Audi achieves “Petit Le Mans” hat-trick

The podium at Road Atlanta

• Third consecutive triumph for the Audi R10 TDI
  
• Capello/McNish/Pirro win after fight back
  
• Luhr/Werner finish third

ROAD ATLANTA : October 5, 2008 – With an impressive success at Road Atlanta (U.S. state of Georgia) Audi continued its winning streak at the prestigious 1000-mile race "Petit Le Mans”. In front of a record crowd of 113,000 spectators, Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Emanuele Pirro achieved Audi’s ninth consecutive victory. Audi thus remains unbeaten at "Petit Le Mans”.

Audi R10 TDI #2 (Audi Sport North America), Marco Werner

Team Audi Sport North America won at Road Atlanta for a third time in a row with the Audi R10 TDI. After the hat-trick in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Audi thus also achieved a hat-trick with the revolutionary diesel-powered sportscar in the "small brother” of the French Endurance classic. After almost ten hours, the winning Audi R10 TDI beat the second placed Peugeot 908 by 4.512 seconds. Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner completed the Audi triumph with third place.

Audi R10 TDI #2 (Audi Sport North America), Marco Werner

The winning drive of Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Emanuele Pirro will go down in the history books as one of the most important Endurance races in the U.S. alongside the Sebring 12 Hours. Allan McNish lost control of the Audi R10 TDI on cold tyres on his way to the starting grid spinning into the wall. It was a huge effort by Team Audi Sport North America to rebuild the badly damaged car in just over an hour.

Audi R10 TDI #2 (Audi Sport North America), Marco Werner

Allan McNish had to start the race two laps down. Consistently fast lap times, a good strategy and perfect pit-stops allowed the number 1 Audi R10 TDI to come back onto the lead-lap. A tyre problem and coolers covered by tyre pick-up, however, later cost another lap.

Using the total of eleven caution periods in the best possible way, the team was again able to recover the lost lap. Finally it was decisive that Allan McNish changed the tyres once more at the last refuelling stop. On the fresher tyres he was first able to pass his team-mate Marco Werner. On lap 364 of 394 he then was able to outbrake the leading Peugeot. The Peugeot tried to fight back but McNish kept the lead in a 300-kph wheel-to-wheel battle.

Dindo Capello and Allan McNish during a driver change

McNish crossed the finish line as the winner of one of the most exciting "Petit Le Mans” races with a 4.512-second margin. Marco Werner put pressure on Christian Klien in the Peugeot in the final laps but could not pass him. In the end the number 2 Audi R10 TDI missed second place by just 3.053 seconds. The lead changed a total of 29 times in the turbulent race. Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner led 135 of 394 laps and were able to open a gap of over half a minute. The caution periods, however, worked against them.

Audi R10 TDI #2 (Audi Sport North America), Marco Werner

Audi had already clinched the the LM P1 Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championship of the American Le Mans Series prior the "Petit Le Mans” race. The finale will take place at Laguna Seca (U.S. state of California) on 18 October.

The results at Road Atlanta

1 Capello/McNish/Pirro (Audi R10 TDI) 394 laps in 9h 41m 17.825s
2 Minassian/Sarrazin/Klien (Peugeot) + 4.512s
3 Luhr/Werner (Audi R10 TDI) + 7.565s
4 Castroneves/Briscoe (Porsche) + 42.672s
5 Dumas/Bernhard (Porsche) + 1m 04.350s
6 Maassen/Long/Collard (Porsche) - 2 laps
7 Franchitti/Leitzinger/Lally (Porsche) - 3 laps
8 de Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon (Acura/Honda) - 6 laps
9 Smith/Dyson (Porsche) - 10 laps
10 O’Connell/Magnussen/Fellows (Chevrolet) - 29 laps

[Source : Audi Motorsport]