Fall-Line Motorsports Press Release
Buffalo Grove, IL (January 20, 2014) -
Following a successful first season with the Audi R8 LMS in 2013, Fall-Line
Motorsports enters their first full-season with the car in 2014 with great
expectations.
This program was a new addition to the Fall-Line family in 2013
and has made great strides since its inception midway through the season. This
year the team will run the full year with Charlie Putman and Charles Espenlaub
along with Oliver Jarvis and James Walker rounding out the lineup for the Rolex
24 at Daytona. The #46 Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 LMS will compete in the
inaugural season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship as part of Audi
Sport customer racing in the GTD category which is one of the most competitive
in the series.
The 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona was won by
an Audi R8 GRAND-AM in only the second year attempting the race so the car is a
proven winner. With the combination of such a powerful, reliable race car and
an impressive driver lineup, the Fall-Line Audi R8 LMS has a solid chance to
take home the win.
James Walker: "It was great to meet all the
Fall-Line crew at the test. The team has a great atmosphere, which gives me a
lot of confidence ahead for the 24. The Audi R8 LMS seems to be a great
package. After their success in last year's race, I'm sure Audi is up for the
fight again. The mixed conditions during the test enabled us to get an idea of
what we can expect during the night phase of the race. As ever, having a car
balance that copes with all eventualities is going to be the key to victory. I
think we have a great driver lineup and tons of experience within the team. I
can't wait to get back to Daytona for the race."
Oliver Jarvis: "It's great to be heading back to
Daytona to try and repeat the win we achieved last year. I absolutely loved
taking part in the event so I was thrilled to be asked to return again this
year. It will be quite different this year with the race being run as part of
the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship after the merger of Grand Am and ALMS.
This means the race will be run to a different set of regulations compared to
last year. The most significant being that each car must run a number of
amateur drivers. For this reason I will not be partnering with the same drivers
I was able to win the race with last year. With this rule, the level of amateur
drivers in each car could have a significant outcome on the result. After the
test, "The Roar," I feel confident that in Fall-Line I have a very
strong team and some very good teammates. The level of competition this year is
extremely high and there are at least 15 cars in the GTD class that are capable
of fighting for the win. The key will be to stay out of trouble and be on the
lead lap for the last 4 hours where it becomes a sprint to the finish. As always
in 24hr races anything can happen and with the current weather in Florida there
is no promise of sunshine so rain could certainly have a big impact on the
race."
Charlie Putman: "We continue to make good
headway on the development of the Fall-Line Audi R8 LMS. Every time we
test it, the car gets better and better. The guys are still working on
even better drivability, which will serve us very well, particularly in the
longer endurance races that kick off with the Daytona 24. Charles and I
were happy to meet Oliver (Jarvis) and James (Walker) and welcome them into the
driving team. They are great guys and very, very talented drivers so
Fall-Line has now completed a great driver lineup. Of course when you look
around the paddock at Daytona, you see a "who's who" of drivers and
teams so it isn't going to be a cakewalk; but we have the car, the drivers, and
the crew to be a real factor when the green flag waves."
Charles Espenlaub: "I'm really excited to be back
racing with Charlie (Putman) again at Fall-Line. We have shared many cars and
raced in many different series as a team and we have had great success
together. The Audi R8 LMS is a fantastic machine to drive and the difference in
the car from last year when we first got it is enormous. We have made
remarkable improvements to the performance of the car and as drivers we have
learned a lot as well. I think we have one of the most talented driver lineups
in the paddock and a real chance to win!"
Michael Harvey, Fall-Line Motorsports
Team Manager: "We at Fall-Line Motorsports are
very proud to of assembled such a talented group of people both in the car and
in the pits. With so much experience in 24 hour events we are very excited for
the green flag. Along with our partners at Audi Sport customer racing we are
firmly eying a repeat of last year's success although we remain very grounded
as we approach a race that is 24 hours of unpredictability. The key will be to
stick to our plan, make no mistakes, tick off laps and stay on the lead lap so
we can race at the end. My guys have worked tirelessly over the past few months
in preparation for not only this event but the inaugural 2014 TUDOR United
SportsCar Championship and we feel ready to compete. I would like to thank both
Oliver and James for becoming a part of Fall-Line Motorsports program, they are
both amazing talents."
Fall-Line Motorsports is a premiere builder and fabricator of
racecars for all levels of competition. Fall-Line specializes in BMW, Porsche,
Audi and other high-performance makes. Fall-Line Motorsports unveiled their
Grand-Am team in 2006 and won the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car
Challenge GS Championship title in 2010. In addition to fielding 3 GS BMW M3s
in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and an Audi R8 LMS in the
TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Fall-Line also prepares and fabricates
cars for other CTSC teams, SCCA and NASA drivers, track day prepared and high
performance street vehicles.www.fall-linemotorsports.com @FallLineMotors www.facebook.com/Falllinemotorsports
ABOUT
AUDI OF AMERICA AND THE AUDI R8 LMS
Audi began a new chapter in 2009
with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the
first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car
designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8
LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide,
including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at
Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8
street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi
Space Frame and a variety of other components.
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S.
dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is
among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a
top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company
sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion
on new products and technologies.
Photo credit: Fall-Line Motorsports
