By Tarek Ramchani
The Audi Sport customer racing squad performed very well in the opening day of Blancpain Sprint Series racing weekend at Nogaro.
The Audi R8 LMS ultra was simply the best car in the field with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT cars dominating the two practice sessions of the day.
In the first practice session it was an all Audi affaire locking all the top 5 positions. Laurens Vanthoor and his team-mate Robin Frijns were the fastest. Behind the wheel of the #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra they set the best time of the session with a 1:25.381.
Second place went to their team-mates at Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Stephane Ortelli and Stephane Richelmi. The lone Phoenix Racing entry ended in a strong third place with Niki Mayr-Melnhof and Markus Winkelhock driving the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra.
James Nash and Frank Stippler were fourth with the #4 R8 LMS ultra from Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. Christopher Mies and Enzo Ide were a position behind, fifth driving the #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra.
Marco Bonanomi and Filip Salaquarda managed to enter the Top 10, they took position nine with the #75 Audi R8 LMS ultra from I.S.R. Racing. Their team-mates Anders Fjordbach and Thomas Fjordbach were fifteenth fastest and lead the Silver-Cup class with the #74 Audi. I.S.R. Racing debuting well in the Blancpain Sprint Series.
The second practice session of the day was a kind of déjà vu. The #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra lead the field once again with Laurens Vanthoor and Robin Frijns.
Positions three, four and five were taken by cars from Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. James Nash and Frank Stippler were fourth with #4 Audi. Stephane Ortelli and Stephane Richelmi were fifth with #2 R8 LMS ultra. Christopher Mies and Enzo Ide were fifth with the #3 machine.
I.S.R. Racing duo Marco Bonanomi and Filip Salaquarda improved in the second session and took the seventh spot with the #75 Audi. Niki Mayr-Melnhof and Markus Winkelhock missed the Top 10 ending in position twelve with the #6 R8 LMS ultra from Phoenix Racing.
Anders Fjordbach and Thomas Fjordbach were seventeenth fastest with the #74 car from I.S.R. Racing, second within the Silver-Cup class.
Nogaro first practice results are here.
Nogaro second practice results are here.
The Audi teams will be back on track tomorrow for the qualifying session and the qualifying race.
