Audi: Sports car "Grand Slam"

Audi claims the sports car "Grand Slam" with the sixth consecutive "Petit Le Mans" victory which leaves the Audi R8 still unbeaten in this contest.

Audi factory drivers Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro scored a comfortable "Petit Le Mans” victory to earn the German-Italian driver combination the American Le Mans Series LM P1 title. Audi won the annual 1,000-mile race at Road Atlanta (USA) for a sixth consecutive year. The Audi R8 remains unbeaten in "Petit Le Mans” since its debut in 2000. Audi again claimed the sports car "Grand Slam” by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and "Petit Le Mans”.

Team ADT Champion Racing´s #1 JJ Lehto/Marco Werner Audi lined-up second on the 30-car grid with the "sister” #2 R8 of Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro third, but drama occurred moments after the start of the race. James Weaver (Lola), starting from alongside Pirro on the second row, the pole-starting Zytek of Hayanri Shimoda and Lehto entered the first corner three abreast. Shimoda made contact with Lehto’s Audi incurring extensive front bodywork and right-hand suspension damage when both cars went off the circuit. Following a 40-minute pit-stop for repairs, Lehto resumed in 29th overall – 30 laps down. Ad mid-distance, Lehto/Werner were up to 13th overall when they touched a slower car with 5 1/2 hours run causing a pit-stop for rear suspension repairs. They eventually came home seventh, third in the LM P1 class.

Ran in daytime temperatures approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit and in front of a record 77,000 crowd, the Biela/Pirro Audi dominated the race and took the chequered flag victorious after 9hrs 16mins. Biela and Pirro thus prematurely added this year’s ALMS title to the ones achieved in 2003 and 2001 respectively with their fourth ALMS victory of the season. The Manufacturers´ and Teams´ titles will be decided at the final race at Laguna Seca (California) on 15 October.

GermanCarBlog, Audi

Source: Fourtitude

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