Wednesday, October 31, 2012

STS in Pergusa - Kristoffersson wins the Title - Schöffler breaks into Top Ten


MTM Press Release

The stage was set for the finals of the Superstar Series 2012 at the seasoned Pergusa race track, which surrounds the same-named volcanic lake on the island of Sicily. Many race pilots, regardless of what car they were driving, would have rather stepped on the gas at a more modern venue. Here, the deck was stacked against them - especially to the disappointment of the Audi drivers - while it brought safety risks for all participants.

The handicaps for the three RS 5s were mainly a result of the extra weight ruling for winning brands.
This affects acceleration as well as braking, at top speed, and has an especially adverse effect when hitting the curb. The additional weight pulls on the suspension, which is subjected to the most extreme endurance tests, particularly on two chicanes in Pegusa. In this respect, the 14th position of the candidate for the title, Johan Kristofferson, was not the result of a sudden loss of competence b ut rather the sum of all things - which easily tipped the scales. Thomas Schöffler, in the MTM RS 5, and Gianni Morbidelli were also not able to conjure up any magic against the laws of physics. The only thing that the Audi trio could count on, were position improvements due to failures by the competition. And the race brought it on: Kristofferson came in at fifth place in the first race, former Formula 1 pilot Gianni Morbidelli took sixth position and Thomas Schöffler fought his way into the top ten. Good prospects for a cockpit career can be expected for this 19-year-old newcomer, whose race alongside the experienced international players saw him come in at ninth place, which translated into eighth place when all chips were down.

Kristoffersson had to sweat to keep his narrow lead in the second run of the championship, especially since he was "torpedoed" from behind in the Pineta chicane, which ultimately totaled his RS 5. For safety reasons, Audi team manager Radaelli called the two remaining RS 5s, from Morbidelli and Schöffler, into the pit. When the day was over, Kristoffersson took the title, with a four-point lead.

Video: A closer look at the Audi R18 e-tron quattro


By Johan Laubscher

Audi claimed their eleventh overall Le Mans victory during 2012, and their first with the hybrid technology concept. The two Audi R18 e-tron quattros finished 1-2 at Le Mans and wrote a new chapter in the history books. Here is a great video from Audi featuring a brief look into the history of quattro in motorsport and the 2012 race cars. The video was made as a preview to Le Mans 2012 and has some beautiful footage, enjoy. 

Video: RS5 vs AMG - Drama at the Superstars final


By Johan Laubscher


The 2012 Superstars season headed to the final round at Pergusa with a two-way dogfight for the title. Johan Kristoffersson in the RS5 lead the championship on arrival, closely followed by ex-F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi in a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Johan finished fifth during race one which was enough to secure him the Italian Superstars title, but the International Superstars title was still up for grabs. Going into the final race of the season there were only four points separating Johan and Liuzzi. The race turned into a very dramatic affair. Johan was collected during a racing incident by another AMG driver and it looked like all was lost. Liuzzi only needed to finish fifth to claim the title and it looked like he had it in the bag. However minutes from the end Liuzzi was collected and sent into the gravel by a fellow AMG driver, effectively handing the title back to Johan Kristoffersson. With both title hopefuls out of the race the young Swedish Audi star was crowned both the Italian and International Superstars champion. You can watch the highlights from this dramatic final race below.



Photo by Audi Sport Italia / www.superstars.it

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Video: Audi W12 sound in the Montecarlo BRC

By Johan Laubscher

A very interesting Audi engine related project emerged during 2012. The car is manufactured by Montecarlo Automobile and BRC, a company specialising in the Methane and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry. The new racer is called the Montecarlo/BRC W 12 and is equipped with an Audi sourced 6.0 litre W12 engine which has been converted to run on LPG. The car sounds absolutely beautiful. Here are two videos from Monza giving you a taste of what this Audi W12 sounds like at speed in this very interesting race car.



Monday, October 29, 2012

Team Audi France won GT Tour season finale


By Tarek Ramchani

The Paul Ricard track in southern France hosted the finale of the FFSA GT Tour Series. No less than seven Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars were there, and they did really well this weekend.

Team Audi France, the official national dealer team had a mixed 2012 season in the French series. They were always fast with their #32 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by Stéphane Ortelli and David Hallyday, yet they had a lot of bad luck in many rounds. At Paul Ricard the team added a second car, the #31 for Audi DTM works driver, Adrien Tambay and rookie Karim Doguet. The team achieved a storming pole position for Race 1, but was only able to finish in fifth place after a chaotic start and a long period behind the safety car.

Things turned out to be a lot better during Race 2 on Sunday. Both Ortelli and Hallyday fought very hard on track, including a fair battle against the sister WRT car of the Belgian Audi Club driven by Laurens Vanthoor. After the mandatory pit stops the #32 Audi was able to improve and pass some of its rivals. In the closing stages the two leading Ferraris made mistakes at the same time, thus allowing Hallyday to take race lead and he later crossed the finish line victorious. The other Audis finished in sixth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth.

2012 was a hard year for Audi in the French GT series, however the finale was a very positive weekend. Team Audi France ended the year off very well after chasing race wins all season long. Credits also go to both Sainteloc Racing and JWS Racing, two privateer efforts who did well this year.

Photo credit: Patrick Hecq / W Racing Team

Videos: Supercharged V6 on song in the Audi S4


By Johan Laubscher

Few things in this world sounds as good as a roaring V6. The Audi S4 has a tremendous supercharged 3.0 V6 and these types of Audis are being raced in two countries in the world, one in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere.

APR Motorsport in North America were the first to develop a Audi S4 B8 race car, which debuted in the Continental Tire Sports Cars Challenge during 2010. 

A year later and the S4 model also debuted on race tracks in South Africa, and went on to win the 2011 and 2012 South African Bridgestone Production Car Championships. In total four Audi S4 cars compete in South Africa and one so far in America.

The cars are beautiful and sound even better. Here are two onboard videos from which to sample the sounds of that glorious V6, one from APR and the other from South Africa.

More information: 


APR Motorsport Audi S4 - Road Atlanta 2011 - Ian Baas

South African Ferodo Audi S4 - Kyalami 2012 - Gennaro Bonafede

Photos by GoAPR.com and Audi Motorsport Blog. 

Audi provides 2012 WEC World Champions


Audi Press Release

  •          Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer are the first WEC Driver World Champions
  •          Two podium places at WEC finale in China
  •          Successful debut season of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Ingolstadt/Shanghai, October 28, 2012 - In the Manufacturers World Championship of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Audi had been out of reach by its competitors since August. At the finale at Shanghai, the Audi factory drivers Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer, who finished in third place, won the Drivers’ World Championship as well - subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA. The second title crowns a successful debut season of the first hybrid sports car from Audi.

Audi has shaped the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) not only by winning both titles. Five times, the team secured the top spot on the grid and on five occasions in eight events, an Audi R18 achieved overall victory - including the brand’s eleventh success at the Le Mans 24 Hours where the Audi R18 e-tron quattro clinched the first ever victory of a hybrid sports car in this classic endurance event.

An intensive duel with Toyota marked the second half of the season - including the finale in China. The new World Champions in the number "1" hybrid sports car only had to take third place at the Shanghai 6 Hours to win the title. Their lead in the standings now amounts to 13.5 points. The driver trio secured three single wins this season and completed their tally with three second places.


Second place in the championship goes to an Audi squad as well. Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish, who had started from the front row in China, finished the race as the runners-up behind the Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre/Alexander Wurz. The Danish-Scottish duo’s track record this season reflects seven podium positions, including victory at the season opener, the Sebring 12 Hours, together with Dindo Capello. In addition, they were the most efficient combination in the field. At seven of the season’s eight rounds, the Michelin Green X Challenge Award went to car number "2."

The title win with the R18 e-tron quatto in China completes a unique endurance racing season for Audi. With the R8 LMS GT3 sports car, Audi decided the Bathurst 12 Hours and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring, Spa and Zolder in its favor this year.

Quotes after the race

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport):
 "It’s nice that after the Manufacturers’ World Championship we were able to decide the Drivers’ World Championship in our favor as well. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish the year with a victory in China. We’ve got very strong competitors, which provides us with high motivation to work hard for next year."

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest):
 "Now we’ve won all the titles. Well done to Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer. Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish came back with a strong showing in China even though it wasn’t enough for victory. Both squads performed flawless pit stops at the end of a tough season. The WEC is a fantastic new championship and we’re the first to have won it."


Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2):
 "This track suited our Japanese competitors particularly well. Congratulations to them on winning the race! At the same time, I’m happy about a good race by Allan, our team and me. There were two reasons why we didn’t have a chance of achieving the title win. Our rivals in the battle for the title were driving an Audi as well, and these cars simply don’t fail. Marcel, André and Ben truly deserve the title with their performances."
 
Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "Second place was the best we could achieve today. We squeezed the maximum out of the car and the tires but Toyota was simply quicker. Congratulations to Marcel, André and Ben on winning the World Champion’s title. They were incredibly good. We compete against each other but work together as a team." 

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): 
"I’d like to thank Audi very much because without this brand I could have never experienced a success like this. I’ve got tremendous team-mates and a top-flight team. The title means incredibly much to me. It’s a great feeling to be World Champion."
 
André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "Winning Le Mans and the World Champion’s title together is simply brilliant. And I’m happy to be able to share this success with Marcel and Ben. The three of us are really good friends. A huge thank you goes to Audi and to our team. Our car was always superb. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to take victory today but after winning the title we can be very pleased."
 
Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "I’m more than happy after this great season. The World Champion’s title is a nice chapter in a driver’s biography. I want to thank Audi very much for the good season."
 
Race results
 
1 Wurz/Lapierre (Toyota) 191 laps 
2 Kristensen/McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) + 58.570s 
3 Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro) + 1m 42.814s 
4 Belicchi/Cheng/Primat (Lola-Toyota) - 6 laps
5 Brabham/Chandhok/Dumbreck (HPD-Honda) - 6 laps
6 Kane/Leventis/Watts (HPD-Honda) - 9 laps
7 Martin/Graves/Beche (Oreca-Nissan) - 11 laps
8 Dalziel/Potolicchio/Sarrazin (HPD-Honda) - 11 laps
9 Lahaye/Nicolet/Pla (Morgan-Nissan) - 12 laps
10 Kaffer/Minassian/Perez Companc (Oreca-Nissan) - 12 laps
 

Audi S4 quattros close the season in style


Press Release from Audi South Africa 


A very wet Kyalami race closed the 2012 season for the Audi S4 quattro competitors. With fading light and rain falling ever-harder, Michael Stephen, Melvill Priest, Tschops Sipuka and Gennaro Bonafede contested race three of the day, driving hard for the final chequered flag of the year.

The action in the Bridgestone Production Car championship races was its usual intense pace, with drivers doing battle in an effort to dominate proceedings on the day.

For Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) the last race meeting of the year was a formality as he had already clinched the championship at the penultimate round of the season. That didn't stop him from aiming to produce one of his best performances this year.

“I'm glad we wrapped it up in Cape Town,” says Stephen. “There were a couple of jump starts behind me in that first race and I fell back to eighth but fought back to fifth when a tyre delaminated and I went into the pits. The second race I started at the back and had an enjoyable race, picking off the drivers one by one to finish third.“

“The final race; rain; four-wheel drive; it was my territory – but on the warm-up start I broke a sideshaft so it was a bit treacherous with three-wheel drive. We have wrapped up our second championship in a row now, so it is still a good race weekend.”

Stephen is not the only one of the Audi S4 quattro racers with reason to celebrate. For Bonafede (A32 – Ferodo Racing) the Kyalami event saw him deliver his best result of the season – after overcoming initial setbacks.

“We qualified as the second-fastest Audi S4 quattro here this weekend,” says Bonafede. “The first race was a bit of a bad start and we only finished in eighth. The car wouldn't start for the second race and we diagnosed a broken fuel pump – which we replaced thanks to Michael Stephen.”

“Obviously we missed the second race, and I had been keeping an eye on the sky all day, just hoping for some rain. In the end the conditions were so bad I was aquaplaning everywhere, even with four-wheel drive. When I went off in Sunset I just kept my foot down and skated through the kitty litter and caught the race leader within that lap.”

Bonafede not only caught the race leader, he passed him to claim the race victory – his first in the Audi S4 quattro and a positive step in his move to a full championship season in 2013.

For Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) the final round of the championship saw him fighting for position, with a third place in race three – the most challenging of the races – his best result of the day. 

For Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sports Medicine) the last round of the season also proved to be a tough event. With a strong performance at the penultimate round he was aiming for another good showing at Kyalami. Things did not go as planned though and he had to settle for a fourth place in race three as his best performance of the weekend.

With a long championship campaign behind them, the Audi S4 quattro teams return to the workshop and prepare for another exciting season in 2013. Competition amongst the Audi S4 quattro racers for who will claim the next title will make the coming season a nailbiter.

Audi South Africa


Photos by www.motorpics.co.za

More information:
Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Michael Stephen A1 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Tschops Sipuka A2 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Melvill Priest A7 - Audi S4 - VMP Motorsport

 Gennaro Bonafede A32 - Audi S4 - Ferodo Racing Team / VMP Motorsport 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Johan Kristoffersson is triple king in wild International Superstars Series decider at Pergusa


Audi Sport Italia Press Release

Wild, wild, wild International Superstars Series decider at Pergusa: Sweden's Johan Kristoffersson is triple king in spite of scary shunt to his KMS RS5

Audi drivers soldier on at ultra-quick and tough Sicilian venue in their less rewarding day but Kristoffersson, Gianni Morbidelli and Thomas Schoeffler have the last laugh  

In his debut International Superstars year the new RS5 built over the winter by Audi Sport Italia outfit, with support from Ingolstadt customer department, won 8 rounds out of 16 and sweeped the three championships up for grabs. In an unpredictable and weird finish to a long and entertaining season Johan Kristoffersson was unflappable in showing his mettle in the worst possible environment for his RS5 as well for the sister Audis of Gianni Morbidelli and Thomas Schoeffler. The 23-year old from Arvika started from a terrible 14th spot on the grid, as his closest rival Vitantonio Liuzzi (in the CAAL AMG Mercedes entry) was set to start from Row 4. The Swede after the grim outcome of Saturday was far from wandering through the paddock head hanging, but was definitely aware that at the ultra-quick Sicilian venue he and fellow Audi drivers would have been sitting ducks. Ducks none the less, hoping to be encircled by hunters on their way to shoot each other. Which ultimately proved the winning plan: Kristoffersson posted 10 points, way under his average haul of points, but this was enough today.

Pole sitter Raffaele Giammaria took a lights-to-flag debut victory in the International Superstars Series' morning race leading quietly and smoothly the entire 25-minute race, but behind his Romeo Ferraris AMG Mercedes havoc unfolded and things went Kristoffersson's way. Despite posting five or more seconds per lap slower than the leaders throughout the race in the overweight KMS RS5, the Swede found himself fifth at the finish, one place behind Liuzzi's team-mate Andrea Bacci and one ahead of Gianni Morbidelli. The Camozzi Audi Sport Italia driver after Saturday's practice had had a hard look at calling it a day because of how the Audis were off the pace--moreover just a couple of weeks after having sweeped the Vallelunga meeting. As a matter of fact Audi drivers had been bemoaning all Saturday the demoralizing timesheets that saw German 4WDs penalized by the edge in power of AMG Mercedeses and Chevys, as well as by the layout of the four chicanes, whose kerbs were tilted in favor of the swifter Audi rivals and magnifying the hindrances of their hefty weight--the highest in the Series' scales. RS5 drivers even tried to follow the lines of lighter cars' drivers through the kerbs, but immediately they paid dearly with broken schocks, and Morbidelli paid such a toll twice. But Audi tactics--if it may have been the only available--proved right as a host of cars pitted early due to either mechanical trouble or tussles. Besides Kristoffersson's fifth place, Morbidelli wound up sixth and Schoeffler--in the MTM Motorsport operated car--was able to break into the Top10 and claim a ninth place in spite of starting from the pit lane, as the German had underwent a deep rebuild after a shunt in free practice 1.


Kristoffersson was therefore taking his 183 points to the afternoon decider--to Liuzzi's 178. The former Formula 1 driver after a fairly disappointing race 1 (taking into account that Pergusa proved an AMG Mercedes-friendly track, as Giammaria's pole and sweep of wins proves) was kind of down, but far from out. And from their position on Row 2 Kristoffersson and Morbidelli braced themselves for the green light and a possible stampede at the first corner. Surprisingly no mishap occurred at Turn 1, although the power of a couple of AMG Mercedeses had the upper's hand on the RS5s in the opening lap, but the lightining was ready to struck. On Lap 2 Kristoffersson was torpedoed at Pineta chicane by Nico Caldarola's AMG Mercedes, that seemed to miss completely the braking point. The Swede looked shaken but safe out of the car, which immediately looked like a chassis on the brink of being written off. If the morning race had barely dented Kristoffersson's lead, the shunt seemed to put out of the hands of Audi drivers the series' outcome, especially at the only 2012 venue where the RS5 drivers were toiling with an inferior car.

Audi Sport Italia's team principal Emilio Radaelli, who's also owner of Superstars RS5s radioed to survivors Morbidelli and Schoeffler to park their cars in the pit lane.
Kristoffersson's being rammed and sidelined for good looked like the icing of the cake of a meeting build-up that had seemed to have everything in place to give Audis, and especially the Swede rookie rival of Liuzzi, a raw deal. Audi Sport Italia's boss didn't not refrain from getting his point across with the press and also remarked the shortcomings of a circuit that in his mind was not well suited for a series which is said to aspire to upscale status. After the surprise cancellation of the Sentul round the white-hot finale was hosted at a venue which is not on par with either most domestic series or Superstars legs and in some areas had dangerous shortcomings. To borrow a line from former US President Dick Cheney, all the "unknown unknowns" that sprouted in the past few weeks looked unfavorable to the Audi camp. But as things turned ugly for Audi and Kristoffersson--who was sure of claiming at least the Italian and Rookie Superstars crown in any case--this time actually victory was snatched from the grip of defeat. And this was due to a family feud, as Andrea Larini's Romeo Ferraris AMG Mercedes punted off Liuzzi's CAAL AMG Mercedes entry while the former Toro Rosso driver was occupying a third place that would grant him the coveted International Superstars title. But Larini had Liuzzi's number since the latter had roughed the Tuscan in the Spa Francorchamps meeting. Liuzzi's battered car made it to the ninth place, but this left him still four points adrift of the Swede, who this year has claimed a record five titles, including a couple in his home country... Morbidelli, level in wins at four with the KMS driver, wound up fourth in the points standings. Schoeffler, the youngest Superstars regular driver, claimed a nice eight place, breaking into the Top10 with a good streak of results in the second half of the season.

International Superstars Series 2012
Pergusa (EN), October 28
Race 1

1. R. Giammaria (Mercedes AMG) 14 laps/giri
2. F. Sini (Chevrolet) +5.988
3. V. Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) +46.581
4. A. Bacci (Mercedes AMG) +48.814
5. J. KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS 5) +1'18.093
6. G. MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) +1'18.762
../..
9. T. SCHOEFFLER (AUDI RS 5) +1'28.840 

International Superstars Series 2012
Pergusa (EN), October 28
Race 2

1. R. Giammaria (Mercedes AMG) 10 laps
2. L. Ferrara (Mercedes AMG) +11.213s
3. S. Iacone (Chevrolet) +12.079s
4. T. Biagi (Mercedes AMG) +14.430s
5. C. Fittipaldi (Maserati) +35.806
../..
R. G. MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5)
R. T. SCHOEFFLER (AUDI RS 5)
R. J. KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS5)

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES 2012
Drivers' points standings after 14 rounds:
1. KRISTOFFERSSON 185 points;
2. Liuzzi 181 pts.;
3. Biagi 159 pts.; 
4. MORBIDELLI 128 pts.;
5. Sini 92 pts;
6. Larini 90 pts.;
7. Gabellini 75 pts.;
8. SCHOEFFLER 71 pts.;
9. Pigoli 60 pts.;
10. Giammaria 45 pts.


Saving the best for last! - Gennaro Bonafede S4


Gennaro Bonafede Press Release

Twenty two year old Gennaro Bonafede enjoyed a fairytale ending to the season and in so doing became the youngest driver to win a Bridgestone Production Car race outright.

Driving the Ferodo supported Audi S4 Quattro, Bonafede endured a race meeting of extremes. A problem with the motor on Friday saw the team fit a new engine overnight which meant the Pretoria University student went into qualifying in a car that was pretty much an unknown quantity. “I’ve raced on this track in the class T Golf, but the class A Audi is so much faster it is in a different league altogether. It is such a pity we had the problem yesterday, so I’ll just take the day as it comes,” commented the professional Monster Energy athlete.

Qualifying saw Bonafede set the seventh fastest time and a workmanlike performance in the opening sprint race saw him come home in fifth place after a hard and often bruising race. More importantly, he’d been easy on the car in order to look after tyres as cars are not allowed into the pits for repairs between races. Unfortunately the car would not run properly and by the time the team had traced the problem to a fuel pump, it was too late for him to make the race.

With clouds building-up steadily as the afternoon wore on Bonafede was hoping for rain. “I love racing in the rain,” he remarked as he mentioned that the forecasts had predicted rain almost all day.

His quiet rain dance must’ve worked as it started raining shortly before the final race. However, thanks not having a result from race two he started the final race as last of the Class A runners. It was a challenge he relished!

By the end of the opening lap he was up to fourth place and a lap later he was closing on the leaders. It didn’t take long before he was embroiled in a great battle with former South African champions Hennie Groenewald (Subaru) and Tschops Sipuka (Audi). His axing of Sipuka was swift and a lap later he was glued to the Subaru’s exhaust.

Starting the final lap he was able to challenge for the lead before making the move stick at turn three. He was in scintillating form and quickly pulled away to claim a memorable win in teeming conditions. “I can’t believe it. I took different lines to find the grippy part of the track and Audi’s Quattro four-wheel drive system gave me huge confidence. It’s remarkable how much grip there is in the wet but it was a tough race and I was on the limit all the time. Everyone in the team from Ronnie Erasmus, Brandon More, Michael Fiess and Vic Maharaj all played vital roles. Thanks guys!!” he enthused.

Ferodo’s marketing guru Ronnie Erasmus was equally happy with the performance. “A win in the last race of the year was the perfect end to a very successful championship winning season for Ferodo.”

Article and Pic by Steve Wicks

Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (27-28/10/2012)


By Johan Laubscher

1. The Weekend

Focussing this week on the weekend of 27 - 28 October 2012

2. The Events

  •           FIA WEC
  •           Audi R8 LMS Cup
  •           Superstars
  •           GT Sprint
  •           SA Production Cars
  •           French  GT Tour
  •           VLN
  •           Portuguese GT / ISC
  •           Japanese Super GT
  •           NASA
  •           VdeV
  •           HSR
  •           Grand Am Testing

2.1. FIA WEC


The first FIA World Endurance Championship season came to an end this weekend. The final round was held at Shanghai in China. The headliner for the weekend was the overall LMP1 driver’s title fight between the two Audi R18 e-tron quattro driving crews. The Audis lined up behind the Toyota again in second and third. The race got underway with the Toyota pulling away from the Audis. The #2 R18 held its own and came home with second place, however the news of the moment was with the #1 R18 in third. Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Treluyer have officially been crowned the FIA WEC driver's champions. This brought the 2012 sports car season to a close, as we look forward to the Audi vs Toyota battle continuing in 2013. 


2.2. Audi R8 LMS Cup


The Audi R8 LMS Cup acted as a support event to the FIA WEC at Shanghai this weekend. All sixteen cars were on the grid along with a few new faces. Darryl O'Young debuted in the series with a pole and race one victory. Adderly Fong dominated race two and took the championship lead ahead of the final round in a few weeks time. 


2.3. Superstars


After the final Superstars round in India was cancelled, the event at Pergusa became the season finale. Johan Kristoffersson arrived leading the championship but the recent penalties for the Audi RS5 race cars almost destroyed his chances to win the title. The Audis were disastrously slow compared to their main rivals, so much so that Audi Sport Italia initially withdrew their #45 RS5 in protest, but did re-enter on the Sunday. Qualifying was hard with no Audis in the top ten, highest was Johan in fourteenth. The races went much better for the Audis. All three of the Audis got into the top ten during race one. Kristoffersson managed to get up to sixth followed Morbidelli in seventh. The sixth place was enough to crown Johan the 2012 Italian Superstars champion, however the International Superstars title was still up for grabs. Race two would be the title decider. Johan went into the race leading by only six points over Liuzzi in an AMG. During the second race the title fight was heating up as Johan's race ended in the wall. He was unlucky to be involved in an accident with another AMG driver who had what seemed to be a complete brake failure, we do not believe it was intentional. The remaining two Audi RS5s were immediately withdrawn from race two as a sign of protest against the driving tactics. Liuzzi needed to finish fifth or higher to claim the title and it looked like it was all over for Johan and the Audi team, until Liuzzi's race ended in the gravel. As a result, despite the DNF, Johan Kristoffersson is the 2012 International Superstars champion. 


2.4. GT Sprint


The GT Sprint series is a GT championship which tours alongside the Superstars. Audi Sport Italia entered one Audi R8 LMS ultra in the event at Pergusa. The team entered two Sicilian drivers in the car this weekend and qualified well in third place. During the races the Audi proved to be very fast. Race one saw the #35 Audi take victory, the first victory ever for an Audi at the Pergusa track. The Audi was battling at the front during race two and completed a good weekend by finishing in third.  


2.5. South African Production Cars


The final round of the South African Production Cars was held at Kyalami this weekend. As it was the first national race meeting at Kyalami since the start of the 2011 season, it was also the Audi S4 debut at Kyalami. The first race saw newly crowned champion, Michael Stephen, getting a puncture and dropping back. The other three S4 cars finished in the lower half of the top ten. Michael stormed from last in race two to finish on the podium, in third place. Race three was in very wet conditions. Sipuka and Bonafede were battling with the leader at the front until Bonafede took the lead and held on for his first Class A victory in the Audi S4.


2.6. French GT Tour


Paul Ricard hosted the final round of the French GT Tour season. Seven Audi R8 LMS and ultra race cars were entered this weekend, the regular entries were joined by further entries from Team Audi France and WRT. The #32 Audi R8 LMS claimed pole position. Race one saw one Audi in the top five and three in total in the top ten. The Team Audi France #32 Audi R8 LMS ultra finished off the season by winning the final race. 


2.7. VLN


The finale of the VLN turned into a very cold and snowy weekend. The event was eventually cancelled for safety seasons due to the very dangerous conditions. A variety of Audi were entered for this weekend, including a large number of Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. This event marked the final round of the 2012 VLN season.


2.8. Portuguese GT


Team Novadriver were crowned the 2012 Portuguese GT drivers champions this weekend. They also claimed the Iberian Super Car Trophy title. The final round of the series was held at Jarama in Spain. Cesar Campanico and Carlos Vieira were the drivers of the #15 Audi R8 LMS ultra this season. They won race one of the weekend followed by second place in race two, which was more than enough to ensure the title. 


2.9. Super GT


Twin Ring Motegi was the host of the Japanese Super GT series finale. Four Audi cars were entered once again. GAINER DIXCEL was aiming to end the season on a high and qualified in the top five, the other Audi entries were outside of the top ten. During the race two Audis made it into the top ten finishing ninth and tenth followed by the other two Audis within the top twenty. 


2.10. NASA


GMG Racing were in action again this weekend. They entered two of their Audi R8 LMS cars at Sonoma Raceway. It was a National Auto Sport Association (NASA) event and the two Audis were entered in Group C. The GMG cars finished 1-2 during both of the races. 


2.11. VdeV


After missing the previous round the AB Sport Auto Audi R8 LMS was back for the penultimate round of the V de V this weekend. The race was held at Magny-Cours. An overall top five qualifying was achieved by the #46 entry.


2.12. HSR


An Audi S4 Competition was entered in the Savannah Speed Classic. The event was part of the HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing series). The S4 was driven by Mike Fisher. 


Sasco Sports FB page

Results

2.13. Grand Am Testing


The Grand Am held a test day at Kansas Speedway. The #52 Audi R8 GRAND-AM was amongst the cars at the test day. The car was listed under “Audi of America” on the entry list and was driven by German Christopher Haase.


2.14. Other Audi News


Rob Austin Racing was at the Top Gear Live show this weekend. The #13 Audi A4 NGTC and Rob Austin were at the Dunlop stand.



Audi France had various cars on display at the GT-Tour finale at Paul Ricard. This included some of the Audi A1 race cars from the Audi Endurance Experience and an Audi R8 LMS from 2011.  



As the 2012 Sportscar season came to an end in China the rumours regarding next year continue to build. One of the biggest rumours regards Audi’s presence at the 2013 Sebring 12 Hours. The possibility of seeing Audi on the grid at Sebring is a topic much discuss amongst the fans at the moment.


3. Next Weekend’s events (3-4/11/2012)

  •           Spanish GT
  •           GT Open
  •           Midas Clubmans
  •           Britcar
  •           MSS

All photos are hosted at their respective website which are listed within the Weekend Round Up

//PART 2