Maximum suspense is guaranteed in the title fight in the only worldwide TCR racing series: Audi driver Rob Huff is level on points with Yann Ehrlacher at the top of the standings after the race weekend in Bathurst, Australia. Ten podium results for the Audi R8 LMS round off a successful race weekend for the customers of Audi Sport customer racing.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
Thrilling finale guaranteed: Audi driver Rob Huff has once again improved his title chances at the eighth and penultimate round of the Kumho TCR World Tour in Bathurst. The Briton came to the famous race track at Mount Panorama one point behind and now travels to the finale tied on points with Yann Ehrlacher. In the first of three sprints, Huff had started from eighth on the grid and finished sixth. He made up one place from fifth in the second race. In the third race, he achieved a podium result from fifth on the grid. The Brit in the Audi RS 3 LMS from Audi Sport Comtoyou moved up one position on the first lap and was able to leave Honda driver Tony D’Alberto behind. From lap 7, the safety car led the field after two participants retired. However, when the race was due to be restarted, an accident occurred and the race ended behind the safety car. Rob Huff collected 22 valuable points in third place. This means there is a mathematical tie at the top. The finale in Macau is just six days away. Rob Huff has already celebrated ten touring car victories in various racing series on the demanding street circuit in his career. His teammate Frédéric Vervisch has also been victorious at the wheel of the Audi RS 3 LMS in the streets of the Asian metropolis in the past.
Three podium finishes in Spain: At the third round of TCR Spain, Audi customers recorded a total of three podium results. In the first sprint on the Jerez circuit, Lewis Brown in the Audi RS 3 LMS from Comtoyou made a strong start from fourth place. He immediately took over second position and, as the best of eight Audi drivers, did not relinquish it until the finish. In the reverse grid for the second race, a woman started the race from pole position: Amàlia Vinyes Dabad from Andorra took up the race in the Baporo Motorsport Audi from the front. However, Spaniard Alvaro García immediately overtook her in the Comtoyou Audi and drove to a commanding victory over the course of 15 laps. Teammate Lewis Brown followed in second place, 5.7 seconds behind. Ahead of the finale on the first weekend in December, García is the best Audi privateer driver in second place in the standings.
Two podium results on the street circuit: On the first of two race weekends in Macau, two customer teams each achieved a podium result with the Audi RS 3 LMS. Chan Wengtong finished third for Team 326 Racing in the first race of the TCR Asia Challenge. Ten Audi cars were on the grid in the field of 24 participants. In the second race, Li Kahei from the Shaanxi Tianshi Racing Team crossed the finish line half a second behind in second place after leading for four laps. Together with Hu Heng, who was fourth for the Shaanxi Tianshi Racing Team in the first race, Chan Wengtong and Li Kahei each received an entry for next weekend’s Guia race at the same venue for their good results. They will therefore take part in the final round of the Kumho TCR World Tour.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
Fifth victory at Thunderhill: With a duration of 25 hours, the American club race at Thunderhill is an exception on the international racing calendar. Exactly ten years after the first success of an Audi customer team, the fifth overall victory went to an Audi privateer team. Tom Burt/Thomas Merrill/Eddie Nakato/Rick Wright triumphed in the Audi R8 LMS of the Three Thieves Racing team on the Californian rollercoaster track with a 34-lap lead over their closest rivals.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
A good end to the season in German club racing: Audi customer team Seyffarth Motorsport returned from the finale of the North German ADAC Börde Tourenwagen Cup with nine trophies. In the first sprint at Oschersleben, the team finished second in its class with Finn Alexander Ellmer-Kiehn in the Audi R8 LMS GT4. Lars Ellmer-Kiehn achieved the same result in the second sprint. In the third sprint, Tobias Erdmann finished second ahead of Lennart Wolf. In the fourth sprint, Max Zschuppe secured second place ahead of Lars Ellmer-Kiehn. The program also included two endurance races. Tobias Erdmann finished the first 60-minute race in second place ahead of Lars and Finn Alexander Ellmer-Kiehn. Tobias Erdmann won the second endurance race with a lead of 1m 07s.
Coming up next week
16–19/11 Macau (MAC), FIA GT World Cup
16–19/11 Macau (MAC), round 9, Kumho TCR World Tour
16–19/11 Macau (MAC), Macau Touring Car Cup
17–18/11 Zwartkops (ZA), round 9, G&H Transport Extreme Supercars Series
19/11 Magione (I), round 2, Coppa Italia Turismo Endurance