Customer Racing Update: Audi Drivers Top in Asia and Europe

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Remarkable victory in Japan: Audi Sport customer racing Asia’s development program recorded its finest success to date against tough international competition. Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute achieved its first victory of the season on the fourth race weekend of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS. Yu Kuai from China and Andrew Haryanto from Indonesia celebrated a dominant success on the Motegi circuit in Japan. Haryanto had started the first race from third place in the Audi R8 LMS and improved by one position. This resulted in a double Audi lead because initially Ling Kang from Team Phantom Pro Racing was in front. When he handed his car over to Cao Qi at the mandatory pit stop, the latter continued to hold first place. However, 24 minutes before the end of the race, Yu Kuai overtook his compatriot. While Cao Qi came under pressure but still won the Silver Cup class as ninth overall, 22-year-old Audi Sport Asia junior driver Yu Kuai increased his lead to 21.9 seconds by the time he crossed the finish line and rejoiced over his first victory. With 33 contenders, the opposition was fierce. Teammate Andrew Haryanto extended his lead as the leader of the Audi Sport Asia Trophy with the joint success. Second in this amateur driver classification of the brand is Chris Chia.

Podium result in the south of France: At the fourth round of the International GT Open race series, the Eastalent Racing team recorded its fourth podium result this season. Christopher Haase started the second race at Le Castellet in fifth place in the Audi R8 LMS. As early as on the first lap, the veteran made up two positions and by lap six he was second. On lap 14, the German even took the lead before handing over his car to his teammate. Simon Reicher remained just ahead after the driver change, but had to admit defeat to Maximilian Paul in a duel five laps from the end. With a gap of just 0.951 seconds, Simon Reicher crossed the finish line in second place. Together with Christopher Haase, the Austrian remains third in the drivers standings.

Two trophies in South Africa: Charl Arangies had a good fifth race weekend in the G&H Transport Extreme Supercars Series. The South African scored second place in both sprints in the Audi R8 LMS at the East London circuit.

Podium successes for an Audi customer team in the Baltic States: At the Aurum 1006 km Race in Lithuania, the Circle K miles Plus Racing Team clinched two podium places in the GT3 classification with the Audi R8 LMS. Simas Juodviršis/Justas Jonušis/Arūnas Gečiauskas/Vytenis Gulbinas finished the endurance race on the Palanga circuit in second place in the GT3 category after 8:45 hours of driving time. They were followed by their teammates Julius Adomavičius/Yevgen Sokolovskiy/Oskaras Brazaitis with a gap of 6.6 seconds.

Audi R8 LMS GT2

Most successful weekend of the season: Audi’s customers experienced their most successful weekend to date at the fourth event of the GT2 European Series in Portugal. A one-two-three and a one-two in the two races mean that a privateer team with the Audi R8 LMS GT2 is back at the top of the standings. In the first race on the Portimão circuit, Luca Pirri’s Italian team LP Racing managed a one-two-three. Henry Hassid/Anthony Beltoise won ahead of Stéphane Ratel/Mattia di Giusto and Michael Doppelmayr/Pierre Kaffer. While Hassid/Beltoise were leading in a commanding manner after setbacks by various opponents, Mattia di Gusto ousted a rival from second place three minutes before the end of the race. Audi Sport driver Pierre Kaffer, who was on the grid with Michael Doppelmayr, improved from ninth to third place, which he secured after a strong drive in the last of 27 laps. In the second race, Peter Guelinckx/Stienes Longin prevailed. It was the third win of the season for the Belgian driver duo from Team PK Carsport. Second place went to Henry Hassid/Anthony Beltoise, who are thus back at the top of the standings for the first time since the season opener at Monza. They now have a three-point lead in the Pro-Am standings over a driver duo from KTM, with Guelinckx/Longin third.

Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)

Series of successes in the TCR Europe continued: With a quadruple victory in the first race and a triple win in the second sprint at Le Castellet, Comtoyou Racing remains the benchmark. Jean-Michel Baert’s Belgian squad scored its eighth and ninth wins of the season with the victories of John Filippi and Kobe Pauwels. Filippi was delighted with an unchallenged start-finish victory in the first sprint with the Audi RS 3 LMS ahead of his teammates Nicola Baldan and Kobe Pauwels. Tom Coronel had dropped from second to fourth position after a weak start. In the second race, junior driver Kobe Pauwels celebrated his fourth win of the season after initially battling for the lead with Hyundai driver Levente Losonczy, as did teammate Viktor Davidovski. At the end of a race rich in overtaking maneuvers, Pauwels won by four seconds ahead of teammate Nicola Baldan. He was followed 3.4 seconds behind by Tom Coronel, who has a 37-point lead over John Filippi in the standings with two events to go in the season. With Pauwels and Davidovski, two more Audi drivers follow in the next ranks. Likewise, Comtoyou Racing leads the team standings while Pauwels is best of seven rookies.

Two trophies in Scotland: At the fourth round of the TCR UK, two Audi privateer drivers achieved podium results with the RS 3 LMS at Knockhill. In the first race, Rob Boston Racing’s Jac Constable was the best of six Audi drivers in the field in second place. In the third race, his teammate Joe Marshall recorded third position.

Two victories at the season opener: The Audi customer team Aikoa Racing was the best team on the first race weekend of the Coppa Italia Turismo Endurance. Tiziano Bergamasco/Tommaso Fossati in the Audi RS 3 LMS won the two 55-minute races at Misano. As the third-best team in the TCR category, Pierluigi Moscone/Tomas Apostoli from Calcagni Motorsport in another Audi RS 3 LMS completed the podium in the first race. In the second race, they finished in second place.

Second place in Lithuania: The Acitool.com by DMK Racing Team scored a podium result in the Aurum 1006 km Race on the Palanga circuit. Deividas Sakalauskas/Marius Kemešys/Tomas Urbonavičius/Leandras Stulpinas crossed the finish line in second place in the TCR class in the Audi RS 3 LMS.

Audi R8 LMS GT4

Two class wins in South Africa: Joseph Ellerine looks back on a successful weekend in the G&H Transport Extreme Supercars Series. On the fifth race weekend in East London, the privateer prevailed in both sprint races in his class in the Audi R8 LMS GT4.

Coming up next week

28–30/07 Sydney (AUS), round 4, GT World Challenge Australia
28–30/07 Oschersleben (D), round 4, GTC Race
28–30/07 Ordos (CHN), round 3, China Endurance Championship
29–30/07 Oschersleben (D), round 4, Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy
29–30/07 Nürburgring (D), round 4, GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
29–30/07 Autopolis (J), round 4, Super Taikyu Series
29–30/07 Silverstone (GB), round 5, GT Cup Championship