N24: Preview of the Audi Competitors at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours is taking place this weekend. The race itself will be running from Sunday until Monday, over the Whitsun long-weekend in Germany. Phoenix Racing returns as the reigning champions with the Audi R8 LMS ultra. 2012 was the first Audi victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and no less than eight Audi R8 LMS ultra cars are entered this year from, five different teams.

A total of seventeen Audi cars have been entered, including a number of Audi Sport customer racing cars (Audi R8 LMS ultra & Audi TT RS), as well as a variety of privately developed Audi race cars. The Nürburgring 24 Hours always provides a tremendous spectacle and this year, with the projected difficult weather conditions, should provide another great race. Good luck to all of the Audi teams, and we cross our fingers for a repeat of the success achieved in 2012.

1. Preview of the Audi Competitors:

1.1. Audi Sport customer racing teams:

1.1.1. Audi R8 LMS ultra Teams:

G-Drive Racing by Phoenix

#1 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Mike Rockenfeller 

Marcel Fässler

Frank Stippler

Markus Winkelhock

G-Drive Racing by Phoenix

#3 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Frank Biela

Christer Jöns

Luca Ludwig

Roman Rusinov

Phoenix Racing

#4 Audi R8 LMS ultra
Michael Ammermüller

Frank Stippler

Ferdinand Stuck

Johannes Stuck

Prosperia C.ABT Team Mamerow

#2 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Christian Mamerow

Thomas Mutsch

René Rast

Marc Basseng

Audi race experience (TKL Motorsport)

#14 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Marco Werner

Christian Bollrath

Pierre Ehret

Ronnie Saurenmann

Audi race experience (TKL Motorsport) 

#15 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Rahel Frey

Dominique Bastien

Peter Venn

Alexander Yoong

Twin Busch Motorsport

#16 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Marc Busch

Dennis Busch

Manuel Lauck

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

#29 Audi R8 LMS ultra

Laurens Vanthoor

Edward Sandström

Christopher Mies

Christopher Haase

1.1.2. Audi TT RS Teams:

Besaplast Racing Team

#105 TT RS – SP4T

Franjo Kovac

Martin Tschornia

Frederik Lestrup

Raeder Motorsport

#111 TT RS – SP3T

Elmar Deegener

Jürgen Wohlfahrt

1.2. Privately built/developed Audi teams:

Dupré Motorsport

#74 Audi RS 5

Christoph Dupré

Gunther Ofenmacher

Claus Dupré

Hömberg Motorsport

#101 Audi TTS
Bernd Hömberg

Alexander Streit

Torsten Platz

Bernhard Henzel

Brandl Motorsport

#106 Audi TT RS

Christian Kranenberg

Stefan Michels

Benjamin Weidner

Jochen Hudelmaier

pro Handicap e.V.

#112 Audi TTS
Wolfgang Müller

Oliver Rudolph

Partel Aditya

MSC Sinzig e.V. im ADAC

#118 Audi TT
Professor Jörg Wellnitz

Manfred Krammer Junior

Steffen Höber

#119 Audi TT

Prof. Jörg Wellnitz,

Manfred Krammer

Steffen Höber

#160 Audi A4 B7
Thomas Hanisch

Bastian Goercke

Stefan Gies

We wish the best of luck to all of the Audi competitors this weekend as they prepare for 24 Hours of racing at the Green Hell. 

Photo credit:
Stuck³ website
Audi Sport Communication / Media
DUPRÉ Motorsport

BTCC: Race 3 at Donington brings a hard day to an end for RAR

By Johan Laubscher

BTCC round two at Donington has proven to be a difficult event for Rob Austin Racing. The first two races saw the two Audis well outside of the top ten and race three was not to turn out any better.

Only one of the RAR Audi A4 cars lined up for the third and final race of the day. Rob Austin retired from race two due to engine related issues and unfortunately he did not take part in race three. This left teammate Will Bratt as the lone Audi in the field.

Bratt started the race in nineteenth and managed to move up through the field. He had moved up to thirteenth by half distance. Ultimately he finished in fourteenth after having gotten as high as twelfth during the race.

It was a very difficult weekend for Rob Austin Racing and the issues surrounding their straight-line speed hampered their progress as well. Regardless of the result it was great to see both RAR Audi cars on track this weekend, following the herculean rebuild of the #13 Audi A4 following the crash at Brands Hatch.

The next round of the British Touring Car Championship will take place Thruxton in May.

Race 3 results can be seen HERE.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: A hard day continues for Rob Austin Racing in Donington Race 2

By Johan Laubscher

The first BTCC race at Donginton proved to be very difficult for the Rob Austin Racing team, and their fortunes unfortunately remained the same during race two. 

Rob Austin worked his way up from his fourteenth place starting position up to just outside the top ten. He then unfortunately dropped back to twentieth where he was ultimately classified as a non finisher. Rob’s teammate Will Bratt had recovered well during race two. He started in twenty-fifth and recovered all the way up to sixteenth, but he was off the track on the final lap when he lost his left rear wheel. Bratt thus crossed the line in nineteenth place.

It has been a very difficult weekend for Rob Austin Racing, hampered by their straight-line speed as well. The RAR pairing rounded out the top twenty during race two with nineteenth and twentieth (DNF).

The third and final race of the day will take place in a few hours. We wish the best of luck to the Rob Austin Racing team, hopefully a good result can be attained during race three. 

Race 2 results can be seen HERE.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Race 1 at Donington for Rob Austin Racing

By Johan Laubscher

Rob Austin Racing arrived at Donington after a massive repair job on the #13 Audi A4 NGTC. Despite the crash last time out the team were confidant following the strong performances at Brands Hatch. 

At Donington it became apparent that the RAR Audis had a straight-line speed disadvantage and this has hampered them all weekend. The pair of Audis lined up in seventeenth and eighteenth for race one. The race was one that saw the Audis battling outside of the top ten. Rob Austin fought hard and progressed up to fourteenth as he crossed the finish line. His teammate Will Bratt finished in twenty-fifth .

The second of three races will take place later this afternoon. We wish the best of luck to Rob Austin Racing and hopefully they can continue to move forward through the pack.

Race 1 results can be seen HERE.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

Audi included in the new South African V8 Touring Car Series

By Johan Laubscher

An exciting new formula is being born in South Africa. A V8 Touring Car Series, similar to that of the Australian V8 Supercars, is being planned for 2014.

The series will use a spec chassis with a number of planned manufacturer bodies available. The vehicles have been designed in Australia and are closely based on the new generation of Australian V8 Supercars. The manufacturer engines will all be controlled at 410 Kw. Thus far Ford and now Audi body shells have been confirmed, with more manufactures expected to be included.

A render of the Audi version was released today, and it looks very impressive. The first prototype car will arrive in South Africa very soon, and will complete testing on the local circuits. Up to sixteen cars are expected to be manufactured this year with a maximum of twenty taking part in the series next year.

VMP Motorsport’s Vic Maharaj has confirmed that they will be running cars in the series. The VMP team are currently running two Audi S4 quattro race cars in the South African Production Cars Championship, but it remains to be seen which cars VMP will run next year. But hopefully VMP will be seen with the beautiful Audi vehicles, as pictured in the render.

This is a very exciting development in South Africa. 

The Press Release from Motorsport South Africa can be read HERE. 

Photo credit: Motorsport South Africa

Race cars finding new homes - Audi A4 race cars in SA

By Johan Laubscher

Every race car has a story, a life time of competition, and for many cars a number of owners as well. Most race cars are built for a specific reason and run by their original team and driver. After a car gets replaced it may be sold on to another team to be used again, maybe in the same championship with a smaller private team or somewhere else. This opens up new opportunities and stories for these second-hand vehicles.

Audi A4 B7 testing during 2005 

Today we are going to look at three Audi A4 B7 race cars from South Africa, which have all received new homes and duties after their national racing careers. During 2005 the B7 A4 3.2 quattro race cars debuted in South Africa, competing in the South African Production Car Championship. By 2006 four of these Audis were taking part in what is arguably South Africa's premiere racing category. The B7 was a very potent race car and claimed the 2007 Class A championship with Shaun Watson-Smith and the 2008/2009 titles with Johan Fourie. Three teams campaigned the Audis: Terry Moss Racing, Johan Fourie Racing and VMP Motorsport. VMP retired their car at the end of 2009, but TMR and JFR continued racing with the three remaining Audi A4s. 2010 was the turning point for the faithful old A4. The new generation of turbocharged Class A cars from BMW and Subaru had almost made the normally aspirated cars, like the Audi A4, obsolete over night. With increased pace from their rivals the Audi teams introduced the Audi S4 race cars (during 2011) which went on to claim the 2011 and 2012 Class titles with Michael Stephen.

When the Audi S4 race cars were introduced it sealed the fate for the older Audi A4 cars, but not quite yet. Here is where the story of a race car comes in. After a race car's "official life span," or in other words its original intended purpose, it can move on to other things. In most cases smaller teams normally purchase ex-factory or ex-professional private team cars. This allows smaller teams/privateers to get their hands on previously professional and competitive machinery. It is a natural trend of events which can be seen in championships around the world. 

Michael Stephen - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing (2011)

A perfect example of this exchange of ownership can be seen with the ex-Audi Sport Italia Audi RS4 cars in Italy. A new private team, PRS NOS Racing, will use the RS4s in the 2013 Italian Superstars, more about that can be read HERE. Returning to the cars in South Africa, shortly after the introduction of the Audi S4 race cars both Terry Moss Racing and Johan Fourie Racing put their older cars up for sale. Two of the three (one JFR car and one TMR car) were purchased and headed to Cape Town during mid-2011. Here the cars are used very successfully in the regional Midas Clubmans Championship, based at the Killarney race track. The cars also regularly compete in Class A of the South African Production Car championship, when the national series has its Killarney race meetings. The cars have had a number of drivers in Cape Town but they remain in use today.

The one remaining Audi A4 from Terry Moss Racing, the car last used by Michael Stephan at the beginning of 2011, finally found a new home. At the end of 2012 the Zwartkops du Toit family purchased the car from TMR and almost immediately debuted it in the Zwartkops Raceway based Extreme Supercar Championship with driver Jonathan Du Toit. This completed the sale and new life of these three Audi A4 cars which are all still competing today: two in the Western Cape and the other in Gauteng. Whilst the Audi S4 cars remain at the sharp end of the national championship, these older Audi A4 cars can regularly be seen at regional events. 

Below we have included two columns of photos, which show these three Audi A4 race cars in SA. On the left are photos of the cars from when they last competed in the National South African Production Car Championship, and on the right are the cars in their current configuration and driver/owner for the 2013 season.

Johan Fourie - Audi A4 - Johan Fourie Racing

Nieyaaz Modack - Audi A4 

Tschops Sipuka - Audi A4 - Terry Moss Racing

Andre Johnson - Audi A4

Michael Stephen - Audi A4 - Terry Moss Racing

Jonathan Du Toit - Audi A4

More details regarding these Audi A4 and S4 race cars in South Africa can be read in our Audi Motorsport Blog Audi Racing in South Africa article series (Parts 8 to 10)
Audi Racing History in South Africa Part 8: The return of the rings
Audi Racing History in South Africa Part 9: The reign of the A4 quattro
Audi Racing History in South Africa Part 10: The S4 supercharged arrival

Photo credits:
Street Motion
RacePics
MotorPics