Audi Sport customer racing recorded the 50th victory of an Audi R8 LMS in the ADAC GT Masters since 2009 thanks to the success of Montaplast by Land-Motorsport. The GT2 version of the sports car and the Audi RS 3 LMS TCR touring car also added to the brand’s track record on the third weekend in August.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
First win of the season for Christopher Mies: On the fifth race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring, Christopher Mies celebrated his first victory of the season. Last season’s champion had started Sunday’s race in fourth place in the Audi R8 LMS fielded by Montaplast by Land-Motorsport. In the early stages, the 33-year-old professional driver engaged in a battle with Lamborghini driver Jack Aitken for third position which the Audi Sport driver defended. At the pit stop on lap 24, Mies handed over his GT3 race car in second place to teammate Tim Zimmermann. The 25-year-old privateer began his stint in second place and took the lead after an opponent’s pit stop on lap 26. In the end, he won by one second. For the driver from Baden-Württemberg, it was the first victory in the ADAC GT Masters, for Audi Sport customer racing and the team of Wolfgang and Christian Land the second win of the season. The Audi R8 LMS that has been competing in the ADAC GT Masters since 2009 thus recorded its 50th success in the popular German racing series.
Audi R8 LMS GT2
Two class wins in America: C. J. Moses returned with two trophies from the sixth race weekend of the GT America powered by AWS racing series. He won his class in the first race on the Road America circuit in the Audi R8 LMS GT2 and finished fifth overall in a mixed GT sports car field. In the second 40-minute race, Moses was again the class winner in seventh overall behind the GT3 sports cars. GMG Racing fielded the 470 kW (640 hp) Audi in the US state of Wisconsin for the privateer driver.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Third success of the season in Scandinavia: For the third time, the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II won a round of the TCR Scandinavia, with Oliver Söderström being the fastest driver for the first time. On the Gelleråsen circuit, the Swede had started the race from pole position and did not relinquish his position once in the course of 14 laps. At the finish, he was 1.6 seconds ahead of Cupra driver and championship leader Robert Dahlgren. The Lestrup Racing Team also took a second trophy, with Söderström’s teammate Andreas Bäckman scoring third place. In the second race, Hugo Nerman made a strong start. He improved in the Brink Motorsport Audi RS 3 LMS from fourth to second position, which he held until the finish. His teammate Tobias Brink also climbed the podium after the original third-place finisher Dahlgren received a penalty for a false start. Two Audi drivers improved significantly in race three as well and received trophies for this after 14 race laps. Andreas Bäckman, who started in fourth place, gained two positions, while Tobias Brink even made up three places from starting position six. Söderström and Brink are now tied in third place after four of six events, just one point behind Mattias Andersson and 48 points behind leader Robert Dahlgren. In the team standings, Lestrup Racing is the second-best team ahead of Brink Motorsport.
Two wins for Audi in Canada: The Audi RS 3 LMS set the tone in both races at the fifth round of the Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin. In the first race on the Calabogie circuit, Jean-François Hevey managed his second victory of the season with good tactics. The Canadian paid attention to his tire wear and at times allowed himself to be overtaken by several opponents. But in the end, with fresher tires and more than five seconds ahead of Justin di Benedetto in another Audi, he kept the upper hand. Jerimy Daniel, another privateer in an RS 3 LMS, also managed a podium result with third place. In the second race, Justin di Benedetto celebrated his first win of the season in an Audi RS 3 LMS with DSG gearbox. He had an advantage of more than twelve seconds after 40 minutes of racing. Before the finale on the first weekend in September, Audi privateer Jerimy Daniel is 36 points ahead of brand colleague Jean-François Hevey in the standings. Another 43 points behind follows Ron Tomlinson, a third Audi privateer.
Club racing victory in Great Britain: Paul Sheard Autosport achieved a debut success with the Audi RS 3 LMS gen II in British club racing. The squad from Cheshire in the northwest of England competed in the fifth round of the British Endurance Championship with the car they only acquired in June. Jonathan Beeson won his class by 9.5 seconds in the two-hour race at Donington. In the mixed sports and touring car series, the category for TCR race cars, in which the Audi privateer competed, was the class with the largest number of competitors with eight cars being entered.
Podium in the Slovak Republic: Audi privateer Bartosz Groszek clinched third place in the second sprint on the fifth and penultimate race weekend of the TCR Eastern Europe. The Pole had originally received a penalty for a dangerous maneuver at the Slovakiaring but successfully appealed the penalty, thus retaining his third place in the Audi RS 3 LMS. Two weeks before the finale at Most, Groszek as leader of the standings maintained his two-point advantage over Hyundai driver Petr Semerád.
Class victory in the Audi RS 3 LMS: Jakub Franek prevailed in his class in the Eset Cup endurance race at the Slovakiaring. The Pole in the Audi RS 3 LMS had built a one-lap lead over his best pursuer after one hour of racing on the fourth race weekend. The race not only counts towards the Eset Cup but also towards the Polish championship Wyscigowe Samochodowe Mistrzostwa Polski.
Second place in the standings preserved: Masanobu Kato defended his second position in the standings on Sunday’s fourth of six race weekends in the TCR Japan. The Japanese driver finished third in the second sprint race at Motegi in the Audi RS 3 LMS fielded by Team Mars. With two events remaining, Kato is 23 points behind championship leader Hirobon and six points ahead of pursuer Anna Inotsume.
Coming up next week
25–28/08 Buriram (THA), round 2, Thailand Super Series
26–28/08 Virginia (USA), round 9, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
26–28/08 Assen (NL), round 4, GTC Race
26–28/08 Assen (NL), round 5, Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy
26–28/08 Nürburgring (D), round 5, DTM
26–28/08 Nürburgring (D), round 4, DTM Trophy
26–28/08 R´io Hondo (RA), round 6 TCR South America
27–28/08 Nürburgring (D), round 5 TCR Europe
27–28/08 Suzuka (J), round 5, Super GT
27–28/08 Jyllandsringen (DK), round 5, TCR Denmark
29/08 Donington (GB), round 6, TCR UK