2010 LeMans 24h - Audi Preview

It looks like it will be another battle of the oil-burners at the Circuit de la Sarthe this year with Audi going at it with hammer and tongs against the closed top Peugeots.  Should be some decent battles back in the GT category, but generally the GT class winner has been decided by "who can avoid battle damage from back markers," more than "who has the fastest car and runs the best race."  Should be fun

2010 Nürburgring 24 Hours Race #98 Audi R8 LMS Frank Stippler Onboard

[via MT89 Motorsports]
Long onboard with Frank Stippler on the Nordschleife, just look at all the traffic he has to deal with!

Controlled Chaos- The start of the 2010 ADAC 24hr Nurburgring video

[viaMT89 Motorsports]
The start of the 38th Nürburgring 24 Hours on the Nordschleife.

2010 ADAC Nordschleife Qualifying Viedo - Audi R8

[via MT89Motorsports}
Footage of the Audi R8 LMS cars on the Nordschleife during Qualifying for europe's biggest race, more than 200 cars will start the 38th Nürburgring 24 Hours

2009 Le Mans 24 Hours- Qualifying Allan McNish Audi R15 TDi Onboard

Some great shots of qualifying at dusk. Thanks to MT89Motorsports. Enjoy!

24 Hours of LeMans 2009 - Official Preview Video

As practice for the 2009 24 Hours of LeMans has begun, signaling that we are only days away from what should prove to be an epic battle between Audi and Peugeot.  If the 12 hours of Sebring gave us any insight into the racing game plan for LMP1, I would guess that we should expect a 24-hour sprint race between the top teams, with only a catastrophic breakdown or shunt causing the teams to stray from that course.

Likely the R15 will be a little slower than the 908 HDi DPFS, but will be more fuel-efficient and require fewer stops.  However if the Audi runs into trouble it will be harder for them to make up time on the faster Peugeot.

Here's an official preview courtesy of Crawford Photography.  Enjoy!

Audi R8 V10 LMS Mattias Ekström Nordschleife Onboard at Night - 2009 Nordschleife 24 Hours Race

A brief glimpse into night at the Nordschliefe. Enjoy!

2009 24h Nurburgring Audi R8 Practice Highlights

Thanks to MT89 Motorsports for the clip. Enjoy!

Car Porn Deluxe - Audi R8 V10 in Maranello

Bringing a red, mid-engine car to Maranello is likely the next bad idea on the list after, "bringing a knife to a gun fight." Let's see if Audi has this same sense of humor if Ferrari leaves F1 and goes endurance racing.

Enjoy!

Truth in 24 available for free download on iTunes

If you missed watching Truth in 24 last Friday on ESPN, you can now get and watch it at your leisure at no cost to you, as you need is free Apple iTunes software installed on your computer and a connection to the Internet.  For more Scuderia sourced info on the film and access to the trailer it can be accessed here. 

For access to your free copy at iTunes please click here.

Recap - Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring - Battle of the Titans

The Audi R15 and Peugeot 908 waged war for the entire 12 hours of the race, acting as though it was a 20 minute sprint instead of an all out endurance race. This battle proved to be an amazing way for the American LeMans Series to celebrate their 100th race. If you didn't have an opportunity to catch the action, here is small example of the type of racing that went on for the entire 12 hours.


I was excited to see the action in GT2. As I expected, the Ferrari 430's dominated the class, with an amazingly strong showing by PTG with their 3 year old Panoz, piloted by Ian James and Dominik Farnbacher. A special word of congratulations to Ian James in holding off Marc Lieb in the Flying Lizard GT3RSR. Unfortunately the battle ended in tears, but it must have taken some amazing driving to hold off the brand new Porsche with the under-powered and under-developed Panoz.

Of course my greatest disappointment of the weekend were the new BMW M3's, with both cars out of the race before the half-way point. According to Bobby Rahal, team Principal of Rahal Letterman Racing, the cars developed oil leaks and needed to retire. According to spectators at the race, this is exactly what happened, except that the oil leak was likely caused by a connecting rod ventilating the crankcase. That having been said, enjoy some (poor quality) footage from the brief time that the M3's were running.


Congratulation to Audi for winning a tough race and Peugeot for giving the Audi team a real run for their money. While these two titans won't be around much in ALMS this year, the 24 Hours of LeMans in June promises to be a true fight to the finish.

As for ALMS, if Porsche and BMW can up their game, the 2009 season in GT2 class may prove to be as exciting as P1 at Sebring, if they do not, I see many podiums for RISI Ferrari and (yikes) Panoz.

ESPN to air "The Truth in 24" on Friday March 20

To kickoff the American LeMans Series Race at Sebring on Saturday, March 21, ESPN will air The Truth in 24 in its entirety during prime time. (8pm EST/7PM CST).  So see your DVR's to catch this one-time event.

This documentary has been billed as one  of the finest racing film to be created to date, telling the story of Audi's quest for victory at LeMans in 2008.   The film was produced through a joint effort between Audi and NFL films, and as you can see by the trailer below, it tells a compelling story of competing in one of the most famous motor races in the world.