ADAC GT Masters: Audi dominated the Sachsenring practice sessions

ADAC GT Masters Press Release

Christer Jöns in an Abt Audi sets the fastest time in the second session. The Schütz Porsche stops the Abt Audis making it a one-two-three.

The Audis once again proved unbeatable in the second free practice at the Sachsenring. In a rain-affected session, the fastest time went to an R8 LMS ultra entered by the team belonging to former ADAC GT Masters champions Christian Abt, just as it had in the morning. Christer Jöns and Andreas Weishaupt set the fastest time, but only by the narrowest of margins. The Audi duo in the car bearing the number #3 were only 0.001 seconds ahead of their team-mates Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van Linde who had led the timesheets in the morning.

Klaus Bachler and Martin Ragginger in the GW IT Racing-Schütz Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R prevented an Abt Audi triple lockout by edging Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim for third place. Current championship leaders Luca Ludwig and Sebastian Asch in the Team Zakspeed Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 acquitted themselves well as fifth fastest, while Dominik Baumann and Jens Klingmann in a BMW Z4 GT3 entered by BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert finished the day in sixth.

Fabian Hamprecht and Clemens Schmid drove the fastest of the Bentley Continental GT3s (Bentley Team HTP) to take seventh place ahead of the two Audi R8 LMS ultras of kfzteile24 MS RACING driven by Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström, fresh from their victory at the Nürburgring, and by Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng. Free practice was temporarily suspended for five minutes after Stoll and Basseng skidded off the track. Andreas Wirth and Daniel Keilwitz (Callaway Competition) completed the Top Ten in the fastest of the Corvette Z06.R GT3s.

Qualifying for Race 1 will take place on Saturday at 08:00 CEST and for Race 2 on Sunday likewise at 08:00 CEST. Both races will be shown live on SPORT1, with coverage on Saturday and Sunday commencing at 13:00 CEST.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Brilliant 1-2-3 Audi victory in a rainy race 1 at the Nürburgring

A brilliant 1-2-3 victory for the Audi Sport customer racing squad in the ADAC GT Masters race 1 at the Nürburgring. C.ABT Racing took the race win ahead of MS Racing and YACO Racing in a race highlighted by rain and difficult track conditions.

The winning #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra was driven by Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim. The latter had a phenomenal stint in the second half of the race. The Danish factory Audi driver was impressive and was able to build a very comfortable gap ahead of his rivals.

Second place went to the #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra from MS Racing. The car was shared by Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström.

The podium was completed by the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra from YACO Racing. The car driven by Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel.

Both of  #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra from MS Racing and #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra from YACO Racing improved in the closing stages.

UPDATE: The #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra from MS Racing has been given the race victory. Race officials gave the race winning #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing a 30 seconds penalty for overtaking under yellow flags.

The #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra from YACO Racing moved to second place. The podium is completed by another car from C.ABT Racing, the #1 Audi R8 LMS.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Impressive qualifying for the Audi teams at the Nürburgring

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi Sport customer racing squad performed very well in ADAC GT Masters qualifying sessions at the Nürburgring. All of the three teams were fast and among the strongest in one of the most demanding GT fields in Europe.

In the first qualifying session the best ranked Audi entry was from YACO Racing. Their #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra qualified in sixth place with drivers Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel.

The #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra from kfzteile24 MS RACING was tenth fastest with Marc Basseng and Florian Stoll. Their team-mates Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were twelfth with the sister #100 machine.

The C.ABT Racing Audis were thirteenth with the #2 car of Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim, fourteenth with the #1 Audi of Kelvin van der Linde and Stefan Wackerbauer and twentieth with the # R8 LMS ultra of Christer Jöns and Andreas Weishaupt.

Things were much better in the second qualifying session with a total of five Audi R8 LMS ultra cars inside the top-ten.  Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel were second fastest with the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra from YACO Racing. Their best qualifying result this season so far in ADAC GT Masters.

The #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing was third fastest with Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim.

The two kfzteile24 MS RACING Audis improved as well. The #24 R8 LMS ultra of Marc Basseng and Florian Stoll was fifth. Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were sixth with the #100 Audi.

Christer Jöns and Andreas Weishaupt were ninth behind the wheel of the #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing. Their team-mates Kelvin van der Linde and Stefan Wackerbauer narrowly missed the top-ten and were eleventh fastest with the #1 Audi.

Pole position for both races went to the #36 Porsche 997 GT3-R from GW IT Racing Team Schütz Motorsport. The first race is set for Saturday.

Photo credit: MS Racing / C ABT Racing

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: The Audi squad moves to the Nürburgring

By Tarek Ramchani

The famous Nürburgring circuit will play host to the fifth ADAC GT Masters meeting this weekend. The Audi Sport customer racing squad will be represented by six Audi R8 LMS ultras.

The Audi teams had some ups and downs last time out at the Lausitzring. The three privateers teams will be eager to bounce back and fight for race victories in one of the most demanding GT3 fields in Europe.

C.ABT Racing will once again field three cars. #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde. The #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra is shared by Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim. The #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra will have Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns. C.ABT Racing is ninth in the overall standing with 36 points.

kfzteile24 MS RACING will enter the Nürburgring round with a two-car effort. The #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra will be driven by Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng. Their team-mates Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström will share the sister #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra. kfzteile24 MS RACING is seventh in the teams' standing with a total of 57 points.

YACO Racing as always will have a single car. Their #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra will be shared by Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel. YACO Racing is eleventh in the teams' championship standing with 30 points.

Action at the Nürburgring will start on Friday with two practice sessions and two qualifying one. The first race will be held on Saturday. Warm-up and the second race are set for Sunday.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT: Top 5 result for MS Racing Audi in Lausitzring race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi teams had mixed fortunes in the second ADAC GT Masters race of the weekend at the Lausitzring. The Audi race was highlighted by strong performances and a lot of bad luck as well.

MS Racing performed well with their two Audis in the the 60-minute race. The #100 R8 LMS ultra driven by Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström finished in fifth place overall. The two drivers did not take part in yesterday's race 1 following technical issues.

Their-team mates Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng were strong as well. They finished the race in sixth place behind the wheel of the #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

As was the case yesterday, the lone YACO Racing entry managed to enter the top-ten. The #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel crossed the finish line in tenth place.

A much harder race for the C.ABT Racing squad. The defending champions faced a lot of bad luck today. Their best ranked car was the #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by the 2014  series champion Kelvin van der Linde and  Stefan Wackerbauer in twelfth place.

The #2 Audi with Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim was fourteenth. Unfortunately the #3 car with Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns did not finish the race.

Race victory went to the #21 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 from Zakspeed Racing. Callaway Competition took the second place with the #66 Corvette Z06 GT3. The final spot of the podium went to the #36 Porsche 997 GT3 R from Schutz Motorsport.

The next ADAC GT Masters round will be held at the Nürburgring, July 17th-19th.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Top 10 results for MS Racing and YACO Racing in Lausitzring race 1

By Tarek Ramchani

A sunny Lausitzring circuit played host to the first of the two ADAC GT Masters races of the weekend today. It was race full of ups and down for the Audi entries with a two R8 LMS ultras inside the top-ten.

The Audi teams performed very well in yesterday's qualifying session but were not able to fight for the top spots today

The best ranked Audi car was the #24 R8 LMS ultra of Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng. The two drivers were eighth overall.

Rahel Frey and her team-mate Philip Geipel were thenth behind the wheel of the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra from YACO Racing. The two drivers improved compared to yesterday's qualifying results.

A harder race for the C.ABT Racing three Audis. Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim were eleventh with the #2 R8 LMS ultra. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns were fourteenth with the #3 Audi. Kelvin van der Linde and  Stefan Wackerbauer were forced to retire.

The second MS Racing entry faced technical issues and did not started the race. The #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström.

Race victory went to the #80 BMW Z4 GT3 from BMW Sports Trophy Team Schuber. The #42 Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 from HP Racing was second. The final spot on the podium went to the #19 BMW Z4 GT3 from BMW Sports Trophy Team Schuber.

Lausitzring Race 1 Results

The second ADAC GT Masters race will be held on Sunday.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Strong qualifying for Audi teams at the Lausitzring

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi teams performed very in the two ADAC GT Masters qualifying sessions at the Lausitzring today. The Audi R8 LMS ultras were among the best cars in a very demanding field.

In the first qualifying session Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were the best drivers within the Audi squad. Behind the wheel of the #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra from MS Racing they were third quickest overall.

Their team-mates Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng were sixth fastest with the #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

2014 series champion Kelvin van der Linde and team-mate Stefan Wackerbauer were seventh with the #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing.

The other three Audis qualified outside the Top 10. Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim (#2 C.ABT Racing) were twelfth. Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel (#16 YACO Racing) were fourteenth. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns (#3 C.ABT Racing) did not set any time.

In the second qualifying session the Audi entries were able to perform well again. Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim were second fastest and narrowly missed pole position with the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing.

Kelvin van der Linde and Stefan Wackerbauer (#1 C.ABT Racing) were sixth.  Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng (#24 MS Racing) were seventh. Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström (#100 MS Racing) were ninth. Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel (#16 YACO Racing) were fifteenth. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns (#3 C.ABT Racing) were seventeenth.

The first race will be held on Saturday with a live stream coverage provided by the series official website.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Audi teams chasing victories at the Lausitzring

By Tarek Ramchani

The Lausitzring circuit will play host to the fifth round of the 2015 ADAC GT Masters season this weekend. Audi Sport customer racing will be once again represented by six Audi R8 LMS ultras.

The Audi squad performed well in Belgian round of the series last time at Spa-Francorchamps. The Audi teams will be chasing race victories against world class rivals at the EuroSpeedway.

C.ABT Racing will field three cars. The #1 Audi will be driven by 2014 series champion Kelvin van der Linde and  Stefan Wackerbauer. The #2 R8 LMS ultra will be in the hands of Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim, the latter won both Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland races at the Norisring last weekend. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns will share the #3 machine.

MS Racing will have two cars at the Lausitzring. Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng will share the #24  R8 LMS ultra, the twi drivers took a fine podium at Spa-Francorchamps last time out. Their team-mates Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström will be behind the wheel of the #100 Audi.

YACO Racing will be at the Lausitzring with their lone #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The car will be shared by Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel.

Lausitzring Entry List

Action will start at the Lausitzring on Friday with two practice sessions followed by the two qualifying ones. Race 1 will be held on Saturday. The warm-up and Race 2 will conclude the ADAC GT Masters race weekend on Sunday.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

Q/A: Interview with Nicki Thiim - Audi factory driver

By Tarek Ramchani

Nicki Thiim is having a busy 2015. An Audi factory driver in GT racing, he is competing in the demanding ADAC GT Masters with C.ABT Racing. The Danish driver is also racing in FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing.

We recently had a chat with Nicki Thiim about his 2015 racing season and more.

This year you're competing with C.ABT Racing in ADAC GT Masters, how competitive is the German GT series?

GT3 is more competitive then ever. You see, factories are building new cars now and they are all pushing a lot.

The German series is one of the most competitive with many brands represented. What is hard for a driver in GT3 racing is the BOP (Balance of Performance). If you don't sit in the right car at the right moment you can do nothing.

There is also the ABS, it belongs to road cars and not on racing cars. It's the worst thing they have ever done. But again the cars are build for everyone.

You recentley competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the new Audi R8 LMS, tell us more about your race.

Nürburgring is by far the toughest 24h race there around. especially for the cars and the mental stress of a driver to go out there every stint and keep the focus. not easy! But it's just a brilliant track. And form me personally it was an honor to get to drive the new R8 Monster there.

How different is the new Audi R8 LMS compared to the ultra model?

We came - we saw - we won. best thing Audi could do with a brand the car. To drive the car gives you more a feeling of pure racecar. Just an epic machinery.

You had a very successful debut in TCR International Series in Portugal with the Audi TT, tell us more about your weekend at Portimao.

It was sad for me personally at the begining. I had a deal with Audi that I finally could drive against my dad in Denmark. Then on Wednesday late evening I got the call that I had to go to Portugal next morning (to drive the Audi TT).

But the (TCR International Series) race weekend turned out mega for me. Just a lot of fun driving Touring Cars again after six years without FWD. There were a lot of contacts with other cars. It's real Touring Car style and I enjoyed it a lot.

You're racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing (Young Driver AMR) in GTE-Pro, tell us more about the competition there.

FIA WEC GTE-Pro is for me the best in the buisness, 100% factory teams and with some of the best GT drivers in the world. And I can't say it again, it's a PURE racing car with NO ABS!

It shows more the skill of a driver then with the other driving school stuff. It's just a mega HIGH level. It's an honor for me to drive for two biggest factories (Audi and Aston Martin).

What is you favourite racing circuit?

Not from this earth: Nordschleife
Regular track: Mugello

What are your targets in the near future?

Since I opened my eyes I have watched the DTM and this is where I will go.

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Podium for MS Racing Audi in a very wet Spa race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

A very wet Spa-Francorchamps hosted the second ADAC GT Masters race of the weekend. The Audi squad performed well in extremely difficult weather and track conditions. A fine podium and a total of four R8 LMS ultras inside the Top 10.

The start of the race was delayed for the very bad weather. Once the race started the Audis were able to improve.

Unfortunately there was a contact between two cars from MS Racing, Edward Sandstrom and Marc Basseng touched each other exiting La Source with. The #100 R8 LMS losing a large amount of time stopped on track. Few minutes later and the Safety Car was deployed, once the race restarted the Audis charged back again.

At the end of the hard and fought race the #24 MS Racing ended in a strong third place. The car was shared by Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng. The Audi drivers were behind the winning #21 Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 from Zakspeed Racing and the second placed #66 Corvette Z06 GT3 from Callaway Competition.

The #2 Audi from C.ABT Racing was fourth overall with drivers Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim. The lone YACO Racing entry was seventh with  Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel behind the wheel of the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Andreas Weishaupt and  Christer Jöns were ninth with the #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing. Their team-mates Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde narrlowly missed the Top 10 with their #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The #100 car from MS Racing was sixteenth with drivers Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström.

Photo credit: MS Racing / ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: The Audi teams performed well in Spa-Francorchamps qualifying

By Tarek Ramchani

The famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium is playing host to the third round of the 2015 ADAC GT Masters season. Audi Sport customer racing is represented by no less than six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars.

The Audi teams performed well in the two qualifying sessions held this afternoon in the Ardennes. In the first qualifying qualifying session, the best ranked R8 LMS ultra was the #1 car from C.ABT Racing driven by Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde, they qualified in fourth place overall.

The two MS Racing Audis were inside the top 10. Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng were eighth with the #24 Audi. Their team-mates Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were ninth with the sister #100 R8 LMS ultra.

Audi Qualifying 1 Results:

P4 #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra Stefan Wackerbauer - Kelvin van der Linde (C.ABT Racing)
P8 #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra Florian Stoll - Marc Basseng (MS Racing)
P9 #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra Daniel Dobitsch - Edward Sandström (MS Racing)
P11 #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra Rahel Frey - Philip Geipel (YACO Racing)
P14 #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra Jordan Lee Pepper - Nicki Thiim (C.ABT Racing)
P19 #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra Andreas Weishaupt - Christer Jöns (C.ABT Racing)

In the second qualifying session, Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde were again the fastest within the Audi squad. The two C.ABT Racing drivers qualified in seventh place overall.

MS Racing's Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were eighth fastest with the #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra. Their team-mates Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng narrowly missed the Top 10, they ended in eleventh place.

Audi Qualifying 2 Results:

P7 #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra Stefan Wackerbauer - Kelvin van der Linde (C.ABT Racing)
P8 #100 Audi R8 LMS ultra Daniel Dobitsch - Edward Sandström (MS Racing)
P11 #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra Florian Stoll - Marc Basseng (MS Racing)
P12 #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra Andreas Weishaupt - Christer Jöns (C.ABT Racing)
P15 #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra Rahel Frey - Philip Geipel (YACO Racing)
P18 #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra Jordan Lee Pepper - Nicki Thiim (C.ABT Racing)

Race 1 will be held on Saturday

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Top 10 result for kfzteile24 MS RACING in Red Bull Ring race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi Sport customer racing squad had a very frustrating ADAC GT Masters race 2 at the Red Bull Ring. All of the three Audi teams pushed very hard yet they were never able to fight for the top spots.

At the end of the 60-minute sprint race, a single Audi R8 LMS ultra car made it inside the Top 10.

The best ranked Audi drivers were Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström in tenth place overall. They shared the #100 R8 LMS ultra from kfzteile24 MS RACING.

The single entry from YACO Racing was a position behind. Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel sharing the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra were eleventh.

Best of the C.ABT Racing Audis was thirteenth with the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim. Their team-mates Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde were sixteenth with the #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng were seventeenth  driving the #24 Audi R8 LMS ultra from kfzteile24 MS RACING. Unfortunately, the #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra from C.ABT Racing driven by Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jönswas forced to retire after 4 laps.

Up ahead it was a Lamborghini affair. Race victory went to the new #63 Lamborghini Hurcan GT3 from GRT Grasser Racing. The #25 Lamborghini Gallardo from Reiter Engineering was second. The #36 Porsche 997 GT3 R from Schütz Motorsport was third.

The next ADAC GT Masters round will be at the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit, June 19th-21st.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Frustrating qualifying sessions for Audi teams at the Red Bull Ring

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi teams had a frustrating day in ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring. The R8 LMS ultras were very unlucky and unable to fight for the top spots in the two qualifying sessions.

In the first qualifying session, a single Audi was inside the Top 10. Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström were tenth fastest behind the wheel of the #100 R8 LMS ultra from MS Racing. Their team-mates Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng were fourteenth with the #24 Audi.

The YACO Racing entry was fifteenth fastest with Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel sharing the #16 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

C.ABT Racing faced a complicated session. The #1 Audi of Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde was eighteenth. The #2 R8 LMS ultra with  Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim was ninteenth. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns were twenty-first with the #3 car.

The second qualifying session was a kind of dèjà vu for the Audi squad. This time none of the six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars made it inside the Top 10.

Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström (#100 MS Racing) were again the best ranked Audi drivers in thirteenth place.

Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim (#2 C.ABT Racing) were sixteenth. Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns (#3 C.ABT Racing) were seventeenth. Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng (#24 MS Racing) were eighteenth. Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde (#1 C.ABT Racing) were ninteenth. Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel (#16 YACO Racing) were twentieth.

Race 1 will be held on Satruday.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: The Audi teams heading to Austria, round two at the Red Bull Ring

By Tarek Ramchani

The ADAC GT Masters will cross the border this weekend, heading to Austria and the beautiful Red Bull Ring circuit. A total of six Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will enter the second round of the 2015 season.

The Audi Sport customer racing squad had a frustrating season opener at Oschersleben last time out. Best result for an Audi R8 LMS ultra was a sixth place in race 2. Audi teams and drivers will be eager to bounce back and fight for the top spots.

2014 teams' and drivers' champions C.ABT Racing will field three Audi R8 LMS ultras. The #1 car will be driven by Stefan Wackerbauer and Kelvin van der Linde. The #2 car will have Jordan Lee Pepper and Nicki Thiim. The #3 car will be shared by Andreas Weishaupt and Christer Jöns.

Team kfzteile24 MS RACING will field a pair of Audi R8 LMS ultras. Florian Stoll and Marc Basseng will share the #24 car. Their team-mates Daniel Dobitsch and Edward Sandström will be behind the wheel of the sister #100 car.

The sixth Audi is coming from team YACO Racing. The #16 R8 LMS ultra will be driven by Rahel Frey and Philip Geipel.

ADAC GT Masters action at the Red Bull Ring will start on Friday with two practice sessions and the two qualifying sessions. The 60-minute race 1 wil be held on Saturday and the second race on Sunday.

Photo credit: ADAC GT Masters

Read More

ADAC GT Masters: Seven Audi R8 LMS ultra cars for the 2015 season

Audi Press Release

With a field made up of eight automotive brands, the ADAC GT Masters is one of the world’s strongest national GT3 championships. This weekend, the new season of the high-caliber GT racing series will open at Oschersleben. Four customer teams will be putting a total of seven Audi R8 LMS ultra cars on the grid – no other manufacturer has as many cars in the field as Audi.

The title winner is returning: Kelvin van der Linde, who in 2014 immediately won the ADAC GT Masters drivers’ championship, is staying with the privateer team C. Abt Racing in the new season. After his previous team-mate René Rast has switched to Audi’s WEC driver squad, the 18-year-old South African is now sharing a cockpit with a young Bavarian talent: 19-year-old Stefan Wackerbauer from Landshut. Wackerbauer is set on showing that he deserves sitting in car number ‘1.’”

“Kelvin’s title win has made him even stronger and Stefan has greatly impressed me with his on-track performances as well,” says Team Director Christian Abt, who won the title in the series himself in 2009. “Thanks to the support of our partners we’re fielding two more Audi R8 LMS ultra cars with good driver pairings. Cars number ‘1,’ ‘2’ and ‘3’ are the dream of any team boss, as well as a serious commitment. It’s a tough competition.”

kfzteile24 MS Racing Team from Waldshut-Tiengen is fielding two GT3 sports cars with the four rings. The squad of Team Director Harald Böttner was the 2012 winner of the ADAC GT Masters and is now relying on Audi for the third consecutive time. Regular driver Florian Stoll is sharing the cockpit with former GT1 World Champion Marc Basseng; Daniel Dobitsch from Austria is competing together with the Swede Edward Sandström in the sister car.

Two other teams are each fielding an Audi R8 LMS ultra. Like last year, Team Yaco Racing from Plauen headed by Team Director Uwe Geipel relies on the driver pairing Philip Geipel and Rahel Frey. Dupré Engineering Motorsport from Schiffweiler is contesting its first full season in the ADAC GT Masters. The team of Claus Dupré based in the Saarland looks back on a decade-long association with Audi in customer racing.

Two drivers are again sharing a cockpit in the ADAC GT Masters this season. Two one-hour races with pit stops and driver changes are held per weekend. Eight sports car models – Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan and Porsche – are represented in the field.

“Anyone who prevails in the ADAC GT Masters can stand their ground in international series as well,” says Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “The series is now being held for the ninth consecutive year. 25 entrants from eight marques contest the events, delivering thrilling racing in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. The races will again be covered live on TV, which causes the fan community to steadily grow. We’re proud that so many customers opt for the Audi R8 LMS ultra. In the fierce on-track competition, our customers can depend on our presence with service vehicles and points of contact at all races and receiving optimum support from us.”

The Audi customer teams in the 2015 ADAC GT Masters

Audi R8 LMS ultra #1 (C. Abt Racing)
Kelvin van der Linde/Stefan Wackerbauer (ZA/D)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #2 (C. Abt Racing)
Jordan Lee Pepper/Nicki Thiim (ZA/DK)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #3 (C. Abt Racing)
Christer Jöns/Andreas Weishaupt (D/D)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #10 (Dupré Engineering Motorsport)
Christoph Dupré/NN (D)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #16 (Yaco Racing)
Rahel Frey/Philip Geipel (CH/D)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #24 (kfzteile24 MS Racing Team)
Marc Basseng/Florian Stoll (D/D)

Audi R8 LMS ultra #100 (kfzteile24 MS Racing Team)
Daniel Dobitsch/Edward Sandström (D/S)

Photo credit: Audi Media

Read More