N24: Audi teams at the Nürburgring 24 Hours Qualifying Race

By Johan Laubscher 

The ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours Qualifying Race was held this weekend. A total of seven Audi race cars took part, including five Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. 

A forty-seven car grid was on the entry list and all were fighting for ten available spots in the top thirty qualifying shootout, which will be held during the Nürburgring 24 Hours race week from 19-22 June.

Prosperia C.ABT Racing and Audi race experience (TKL Motorsport) each entered two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars this weekend, along with one R8 LMS ultra from G Drive Racing (WRT). 

Rotek Racing fielded two cars, their SP4T Audi TT RS and their SP8 Audi RS 4.

The six hour race concluded with the G-Drive Racing (WRT) #17 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Roman Rusinov, Stephane Ortelli, Edward Sandström and Nico Müller finishing sixth, the highest placed Audi. 

The next Audi home was the Rotek Racing #108 Audi TT RS of Rob Huff, Kevin Gleason and Richard Meins. They won the SP4T class and finished ninth overall. 

The two Audi race experience R8 LMS ultra entries finished twelve and thirteenth, car #18 ahead of #502. Felix Baumgartner successfully qualified for the Nürburgring 24 Hours, as one of the drivers behind the wheel of the #502 machine.

The Rotek Racing Audi RS 4 finished thirty-fourth overall with Robb Holland, William Benson Caswell, Rob Austin, Dieter Schmidtmann. They won the SP8 class. 

The list of retirements unfortunately included both of the Prosperia C.ABT Racing R8 LMS ultra cars. 

The Nürburgring 24 Hours race week will be held from 19-22 June. A total of eight Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will be taking part, fielded by five different Audi Sport customer racing teams.

Photo credit: Nürburgring