words: Aaron Plante
The Audi Sport R18s may have left the WEC and thus their only stop in the U.S. (Texas’ Lone Star Le Mans), but the Lone Star state’s most famous track now houses a fleet of Audi Sport road cars providing an all-new driving experience at Austin Texas’ world famous Circuit of the Americas.
Open year round to a wide range of driver experiences, the Audi Sport driving experience (ASde) offers hands-on coaching, professional instructors, high performance driving techniques, and Audi’s latest and greatest offerings: the RS 3, TT RS, and R8 V10 plus. With four different programs, Audi now has a wide range of opportunities for new and seasoned drivers alike. Making use of COTA’s world-class facilities, dedicated suites, and paddock garages; the Audi Sport driving experience is elevated to a level unmatched by any modern American track.
Whether it is your first time in an Audi, on the track, both, or neither there is a course level geared for your abilities. Currently, there are four different programs ranging from half-day to two-day experiences. The following experiences include classroom and hands-on, interactive activities.
Audi Sport dynamic experience
Armed with the guidance of a professional instructor, participants will gain performance-driving techniques via an introductory experience focusing on understanding and practicing key principles on the exercise paddock in the all new Audi RS 3 and TT RS.
Audi Sport track initiation experience
This half-day instruction provides participants master vehicle control and handling training experiences with a focus on maximizing vehicle control and driver coordination on the exercise paddock and the circuit. Vehicles used include the TT RS, RS 3, and R8 V10 plus.
Audi Sport R8 track initiation experience
A full-day program featuring the Audi R8 V10 plus, puts drivers behind the wheel of Audi Sport’s flagship road car to discover its capabilities on America’s only sanctioned Formula 1 track. Built from racecourse sector training, participants will be able to focus on key areas of the track before seizing the opportunity to test their mettle on the entire circuit.
Audi Sport R8 pro track experience
With the Audi Sport R8 track initiation experience completed, drivers will be qualified to participate in the Audi Sport R8 pro experience. Building on the initiation experience, driving enthusiasts will experience two full days of thorough training behind the wheel of the R8 V10 plus in order to hone their high performance driving skills at speed on the full racecourse.
Come to Austin, Texas to improve your driving skills on the same circuit the R18 LMS, R8 LMS GT3, and RS 3 LMS racecars have competed. Walk the same paddocks as Kristensen, McNish, Lotterer, Hamilton, Alonso, and Vettel and reflect on your ideal line through the esses, trail braking on Turn 11, and track out line in the carousel.
Audi Sport driving experience staff can assist with hotel and travel recommendations for out-of-town participants. For more information on the program, visit www.thecircuit.com/drive and AudiUSA.com.
Contact Audi Sport driving experience staff about Audi Club North America discounts.
This story originally ran in the Fall 2017 issue of the Audi Club North America quattro quarterly print magazine. In order to subscribe to quattro quarterly, join the Audi Club North America HERE.
