Customer successes for Audi Sport in Asia and Europe
- GT3 victories in Austria and Great Britain
- Podium finishes for Audi RS 3 LMS in Austria, The Netherlands and in China
- Close championship standings in Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup
The Audi R8 LMS sets the standards in customer hands in German, Central European and British GT3 club racing. Drivers of the Audi R8 LMS GT4 and Audi RS 3 LMS also claimed podium positions.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
Two victories in Austria: The Audi customer teams continued their successful run on the third DMV GTC race weekend. Christian Malcharek claimed third place in the first sprint race at the Red Bull Ring in the Audi R8 LMS fielded by Audi Sport Slovakia. Fabian Plentz won the second sprint, while third place went to Jirko Malcharek. In the Dunlop 60 race, Plentz shared a cockpit with Kevin Arnold. The two drivers won the endurance race for HCB-Rutronik Racing by ten seconds at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS.
Olimp Racing dominate second race weekend: In the FIA CEZ, there is currently no getting around the Polish Audi customer racing team Olimp Racing. Marcin Jedlinski won both sprint races at the Red Bull Ring on the second race weekend and also the endurance race in the Audi R8 LMS. Furthermore, Richard Chlad Jr. claimed a second and a third place in the sprint races in an Audi R8 LMS ultra.
Optimum result: The Optimum Motorsport squad contested the second round of the GT Cup Championship in Great Britain. Bradley Ellis and Oliver Wilkinson shared an Audi R8 LMS fielded by Shaun Goff’s team at Brands Hatch. The two Britons won all three races on the 3.9 kilometer long Grand Prix course at the gates of London.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
One win and two third places: Styria was well worth a visit for Jean-Luc Weidt. The budding young driver from Germany competed in the third round of the DMV GTC with his Audi R8 LMS GT4. In the two 30-minute sprints around the Red Bull Ring he took third place in his category. In the subsequent Dunlop 60 race, Weidt won his class ahead of two other competitors.
Two winners in the Lausitz: Bartosz Paziewski celebrated his first win of the season on the second Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup race weekend. The Pole won the first race at the Lausitzring from Kris Heidorn. In the second race, Heidorn claimed his third victory of the season and was followed across the line by Paziewski. Third place in both races went to Maximilian Paul. As a result, Heidorn heads the rankings by two points from Paziewski. Seven points behind follows the Hungarian Vivien Keszthelyi.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Two victories at the Red Bull Ring: Kevin Arnold dominated proceedings in his Audi RS 3 LMS at the third round of the DMV GTC in Austria. The 18-year old junior won his class in both sprint races. In the first race, Arnold built up a six second lead around the rollercoaster circuit in Spielberg. In the second race, his closest rival was even beaten by 9.4 seconds.
Super sub: At the second round of the TCR Europe, Jaap van Lagen was drafted into the Leopard Lukoil team to substitute for Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay, who was competing at the same time in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup. The Dutchman secured pole position in his home race at Zandvoort in the Audi RS 3 LMS. In the first race he dropped to fifth place at the start, but fought his way back up to third place. His performance in race two was even better: from ninth on the grid, he made a strong comeback drive to finally take the checkered flag in second place after 14 laps. As a result he won the TCR Benelux classification at the same time in both races.
Two trophies for Václav Nimč Jr.: Aspiring talent Václav Nimč Jr. finished on the podium in both sprint races of the second FIA CEZ race weekend. The Czech racing driver from Krenek Motorsport took third in his class in both events in his Audi RS 3 LMS.
Podium finishes in season opener in China: The second season of TCR China started with two trophies in Zhuhai for Audi customer racing team New Faster Racing. In the first race, Hao Wang battled from fifth on the grid to third place in an Audi RS 3 LMS. In the third race his teammate Carson Tang took second place, claiming another podium result.
Coming up next week
24–26/05 Imola (I), round 4, 24H GT Series
24–26/05 Imola (I), round 3, 24H TCE Series
25–26/05 Lime Rock Park (USA), rounds 5 and 6, Pirelli World Challenge GT-X
25–26/05 Lime Rock Park (USA), rounds 5 and 6, Pirelli World Challenge GTS-X
25–26/05 Lime Rock Park (USA), rounds 5 and 6, Pirelli World Challenge TCR
26–27/05 Braga (P), rounds 3 to 6, TCR Portugal
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