Pirelli World Challenge: Positive debut for Compass360 Racing Audi TT RS at Sonoma

By Tarek Ramchani

Compass360 Racing debuted with the Audi TT RS in the Pirelli World Challenged at Sonoma Raceway last weekend. The car competed in the GTS class showing some positive performances.

The #78 Audi TT RS was driven by team's regular Paul Holton. He ended Satruday's opening race in twenty-second place overall. On Sunday he improved and finished the 50-minute sprint race in seventeenth place.

Compass360 Racing and the Audi TT RS will be back for Pirelli World Challenge season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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Pirelli World Challenge: Podium for Mike Skeen Audi in Sonoma race 1

By Tarek Ramchani

Mike Skeen clinched a strong podium in the opening Pirelli World Challenge race at Sonoma, California. The driver of the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra from CRP Racing had a solid race.

The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge runner-up was among the fastest in a very demanding GT field. Mike Skeen finished the 50-minute event behind race winner Kevin Estre (McLaren 650S GT3) and second placed Renger van der Zande (Porsche 997 GT3 R).

The second Audi entry in the race driven by Drew Regitz finished in twenty-third place overall. The Cameron Racing run #19 Audi R8 LMS ultra competed in the GTA class.

Sonoma Race 1 Results

Pirelli World Challenge race 2 will be held on Sunday.

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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Pirelli World Challenge: Frustrating race 1 for Mike Skeen in Miller Motorsports Park

By Tarek Ramchani

The Miller Motorsports Park in Utah played host to the first Pirelli World Challenge race of the weekend today. It was one of the hardest rounds ever for the Audi R8 LMS ultra in Pirelli World Challenge.

Mike Skeen was not able to battle for the top spots in today's race. The CRP Racing driver of the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra pushed hard but that was not enough. He ended the 50-minute sprint race in thirteenth place overall.

The 2014 series runner-up had to battle against strong competitors but also against a penalizing Balance of Performance.

Another Audi driver facing an unlucky race was Drew Regitz. Behind the wheel of the #19 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Cameron Racing he had a crash and did not finsih the race.

Overall race victory went to Johnny O'Connel with the factory Cadillac ATS-V.R. James Davison was second with a Nissan GT-R ahead of his team-mate Bryan Heitkotter in third place.

Utah Race 1 Results

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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TUSC: Paul Miller Audi takes pole position at Virginia International Raceway

By Tarek Ramchani

The Paul Miller Racing team took a sensational pole position at Virginia International Raceway after a thrilling TUDOR United SportsCar Championship qualifying session.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS was the fastest within the GT Daytona class and set the best time in the session with 1:49.255 . Dion von Moltke who qualified the car is sharing the Audi with Christopher Haase. This is their third pole position this season in TUSC.

The two drivers are battling for the GT Daytona title with only three races left. Both Dion von Moltke and Christopher Haase will be eager to fight for the race victory.

Canadian team Compass360 Racing qualified in tenth place within the GT Daytona class. Their Audi #76 R8 LMS driven by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing.

The TUSC race at Virginia International Raceway is set for Sunday,

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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Pirelli World Challenge: Four Audi R8 LMS ultras ready for Miller Motorsports Park

By Tarek Ramchani

The Pirelli World Challenge is moving to the beautiful and challenging Miller Motorsports Park in Utah this weekend. The Audi Sport customer racing squad will be represented by a total of four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars representing three different teams.

Two Audi R8 LMS ultras will compete in the upper GT division. Mike Skeen will be once again behind the wheel of the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The CRP Racing driver faced a frustrating Mid-Ohio round last time out and will try to challenge for the top spots in Utah.

GMG Racing team owner James Sofronas will drive the #14 Audi R8 LMS ultra. James Sofronas is having an unlucky season in Pirelli World Challenge, the 2013 series' runner-up will try to bounce back and collect big points.

As it is the case in GT, two Audis will enter the GTA class. Drew Regitz will drive the #19 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Stephen Cameron Racing. Brent Holden will drive the #44 Audi R8 LMS ultra from GMG Racing.

Miller Motorsports Park Entry List

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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TUSC: The Audi teams chasing victory and big points at Virginia International Raceway

By Tarek Ramchani

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is moving to the very beautiful Virginia International Raceway this weekend. A very special round with no prototypes on track and an all GT field.

Only two classes will take part in the 2h45 endurance event: GT Le Mans and GT Daytona. Two Audi R8 LMS cars have been entered representing two Audi Sport customer racing teams.

The first car is coming from Paul Miller Racing. The team had a furstrating and unlucky Road America round last time out. The #48 car will be driven by Dion von Moltke and Christopher Mies. The two drivers will be eager to bounce back and fight for GT Daytona class victory.

Compass360 Racing will enter the Virginia round with their #78 Audi R8 LMS. The car will be shared by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing. The Canadian team is progressing with the car in the demanding GTD class with solid performances at Lime Rock and Road America.

At VIR the Audi teams and drivers will once again battle the strong rivals from Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Viper and Aston Martin teams.

Action will start Friday with two practice sessions. Practice 3 and qualifying are set for Saturday. The warm-up and the race on Sunday with a live stream coverage at www.imsa.com.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman / Compass360 Racing

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IMSA CTSCC: Positive Performance for Kyle Gimple at Road America‏

Kyle Gimple Press Release

The IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series staged Round 7 of the championship at Road America on Saturday and it was another positive outing for Kyle Gimple and his Compass360 Racing squad. Since debuting the new No. 75 Advanced Paint Technology/Children’s Tumor Foundation Audi S3 at Sebring International Raceway earlier this year, the team has worked to improve the car and has seen marked progress through the past few races.

Despite minimal practice time during the weekend, Gimple and co-driver Paul Holton drove to a 14th place finish in the race after starting 15th when qualifying was washed out and the grid was set by championship point order. That result is the team’s best finish this year in the Audi machine.

An issue with the car during the first practice and then a long red flag period during the second practice, saw the No. 75 Audi only take six laps around the Road America circuit prior to the drop of the green flag. But even without the full allotment of practice time, Gimple was happy with the set-up on the car and pleased with the improvements the team has made.

“The car was good - much better this weekend than we've had in the past,” said Gimple. “It's a good sign that we're accelerating our development with the car, getting faster each weekend. It's the second weekend in a row we're leaving basically happy with where we finished. We ended up 14th, and a top-15 this weekend is really good. It's the best finish we've had all year in the Audi. We'll go to VIR (Virginia International Raceway), where we've tested before, and just improve from there. I'm expecting by the time we go to Road Atlanta we'll be on the box. We'll see how it goes, it's definitely promising. But there is some stuff we have to work on to get the car to the next level, so we'll try to get it to that point by VIR.”

Gimple will next be in IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge action on August 20 at VIR for the Oak Tree Grand Prix event.

Photo credit: Sideline Sports Photography

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TUSC: Fast but unlucky Paul Miller Racing Audi at Road America

By Tarek Ramchani

Paul Miller Racing was fast but unlucky in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race at Road America. The Noth American Audi Sport customer racing team started the 2h45 event from position four on the grid.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS was shared by Dion von Moltke and Christopher Haase finished the event in sixth place in GT Daytona class. The two drivers had a solid race and performed very well with their Audi against strong rivals for GTD top spots. The car was running in second place in class but unfortunately lost some positions in the closing stages of the race.

Compass360 Racing peformed well in their second race with the Audi GT racer. The #76 Audi R8 LMS driven by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing ended the Elkhart Lake race in ninth place in class.

GT Daytona victory went to the #33 Dodge Viper GT3-R ahead of the  #007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in second place and the #73 Porsche 911 GT America in third.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

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TUSC: The 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Championship calendar unveiled

IMSA Press Release

As part of a “State of the Series” presentation that included the introduction of WeatherTech as new entitlement partner and the announcement of a 10-year extension of official partnerships with TUDOR and ROLEX, IMSA officials unveiled a 12-event schedule for the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The schedule opens with the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31, which will be the debut event at the new Daytona International Speedway motorsports stadium following the completion of the $400 million DAYTONA Rising project. The WeatherTech Championship Prototype (P) class will feature a 10-race schedule, while an 11-race calendar is planned for the Prototype Challenge (PC), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes.

Every venue on the 2016 WeatherTech Championship schedule hosted the series in 2015. Notable modifications include the addition of the PC class alongside the P and GTLM classes at Long Beach on April 16, the inclusion of all four classes (addition of GTD) at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 10 and the addition of GTLM to the PC and GTD classes at Lime Rock Park on July 23.

“The schedule of world-class venues that host WeatherTech Championship events continue to be one of IMSA’s most significant assets for our stakeholders and race fans,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “We’ve been able to confirm our following year’s schedule in August for the second consecutive year, which provides clear direction for our teams as they make their plans and speaks to the great relationships we’ve developed with our event promoters. Wherever possible, we’ve also preserved date equity and made strategic additions to the content at some venues, giving us 12 strong events in 2016. I’ve said it before, but our 2016 calendar provides our teams, marketing partners and most especially, our fans, with one of the best schedules in the industry – we couldn’t be more pleased.”

The WeatherTech Championship will continue to be anchored by four prestigious endurance events – also collectively known as the Tequila Patrόn North American Endurance Cup. Following the Rolex 24, the series moves to Sebring International Raceway on March 19 for the 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen moves back one week from its traditional date in 2016 to July 3, and the season will conclude on Oct. 1 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia with the Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.

In addition to the endurance events and the previously mentioned event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, all four WeatherTech Championship classes also will be featured at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 1, Road America on Aug. 7 and Circuit of The Americas on Sept. 17.

Detroit’s Belle Isle Park again hosts the P, PC and GTD classes on June 4 as GTLM teams take their traditional break for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and VIRginia International Raceway will showcase the two WeatherTech Championship GT classes on Aug. 21.

In addition to the race schedule, IMSA officials an IMSA-sanctioned test for all four WeatherTech Championship classes at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 17-18. This test will be the first of two IMSA-sanctioned preseason tests at Daytona, joining the Roar Before The Rolex 24, which will be held on Jan. 8-10, 2016.

Complete broadcast details will be released later, but all races again will be televised by FOX Sports.

2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Schedule

Date Event/Venue/Location (Classes Participating)
Jan. 30-31 Rolex 24 At Daytona (All)
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida

March 19 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida (All)
Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Florida

April 16 Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach (P, PC, GTLM)
Long Beach Street Circuit – Long Beach, California

May 1 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix (All)
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, California

June 4 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix (P, PC, GTD)
Belle Isle Park – Detroit, Michigan

July 3 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (All)
Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, New York

July 10 Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance (All)
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 23 Northeast Grand Prix (PC, GTLM, GTD)
Lime Rock Park – Lakeville, Connecticut

Aug. 7 Continental Tire Road Race Showcase (All)
Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Aug. 21 Oak Tree Grand Prix (GTLM, GTD)
VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia

Sept. 17 Lone Star Le Mans (All)
Circuit of The Americas – Austin, Texas

Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda (All)
Road Atlanta – Braselton, Georgia

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

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TUSC: Paul Miller Racing Audi qualified fourth at Road America

By Tarek Ramchani

The Paul Miller Racing team qualified in a strong fourth place at Road America after a thrilling TUDOR United SportsCar Championship qualifying session.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS was the fourth fastest within the GT Daytona class with a best time of 2:10.125. The car is shared by Dion von Moltke and Christopher Haase

The two drivers are leading the overall GT Daytona points standing and will target a race victory tomorrow at Elkhart Lake after a very unlucky Lime Rock Park round last time out.

The Compass360 Racing entry qualified in tenth position in GT Daytona class. The #76 Audi R8 LMS is driven by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing. This the second race for the Canadian team with the Audi GT racer in the demanding TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Pole position in GT Daytona went #73 Porsche 911 GT America ahead of the #33 Dodge Viper GT3-R in second and the #007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in third.

The TUSC race at Road America is set for Sunday.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman

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TUSC: Paull Miller Racing and Compass360 Racing Audi ready for Elkhart Lake

By Tarek Ramchani

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is heading to the beautiful Road America circuit. Two Audi R8 LMS cars will enter the Elkhart Lake event from Paul Miller Racing and Compass360 Racing.

The Audi Sport customer racing squad had a frustrating round las time out at Lime Rock Park. The Paul Miller Racing was strongly leading the GT Daytona field but a contact forced their Audi R8 LMS to retire from the race. Compass360 Racing debuted with the Audi R8 LMS in that event showing some positive performances.

At Road America the Paul Miller Racing team will be aiming high. Drivers Dion von Moltke and Christopher are eager to challenge for the win and take strong points. They are leading the GT Daytona standing with 171 points each ahead of Aston Martin's Christina Nielsen with 166 points.

Compass360 Racing will compete with the Audi GT racer for the second time in the premier North American sportscar series. Their #76 R8 LMS will be shared by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing.

As always the Audis will be challenged by some strong competitors for GT Daytona honors. The two R8 LMS cars will have to fight against nine GTD entries representing Aston Martin, BMW, Dodge and Porsche.

Road America Entry List

The TUSC action at Road America will start on Friday with two practice sessions. Practice session three and qualifying will be held on Saturday. The warm-up and the race are set for Sunday.

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Bob Chapman / Compass360 Racing

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Pirelli World Challenge: Compass360 joins GTS with an Audi TT RS

Compass360 Racing Press Release

Long-time Pirelli World Challenge team C360R (Compass360 Racing) today announced further expansion of its Audi racing program to include an Audi TT-RS in the series’ highly-competitive GTS class.

The new No. 78 car will be helmed by current C360R driver Paul Holton, with support from partners AERO Advanced Paint Technology, Spyder apparel and Audi Sport customer racing. As they have for the past five years, the team and driver will fly the colors of their charity of choice, the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

“We’ve been working with Paul since the beginning of the year, as one of our drivers in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge,” remarked C360R Team Principal Karl Thomson. “We also had him do a couple of non-conflicting World Challenge rounds, and were really impressed with his skills behind the wheel.”

Indeed, in just five starts in one of the team’s TCA-class cars, Paul notched three podiums, including a win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. “GTS is really competitive right now, and I am looking forward to going toe-to-toe with the guys at the front,” enthused Holton.

The move to GTS builds on the team’s growing relationship with Audi, which officially started on-track at Sebring, Florida in March with the launch of their new CTSC ST-class Audi S3 program, and expanded with the recently-debuted Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship. The TT-RS will first compete at the penultimate race of the 2015 World Challenge season, at Sonoma Raceway August 29-30, and will also be at the season finale at Laguna Seca.

Tristan Herbert, Manager, Audi Motorsport and Customer Racing commented, “We are thrilled that C360R is representing the Audi brand in three separate classifications featuring two of North America’s best sportscar racing series: the S3 in Continental ST, TT-RS in PWC GTS, and an Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR GTD class. This proves that Audi has opportunities to display performance and technology at all racing levels.”

034 Motorsport will serve as technical partners for the program, with the 034 shop in Fremont, CA, serving as home base for the two final west coast rounds and Christian Miller being tapped to lead the squad. “We’ve enjoyed working with Christian since winning the ST Championship together in 2009, and we’re really looking forward to continuing that success with him and the talented folks at 034,” said Thomson.

Like the team’s other Audis, the new TT-RS will be clothed in a striking livery featuring AERO paint. “The response we’ve had to our new Audi liveries has been extremely positive,” said C360R Technical Director Ray Lee. “We recently painted our transporters with AERO and continue to be impressed with the quality and finish of the product.”

No. 78 will carry the Children’s Tumor Foundation logo, and will serve as one of the featured cars on the charity’s paddock tour at each race. “The Foundation is grateful to C360R, who have supported us since 2010, and to all our partner teams in the Pirelli World Challenge paddock,” said CTF Racing4Research Director Jill Beck. “Our families in the blue shirts will now have the chance to cheer for Paul, who like all our R4R drivers, is simply wonderful with the kids.”

While the team begins testing the new TT-RS in the coming weeks in advance of its first race, the team will continue to field its championship-winning Honda Civic Si’s in TCA, with the next race being at Mid-Ohio on August 15-16.

Photo credit: Compass360 Racing

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Pirelli World Challenge: Mike Skeen Audi qualified in seventh place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

By Tarek Ramchani

The North American based Pirelli World Challenge is at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars took part in the qualifying session today.

The GT and GTA teams took part in the qualifying session today. Best ranked Audi driver was Mike Skeen in seventh place overall. Behind the wheel of the #2 car from CRP Racing he set a personal best of 1:20.662.

James Sofronas qualified in fourteenth place overall with the #14 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The GMG Racing team-woner and 2013 runnerup in Pirelli World Challenge swith a personal best of 1:21.037.

Drew Regitz was twenty-fourth fastest with the #19 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Cameron Racing. Unlike both Mike Skeen and James Sofronas, Drew Regitz is competing in the GTA class.

The first Pirelli World Challenge race is set for today.

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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TUSC: Brilliant pole position for Paul Miller Racing Audi at Lime Rock

By Tarek Ramchani

The Paul Miller Racing team took a sensational pole position at Lime Rock Park after a thrilling TUDOR United SportsCar Championship qualifying session.

The #48 Audi R8 LMS was the fastest within the GT Daytona class and set the best time with 54.004. Dion von Moltke who qualified the car is sharing the Audi with Christopher Haase. The two drivers are leading the overall GT Daytona points standing and will target a race win in the shortest track of the calendar.

The Lime Rock round is featuring a new Audi effort in GT Daytona. Canadian team Compass360 Racing is debuting their Audi in the premier North American sportscar series. The #76 R8 LMS qualified in ninth place within the GTD class and sixteenth overall. The car is driven by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing.

Lime Rock Qualifying Results

The TUSC Lime Rock race is set for Saturday, a sepcial event with only GT Daytona and Prototype Challenge classes.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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TUSC: Double duty for Compass360 Racing with Audi at Lime Rock

By Tarek Ramchani

The Compass360 Racing team will have a very busy racing weekend at Lime Rock. The Canadian squad will be competing in two different series with two different Audi race cars.

Compass360 Racing will debut with their Audi R8 LMS in the demanding TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Lime Rock Park. The #76 car will be driven by Ray Mason and Pierre Kleinubing competing in GT Daytona (GTD) class. The two drivers are eager to perform well in the 2h45 endurance event. Compass360 Racing will join another Audi team in the series, Paul Miller Racing.

The Lime Rock TUSC round will feature only GT Daytona and Prototype Challenge classes.

Compass360 Racing will have a presence in the other IMSA run series. Two Audi S3 quattros will compete in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The #74 Audi will be shared by  Jim McGuire and Nico Rondet. Their team-mates Paul Holton and Kyle Gimple will be behind the wheel of the sister #75 S3.

Last time out in Canada, the Compass360 Racing performed very well in practice and qualifying sessions but had an unlucky race. At Lime Rock the team will try to battle for the top spots in the shortest track of the CTSCC calendar.

Photo credit: Compass360 Racing

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Pirelli World Challenge: Four Audi R8 LMS ultras will enter the Mid-Ohio round

By Tarek Ramchani

The Pirelli World Challenge entry list for the next round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been published. The Audi Sport customer racing squad will be represented by a total of four Audi R8 LMS ultra cars representing four different teams.

Two Audi R8 LMS ultras will compete in the upper GT division. Mike Skeen will be once again behind the wheel of the #2 Audi R8 LMS ultra. The CRP Racing driver performed very well last time out at Road America and will fight for the overall win.

GMG Racing team owner James Sofronas will drive the #14 Audi R8 LMS ultra. He will be eager to battle for the top spots after some ups and downs in this year's competition.

As it is the case in GT, two Audis will enter the GTA class. Drew Regitz will drive the #19 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Stephen Cameron Racing. Jeff Courtney the team owner of JCR Motorsports will drive the #99 Audi R8 LMS ultra.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Entry List

Photo credit: Pirelli World Challenge

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Q/A: Interview with Christopher Haase - GT Daytona points leader in TUSC

By Tarek Ramchani

Christopher Haase is having a very successful 2015 season so far. The talented German Audi factory driver is leading the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the demanding TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. He is also competing in selected European races in Blancpain Endurance Series and French GT Tour.

We recently had a chat with Christopher Haase about his North American campaign with Paul Miller Racing and more.

You just clinched a great GTD podium with Paul Miller Racing at the 6 Hours of the Glen, tell us more about your race weekend.

All I can say is "what a race"! :-) We had the worst weather conditions which you can have. 'Slick' tyres on a damp track for the race start.

During the race, 'slicks' with it drizzling. In the closing stages, rain - no sorry, make that heavy rain! I was on rain tyres but the car would aquaplane under heavy acceleration even in a straight line. The conditions were very, very difficult. :-) For a couple of minutes, there was also a Red Flag stoppage because we couldn´t follow the Safety Car as it was impossible to see the rain lights of the cars in front. So it was a good choice to put out the Red Flag for safety reasons. After some minutes the weather improved a little and we went back to racing. But many cars went off the track causing more Safety Car periods. Indeed the last lap of the race was completed behind the Safety Car and I was very thankful for that. :-)

We always put the focus on ourselves and this was the key during the race to finish on the podium. And of course thanks to Paul Miller Racing for a great job in truly difficult conditions.

You are sharing the #48 Audi R8 LMS with Dion von Moltke, how is the work split between the two of you during race weekends?

There is nothing special. We have the same feeling of the car, so we always set-up the Audi in the same direction. We share all of our information which brings us closer as a team. He is a great team-mate and we also have fun together out of the car. ;-)

How strong is the competition in GT Daytona within the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship?

It is strong. Very strong. There are good drivers and teams in the series. They all know how they have to work in the Tudor. If you look to the championship points than you can get a feeling how strong it is. Each race is a new, big challenge.

How different is the new Audi R8 LMS (GT3) compared to the all conquering Audi R8 LMS ultra?

It is a big difference but a very positive one. :-) The new car is much easier to drive - I love it :-) . There is a better range to set-up the car for different driving styles and great interior cooling. But the drivability was the main focus to improve. The up and down shifting is much better, the traction control is supersensitive, and now we have the important buttons on the steering wheel. For the long distance races, when there are multiple drivers sharing a car, there is now the possibility to change the pedalbox to get the best possible seat position for each driver. And of course the new R8 LMS just looks amazing. :-)

This year you will not compete in the Spa 24 Hours (clash with Lime Rock TUSC race), what are Audi chances in the event with the new car?

Unfortunately that's true. In future the Tudor series and the 24h of Spa race should find a schedule that doesn't clash. We already showed at the 24hNürburgring that our new Audi is capable of winning a 24h race. But remember it is still a brand new car, so we shouldn´t think too much about winning. The car has great performance and without any issues, I'm sure they will fight for the victory. I will cross my fingers for them. :-)

Blancpain Endurance Series vs TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, which series is more demanding?

The two championships are difficult to compare. In BES there are around 65 GT3 cars. To race in such a big field is great but also physical. There is never a 'free' lap. And to overtake a [GT3] car with your own [GT3] car is not easy. Each car/brands have different advantages and disadvantages around a track, so a driver must figure out the optimum place to overtake and of course this changes on each race track.

Whereby in the Tudor series, there are GTD, GTLM, PC, LMP2, DP cars. In your own class, you have the same issues like in BES with different cars/brands. But these cars don´t have ABS or TC plus less downforce, making them more difficult to drive than a GT3-specification car. There are less cars in he GTD class but on the other hand, there are the faster GTLM, LMP2 and DP cars on track - none of which want to loose any time behind a slower class car. Often in a race there is the scenario of fighting with a car in my class but then suddenly faster class cars, themselves fighting for position, are in my mirrors. To find the right balance on track is very difficult. Sometimes you are just in the wrong place [corner] at the wrong time which can effect your race either in a negative or positive way.

So both championships have a different style of racing - one is not more demanding than the other. But if you want to win, it will be never easy!

Photo credit: Paul Miller Racing / Audi Media / Blancpain GT Series

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IMSA CTSCC: Improving Compass360 Racing Audi S3s in Canada

By Tarek Ramchani

The Compass360 Racing team was in Canada this weekend with its pair of Audi S3 cars. The Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (former Mosport) played host to fifth round of the 2015 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

The #74 Audi S3 was driven by Jim McGuire and Nico Rondet. The sister #75 machine was in the hands of Paul Holton and Kyle Gimple.

Compass360 Racing worked hard on the car and the Audi S3 is starting to perform well in the demanding ST (Street Tuner) class. The car is no doubt more competitve and the gap compared to its ST rivals has been reduced. The Audi S3 was strong throughout the weekend with solid performances in practice sessions and qualifying.

Unfortunately the team had an unlucky race on Saturday. Paul Holton and Kyle Gimple ended the 2h30 endurance event in eighteenth place within the ST class. Their team-mates Jim McGuire and Nico Rondet were a position behind in ninteenth place.

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Results

Neverthless credits to the Compass360 Racing crew members and drivers, they kept pushing and never gave up. The privateer Audi team will be eager to perform well in the next CTSCC round at Lime Rock Park.

Photo credit: Motorsport.com

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IMSA CTSCC: Kyle Gimple bound for Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Kyle Gimple Press Release

Kyle Gimple returns to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) this weekend with Compass360 Racing. Though the track isn’t new to Gimple, it is a challenging one and the weekend marks his first driving an Audi S3 at the track.

The CTMP event is the fifth round of IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition and the fourth outing for the all-new Compass360 Racing prepared Audi S3.

Last year at CTMP – which is known for its very fast pace – the track proved a strong one for Gimple and his former co-driver Ryan Eversley when the duo drove to a fourth place finish while racing with a Honda Civic. Gimple showed quick speed at the track, qualifying the car third on the grid.

And though quick at the Canadian circuit in the past, arriving to the track with a new car, the No. 75 AERO Advanced Paint Technology/Children’s Tumor Foundation Audi S3, presents a bit of the unknown.

“The team tested at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park a few weeks ago and they found some things that really improved the car with speed,” said Gimple. “So from hearing their feedback, I think we should do well at Mosport (CTMP). We're definitely catching up on the new Audi. So we'll see how it goes. We were decent there in the Honda last year, so we'll just have to see what happens. I’m looking forward to it.”

Gimple and his co-driver Paul Holton will get their first chance to test out the Audi at the 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course on Thursday during a promoter test day.

Official practice begins on Friday with two sessions ahead of a 15-minute qualifying session in the evening. The 2.5-hour race is set to go green at 1:25 PM ET with LIVE coverage on IMSA.com.

Photo credit: Compass360 Racing

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