source: Audi of America
- NTe Sport to field an Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona
- Three Audi R8 LMS GT4 and two Audi RS 3 LMS race cars contest the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
- Roar Before the Rolex 24 and Rolex 24 at Daytona are back-to-back weekends this month
HERNDON, Va., Jan. 21, 2021 – Audi will be well represented at the Rolex 24 at Daytona race weekend with six Audi race cars. Audi has fielded a GTD entry in the series since 2012 and captured the class win twice in the 24-hour endurance race. This year’s goal is to expand Audi brand motorsports success with GT3, GT4 and TCR team entries.
NTe Sport will field the 5.2-liter, V10 Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship twice-around-the-clock endurance classic. The driver lineup will include longtime Audi Sport test driver Andrew Davis (Silver), J.R. Hildebrand (Gold), Alan Metni (Bronze) and Don Yount (Bronze). Over the last nine years, Audi has finished first in the GTD class, in 2013 and 2016, with the Audi R8 LMS. The GT3 race car, a robust and reliable competitor, has reached the podium seven times since 2012.
“I’m very much looking forward to this exciting opportunity to join NTe Sport for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona,” said Andrew Davis. “This will be my 19th start in the grueling race, and my fifth time behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3. I’m very happy to be continuing my strong relationship with Audi Sport customer racing, and I look forward to helping the team maximize performance both on and off the track.”
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) hosts a competitive field that will include up to five Audi race cars. The 2019 GS team and Driver Champions and 2020 runner-up, Carbahn Motorsports with Peregrine Racing, will field the No. 93 Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the 2021 season.
The driver pairing with Nolan Siegel, Tom Dyer and Tyler McQuarrie will begin the season at the IMPC season opener. Future races will include longtime Carbahn Motorsports with Peregrine Racing drivers Mark Siegel and Sameer Gandhi. Nolan, Mark Siegel’s 16-year-old son, will also fine-tune his race craft in F2000 competition.
FastMD Racing has stepped up to the GS class after fiercely competing with the Audi RS 3 LMS in the TCR class the last two years, proving the Audi Sport customer racing ladder system is a viable way to progress in motorsport competition. The young driver pairing of James Vance and Alexandre Papadopoulos are now set to capture overall wins in the GS class. McCann Racing will finalize the Audi R8 LMS GT4 entries with Andrew Davis and Michael McCann Jr. piloting the full season entry.
Two Audi RS 3 LMS teams are confirmed to compete in full season campaigns. Returning to the grid is the Road Shagger Racing duo of Gavin Ernstone and Jon Morley. The team and drivers are the defending 2020 MPC Daytona race winners and are poised to reach the top podium once again in 2021. Longtime Audi RS 3 LMS TCR operator JDC-Miller MotorSports will partner with Unitronic in 2021. Mikey Taylor, the former lead instructor at Audi Sport performance drive Atlanta Motorsport Park, will focus on a full season commitment with co-driver Chris Miller. Miller has spent the last few years competing in the prototype ranks. Together, the two will make a strong run for the championship.
In 2021, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona races will be hosted on consecutive weekends. The Roar Before the Rolex 24, Jan. 22-24, will include the Motul Pole Award 100 qualifying race that will set the grid for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Live coverage of the 24-hour race begins at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 30 on NBC.
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Visit www.ascrusa.com to see all Audi Sport customer racing information and www.IMSA.com for IMSA broadcast information.
2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Schedule
Jan 22 – 24 Roar Before the Rolex 24
Jan. 27 – 31 Daytona International Speedway, 24 hr.
Mar 17 – 20 Sebring International Raceway, 12 hr.
May 14 – 16 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, 2 hr., 40 min.
June 4 – 5 Detroit Grand Prix, 1 hr., 40 min
June 24 – 27 Six Hours of the Glen, 6 hr.
July 2 – 4 CTMP Sportscar Grand Prix, 2 hr., 40 min.
July 16 – 18 Lime Rock Park, 2 hr., 40 min.
Aug. 6 – 8 Road America, 2 hr., 40 min.
Aug. 20 – 22 VIRginia International Raceway, 2 hr., 40 min.
Sept. 10 – 12 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 2 hr., 40 min.
Sept. 24 – 26 Grand Prix of Long Beach, 100 min.
Oct. 6 – 9 Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, 10 hr.
