Bell, Baas, and Audi South Austin Join Forces in Texas in the no. 52 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am

APR Motorsport Press Release

February 27, 2013 (Opelika, Ala.) – One month after celebrating its runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, APR Motorsport is heading to GRAND-AM’s first visit to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas with the driving duo of Matt Bell and Ian Baas in the no. 52 APR Audi R8. Joining both of them is APR Motorsport’s newest partner, Audi South Austin.

Bell joined APR for the first time at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, finishing 12 in the no. 51 APR Audi R8. As an instructor at the Audi Sportscar Experience at Sonoma Raceway, Bell is certainly familiar with Audi R8’s and is happy to become more familiar with the APR Audi R8.

“We definitely had some challenges at Daytona, but what I took away from that weekend was how strong the APR Motorsport program is,” said Bell. “Top to bottom it is full of great people with a great family atmosphere. I’m excited to see how Ian and I do in Austin. The Audi R8 is a great car to drive and we all got a glimpse of how far it has come, and I’m excited to see what we can do in Austin.”

Baas has driven APR’s Audi R8 in the endurance races, and this will be the first ‘regular’ race in which he pilots the car. Baas will do double-duty again this weekend as he will drive an APR VW Jetta in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

“Going to the Circuit of the Americas in the Audi is almost as exciting as going to Daytona for the 24 Hour,” said Baas. “We know how good the car is and after Daytona I can’t wait to get back into an Audi R8 after we just missed out on the win. Matt did a great job in Daytona and fit right in with the rest of the guys. I think we’re going to get along well and contend for another podium.”

The GRAND-AM of The Americas presented by GAINSCO and TOTAL Rolex Sports Car Series race will be shown live on SPEED Channel on Saturday, March 2 at 5:30 PM ET on SPEED Channel. The CTSCC race will be shown live on SPEED2.com on Saturday, March 2 at 10:05 AM ET, with a television broadcast on Sunday, March 9 at 4:00 PM ET.

NOTEWORTHY
Audi South Austin will host an APR Motorsport meet-and-greet at its dealership on Friday, March 1 at 5:00 – 9:00 PM local time. The team’s Rolex 24 at Daytona runner-up Audi R8 will be on display at the dealership throughout the weekend, while fans will have the chance to meet the APR Motorsport drivers. Audi South Austin is located at 4738 IH-35 South, Austin, Tex.

About Audi South Austin
Audi South Austin in Austin, Tex. treats the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern. We know that you have high expectations, and as a car dealer we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time. Allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence! Learn more at audisouthaustin.com, or by calling (512) 660-6700.

About RageTank
Show your speed. RageTank is the Mobile App, Social Network, and Lap-Sharing service for track-day and motorsports enthusiasts. RageTank was founded in Silicon Valley to revolutionize the racetrack experience by connecting and engaging the community with innovative mobile technology. Learn more at www.ragetank.com.

About APR Motorsport
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly-engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Photo credit: APR Motorsport

Audi wins the Rolex 24 in Daytona GT class

By Tarek Ramchani and Johan Laubscher

Audi has just won the demanding GT class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The #24 Alex Job Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM driven by Dion von Moltke, Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis and Edoardo Mortara crossed the finish line victorious after a titanic GT battle all race long. The AJR Audi lead home the APR #52 Audi for a 1-2 finish. A great result for Audi as a brand and the whole Audi Sport customer racing program. The GT3 spec Audi R8 LMS has won almost everything in Europe and beyond, and it was great to see the "American" R16 doing the same in America's premier 24 hour endurance event this weekend.

It was a very hard and long race with a great field consisting of 34 GT cars. Four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars were entered in the event with massive support from Audi Sport customer racing/quattro GmbH and Audi of America. The three teams worked together and most of the race they were among the top 10. Bad luck hit APR Motorsport after very strong performances from the #52 R8 of Frank Stippler, Marc Basseng, Rene Rast and Ian Baas. After a brilliant showing and leading the race in the early evening the very strong APR driver squad was forced to catch up from behind due to a crippling 3 minute time penalty, a shame for one of the big favourites for GT victory. This meant that the remaining other two Audis, AJR and Rum Bum, were the ones left fighting for class honors. Rum Bum Racing and Alex Job Racing challenged world class rivals from Porsche and Ferrari teams, both also with factory support.

As the sun rose over Daytona the AJR and Rum Bum Audis remained in the hunt and battled with the leaders. Bad luck with penalties was to plague the Audi teams again during the morning. First to fall victim was the Rum Bum entry which also received a crippling 3 minute time penalty which dropped them far back. This left the AJR car as the lone Audi in front, but after a titanic battle for the lead Mortara was involved in a high speed spin nearly collecting a Ferrari. This spin prompted a penalty of over 1 minute for "avoidable contact," despite no contact taking place and the Ferrari team saying that there was no contact. This ill deserved penalty almost effectively ruined the AJR Audi's race and completed a full set of penalties for the Audi entries.

As the disappointment of the two penalties during the morning began to sink in another Audi made the recovery drive of the race. After receiving their own three minute penalty during the night and loosing two laps, the #52 APR squad had raced their way back onto the lead lap. They continued their forward progress and with less than three hours to go the #52 went back into the lead and another titanic GT battle ensued with Audi versus Porsche and Ferrari. The Rum Bum and AJR entries worked hard and got themselves back onto the lead lap as well. As the race headed into the final stages the Rum Bum car completed an equally impressive recovery to place themselves in third, right in the mix.

The stage was set for the final 90 minute dash to the flag. APR and Rum Bum were in the leading group with AJR on the lead lap. The GT racing was intense as the teams battled for the lead, whilst track position was becoming ever more important. At one stage the leading trio, including the #52 APR and Rum Bum, went three wide into the bus stop where Rum Bum went from 3rd to 1st, only to spin on the next lap. During these proceedings the AJR car was back into the leading group as well. Now all three Audi cars were within 20 seconds of the lead, after countless penalties the race was still alive for all three Audi teams.

Coming off another caution period the top four had three Audis with the #52 APR car leading the way. Rene Rast had a tremendous battle with the #69 Ferrari with the Rum Bum and AJR cars in the top five as well. The final 30 minutes became a pitstop battle of who needed to stop and who didn't need to. AJR lead 1-2 (Audi ahead of Porsche) but appeared to need a stop whereas Rast was charging and didn't need to stop again. A grand stand finish was awaiting the fans with five cars standing a chance of winning.

The moment of truth arrived as the #24 AJR Audi had to pit leaving the AJR Porsche in the lead until they pitted as well. The #52 Audi was involved in a huge fight with the #44 Porsche. As it all settled down it was an Audi 1-2-3 with AJR leading Rum Bum and APR. On the last lap the Rum Bum car ran out of fuel as APR tired to catch AJR. The #24 AJR came through to win after running long enough to make the gap and win with the final splash and dash.

Audi victory at Daytona is somewhat a bit of revenge after all the bad luck and some penalizing rules that hit the R8 GRAND-AM during the 2012 season. Right now only APR Motorsport is committed to the full Rolex Series season with Audi. We hope that the Daytona result will continue all year long in Grand-Am. Next stop for the series will be at the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Rast Narrowly Misses top-10 for APR Motorsport in Stacked GT Qualifying

APR Motorsport Press Release

Team will run Live Blog throughout Rolex 24 at Daytona

January 25, 2012 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) – A strong qualifying session highlighted a busy day for the APR Motorsport team at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.
In the stacked thirty-four car GT field Rene Rast drove to 11th place in the day’s qualifying session in the no. 52 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am. Such was the depth of the GT field at the Rolex 24 at Daytona that Rast’s time was less than a second behind the pole sitting car. Rast, a defending GT-class winner at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, will partner with Ian Baas, Marc Basseng, and Frank Stippler in the no. 52 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am.

“I am pretty satisfied with the car and with qualifying the APR Audi R8 in 11th position,” said Rast. “It isn’t as fast in qualifying as we would like, but. I think we have a good car for the race. On Saturday, we will see.”

In the sister no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am, Matt Bell qualified in 27th position as he and the team continued to work on the setup of the Audi. Bell will be partnered with David Empringham, Alex Figge, John Farano and Dave Lacey for the twenty-four hour contest.

“We went in a certain direction for qualifying and it didn’t work out for us,” said Bell. “The car was really good, except for in a couple of spots on the track. As strong as this field is, you can’t really have a weakness anywhere and hope to be competitive. But now we know which direction to go and we have plenty of practice to get it right before Saturday.”

To give fans behind-the-scenes access throughout the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team will run a Live Blog throughout the race. Stephen Hooks, team owner of APR Motorsport, will be online throughout the race from APR’s pits on the front straightaway of Daytona International Speedway to answer questions from Audi fans around the world. APR’s Live Blog will be available at SPEED2.com, starting at 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, January 26.

About APR Motorsport
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly-engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Photo credit: APR Motorsport

Rolex 24: Audi on third row of the grid at Daytona

Audi Press Release

• Filipe Albuquerque with Alex Job Racing is best Audi driver

• Teams are mainly focused on race preparation

• All four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars are thoroughly prepared

Ingolstadt, January 24, 2013 – The best Audi R8 GRAND-AM will be starting into the 24-hour race at Daytona (Florida) from the third row. The fastest driver of the Audi customer teams in qualifying was Filipe Albuquerque.


Following several warm-up laps, the Audi factory driver managed to make a perfect landing. After the tire pressure had reached the planned optimum level, Albuquerque drove a flawless lap on the high-speed track in Florida. His time of 1m 48.282s earned him and Team Alex Job Racing grid position six in the GT class, making Audi the third-best brand in the field of the eight manufacturers.

René Rast achieved the second-best time of an Audi driver. The German from Team APR Motorsport took grid position eleven (1m 48.581s). Markus Winkelhock in the Audi R8 GRAND-AM qualified in the front half of the field of 34 GT vehicles as well. The Audi from Rum Bum Racing will start from position 16 (1m 48.865s) on Saturday. The American Matt Bell from APR Motorsport achieved grid position 27 in another R8 GRAND-AM.

The main focus of all the teams was and continues to be placed on preparing for the 24-hour race. All teams are using the remaining night practice on Thursday and a final practice on Friday to further refine the set-up of the customer race sports car. The race will start at 15:30 local time on Saturday.

Selected quotes

Romolo Liebchen (Head of Audi Sport customer racing): “In qualifying, there were no surprises. We concentrated on preparing for the race. It was important not to take any risks today. Together with the preparation in the tests at the end of last year and in the beginning of January, we’re tackling the race with a clear conscience. The drivers are giving us feedback confirming that we’re running with a set-up that provides very good drivability.”

Filipe Albuquerque (Audi R8 GRAND-AM #24/Alex Job Racing): “I’m very happy with my lap. I kept my cool because I knew that the first three laps are nothing special. I knew when I’d be able to attack. The tire pressure was developing according to plan and then I only needed a single lap. Everything was right on the dot. There was no more traffic and I made no mistakes. Afterward, the tires were used up. Things couldn’t have gone any better today. And in the other practice sessions we want to improve our car a little bit more. I’m looking forward to the race.”

Qualifying results

1 Nick Tandy (Porsche) 1m 47.631s
2 Andy Lally (Porsche) 1m 47.828s
3 Sean Edwards (Porsche) 1m 48.007s
4 Patrick Long (Porsche) 1m 48.137s
5 Alessandro Balzan (Ferrari) 1m 48.260s
6 Filipe Albuquerque (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.282s
7 Marco Seefried (Porsche) 1m 48.319s
8 Robin Liddell (Camaro) 1m 48.330s
9 Daniel Serra (Ferrari) 1m 48.521s
10 Anthony Lazzaro (Ferrari) 1m 48.577s
11 René Rast (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.581s
16 Markus Winkelhock (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.865s
27 Matt Bell (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 49.937s

Photo credit: APR Motorsport

Video: Onboard APR #52 Audi R8 GRAND-AM Daytona 24 qualifying

By Johan Laubscher

The Daytona 24 Hour weekend is well underway. Four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars will be lining up for the classic endurance race. The first of the onboard videos has gone online, this one from APR Motorsport. Enjoy a few laps onboard the #52 APR Audi R8 GRAND-AM during qualifying with Rene Rast behind the wheel.

Photo by APR

New-Look APR Audi R8s Set for 24 Hour Attack on Daytona

APR Motorsport Press Release

Opelika, AL – The changes are more than just skin deep for the pair of Audi R8′s that APR Motorsport will field at next weekend’s 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona. After last year, in which APR Motorsport helped to bring the Audi R8 GRAND-AM to it’s first Rolex 24, the team is returning with a pair of Audi R8′s capable of running at the front.

With striking new liveries for both the no. 51 and no. 52 APR Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars, the team is looking to pick up where it left off during the Roar Before the 24. The Roar ended well for the squad from Alabama with the no. 52 APR Audi R8 of Ian Baas, Marc Basseng, Frank Stippler and Rene Rast lapped the track at 1:49.277 – the fastest time of any Audi R8 at the test and the fourth quickest time in the GT class. The team’s sister car, the no. 51 APR Audi R8 of Matt Bell, John Farano, Alex Figge and Dave Lacey, recorded a best time of 1:49.633 – the 14th best time in the strong field of GT cars.

“The Roar Before the 24 was a great way to start off the season,” said Baas, who will compete in his third Rolex 24 at Daytona. “Getting to work with Marc, Frank, and Rene who bring so much experience with the R8s has been a learning experience and to finish the weekend with the fourth best time in GT shows the progress made over the past 12 months with the R8. Just like last year, it’s shaping up to be quite a battle in the GT class and we’re very excited to race at Daytona in our APR R8.”

Bell, who will lead the team’s no. 51 Audi R8, was also enthused after spending his first weekend both with APR Motorsport and in the Audi R8,

“The Audi R8 was really good – obviously, it was very quick, and I felt comfortable in the car right away,” said Bell. “Everyone had the same feedback and we were able to just keep putting laps in and working on long stints and race setup. Based on their reputation, I knew APR was a great organization but there is close-knit, great atmosphere in the team. ”

For the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team will add David Empringham, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to the no. 51 APR Audi R8. Empringham, a former Daytona Prototype class winner at the Rolex 24, partnered with Farano to win last season’s GS-class championship in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

“I’m really excited to join APR Motorsport for the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Empringham. “They are such an impressive organization. I did a few laps in that gorgeous Audi, and I’m impressed at how competitive APR has made this R8. I’m just hoping I can contribute to a successful 24 with John, Matt, Alex and Dave.”

Last year, APR Motorsport helped make Audi history as it was brought the marque to the Rolex 24 at Daytona for the first time. This year, APR Motorsport will be the first team in the 51 year history of the race to field multiple Audi cars in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“As well as the Roar Before the 24 went, it goes without saying how excited we are for this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Stephen Hooks, APR Motorsport team owner. “We definitely have the speed to be competitive and the team was able to put a lot of trouble-free miles on the car. Of course, we wanted to be fast and to leave as the quickest Audi is a nice bonus. The GT field looks like it is even more competitive than last year, but we have brought the Audi R8 GRAND-AM a long way.”

Television coverage of the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona will run from 3:00 PM- 11:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel on Saturday, January 26, with the conclusion of the race airing at 9:00 AM – 4 PM ET on SPEED. Overnight hours will be streamed live on SPEED.com. APR Motorsport will provide constant updates during the race on its Facebook and twitter pages.

About APR Motorsport
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly-engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Photo credit: Arin Ahnell/APR Motorsport

2014 ALMS/Grand-Am: What about Audi?

By Tarek Ramchani

Some of the biggest news coming from 2012 was without any doubt the announcement that the American Le Mans Series and the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series will merge into a single unified North American sportcar series. For more than a decade both series were seen as strong and competitive rivals, each with radically different styles and views about endurance racing. The ALMS is strongly linked with the ACO and the 24 Hours of Le Mans and is the home of factory and semi-works teams in both the LMP and GT divisions. Grand-Am on the other hand was always seen as the NASCAR version of "road racing," with mainly privateer teams and being less expensive than the ALMS.

The unification and combination of the best from the two series resulted in the organisers pulling out the top LMP1 class. In recent years the LMP1 class has seen a dramatic collapse in the ALMS, as most of the races only had 2-3 cars. Both ALMS and Grand-Am officials agreed to remove the class, thus leaving it to become a WEC exclusive class. This means that Audi Sport and their new 2014 LMP1 racer will not be able to compete there anymore. The 12 Hours of Sebring this year will probably be the last ever race for Audi in the American Le Mans Series after a great era of domination with no less than nine straight championship titles. Audi effectively left the series since the end of 2008, but they had always raced at the Sebring 12 Hours as part of the Le Mans preparation, with the exception of 2010. The prototypes from Ingolstadt will for sure be missed at the oldest sportscar race in America. However the Audi prototypes will be seen at the American round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Within the new American series the top class will be a combined grid of Daytona Prototypes and LMP2 cars, with a Balance of Performance coming into effect. Audi does not currently have cars or powered machines in any of these two classes. The Audi presence in the combined series is secured by the Audi R8 GRAND-AM. The "American" R16 debuted in the Rolex Series during 2012 and it will be welcomed for 2014. The entire Grand-Am GT class will be kept as is for now, however they will be behind the "ALMS" GT cars, better known as GTEs at Le Mans and FIA WEC. The Grand-Am GT class will race alongside the ALMS GT class as two separate classes in the new American series. The Audi GT racers will simply fight within their own class. There is an unprecedented Audi presence and support base at the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona this year, so we keep our fingers crossed for the competition next year.

For now the Audi LMP1 machines are effectively banned with the rest of the class whilst the Audi R8 GRAND-AM is set to continue. However there is something else that American Audi fans will also not get to see, the Audi R8 LMS ultra. Many thought that the doors will open for FIA GT3 spec cars in this new unified series. The organizers chose not to follow the formula. As things are at the moment it has closed any chance for the R8 LMS ultra to compete. The only possibility is to follow BMW and build, or shall we say "upgrade," the R16 into a GTE racer. BMW has followed that route this year with the Z4 GT3 which is replacing the M3 GT in the American Le Mans Series. Never say never, but we hardly see that Audi Sport customer racing and quattro GmbH would follow this GTE upgrade route. GTE is still alive, but now more than ever the brands are pushing to have a single and unified GT class in the near future. A GTE R8 would make no sense right now with an unknown future, and it will be a lot more expensive than both the R8 LMS ultra and R8 GRAND-AM. Another alternative is that the future of ACO/FIA GT racing could be with the GT3 formula. In that case the Audi R8 LMS ultra would be able to compete at the highest level of North American sportscar racing, only time will tell.

As we wait for 2014 and #TheFuture, let's enjoy both the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Two big classics where Audi will be aiming very high.

Positive Daytona tests for Audi R8 GRAND-AM teams

By Tarek Ramchani

Daytona hosted the annual "Roar Before The Rolex 24" last weekend, the official test days of the Rolex 24 Hours. Audi was well represented at the world famous speedway. Four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars were there and they did really well.



Audi debuted the R8 GRAND-AM spec car last year in the Rolex Series. It was a really mixed season, as APR Motorsport had a lot of ups and downs with the car. The team really improved during the season and achieved a sensational second in class at the season finale. Later towards the end of 2012 the Audi R8 GRAND-AM again proved that it was heading in the right direction. Audi Sport customer racing and quattro GmbH were among the fastest in the last December tests at Daytona.

Now the Audi Rolex Series squad has increased, welcoming two new comers. Both Alex Job Racing and Rum Bum Racing are fielded a single car each. They join APR Motorsport, the Alabama based team, who is back for the second straight year this time with two cars. All three teams worked very hard in these tests this weekend. Most of the time they were able to enter the top 10 in the very demanding GT class. The R8s were as fast as the world class rivals from the Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet and Mazda teams.

The amount of the support from Audi is clearly showing. The Four Ringed brand really wants to add an Audi victory in the Florida classic to their already impressive results with the Audi R8 in the other big endurance classics. Proof of that is the massive presence of Audi works drivers and Audi Sport customer racing engineers who are present with each of the three teams. In end the best result for the Audi R8 GRAND-AM was a fine second place in class, set in the third session with the #52 car of APR Motorsport.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is set for the end of January. And as seen last weekend Audi will be one of the big favourites for the GT class win.

Photo credit: APR Motorsport / Daytona International Speedway

APR Motorsport Sets Driver Lineup for Rolex 24 at Daytona

APR Motorsport Press Release

Matt Bell, John Farano, Alex Figge and Dave Lacey will team up in no. 51 APR Audi R8; Ian Baas will join no. 52 APR Audi R8

January 2, 2013 (Opelika, Ala.) – Not only is APR Motorsport unveiling a new-look testing livery for this weekend’s Roar Before the 24, but the team is proud to announce its driver lineup for the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona. Americans Matt Bell and Alex Figge will join Canadians John Farano and Dave Lacey in the no. 51 APR Audi R8.



Additionally, APR Motorsport driver Ian Baas will compete in the Rolex 24 in the no. 52 APR Audi R8, joining Marc Basseng, Frank Stippler, and Rene Rast.

Competing in his fourth Rolex 24 at Daytona, Matt Bell, from Los Altos, California, will join APR Motorsport for the first time. A veteran in Daytona Prototypes and GT cars, Bell has also scored several wins in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to race with APR, after racing against them for so many seasons,” said Bell. “My first year in GRAND-AM was also their first year, so since day one they’ve been sort of the enemy. But they wouldn’t be if they weren’t doing things right so you respect them for what they’ve been able to do. I also work for the Audi Sportscar Center at Sonoma Raceway so the combination is pretty cool – and I probably have more miles in an Audi R8 than anyone else on the team, though not in an R8 race car! We have a strong driver lineup – I have competed against Dave this season and I truly trust driving alongside him – and I’m excited to see how our test goes this weekend.”

John Farano, from Toronto, Ontario, is the reigning Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS-class champion and Rookie of the Year and will be taking part in his third Rolex 24 at Daytona. Farano’s racing history includes the Grand-Am Ferrari Challenge series, Rolex Daytona Prototypes and GT class, as well as the Canadian Tire NASCAR Series. Farano will be busy during the Rolex 24 weekend, as he will also drive in the Ferrari Challenge races as well as the CTSCC season opener with co-driver David Empringham.

“I am very excited to be driving with APR alongside Alex, Dave, and Matt,” said Farano. “I can’t wait to be on track amongst this strong driver lineup and the rest of the APR team. It is my hope that this will be the beginning of a solid relationship between Tower Events and Grandstand Seating and APR Motorsport that will allow this association to continue to race together for years to come.”

Currently competing in the World Challenge GT class, Alex Figge, from Denver, Colorado, is a veteran of GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, American Le Mans, and ChampCar competition. He has scored numerous podiums and wins in his sports car career, and looks to pick up where he left off after competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2008.

“I am extremely excited to be back at the Rolex 24,” said Figge. “I last did the race in 2008 and I’ve been dying to do it again. Obviously in a 24 hour race you’ve got to have reliability and spot-on teamwork. Knowing that, I couldn’t be more positive about being with APR and Audi. I know from reputation and seeing with my own eyes that APR is a first class organization and I can’t wait to get started with them. The test can’t come soon enough.”

Lacey, from Toronto, Ontario, brings 20 seasons of GT-class racing to APR Motorsport. Twice a podium finisher at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Lacey is also an Audi enthusiast – owning both an S5 as well as an R8 V10 – and is understandably excited about the APR relationship.

“I’ve known John Farano as a fellow Canadian and a competitor for a number of years, so I’m thrilled to join APR, Matt, Alex and John in what I think will be a very strong entry for the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Lacey. “Clearly APR has learned a great deal about the R8LMS platform over the last season and I believe that the car will be very competitive not only for the 24 Hours, but for the entire season.”

The four drivers will join APR for the first time in this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

As the fourth member of the no. 52 APR Audi R8, Baas, from Indianapolis, Indiana, is thrilled to rejoin APR for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. A former GT-class winner at the race, Baas also drove the no. 51 Audi R8 at both the Rolex 24 and Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen last season.

“Being asked to be a part of the Rolex program is an honor and I’m really excited to drive with Marc, Frank, and Rene,” said Baas. “APR has learned so much in the past year about the R8 and I’m really excited to put all of that experience to use at this year’s Rolex 24. After last year’s two races in the car, I have some unfinished business.”

The Roar Before the 24 begins this Friday, with practice sessions scheduled throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

About APR Motorsport
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly-engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

APR Motorsport Will Field two Audi R8’s at 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona

APR Motorsport Press Release

December 19, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – APR Motorsport, the team that introduced the Audi R8 to the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, has raised the bar for this year’s race as it will bring two of Audi’s famous GT racers to January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.



Piloting the no. 52 APR Audi R8 will be the German lineup of Marc Basseng, Rene Rast, and Frank Stippler. Basseng and Stippler return to APR after driving the no. 52 APR Audi R8 at last season’s Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen, where Stippler piloted the Audi to second in qualifying.

Basseng, from Neusalza, Germany, won the 2007 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GT class. He has spent the past four seasons competing in the GT1 World Championship, but has class wins in the 12 Hours of Bathurst and the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in an Audi R8 LMS.

Rast, from Minden, Germany, made an impression on the Rolex Series paddock in 2012, taking the winning GT class car to the checkered flag in his first attempt at the race. Three times a Porsche Supercup champion, Rast also has a victory at the 2012 24 Hours of Spa – while driving an Audi R8 LMS – with Stippler. Stippler, from Bad Munstereifel, Germany has been a development driver of the Audi R8 LMS since 2008.

Longtime APR driver Ian Baas, from Indianapolis, Indiana, will be a part of APR’s driver lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Baas, who will be doing double-duty as he drives with Michael Taylor in the CTSCC, has a GT class win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on his resume.

A driver announcement for the no. 51 APR Audi R8 will be made in the coming weeks.

APR will also unveil a brand new livery at the Rolex 24 at Daytona that it will use throughout the 2013 season. Both of the Audi R8’s will use an interim testing livery at the Roar Before the 24.

“Last year, when we competed in the Rolex Series for the first time in the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, it was a great moment for our organization after several seasons of racing and being competitive in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” said Stephen Hooks, owner of APR. “On a personal level, I was extremely proud to watch an APR Audi take the green flag – and the checkered flag – at the Rolex 24. Adding the second car with a lineup of factory drivers for Daytona will be another great moment for the team.”

APR Motorsport will have both of its Audi R8s at the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway on January 4-6, 2013. The 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona will go green on January 26, 2013 at 3:30 PM ET.

About APR Motorsport
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly-engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Gallery: Best of Rolex Series 2012, APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM

Tarek Ramchani

The brand new Audi R8 GRAND-AM debuted in the Rolex Series at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year . The car is way different from the original R16 FIA GT3 specification, in order to meet the Grand-Am rules. Three Audi teams acquired the car, APR Motorsport, Oryx Racing and later Limitless Racing. From these three teams it was only APR Motorsport who competed in the full Rolex Series season. In many races APR had great pace but bad luck always hit the team. The bad luck persisted until the season finale at Lime Rock Park, where the Alabama based team was able to achieve a sensational second place in the demanding GT class. It was a great end for a mixed season.



As we wait for the 2013 season and following the amazing performance from the R8 GRAND-AM at the Rolex Series tests at Daytona last month, here is the very best of from APR Motorsport season in photos.

Photo credit and more information:
APR official website