Phoenix Racing with both Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in top eight at Monza

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Finishing in sixth and eighth place in the gigantic field of 60 GT3 sports cars Phoenix Racing experienced a strong start into the new season of the Blancpain Endurance Series (BES). In the Royal Park at Monza GT1 World Champions Markus Winkelhock (D) plus the Belgians Anthony Kumpen and Enzo Ide in the Audi R8 LMS ultra – car number 16 – saw the chequered flag in sixth place, in the number 6 sister car Harold Primat (CH), Oliver Jarvis (GB) and title defender Christopher Haase (DE) were classified in eighth place at the end of the three-hour race.

This successful result had not been on the horizon after qualifying, which at this compact two-day event is not held until Sunday morning. Ide/Kumpen/Winkelhock did not get beyond grid position 19 while Primat/Jarvis/Haase even had to settle for position 34. On the four long straights of this 5.793-kilometre high-speed circuit the R8 cars were visibly outperformed in terms of top speed.

In the race the Phoenix drivers had to fight their way through enormous traffic and managed to make up so many places only thanks to a flawless performance and the high consistency they showed. “After a good start I immediately gained a few places before, on lap two, another car was standing in front of me in the chicane and I lost positions again. So I started making up ground once more. In the end, I had a slow puncture and had to pit earlier than planned, which ultimately didn’t cost us too much though,” said Enzo Ide, describing his first stint in car number 16. “My middle stint was okay but the considerable amount of traffic with cars that were slower on the whole but very fast on the straights made life pretty difficult for me in the cockpit. That’s what makes fifth place in the Pro Class and sixth overall even sweeter for me,” added his compatriot Anthony Kumpen. Another happy campaigner was Markus Winkelhock, who successfully continued the recovery in the #16 Audi through to the finish. “Starting from 19^th on the grid and then finishing in sixth place is absolutely acceptable. Our R8 felt good right from the beginning even though not everything was perfect yet. If at the next races the straights aren’t this long anymore we’ll definitely be in a better position.”

Primat/Jarvis/Haase were able to recover even more places than Kumpen/Ide/Winkelhock. “After the start I just tried to stay out of any battles. At times it was very close but I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Still, I made up a number of places,” said Harold Primat. “This being my third race in my new GT career it was all very exciting and anything but boring. In any case, it was a positive start into the new season.” This view was shared by Oliver Jarvis, who previously drove in the DTM with Phoenix: “We knew that from grid position 34 it would be a tough race. I’m pleased with my stint, especially since I wasn’t feeling well the days before. The Phoenix team did an excellent job and we’re taking a lot of positive things with us to the next race.” Like his Phoenix team-mates Christopher Haase was struggling with the large number of cars on track. Ultimately 46 of the 60 GT3 sports cars that had started into the race finished. “It wasn’t easy with the intense traffic. Across the distance we were pretty good and still consistently quick in the end. We scored valuable points for seventh place in the PRO class today and took eighth place overall. That’s a good starting base for the next races.”
Primat/Jarvis/Haase finished in ninth place but were classified in eighth overall after a penalty was imposed on a rival.

“An incredibly thrilling opener of the Blainpanc Endurance Series with a gigantic field of entrants. That was fascinating motorsport which TV viewers probably enjoyed too, in Germany on RTL Nitro and soon on Eurosport as well,” said an impressed Phoenix Team Director Ernst Moser. “For Phoenix Racing the opening round had a happy ending, with positions six and eight we made the best of the weekend after our modest qualifying.”

Round two of the Blancpain Endurance Series will be held at Silverstone in the UK on 18 June

Photo credit: Blancpain Endurance Series

Podium eludes the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the last corner!

Belgian Audi Club Press Release

It was an intense weekend for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in Monza, which ended with a last-minute disappointment, as Edward Sandström was blocked by a lapped car in the very last corner and lost the podium by millimetres. This doesn’t diminish, though, the excellent race put by the Swede and his team mates, Frank Stippler and Christopher Mies. The first round of the Blancpain Endurance Series, with 60 cars on the track, confirmed how competitive the championship is. The two other Audis R8 LMS ultra of the Belgian squad were less lucky. Laurens Vanthoor-Stéphane Ortelli-René Rast finished 13th overall (and 8th in the Pro category) after suffering a puncture, while the car of Nicky Mayr-Melnhof-Matt Halliday-Rahel Frey, which had undergone severe damage in an accident during pre-qualifying, fought hard to climb from the back of the grid to take 17th overall (and 11th in the Pro category).

“We made what we could under the circumstances”, is the final conclusion of Team Principal Vincent Vosse. “It was not an easy weekend, and we suffered from the beginning from a lack of top speed. Our performance is OK on a clear lap, but not when there are so many cars on the track, which is a parameter that is not taken into account when the balance of performance is determined. The two safety-car periods that occurred mid-race did not help us either, but that’s racing. The good news is that everybody, from the team to the drivers, did a great job, and that is what we have to take away from this race. Our pit stops were perfect, the drivers drove impeccably and I want to stress the great defence of his position made by Edward Sandström in the closing laps against cars that were faster than his.”

Qualifying had been extremely-closely fought. Eventually, the Ortelli-Vanthoor-Rast car took fifth position on the grid, and the one of Stippler-Sandström-Mies P18. Car #2 of Mayr-Melnhof-Halliday-Frey, on the contrary, had trouble in every session: Rahel Frey got a puncture in Q1, while in Q2, Matt Halliday went into the gravel. But his weekend started even more worse, with a severe off-track in pre-qualifying. “I don’t know what happened, I suddenly lost braking pressure and I spun, and I couldn’t avoid hitting the barriers”, told the New-Zealander. The car sustained some serious damage to its left side, and the mechanics worked all night to repair body, suspensions and transmission. In Q3, unfortunately, Mayr-Melnhof got stopped right away by a gearbox problem, and the car could not achieve better than P46 on the grid.

The start of the race was encouraging for Laurens Vanthoor as he could grasp third position, but the young Belgian could not resist to the faster cars attacking him, dropping to tenth. He then had to stop in lap 15 because of a puncture. “I was following very closely one of the McLarens and maybe we had a very slight contact”, he explained. Later, Ortelli and Rast were particularly consistent during their stints, bringing car #1 to finish 8th in the Pro category.

After all the drama in qualifying, car # 2 had a quitter race, with Nicky, Rahel and Matt climbing positions in the dense traffic throughout their stints and closing their solid race in 10th position in the Pro category, quite an achievement given their starting position.

In car #13, Christopher Mies also took an excellent start, running in 13th position in the initial laps and gaining two more positions despite a contact with a McLaren. The excellent pit stop allowed Frank Stippler to take fourth, which he kept throughout his stint. Another great pit stop put Edward Sandström in second at the beginning of the last hour. The Swede had to literally sweat his overalls to defend his podium ambitions from the faster cars right behind him. He had to let the McLaren of Soucek past, but resisted brilliantly to the other McLaren of Carroll and the Ferrari of Bertolini. Unfortunately, in the very last lap, he was blocked in the last corner, the very fast Parabolica, by a lapped Nissan, which allowed Carroll to get along him in the straight and beat him in the final sprint. “It’s frustrating to lose the podium in such a situation, when the job was basically done, because of an uncooperative slower driver, but that’s how it is.” lamented the Swede, “We would have deserved that podium.”

Additional satisfaction for the Belgian Audi Club came from its other members Enzo Ide and Anthony Kumpen, who together with Markus Winkelhock, took a great 5th place in the Pro category at the wheel of the Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra. Ronnie Latinne concluded the race in P16 in the Pro-Am category sharing a car by Saintéloc with Monti and Hallyday.

With the next Blancpain race taking place on 1st-2nd June at Silverstone, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT can now focus back on the FIA GT Series, whose next round is scheduled next weekend and is no less than the team’s home race at Zolder

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club

BES: Fourth place for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT at Monza

By Tarek Ramchani

The season opener of the Blancpain Endurance Series was held today. A great field of 60 GT3 cars hit the track at the "Temple of Speed" Monza. The Audi squad did quite well on a very penalizing track for the R8 LMS ultra. Three cars finished within the top 10.

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT entered three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars, all of them in the top Pro-Cup class. The #13 car shared by Edward Sandström, Frank Stippler and Christopher Mies finished in a very strong fourth overall. Sandström had a very heroic stint resisting, with an "inferior" car, multiple charges from a much faster McLaren MP4-12C. Unfortunately he lost the podium place at the finish line, by a mere 0.028 seconds. The other cars from the team had a much harder race. #1 car of Stéphane Oretlli, Laurens Vanthoor and René Rast was out of race winning contention after a very early puncture, and were classified in twelfth. The third car had to race through the field starting from back of the pack, Rahel Frey, Matt Halliday and Mayr Melnhof finished in seventeenth.

The Phoenix Racing cars had very positive performances. #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Enzo Ide, Anthony Kumpen and Markus Winckhock was sixth. The sister #6 car of Oliver Jarvis, Christopher Haase and Harold Primat ended in ninth. It was a much harder race for Sainteloc Racing, their cars were classified in 44th with car #42, 51st with car #41 and 60th with car #40.

The next round of the Blancpain Endurance Series will be at Silverstone.

Photo credit: Blancpain Endurance Series

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT ready to defend its Blancpain titles

Belgian Audi Club Press Release

After a very successful start of the 2013 season, with an impressive 1-2 in the opening round of the FIA GT Series at Nogaro, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT heads to Monza and the iconic Autodromo Nazionale for the traditional season-opener of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the other main programme in its 2013 diary.

As any reigning champion, the Belgian squad, who took the Drivers' and Teams' titles in both 2011 and 2012, has a clear mission: retain its crown! To do so, it has strengthen its presence, with three cars entered full-season for Ortelli - Vanthoor - Rast, Mayr-Melnhof - Halliday - Frey and Sandström - Stippler - Mies. With Nicky Mayr-Melnhof and René Rast already ‘christened' at Nogaro, the Italian race will see the debut of the other two new drivers who have joined Team WRT this year: New Zealand's Matt Halliday and Switzerland's Rahel Frey, the first girl to drive for Team WRT at this level of competition.

There is great excitement among the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT members to get in action in the Blancpain, as the series is closely linked to many of its greatest achievements, but also the awareness that the challenge of conquering the title for the third year in a row is not an easy one. "That is true in every sports", comments Team Principal Vincent Vosse, "to get to the top is difficult and to stay there even more difficult. Still, that's our objective, and after the long months awaiting for the definitive confirmation of our 2012 Drivers' title, we are even more committed to do well. This season will be even more competitive, there are plenty of good cars, teams and drivers in front of us, but we are well prepared. The Audi engineers have worked a lot to further improve the Audi R8 LMS ultra and we have a great driver line-up. I am happy to welcome Matt and Rahel, if they do as well as Nicky and René did in Nogaro, we're off to some great moments. The Blancpain calendar, this year, has a round less, five instead of six: this means that no title contender can afford a blank weekend, therefore we have to find the perfect balance between performance and strategy, aggressiveness and caution, and try to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves."

It is only at the beginning of this week that the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT has been able to finalize the 2013 configuration of the Audi R8 LMS ultra. As Sporting Director Pierre Dieudonné explains, "Audi engineers have been working hard during the winter on a number of points, including suspensions, aerodynamics, etc. The homologation of the 2013 kit by the FIA has been finalized only a couple of days ago, and we now know what elements of the new kit have received an OK. This means that we have known the Balance of Performance to be used at Monza only a few hours ago. Monza has never been the most favourable track for the R8 but I am confident that the progress made during the winter will show."

Still, the main challenge on the Italian circuit won't necessarily be of technical nature. With 61 (!) cars entered, the track will be quite a busy place this weekend. "This proves once again the success of the series and the excellent work done by Stéphane Ratel and his team at SRO", comments Vosse, "but won't make things easier for our drivers."

Asked on the role that traffic can have, the most experienced of the WRT drivers, Stéphane Ortelli, remains quite cool. "I don't want to downplay this factor or to say it is going to be easy, but among all circuits, Monza is probably the one where traffic can be better dealt with", reassures the Monegasque. "It has very long straights, and that, together with performance differences, will help stretching out the pack of cars. Thanks to the straights, visibility is also very good; except for the Lesmo corners, you don't have blind spots, and you therefore see exactly everyone's position and behaviour. On top, Monza offers some strong braking points, which also help making the difference, and finally, overtaking is not an issue. All that makes me say that Monza is probably one of the best tracks where to have 61 cars racing together... Traffic will have to be managed but shouldn't be a big problem."

Team WRT will be not alone defending the colors of the Belgian Audi Club at Monza. Other members of the club on track include Anthony Kumpen and Enzo Ide, who will drive a R8 LMS ultra of Phoenix Racing, and Ronnie Lantinne, who shares the wheel of one of the Saintéloc cars in the Pro-Am category with Frenchmen David Halliday and Romain Monti.

The Blancpain weekend format hasn't changed, with free practice scheduled on Saturday, qualifying on Sunday morning and the 3-hour race starting at 14:15.

Photo credit: Endurance-Info

Ulitmate 2013 GT3 Racing Guide by lendurance.co.uk

By Tarek Ramchani

Our friends at lendurance.co.uk, in association with Dailysportscar.com, have produced a great guide of GT3 racing in Europe. A great preview and presentation for both the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT Series.

Audi is highlighted within this guide with the R8 LMS ultra, as well as the teams representing the Ingolstadt brand in the Blancpain Endurance Series: Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Phoenix Racing and Sainteloc Racing.

lendurance.co.uk guide is HERE.

Photo credit: lendurance.co.uk / Laurent Chauveau Endurance-Info 86400.fr

BES: Eight Audi R8 LMS ultra for round 1 at Monza

By Tarek Ramchani

The 2013 Blanpcain Endurance Series will kick off at Monza this weekend. The Audi squad will be represented by eight R8 LMS ultra cars from three different teams. No less than six cars will fight in the top Pro-Cup class, in what is now the largest and best GT series in Europe.

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT are the 2011 and 2012 series champions. The Belgian team will field three cars this year, all of them in the Pro-Cup class, and with very strong driver lineups. The team is welcoming Rahel Frey, the Swiss Audi factory drivers who spent the last two years in the DTM.

#1 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Stéphane Ortelli - Laurens Vanthoor- RenéRast
#2 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Edward Sandström - Frank Stippler - Christopher Mies
#13 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Rahel Frey- Niki Mayr Melnhof - Matt Halliday

Phoenix Racing

Phoenix Racing will debut in the Blancpain Endurance Series as full season competitors. Last year the German team won the stellar event of the series, the Spa 24 Hours with an Audi R8 LMS ultra, as well entering the Nurburgring round. Two cars will be entered in the Pro Cup class.

#6 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Oliver Jarvis - Christopher Haase - Harold Primat
#16 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Enzo Ide- Anthony Kumpen - Markus Winkelhock

Sainteloc Racing

The French privateer Audi team is returning to the series. Sainteloc will field three cars, one in each of the three classes: Pro-Cup, Pro-Am Cup and the Gentlemen Trophy

#40 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Cup): Grégory Guilvert -
#41 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Gentlemen Trophy): Pierre Hirschi- Marc Sourd - Claude-Yves Gosselin
#42 Audi R8 LMS ultra (Pro-Am Cup): Ronnie Latinne Latinne - David Hallyday - Romain Monti

The three hour race is set for Sunday afternoon, a live stream for the event will be available on the official Blancpain Endurance Series website.

Photo credit: Blanpcain Endurance Series / Berzerkdesign.de

Oliver Jarvis to contest Blancpain Endurance Series

Audi UK Press Release

Audi Sport "factory" driver Oliver Jarvis will contest the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series (BES) for the German Phoenix Racing team at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS ultra sportscar.

Jarvis, from Burwell near Newmarket, partners BES title defender Christopher Haase (D) and Harold Primat (CH) in the five-race race series that begins in Italy next Sunday (14 April).

"It's great to be able to continue to race the R8 again alongside my Audi Sport sports-prototype commitment," commented Jarvis. "Racing for Phoenix this year is like returning home as I spent two great years with the team driving an Audi A4 at the start of my DTM career (2008-09). So I know the majority of the team well and know that they will provide my team-mates and I with an extremely competitive car."

Jarvis has a further two scheduled races in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. He shares a hybrid-diesel sports-prototype with Marc Gené (E) and Lucas di Grassi (BR) in the Spa Six Hours (4 May) and Le Mans 24 Hours (22-23 June).

Oliver won GT class honours in the Daytona 24 Hours (January) in a R8 GRAND-AM and then scored an outright victory in the Sebring 12 Hours on his race debut in a R18 e-tron quattro.

Jarvis continued: "It will be my first full BES season and I am really looking forward to being part of the championship. An added bonus is I get the opportunity to race at Silverstone for the first time since finishing third in a British Formula Three Championship race in 2006. It will also provide me with the opportunity to race at the legendary Monza track in Italy which I have always wanted to do."

Photo credit: Blancpain Endurance Series

BES: Sainteloc Racing back to the series with three Audi R8 LMS

By Tarek Ramchani

Sainteloc Racing have confirmed their plans for the 2013 Blanpcain Endurance Series. The French Audi Sport customer racing team will field no less than three Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars.

The Saint-Etienne based team will have a single car in each of the three series classes. One in the top Pro-Cup class, one in the Pro-Am class and the final entry will run in the Gentlemen Trophy, open for amateurs. Last year Sainteloc Racing won the teams title in the Gentlemen Trophy and the drivers title with Pierre Hirschi and Robert Hissom.

For the moment only the Pro-Am Cup Audi R8 LMS ultra driver line-up has been unveiled  The car will be shared by Frenchmen David Hallyday and Romain Monti, the third driver is Ronnie Latinne from Belgium. The star of the car will no doubt be David Hallyday. The popular French singer is no stranger to the Audi R8 LMS ultra, as he raced with Audi France in the French GT series for many years.

In addition to the Blancpain Endurance Series, Sainteloc Racing will also be back in French GT tour with multiple Audi R8 LMS ultra cars.

Photo credit: Blancpain Endurance Series

Blancpain Endurance Series: A word from ... Rahel Frey

Audi Press Release

In two weeks from now, at Monza, you will be running for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in the Blancpain Endurance Series (BES) for the first time. Are you looking forward to this new challenge in the Audi R8 LMS ultra? 

Yes, absolutely. The winter break was long and I used it to optimally prepare for my new tasks. Two weeks ago, I was at Le Castellet for the official BES tests and really enjoyed my first laps in the Audi R8 LMS ultra. Now I can hardly wait for the season to start.

As a former DTM racer, how did you manage the switch to a GT3 sports car?

I managed well right away. The weight of the Audi R8 LMS ultra is a bit heavier and it has systems such as ABS and traction control. I’ve also got to make more compromises with respect to the set-up because I’m sharing the car with two other drivers. But I’ll soon feel at home in the GT world.

Your team is starting into the BES season as the title defender. To what extent are you benefiting from the squad’s experience?

WRT’s extensive experience will no doubt make it easier for me to get started in the Blancpain Endurance Series. I’m very thankful for being backed by such a good team. By the same token, I’d be happy if I could pass on some of my experiences to WRT. From a sporting perspective, the level in the DTM that I come from was obviously top-class and I got to know the processes in a factory-backed team. I want to continue to build on that.

You are sharing the cockpit with the Austrian Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof and the New Zealander Matthew Halliday. Are you happy with this driver pairing?

It’s nice to come into contact with other nations as well. We get along well and all of us are motivated and ambitious. The whole WRT squad is very open-minded. If you’ve got a wish as a driver or want to change something on the car they listen to you. There’s a lot of discussion taking place and that allows the entire team to move forward. On the whole, we’re three well-balanced and competitive Audi driver teams at WRT. It’ll be a thrilling battle.

In 2013, the BES is running on five European race tracks. Which one do you like best?

My fondest memories are those of the track at Monza. Being Swiss, this is my home track in a way and I was able to win a Swiss Formula Renault race there in the past. And of course I’m very much looking forward to the 24-hour race at Spa. That’ll no doubt be a highlight.

A superb 2013 programme for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

Belgian Audi Club Press Release

• Three Audi R8 LMS ultra in the FIA GT Series and in the Blancpain Endurance Series
• The Nürburgring and Zolder 24 Hour races also in the team’s diary
• Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor joined by international stars

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT invited the press today at its premises in Baudour to present its 2013 sporting programme. Not a short one, it must be said!

The Belgian team will enter three Audi R8 LMS ultra – in 2013 specifications – in both the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT Series. In the new sprint series launched by SRO, Swedish driver Edward Sandström will partner with Germany’s Frank Stippler, while another car will be driven by Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor and Monaco’s Stéphane Ortelli. «These two line-ups composed of drivers who are already part of the WRT family will be joined by a third duo, entered in the Pro-Am category, composed of Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof from Austria and Germany’s René Rast», explains Belgian Audi Club Team WRT team principal Vincent Vosse. «René has repeatedly confirmed in recent years that he is a top GT driver and Nikolaus has done an excellent season with Vita4One last year. The pair can certainly aim at the Pro-Am title! Our objective as a team is to do better than the third place conquered in 2012.»

The FIA GT Series will kick-off this weekend with the traditional ‘Coupes de Pâques’ at the Circuit Paul Armagnac in Nogaro, in South-West France. Saturday’s qualifying session will give a first glimpse of the 2013 hierarchy, while the one-hour Qualifying Race will start at 2:30 pm on Sunday. The Championship Race, also of one hour duration, will start at 2:15 pm on Easter Monday, following the Easter Cup tradition.
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As in the FIA GT Series, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT will enter three cars also in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Once again, the driver line-ups have been carefully selected, in cooperation with Audi Sport. «We have been the Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions for two years in a row, in 2011 and 2012 », reminds Vincent Vosse, «and we hope to do as well this year!»

To that end, the team has called in some of the drivers involved in the FIA GT Series. René Rast will partner Laurens Vanthoor and Stéphane Ortelli while Edward Sandström and Frank Stippler will be joined by German driver Christopher Mies, a member of the Champion trio last year. Another of the FIA GT Series drivers, Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof, will team up with the fast New-Zealander Matt Hallyday, who shone in GT1 last year, and Switzerland’s Rahel Frey, who joins straight from the DTM. This year, the three Audis R8 LMS ultra of the Belgian squad will be included in the Pro Cup category.

This double programme, which includes the Total 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, will be complemented with two other one-day races : the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring on 19-20 May and the 24 Hours of Zolder on 31st August-1st September. At both instances, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT will be present with a single car entry. «It’s still too early to announce the names of the drivers at the wheel of WRT’s cars in those two races», says Vincent Vosse, «but what I can say is that we won’t go there just to fill the grid.»

No doubt: the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is committed defend Audi’s nametag in the GT scene and the 2013 season promises to be busy and exciting !

2013 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Driver Line-ups

FIA GT Series
#11 Stéphane Ortelli (MC) - Laurens Vanthoor (BE) (Pro)
#12 Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof (AT) - René Rast (DE) (Pro-Am)
#13 Edward Sandström (SE) - Frank Stippler (DE) (Pro)

Blancpain Endurance Series
#1 Stéphane Ortelli (MC) - Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) - René Rast (DE) (Pro)
#2 Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof (AT) – Matt Halliday (NZ) - Rahel Frey (CH) (Pro)
#13 Edward Sandström (SE) - Frank Stippler (DE) – Christopher Mies (DE) (Pro)

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club

Phoenix Racing to compete in Blancpain Endurance Series and in FIA GT Series

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Phoenix Racing will compete with two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in the Blancpain Endurance Series (BES). The current GT1 World Champion Markus Winkelhock (D) together with the two Belgians Anthony Kumpen and Enzo Ide will be driving one of the two 560-hp GT3 sports cars whereas the BES title defender Christopher Haase (D), the Briton Oliver Jarvis and the Swiss Harold Primat will take turns at the wheel of the second Phoenix cockpit. In addition, Ernst Moser’s team will participate in the newly formed FIA GT Series. Kumpen/Ide will be driving the Phoenix R8 at the season opener at Nogaro, France, on 01 April.

"Over the past few years the Blancpain Endurance Series has evolved into a fiercely competitive and popular endurance racing series in Europe,” says Phoenix Team Director Ernst Moser. More than 50 GT3 sports cars of all makes will be on the grid at the five rounds, causing plenty of action that RTL will now be reporting about as part of their Formula One coverage as well. “Endurance racing has always been a Phoenix domain and therefore it’s practically a must for us to run in the Blancpain Endurance Series and to take on the enormous competition in this huge field of entrants," affirms Ernst Moser.

During the two official test days at Le Castellet no less than 62 GT3 sports cars made for a lot of on-track traffic. Phoenix Racing, based at the industrial park in Meuspath, was in Southern France as well for testing with the R8 LMS ultra that Audi Sport has again subjected to further development in many details for the 2013 season and that not least thanks to a massive rear diffuser delivers notably improved aerodynamic efficiency.

“All of them are great, tradition-steeped circuits,” says Ernst Moser and adds, “At Spa, Phoenix has clinched an amazing two overall victories and at the finale in front of a home audience it would obviously be a dream to clinch a podium position.”

Phoenix Racing has entered the newly created FIA GT Series with an Audi R8 LMS ultra for Anthony Kumpen and Enzo Ide. “We want to support SRO, the organiser of this new championship, especially as we find the format with two one-hour races interesting and because RTL will not only cover the Blancpain Series but also report about the new FIA GT Series,” says Ernst Moser. “On top of this come economic considerations because thanks to the largely identical regulations and without clashing dates the cars can be entered in both the BES and the FIA GT. We’re eager to see how this new racing series will develop.”

The calendar of the FIA GT Series features six rounds. After the opening round at Nogaro (F) on 01 April races at Zolder, Belgium (21 April), Zandvoort, the Netherlands (07 July), at the Slovakiaring near Slovakia’s capital Bratislava (13 October) and at Navarra, Spain (13 October) will follow. The venue of the final round (16 or 23 November) is yet to be determined.

Phoenix Racing has been relying on the R8 ever since it made its racing debut in 2009 and has celebrated numerous successes with the customer sport race car from Audi. In 2012 alone the team based in the Eifel region won three classic endurance events: the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia plus the two 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

Ever since the company was founded in 1999, putting Phoenix Racing GmbH on two supporting pillars has been part of Managing Director Ernst Moser’s business philosophy. The DTM and GT racing form these two key areas in which Phoenix has been consistently pursuing its ambitious aims with highly motivated employees.

“Phoenix is at home in the DTM and in GT racing. This is where we feel comfortable and are able to fight with the competition for victories and titles on an equal footing,” says Ernst Moser. “Our two squads, DTM and GT, by and large work autonomously and are focused on their particular tasks. In the DTM, as Audi Sport Team Phoenix with Mike Rockenfeller and Miguel Molina, we’re going to leave no stone unturned to bring the title back to Audi with the Audi RS 5 DTM. And in the GT3 the new Audi R8 LMS ultra and our seasoned campaigners give us all the prerequisites we need for clinching further successes in 2013.”

Photo credit: Berzerkdesign / Blancpain Endurance Series / Stefano Ciabattoni

Video: Sound of the new 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra

By Johan Laubscher

Many of the Blancpain Endurance Series competitors tested at Monza last week. Among the entries were three new 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. Two cars from Pheonix Racing and one from WRT. The first testing photos of various new R8 LMS ultra cars have been appearing from all over the world and now the first videos are also beginning to appear online.

A video featuring the Audis at the Monza test has been uploaded on the 19Bozzy92 YouTube Channel. It is a great video allowing the new ultra to be heard with its new exhaust layout. The cars sound wonderful, turn up your speakers for great sounds from Monza.  

Photo credit: Screenshot from the video

Audi teams at the Blancpain Endurance Series test days

By Johan Laubscher 

In its third season the Blancpain Endurance Championship continues to grow and is now the largest GT3 championship in Europe. Three Audi teams will be competing in the series with no less than seven 2013 specification Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. Three cars from Belgian Audi Club Team WRT and two each from Phoenix Racing and Saintéloc Racing. 

The official BES test days were held this week. Paul Ricard hosted the first two days of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday. A huge field of GT3 cars took part at the test, with over sixty cars on site. Among the cars present were all seven of the Audis. Following the Paul Ricard test many of the teams travelled to Monza for two further days of testing on Thursday and Friday. The Monza test days were comprised of Blancpain and WTCC competitors. WRT and Phoenix Racing also took part in the testing held at Monza. 

The teams will now head home to continue preparations for the opening round of the season. The season opener is set for April 15 at Monza. It will be another great year for Audi fans in the BES with seven cars to support, not to mention the fact that WRT will be aiming for their third successive BES championship title. 

Photo credit: Mr Monza - Stefano Ciabattoni

First on-track photos of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra

By Johan Laubscher

Two Audi teams were seen testing at Zolder on Thursday, Phoenix Racing and PK Carsport. The big news on the day was the presence of the car from Phoenix Racing, a 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra (car #5 on the day). It was revealed this week that Anthony Kumpen and Enzo Ide will be driving for Phoenix in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT Series. Kumpen will also be diving an older Audi R8 LMS (car #7 on the day) for PK Carsport in the BRCC this year, thus both cars were testing at Zolder. The Phoenix R8 LMS race-taxi (car #3 on the day) also took part in the test session.

This was not the first publically known test for a new 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra. Hitotsuyama Racing was the first when they tested at Fuji Speedway last weekend. A number of pitlane photos were posted by the team and RacerLink, which can be seen HERE. However, no on-track photos were posted from the Fuji test, thus the photos from the test at Zolder are some of the very first on-track photos available of a new 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

The Phoenix Racing car looks beautiful, and these testing photos give us a glimpse into the future, as a number of these new specification cars will be racing all over the world this year. The new car looks very much the same as the previous ultra, but various alterations have been made, you can read more about that HERE.  

Exciting times lie ahead as more new Audi R8 LMS ultra cars are expected to emerge as the 2013 season finally begins to pick up speed. 

More information: 
RallyandRaces website
RallyandRaces on Facebook
Joel Vanderzijpen [fotojoel.be]

Photo credit: Hans Jacobs [rallyandraces.com] / Joel Vanderzijpen [fotojoel.be] / RallyandRaces

Six Audi R8 LMS ultra at Blancpain Endurance Series Paul Ricard test

By Tarek Ramchani

The Blancpain Endurance Series is one of the fastest growing sportscar series in Europe. In 2013 the SRO managed series will be entering its third year of competition. Audi has already won the 2011 and 2012 editions with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, winning both the team and driver titles each time.

The 2013 season will start at Monza, but before that two test days are planned at Paul Ricard next week. An impressive field of 60 GT3 cars will show up at the HTTT track in southern France. Audi Sport customer racing is very well represented with no less than six R8 LMS ultra and front running teams.

Three teams will be on site with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Phoenix Racing and Sainteloc Racing from France. Each team will field two cars. The first of the two Phoenix cars will be shared by Anthony Kumpen, Enzo Ide and Markus Winkelhock. The other five Audi R8 LMS ultra driver line-ups are yet to be announced.

Photo credit: SRO/Blancpain Endurace Series