS’s development. "Our three legends have a
lot of experience and will provide us with important feedback for the
continuing development of our new GT3 vehicle for the customer sport
program,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We want to
learn as much as possible. Therefore, the outcome of the race tends to
be of lesser importance.”
The race starts on Saturday at 12 (noon) and covers a distance of four
hours.
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