Dakar: CR Racing heading home after completing testing in Argentina

By Johan Laubscher

The 2015 Dakar Rally concluded on Saturday and all the various teams are preparing to ship out heading back home. CR Racing may not have taken part in the full rally, but they took the opportunity to test their Audi TDI powered Titano in Argentina, whilst the Dakar Rally continued on its way into South America.

The Italian team had entered the 2015 Dakar Rally, but electrical problems on the opening day from Buenos Aires to Villa Carlos Paz unfortunately sidelined the team. They knew the car was unproven and untested and thus decided to withdraw the entry and to spend the remaining time testing the vehicle in Argentina. The CR Racing crew has returned to Italy with the exception of their logistics team member who is still with the team's vehicles, along with all of the other Dakar competitors in Buenos Aires, preparing to be shipped and then transported back home.

This project was a frantic race against time for CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia. They worked very hard to complete the build of the Titano in time before it needed to be transported from Italy to Argentina. Upon arrival they were hosted by Audi Argentina at the Audi Lenken dealership's workshop in Buenos Aires. There the CR Racing squad completed their final preparations before scrutineering and parc fermé. They successfully passed scrutineering, but they were well aware of the challenges that they were facing with an untested and unproven vehicle.

Dakar 2015 got underway on 4 January. The Titano and its driving crew of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini were the 97th starters in field of 137 cars. They began experiencing electrical problems within the opening kilometres. After changing the alternator and battery they managed to fire up the car and passed CP1 (passage control point) at the 15 km mark in a time of 4:11.29. A few kilometres later, between CP1 and CP2, the electrical problems returned and stranded the Titano in the stage, refusing to start. The team then decided to withdraw from the rally to rather concentrate on testing and preparing the Titano for the rest of 2015, rather than attempting the very long and challenging second stage of the Dakar with their unproven Titano.

Since the withdrawal the team spent time working on and preparing the Titano for testing in various regions and road conditions in Argentina. They spent a lot of time working with various systems on the car, including cooling, chassis and suspension. The main focus of the tests have been to evaluate the Titano and its performance in order to identify areas needing improvement. Argentina provides a very suitable testing location in comparison to the current winter conditions in Europe.

CR Racing will now be heading home to Italy after having learnt a lot about their new Titano. Dakar 2015 may not have been the 9000 km adventure that the team had hoped for, but their early withdrawal offered them the time to gain valuable experience and data with the Titano. They are also planning to take part in a number of rally raid events this year in the build up to Dakar 2016.

The CR Racing project is a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto. The T1 classed vehicle was built by Audi Sport Italia and was named the Titano. It is a purpose-built tubular space frame rally raid vehicle fitted with an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Photo credit: Cinotto Racing / Audi Sport Italia / CR Racing

Read More

Dakar: Electrical problems unfortunately sideline CR Racing Audi TDI powered Titano

By Johan Laubscher

Unfortunate news has arrived from CR Racing who are contesting the 2015 Dakar Rally. The Italian team suffered electrical problems on the first leg of the event from Buenos Aires to Villa Carlos Paz. It was a 833 km opening day split into three segments, an opening liaison of 144 km, the Special Stage of 170 km and the concluding liaison of 519 km.

The #399 Audi V6 TDI powered Titano began Sunday's Special Stage as the 97th starting car at 12:12.30 local time and began suffering electrical issues within the opening kilometres. After replacing the battery and alternator, they made it through CP1 (passage control point) at the 15 km mark in an agonising time of 4:11.29, running 136th of 137 starters. The electrical problems continued and crippled the car in-between CP1 and CP2, kilometres 15 and 69, leaving the Titano and its driving crew of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini stranded in the stage.

The crew worked hard, and in true Dakar-spirit, received assistance from supporters along the route, with the car also being towed at one point. However it was not to be and by the time the sun set on Sunday 4 January the CR Racing entry was a confirmed retirement and was not included on the start list for the second stage from Villa Carlos Paz to San Juan.

This Dakar entry was a race against time for CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia. The team had very little time to build and prepare the car before it needed to be transported to Argentina. Upon arrival in South America the team was hosted by Audi Argentina in the workshop of the Audi Lenken dealership. There the Italian crew was hard at work with all of their final preparations before scrutineering and parc fermé on Thursday.

The car successfully passed scrutineering, but the CR Racing crew was well aware of the challenges ahead of them. The Titano was still an unproven and untested vehicle, with many questions and unknowns still existing concerning its longevity, components and performance.

It was a sad end to CR Racing's 2015 Dakar campaign, but the Italian team still deserves much congratulating in getting the car built and completed in time for their Dakar attempt. All of the team members involved worked flat-out in order to complete the build and preparation. As was stated on the the CR Racing twitter feed before their departure from Italy: "Trust us, none of those who have built @CRracing_dakar new car have saved effort and sweat."

Despite the retirement, the CR Racing crew will be remaining in the region of Varadero in Argentina, where they will be testing the Titano. They have mentioned that they intend to compete in more races during 2015 and to hopefully be back for Dakar 2016 with a proven vehicle.

Hopefully this will not be the end of the CR Racing Titano and that it will be seen in rally raid competition in the future.

The CR Racing project is a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto. The T1 classed vehicle was built by Audi Sport Italia and was named the Titano. It is a purpose-built tubular space frame rally raid vehicle fitted with an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Photo credit: Mile Veckiardo‎ / Mirko Veckiardo and Vanesa Porette and Cinotto Racing / Audi Sport Italia / CR Racing

Read More

Dakar: CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia Audi TDI powered Titano passes scrutineering

By Johan Laubscher 

It has been a very busy few days with long hours for the CR Racing crew in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were hosted by Audi Argentina in the workshop of the Audi Lenken Dealership, where the team was hard at work with final preparations ahead of scrutineering and the beginning of the Dakar Rally on Sunday, January 4th.

Whilst the rest of the world celebrated New Year’s Eve, the many Dakar teams were all hard at work, including the CR Racing crew. On Thursday the team was ready and completed their next milestone in the week running up to the start of the rally, the successful passing of scrutineering. The car is now in parc fermé until the beginning of the rally.

The team is now ready for the Dakar to get underway on Sunday. It has been a monumental task for the Italian squad to firstly get the car built and ready for transport from Italy to Argentina, and then with even more work and final preparations once they touched down in South America. Their Audi V6 TDI powered Titano is ready, but the team knows that the vehicle is still unproven and many questions and unknowns still exist concerning its longevity, components and performance. CR Racing is well aware of the challenges and they are ready to embark on one of the toughest tests of man and machine, the Dakar Rally.

The CR Racing project is a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto. The T1 classed vehicle was built by Audi Sport Italia and was named the Titano. It is a purpose-built tubular space frame rally raid vehicle fitted with an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine.

The driving crew of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini will be behind the wheel of the #399 Titano for the journey in excess of 9000 km from 4 - 17 January 2015.

We continue to wish the best of luck to CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia, their crew, drivers and the Audi powered Titano.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Photo credit: Cinotto Racing / Audi Sport Italia / CR Racing

Read More

Dakar: Pre-rally preparations as CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia arrive in Argentina

By Johan Laubscher 

The CR Racing squad and their Audi TDI powered Titano rally raid vehicle have arrived in Argentina. The Italian team is busy with their final preparation for the 2015 Dakar Rally.

CR Racing, which was formed by a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto, will be entering the #399 T1 classed vehicle for the driving crew of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini.

During December it was confirmed that Audi Sport Italia was busy building the Titano. It was a frantic rush against time, but the team pulled off a “small miracle” and had the car ready for shipment to Argentina. (Note: the lowered ride-height was only for shipping purposes). The Titano-Audi is a purpose-built tubular space frame T1 vehicle that has been fitted with an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine.

The Audi powered Titano features unique non-Audi bodywork, but it does have some Audi touches with B7 Audi RS 4 headlights from the team’s parts bin following their Superstars Series RS 4 race car campaigns from years past.

The Italian team is currently being hosted by Audi Argentina at the Audi Lenken dealership, where they are completing their final preparations for the Dakar that will run from 4 to 17 January 2015. For CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia it will be the final preparations for their untested and unproven Titano.

Dakar 2015 will feature a total of 9111 km, of which 4578 km will be timed special stages. It will be a true test for the CR Racing team and we wish them the best of luck for their endeavour in one of the toughest tests of man and machine.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Photo credit: Cinotto Racing / Audi Sport Italia / CR Racing

Read More

Dakar: First glimpse of the completed Titano-Audi from CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia

By Johan Laubscher

The first photos of the competed Titano-Audi from CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia have appeared online. This purpose-built Audi-powered T1 class rally raid vehicle has been constructed to compete in Dakar 2015.

CR Racing, a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto, will be fielding the #399 Titano for the driving crew of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini. Power is provided by an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine. The Titano features unique non-Audi bodywork, but it does have some Audi touches with B7 Audi RS 4 headlights from the team’s parts bin following their Superstars Series RS 4 race car campaigns from years past.

It has been a very busy period for Audi Sport Italia, as they were in a rush against time to complete the car-build for CR Racing's Dakar campaign. The Italian team will now be getting everything ready for the car to be transported to South America. The low ride-height, as seen in the photos, is only for the transport process.

On the CR Racing twitter feed it was stated that Audi Sport Italia's crew has completed a 'minor miracle' in getting the Titano-Audi assembled and ready in time for its journey to Argentina.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Dakar 2015 will get underway from 4-17 January.

Photo credit: CR Racing and Cinotto Racing

Read More

Dakar: CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia in a race against time

By Johan Laubscher

Audi Sport Italia's workshop is a hive of activity as the team is working very hard to complete the CR Racing car-build before its journey to South America for Dakar 2015.

A few weeks ago it was announced that there will be a Dakar entry from Italy with Audi flavour.

CR Racing will be fielding a purpose-built spaceframe T1 class rally raid vehicle in the Dakar rally during January 2015. This Audi 3.0 V6 TDI powered car, named the Titano-Audi, will be driven by Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini with the race number of #399.

The Audi powered Titano will feature unique non-Audi bodywork, but it does have some Audi touches with B7 Audi RS 4 headlights from the team’s parts bin following their Superstars Series RS 4 race car campaigns from years past.

This project is a collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto, which has resulted in an exciting T1 class Dakar entry with the team name of CR Racing.

We wish the best of luck to Audi Sport Italia as they complete the building process of the Titano and getting everything ready to be transported to South America.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Dakar 2015 will get underway from 4-17 January.

Photo credit: CR Racing / Audi Sport Italia

Read More

Dakar: CR Racing and Audi Sport Italia heading to Dakar 2015 with Audi TDI power

By Johan Laubscher

An Italian team with Audi flavour is heading to the 2015 Dakar.

A collaboration between Audi Sport Italia's Emilio Radaelli and Michele Cinotto has resulted in a Dakar entry.

The team formed by Michele Cinotto and Emilio Radaelli will be racing under the name of CR Racing. Cinotto and Radaelli are no strangers to Audi in rallying, as the duo drove together in Group B Audi quattro cars during the 1980's.

The car is a tubular space frame vehicle in the T1 class fitted with an Audi 3.0 V6 TDI engine. Its name will be Titano-Audi. The car was built at the Audi Sport Italia workshop. It does however not have any Audi styling/bodywork elements.

The development of the car was an Audi Sport Italia project, with the chassis being developed by Massimo Del Prete, who was the #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra race engineer for Thomas Schöffler and Marco Mapelli in the 2014 Italian GT Championship. He brings great experience to the team with previous Dakar participations.

The #399 entry, which is listed as an Audi on the Dakar entry list, will be driven by the duo of Michele Cinotto and Fulvio Zini. This is a very exciting project for Audi Sport Italia.

Dakar 2015 gets underway on 4 January.

You can find CR Racing on Twitter HERE (@CRracing_dakar) and Facebook HERE.

Photo credit: CR Racing / Audi Sport Italia

Read More