Facts about the DTM race at Le Mans

Did you know that ...

... France, with 47,540 cars delivered (2007), is one of Audi’s four core markets in continental Europe and that last year the brand sold 4.4 per cent more vehicles there than in 2006?

... Le Mans with the Circuit Bugatti was once – namely 2006 – a part of the DTM calendar and this was the only French race to date to have been run since the new DTM was established in the year 2000?

... the DTM immediately attracted 34,000 spectators?

… Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the eighth time since 2000 in June, and Tom Kristensen for the eighth time since 1997?

… Tom Kristensen is the only one of the three victorious Audi R10 TDI drivers who races in the DTM at the same time?

… two other Audi drivers, Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller, compete for the second time this year at Le Mans?

… Tom Kristensen is not only a record winner on the long-circuit at Le Mans, but was also the best Audi driver in the DTM on the Bugatti circuit in 2006? He qualified on the front row and finished on the podium in third place.

… only four of the current ten Audi drivers raced in the DTM at Le Mans in 2006, and in fact the quartet that today drives for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline?

… other drivers from the current Audi squad have good memories of Le Mans? Alexandre Prémat’s motorsport career started on the circuit at the Sarthe, while Markus Winkelhock won a Formula Renault World Series race there in 2005?

… the DTM track records set in October 2006 can no longer be regarded as benchmark because the circuit has been lengthened since then by five metres in the area of “Virage du Garage vert”?

… Tom Kristensen and his team mates will complete 40 laps around the 4.185-kilometre circuit on the first weekend in October?

… the length of the DTM race therefore equals 167.4 kilometres? This represents 3.2 per cent of the distance (5192,649 km) covered by Tom Kristensen/Dindo Capello/Allan McNish as winners of the 24-hours in June.