TUSC: Frustrating 12 Hours of Sebring qualifying for Audi teams

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi Sport customer racing squad had a frustrating qualifying session at Sebring International Raceway. Flying Lizard Motorsport and Paul Miller Racing worked hard but were not able to challenge for the top spots.

The two Audi teams struggled to match the pace of the front running cars despite having some of the fastest drivers in TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's GT Daytona field. The Audi R8 LMS was clearly disadvantaged compared to the Viper and Porsche GT Americas.

The best ranked Audi car was the #48 car from Paul Miller Racing. Dion von Moltke, Christopher Haase, and Bryce Miller qualified in tenth place within the GT Daytona class with a best time of 2:05.265.

The Flying Lizard Motorsports entry was a position behind in eleventh place in class. The #45 Audi R8 LMS shared by Marco Holzer, Robert Thorne and Colin Thompson with a best time of 2:05.499.

Pole position in GT Daytona went to the #33 Dodge Viper GT3-R. The #23 Porsche 911 GT America was second. Third place went to the #73 Porsche 911 GT America.

Qualifying results are here.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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TUSC: The Audi teams performed well in the Sebring practice sessions

By Tarek Ramchani

Action has started at Sebring International Raceway for the 63rd annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Two Audi R8 LMS cars took part in three practice sessions with some good performances.

The two cars came from two different teams, Flying Lizard Motorsports and Paul Miller Racing competing in the GT Daytona class (GTD). Both Audi Sport customer racing squads performed well in all three practice sessions against strong rivals representing various brands.

Flying Lizard Motorsports fielding their #45 Audi R8 LMS ended in fourteenth place in the opening practice session. Later the Sonoma based team improved up to fourth place in the second session. The car in the hands of drivers Marco Holzer, Robert Thorne and Colin Thompson ended the day in position fourteen in the night session.

Paul Miller Racing with the #48 Audi R8 LMS took a fine fifth place in the first practice session. The car driven by Dion von Moltke, Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller ended in position fourteenth in In the second practice session. In the night session the 2014 Petit Le Mans winners were sixth fastest within the GT Daytona class.

Practice 1 results are here
Practice 2 results are here
Practice 3 results are here

The two Audi teams will be back on track on Friday for a fourth and final practice session followed by the qualifying. We wish the best of luck to the two Audi teams and their drivers.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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TUSC: Flying Lizard Motorsports confirms its partial 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship entry

By Johan Laubscher

Flying Lizard Motorsports has announced its partial participation in the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

The team released the information following its announcement of the 12 Hours of Sebring driver line-up, in order to clear up confusion amongst the team's fans regarding the Flying Lizard Motorsports participation in 2015.

Flying Lizard Motorsports will be entering selected rounds of the 2015 TUSC alongside its full-season entry in the Pirelli World Challenge with K-PAX Racing. The TUSC participation will include one entry from Flying Lizard Motorsorts, the #45 Audi R8 LMS with varying drivers at each event.

The 2015 TUSC participation includes:

Round 1: 24 Hours of Daytona
Round 2: 12 Hours of Sebring
Round 4: Laguna Seca
Round 12: Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsports / Bob Chapman

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TUSC: Flying Lizard Motorsports Announces Sebring Twelve Hour Line Up‏

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

March 9, 2015 – SONOMA, Calif.

This month, Flying Lizard Motorsports will return to Sebring International Raceway to compete in their twelfth 12 Hours of Sebring TUDOR United SportsCar Championship endurance event. The team currently has five podium finishes at the legendary endurance event, and will return to fight for another win with a new driver line up. Racing the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS will be former Flying Lizard driver Marco Holzer, current driver Robert Thorne and newcomer Colin Thompson.

Holzer returns to Flying Lizard for the endurance event, previously racing as a factory driver with the team in 2011 and 2012. Racing in Flying Lizard's legendary Porsche era, Holzer celebrated many moments with the team, including a 4th place finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2015 event will mark Holzer's third 12 Hours of Sebring with the team, and first time racing the Audi R8 LMS.

"I'm very excited to return to Flying Lizard Motorsports since I have known the entire team for a long time," said Holzer. "The Flying Lizards have achieved a lot of successes. The team has a strong team spirit and they all keep going in the same direction with the same goal. Being able to drive the 12 hours of Sebring with them again means a lot. I have already been racing in Sebring very often and it certainly helps me to feel confident with the track. So far, I have received a lot of information and data about the car which helps me a lot to prepare myself. I'm very much looking forward to getting in the car and going racing."

Equally excited to compete in the event, American Robert Thorne will be racing in the endurance event for the first time. This year The Colorado native previously raced the 24 Hours of Daytona with Flying Lizard Motorsports in the Audi R8 LMS, and has tested the team's Pirelli World Challenge McLaren 650S GT3R on the Florida road course.

"I had never been on the track before a few weeks ago," said Thorne. "However, being able to at least take the McLaren around Sebring and to get some laps in really helps, as well as and learning from my Pirelli World Challenge teammate, Kevin Estre. He's done a lot of laps around that track and got me up to speed pretty quickly so it shouldn't be an issue there. I know the car now pretty well after doing many hours in it at Daytona, so we should have a strong line up and be ready to fight for the win."

"I'm looking forward to the 12 Hour. Obviously with two strong teammates on board we should be able to bring the car home strong in a strong position."

Rounding out the line-up is young American Colin Thompson, who will also be a new face at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Currently racing full time in the GT Cup class in Pirelli World Challenge, the young racer already boasts an impressive resume, having won the 2014 Championship in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and starting the 2015 season well with a win in both GT Cup race rounds at the Pirelli World Challenge season opener at Circuit of the Americas. Thompson has also enjoyed previous success at Sebring International Raceway, and is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS.

"From what I understand the car has a lot more aerodynamics and assists than what I'm driving now," said Thompson. "I love Sebring. It's such a fun track. It has a little bit of everything; fast corners and slow, technical corners, so it's definitely not a track that you'll get bored at. I've been such a fan of Flying Lizard Motorsports for so long. I'm excited to fly their colors and hopefully do them proud. It's a really good team and we've got an amazing driver lineup. I think we have all the tools to do well. I'm stoked!"

"We are really looking forward to the Mobil 1 Twelve hours of Sebring," said Flying Lizard Motorsports Program Manager Darren Law. "Flying Lizard has had so much success there in the past and we are coming at the event this year with a very strong driver line-up. We are happy to have Marco Holzer back, who is an incredibly fast driver. He has a lot of experience at Sebring so he knows the track and he knows the team incredibly well. We were very excited to find out he was available. To also have Robert Thorne from our K-PAX Racing relationship join us again in our IMSA Tudor United SportsCar effort as he did in Daytona, is a great benefit. He did a great job at the Daytona 24, and he was fast and showed great ability to contend in this type of racing. A new addition to Flying Lizard will be Colin Thompson. He is another very quick up and coming driver. I had the opportunity last season to watch his ability while on his way to winning the Championship in the IMSA Porsche Cup. I have worked with Kelly Moss for a long time and have a great relationship with Jeff Stone, Jeff suggested giving Colin an opportunity to drive with us, so I think it's a perfect fit. We have an extremely strong lineup for this year's 12 Hour."

On track activities for the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida begin March 18th. For more information visit www.lizardms.com.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Flying Lizard is based in Sonoma, California, and has competed in the American Le Mans Series for ten consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2012 in the GT class and in 2013 in GTC, along with the inaugural season of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship in the GT Daytona class in 2014. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009), one ALMS GTC team championship (2013), and have secured three ALMS GT Drivers' championships (2008, 2009, and 2010). Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2012, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008, sixth in 2011, and fourth in 2012. Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com. Follow Flying Lizard Motorsports on twitter, and like us on Facebook for all team updates.

About Audi of America and the Audi R8 LMS
Audi began a new chapter in 2009 with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8 LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8 street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi Space Frame and a variety of other components.

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies.

Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsports / Bob Chapman

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TUSC: Flying Lizard Starts New IMSA Season with Rolex 24 at Daytona

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

January 26, 2015 – Daytona, Florida – After a near miss in the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Flying Lizard Motorsports returned to Daytona International Speedway in 2015 with an even stronger desire to claim the top step at the legendary endurance event.

The team qualified the #45 Audi R8 LMS in the 6th position in the GTD class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Audi Factory driver Markus Winkelhock started the race and enjoyed a clean opening stint, but trouble found the team only one hour into the 24 hour long event.

Clutch issues forced the team to immediately take its R8 LMS to the garage, where the Lizard crew worked quickly and methodically to conduct repairs. In just 35 laps, the team removed the transmission and replaced the clutch. They rejoined the race in less than an hour at the back of the GTD field. Never losing determination to fight for a positive result, the team pressed on as the hours passed, taking advantage of every caution period in which they could regain lost laps. With the car repaired, the Flying Lizard Audi kept pace with the leaders of the GTD class for the remaining 22 hours without issue. Ultimately the team finished 10th in class after a flawless race by drivers and crew.

"I'm really proud of the result we produced in our first race of the 2015 season," said Program Manager Darren Law. "We had a phenomenal run. Aside from the mechanical issue in the first hour of racing, which put us down several laps, we had a trouble free run. This is such a prestigious race with a lot of history. Just finishing is an accomplishment and to finish without any damage or on track incidents says a lot about our drivers. If we didn't have the initial issue, I believe we would have been right there at the end fighting for the podium. Everyone worked well together all weekend, as you would expect from our Flying Lizard Audi team and to come from last to finish with a top ten is great."

Flying Lizard will now refocus on building the remainder of its 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship program and will announce its participation in additional 2015 IMSA races at a later date.

Driver Quotes

Markus Winkelhock
"It was a tough race. I did the first stint of the race and I was struggling a little bit of oversteer. I guess it probably came because of the rain during the night before the race and the green track conditions at the start. But the track changed quite a bit and the balance came back and the car was getting better and better. I felt confident in the car, and we hadn't had a problem with it all weekend, but unfortunately we had a problem at the end of the first hour and we dropped back 35 laps. So the race was gone after one hour, and it was not easy to keep up the motivation for the rest of the race. The team did a great job. We had no issues besides the clutch for the whole race. The balance was really good at the end. It was a pleasure to drive for the Flying Lizards and I hope to join them again soon."

Robert Thorne
"Overall, it was a bit of a struggle the past 24 hours. We had a real uphill battle after our issues in the first 60 minutes. We stayed out there and felt good in the car and put down some fast laps. Audi brings a great package, and it was strong and durable. We had a car or two bounce off of us but had no issues. Even at the end of the race the #45 was as good as it was in the beginning. A big thanks to the team, I'm happy to be on board."

Tomonobu Fujii
"First of all, I would like to say Thank you so much for such a great job to Flying Lizard Motorsports, Audi, Audi Sport Customer Racing and all of the race fans. It was very challenging as it was my first Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, one of the most difficult races in sports car racing. Even so, it was a very exciting and an amazing experience. Unfortunately, we lost some laps in the beginning, but we never gave up. We focused on our own performance, and the team gave us a great strategy to the end. The Audi R8 LMS showed a strong performance and was very consistent throughout the race, which is always a very tough one on cars. I hope to be back next year again in Daytona for this fantastic event!"

Satoshi Hoshino
"It has always been one of my biggest dreams to race in the 24 hours of Daytona, and it was a great moment when it came true. Thank you very much to Flying Lizard Motorsports, the other three drivers, and all the fans for the great support. I am looking forward to returning to Daytona again with Flying Lizard Motorsports!"

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Flying Lizard is based in Sonoma, California, and has competed in the American Le Mans Series for ten consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2012 in the GT class and in 2013 in GTC, along with the inaugural season of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship in the GT Daytona class in 2014. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009), one ALMS GTC team championship (2013), and have secured three ALMS GT Drivers' championships (2008, 2009, and 2010). Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2012, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008, sixth in 2011, and fourth in 2012. Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com. Follow Flying Lizard Motorsports on twitter, and like us on Facebook for all team updates.

About Audi of America and the Audi R8 LMS
Audi began a new chapter in 2009 with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8 LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8 street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi Space Frame and a variety of other components.

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies.

Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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TUSC: Top ten GTD class results for the Audi teams at the Rolex 24 at Daytona

By Johan Laubscher

The Rolex 24 at Daytona was the scene for the opening round of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Paul Miller Racing and Flying Lizard Motorsports each fielded one Audi R8 LMS entry in the GT Daytona (GTD) class.

Paul Miller Racing, the only Audi team confirmed for the full 2015 TUSC season, fielded their #48 Audi R8 LMS for the driving quartet of Dion von Moltke, Christopher Haase, Bryce Miller and René Rast. They qualified eleventh on the grid for the 24-hour race.

The #45 Audi R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsports was entered for a one-off appearance in the TUSC this year. Tomonobu Fujii, Satoshi Hoshino, Robert Thorne and Markus Winkelhock were the drivers behind the wheel of the car that qualified sixth within in the GTD class.

Saturday afternoon saw the start of the Daytona 24 Hours and both Audi teams were running well. It was however far from an ideal opening hour for Flying Lizard Motorsports. Markus Winkelhock had taken the start and handed over to Satoshi Hoshino, who spun and was left stranded with the Audi on the oval just before the end of the first hour. The #45 Audi had driveline issues and brought out the first safety car period of the race. The car was recovered to the pits where the Flying Lizard Motorsports crew repaired the non-terminal problems. Despite being many laps down the #45 Audi R8 LMS crew kept on pushing forward and were able to recover a result within the GTD class by the end of the 24 hours.

For Paul Miller Racing it was a very competitive opening twelve hours. They were consistently involved in the GTD lead battle and led during the night. The team, drivers and their Audi R8 LMS were performing very well and everything was looking good as dawn approached.

Unfortunately the race began to unravel for Paul Miller Racing during the early hours of Sunday morning. Rene Rast ran wide and had an off at the International Horseshoe. He was able to reverse back onto track with what looked like minor front left damage and continued on the lead lap. He completed his stint and handed the car over to Christopher Haase, who took the car out onto track still within the lead battle. Tragedy struck when the front bodywork broke whilst Haase was approaching the Bus Stop chicane. He slowly brought the car back to the pits. With a new bonnet and much tape across the front of the #48 Audi, Haase went back out on track, after losing three laps in the pits and falling outside of the top five in GTD.

Both Audi Sport customer racing teams continued to soldier on as the sun began to rise for a bright Sunday morning in Florida. Flying Lizard Motorsports was able to progress back into the GTD top ten and Paul Miller Racing was involved in the battle ranging from fourth to sixth.

Ultimately the race concluded at 14:10 local time and Paul Miller Racing finished fifth in the GTD class, nineteenth overall. Flying Lizard Motorsports maintained their recovery and finished tenth within GTD, twenty-fourth overall.

It may have been a race of ups and downs for the two Audi teams, but both crews can be commended for never gave up and pushing all the way to the flag.

Two Audi Sport factory drivers also took part in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with different teams this year. Mike Rockenfeller again joined SDR Motorsports at Daytona. He shared the #90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype alongside Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante. They qualified tenth and completed the 24 hours in fourth place overall. Rocky will also be taking part with the team at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans later this year.

The second Audi Sport factory driver was Filipe Albuquerque, who was a late addition to the Starworks Motorsport Prototype Challenge line-up. He replaced Enrique Bernoldi in the #8 Martini liveried ORECA FLM09, sharing with Mirco Schultis, Renger van der Zande, Alex Popow and Mike Hedlund. They qualified fourth in class and were running very well until they suffered retirement with a blown engine.

Round two of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will be the 63rd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring from 18-21 March.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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TUSC: The Audi teams qualified well for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

By Tarek Ramchani

Action has started at Daytona International Speedway for the 53rd annual Rolex 24. Two Audi R8 LMS cars took part in three practice sessions and the qualifying one with some good performances.

The two cars came from two different teams, Flying Lizard Motorsport and Paul Miller Racing competing in the GT Daytona class (GTD). Both Audi Sport customer racing squads performed well in all three practice sessions. The two teams did same in the official qualifying session against strong rivals representing various brands.

The best ranked Audi entry was the #45 R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsport. The car in the hands of  Markus Winkelhock, Tomonobu Fujii, Satoshi Hoshino and Robert Thorne ended in a positive sixth place. 1:47.813 was the best time set by the California based team in the session.

The Paul Miller Racing entry ended in twelvth place within the GT Daytona class. The #48 Audi R8 LMS driven by Dion von Moltke, Christopher Haase, René Rast and Bryce Miller narrowly missed the Top 10. Their best time was 1:48.202, less than a second behind the pole winning-time.

GT Daytona pole position went to the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 from TRG-AMR. Second place went to the #33 Dodge Viper GT3-R from Riley Motorsports. Third place went to the #28 Porsche 911 GT America from Konrad Motorsport.

The two Audi teams will be back on track on Friday for a fourth a final practice session.

Rolex 24 qualifying session results are here.

The 53rd Rolex 24 at Daytona is the opening round of both the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the special North American Endurance Cup. The prestigious Florida  twice around the clock classic will start on Saturday afternoon.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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TUSC: Season starts for Audi at Daytona

Audi Press Release

• Two Audi customer teams to contest 24-hour race in Florida (USA)
• Audi R8 LMS competes in numerically strongest class
• Audi driver Markus Winkelhock: Daytona is like a sprint race

Ingolstadt, January 19, 2015 – The 2015 season opens with an endurance classic in the USA for Audi customer racing. Two Audi R8 LMS will start at the 53rd running of the 24 hours of Daytona. Following the first victory for an Audi at Daytona two years ago, and a second place last season, the two customer teams Flying Lizard Motorsports and Paul Miller Racing will fight for class honors on 24 and 25 January. 

“We will give our customer teams the best possible support so that they can bring home a good result in this race, which is one of the world’s five most important endurance races,” says Romolo Liebchen, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “I hope that an R8 LMS finishes on the podium again.”

The 24 hours of Daytona is the opening race of the season in the American Tudor United SportsCar Championship (TUSC), which formed in 2014 after the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM merged. In the US state of Florida, the two Audi customer teams compete in a field comprised of 53 prototypes and GT sports cars. With 19 cars, the GT Daytona class for production-based sports cars, in which the Audi R8 LMS competes, is the most competitive and numerically strongest. The R8 LMS developed specifically for the US racing series is equipped with modified aerodynamics featuring a wider Daytona Prototype rear wing and new flics at the front to increase the top speed.

The two Audi R8 LMS line-ups include high-caliber drivers. Four of the eight drivers have already won important 24-hour races for Audi: Christopher Haase (D), Dion von Moltke (USA), René Rast (D) and Markus Winkelhock (D).

“The 24 hours of Daytona seems very long,” explains Markus Winkelhock. “In contrast to the European 24-hour races at the Nürburgring or Spa, in US motorsport you have the opportunity to make up lost laps during the many safety car phases. As a result, no team can build up a big lead, and in the closing stages it’s like a sprint race with everybody fighting for the win. As a driver, you must also be aware of the faster cars in the prototype class and always keep an eye on the rear-view mirror.”

The interest in Audi in the USA is unchecked – not only in motorsport: on the US market, the brand with the four rings grows almost three times as quickly as the entire automobile sales. In 2014, the plus in the US for the premium brand amounted to 15.2 per cent. “Growth potential exists in motorsport as well as for road cars,” says Romolo Liebchen. “In the Pirelli World Challenge, in which GT3 cars complying with the complete FIA specification are allowed, five Audi R8 LMS ultra are already fixed for the 2015 season, other teams have shown great interest.”

In the TUSC, 2015 is seen as a year of transition. “Because GT3 race cars will also be allowed to compete in this series from 2016 onwards, many teams are biding their time this year,” says Liebchen. Currently, Paul Miller Racing plans a complete season in the TUSC; Flying Lizard Motorsports will contest selected races. Ten events are on the agenda for the GT Daytona category.

The Audi customer teams at Daytona

Audi R8 LMS #45 (Flying Lizard Motorsports)
Tomonobu Fujii (J), Satoshi Hoshino (J), Robert Thorne (USA), Markus Winkelhock (D)

Audi R8 LMS #48 (Paul Miller Racing)
Christopher Haase (D), Bryce Miller (USA), Dion von Moltke (USA), René Rast (D)

Schedule (local time, CET +6 hours)

Thursday, January 22
09:25 – 10:25 Free practice 1
13:20 – 13:50 Free practice 2
16:00 – 16:15 Qualifying (GTD)
16:25 – 16:40 Qualifying (GTLM)
16:50 – 17:05 Qualifying (Prototypes C)
17:15 – 17:30 Qualifying (Prototypes)
18:30 – 20:00 Free practice 3

Friday, January 23
11:25 – 12:25 Free practice 4

Saturday, January 24
14:10 Start

Sunday, January 25
14:10 Finish

Tudor United SportsCar Championship (TUSC, GT Daytona class) calendar

22–25.01 Daytona (USA)
18–21.03 Sebring (USA)
03/05 Laguna Seca (USA)
30/05 Detroit (USA)
28/06 Watkins Glen (USA)
25/07 Lime Rock (USA)
09/08 Road America (USA)
23/08 Virginia (USA)
19/09 Austin (USA)
03/10 Petit Le Mans (USA)

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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PHOTOS: Audi R8 LMS teams in Roar Before the Rolex 24 by Motorsport.com

A selection of great photos taken by our friends at Motorsport.com featuring the Audi R8 LMS entries at Daytona. Flying Lizard Motorsport and Paul Miller Racing took part in the official TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Roar Before the Rolex 24.

Motorsport.com full photo coverage from Daytona is here.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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TUSC: Flying Lizard Completes Successful Test at the Roar Before 24

Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

January 12, 2015 - Daytona, Florida - This week at Daytona International Speedway, Flying Lizard Motorsports conducted their first laps of the season on track at the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship's official test, the Roar Before the 24.

The team returned to the 3.56 mile, 12 turn road course with the Audi R8 LMS, with which the team celebrated a second place finish for the 24 hour endurance event in 2014. Flying Lizard drivers Tomonobu Fujii (Japan), Satoshi Hoshino (Japan), Robert Thorne (United States), and Markus Winkelhock (Germany), completed a total of 187 laps during the three days, roughly 28% of the GTD class lap count for last year's event.

Although both Tomonobu and Satoshi have vast endurance racing resumes, the Roar Before the 24 test marked their first visit to Daytona International Raceway. The two Japanese drivers quickly adapted to the track and proved to show speeds matching Winkelhock and Thorne.

Six of the eight sessions were held under clear conditions, but the skies opened for the seventh test session of the week. Each of the four Flying Lizard Motorsports drivers ran strong laps in dry and wet conditions, landing in second place in Saturday night's session under the lights of the speedway. Weather conditions throughout Sunday afternoon prompted the team to end their test early, satisfied with the overall progress from the completed sessions. Driver-turned-Program Manager Darren Law spent his first event in his new role, contributing his experience and expertise to both the drivers and management teams.

"Overall I think we had a really good weekend," said Law. "It was my first time coming in back with the team in a different role, but it was a great transition because I knew everybody here already and I know the industry so I'm really enjoying the new role with Flying Lizard. As far as the car and the drivers, it was an excellent test. The car was quick, and of course, this is a very well established season program that has done this race many times. We left here with a quick car, with consistent drivers, and I feel very good about coming back to the race."

The first practice sessions of the 2015 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona will begin January 22nd, with the race beginning Saturday, January 24th at 2:30pm. The television broadcast will begin at 2:00pm Eastern on FOX. For tickets and the official event schedule, visit daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Driver Quotes

Tomonobu Fujii

I would like to extend a big thank you to the team, Flying Lizard Motorsports, and to my teammates Markus (Winkelhock), Robert (Thorne), and Hoshino. They have all done such a great job and worked hard this week at the test. The team has put together a fast car that I feel confident in. I'm very familiar with the Audi R8 LMS from my experience in Super GT, and this car was fantastic. The car has great speed, braking, and handles very well. It had good grip on the track and is easy to drive. This is my first time running here in the United States and I am really enjoying being at Daytona International Speedway. I'm glad we were able to run in both wet and dry conditions so that I could be more prepared for what may come at us during the race at the end of the month. I already have experience running 24 hour endurance races in Japan and Dubai, so I'm looking forward to applying that knowledge to this experience. We will continue to keep focused in order to be at the top of the podium in our Audi R8 LMS at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Satoshi Hoshino

It is a great pleasure to drive at a historic and prestigious track like Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. This has been such a great experience to be testing here for the past three days. After having 3 full days of driving on track, I feel very confident about coming back for the event next week. I will do my best during the race to contribute to the team to help them get the results we deserve. I'm excited to be racing with these drivers and I cannot wait to be back here in the Audi R8 LMS in two weeks and go for the win at the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona.

Robert Thorne

The test went really well. I had a really great experience to work with Flying Lizard Motorsports and get behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS, as well as have Audi here and the factory support and the factory drivers. It was an overwhelmingly awesome experience. We had some good times and made some improvements on the car. I feel very successful and confident going into the 24 now, a lot more so than before the test. Markus is a very quick driver and great to work with. Fujii and Hoshino are very friendly and I think between the four of us I think we have a very fast winning combination. I'm looking forward to the 24 and hoping we can get a win on the board.

Markus Winkelhock

I'm absolutely happy with the test. The car was good, and team was good as always. I feel confident in the car on the track. I think we've got a good driver line-up for the race. I've done seven 24 Hours with the Audi R8 LMS and I've never had a technical issue so I think we have a really reliable car for the race. As I said, the car is well prepared from the Lizards. I think we have a good chance to be on top of the podium at the end of the race. This must be the target especially after last year when we finished second. I am really looking forward to the race. I'm fully motivated. Victory must be the target.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports

Flying Lizard is based in Sonoma, California, and has competed in the American Le Mans Series for ten consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2012 in the GT class and in 2013 in GTC, along with the inaugural season of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship in the GT Daytona class in 2014. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009), one ALMS GTC team championship (2013), and have secured three ALMS GT Drivers' championships (2008, 2009, and 2010). Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2012, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008, sixth in 2011, and fourth in 2012. Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com. Follow Flying Lizard Motorsports on twitter, and like us on Facebook for all team updates.

About Audi of America and the Audi R8 LMS

Audi began a new chapter in 2009 with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8 LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8 street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi Space Frame and a variety of other components.

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies.

Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Photo credit: Flying Lizard Motorsports / Bob Chapman

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