Audi Banks on TDI Power Again in the USA

Audi AG continues its successful involvement in the American Le Mans Series to coincide with the imminent diesel offensive in the USA. The Audi Sport North America team competes in every round of the world’s leading sportscar race series with a pair of Audi R10 TDI cars during the 2007 season.

With defending champions Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) plus Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany), Audi relies on proven drivers to retain its crown. All four drivers have won the American Le Mans Series at least once already. Marco Werner celebrates his comeback in the USA after a year-out. The two-time ALMS Champion and double Le Mans winner was heavily involved in the revolutionary Audi diesel racing car’s development during the 2006 season.

Audi Sport North America once again assumes responsibility for running the brace of R10 TDI cars. The team’s core personnel originate from Champion Racing. As last year, Dave Maraj’s team receives support in a similar way from Audi Sport and Joest Racing.

The German-American combination proved itself to be extremely competitive last season: The Audi R10 TDI remained unbeaten in its seven races in the 2006 American Le Mans Series.

"Audi is convinced that TDI is also the strong and economical alternative vehicle power source of the future for the United States”, explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "The R10 TDI is a forerunner for the nationwide diesel offensive in the USA and the increasingly popular American Le Mans Series is the perfect platform for this.”

The prestigious sportscar series consists of twelve races for the first time ever in 2007. New additions to the calendar are the street circuit races in Long Beach (California), St. Petersburg (Florida) and Detroit (Michigan) - three important US markets. The season opens on 17 March with the 12-hour race at Sebring (Florida), in which Audi is unbeaten since the year 2000, and where a diesel engine won its first ever international sportscar race.

The 2007 American Le Mans Series schedule

3/17: Sebring (USA)
3/31: St. Petersburg (USA)
4/14: Long Beach (USA)
4/21: Houston (USA)
5/19: Salt Lake City (USA)
7/7: Lime Rock (USA)
7/22: Mid-Ohio (USA)
8/11: Road America (USA)
8/26: Mosport (CDN)
9/1: Detroit (USA)
10/6: Road Atlanta (USA)
10/20: Laguna Seca (USA)

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And, I'll be seeing them at Mosport, again. I might look at heading out to another race, as well (Lime Rock, maybe? It's only about 550km away).