VLN: Düchting Motorsport testing Audi R8 at Bilster Berg for Green Hell return

By Johan Laubscher

Düchting Motorsport was testing its Audi R8 race car at the Bilster Berg Drive Resort in Germany this week. It was announced earlier this year that the German team was planning to return its old privately-built Audi R8 to the VLN Endurance Series, given that they could find interested drivers.

The opening round of the 2015 VLN Endurance Series will be taking place at the Nürburgring Nordschleife this upcoming weekend (28 March) and Düchting Motorsport will be fielding the Audi R8 as the #148 entry with the driving squad of Maximilian Hackländer and Pierre Humbert.

This car was originally built to compete in the SP7 class with a downsized V8 engine, but it is now intended to run in the SP8 class and it is expected to be a front-runner within the class. It was built before the era of GT3 machinery, such as the Audi R8 LMS, competing in the SP9 class at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Düchting Motorsport's Audi R8 was one of the earliest developed Audi R8 race cars. The Dutch-built Creventic Audi R8 V8, also called the “CR-8”, was the first privately built Audi R8 race car and debuted at the 2008 Dubai 24 Hours. A few months later the Düchting Motorsport project was revealed and debuted at the 2008 Nürburgring 24 Hours and VLN. It was only later during 2008 that the factory developed Audi R8 LMS program from Audi Sport themselves was publicly announced, before the GT3 machine debuted on track in 2009.

Photo credit: Düchting Motorsport

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VLN: Düchting Motorsport planning to return their Audi R8 to the Green Hell

By Johan Laubscher

2015 may see the return of an almost forgotten Audi R8 race car. Düchting Motorsport is planning to run their Audi R8 in the 2015 VLN Endurance Series. The team is currently advertising for drivers to join them in the VLN with their Audi R8.

The car was originally announced and built during 2008 and debuted at the 2008 Nürburgring 24 Hours and raced in a number of VLN races that season and at the beginning of 2009. Since then the vehicle has been in storage with the team who ran other cars in the VLN, including Volkswagen, Seat and Opel. 

It was built to compete in the SP7 class with a downsized V8 engine, but it is now intended to run in the SP8 class and it is expected to be a front-runner within the class. It was built before the era of GT3 machinery competing in the SP9 class at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

This Audi R8 was one of the earliest Audi R8 race cars that was developed. The Dutch-built Creventic Audi R8 V8, also called the “CR-8”, was the first privately built Audi R8 race car and debuted at the 2008 Dubai 24 Hours. A few months later the Düchting Motorsport project was revealed. It was only later during 2008 that the factory developed Audi R8 LMS program from Audi Sport themselves was publicly announced, before the GT3 machine debuted on track in 2009.

It is certainly very exciting that this beautiful Audi R8 from Düchting Motorsport could possibly be returning to the track this year.

Read more at sportscar-info.de HERE. (In German)

Photo credit: Düchting Motorsport

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