The eagery awaited debut of the Audi R8 LMS entered by the team Black Falcon was crowned with success at the opening race of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring. The first pole position ever for Audi in the VLN history and overall position seven in the race which faced such a first class entry, the VLN Champion team had a more than successful start in the top of the most successful GT and Touring Car series in Europe. Continue reading ‘VLN: Perfect start for Black Falcon and their Audi R8 LMS’

“Hello again! Today I’m writing to you from Florida where we’ve been busy testing our Le Mans car for this year, the R15 plus, since Monday. Before I left for the United States, I made a quick stop at Audi Sport’s workshop in Ingolstadt. Even there I could really feel that the new season is just around the corner and everyone’s just dying for the first race to start – whether they’re part of our sports car team, the DTM squad or in customer sport with the R8 LMS. (continue reading…)

United Autosports has successfully completed the first test of its 2010-specification Audi R8 LMS sportscars.

American Zak Brown (Carmel, IN), the Chairman and Co-Owner of United Autosports, and Argentinean Pablo Pérez Companc drove their Remington sponsored #23 Audi with Michael Guasch (Walnut Creek, CA) the sole driver of the ‘sister’ #22 Molecule R8 LMS. Guasch’s fellow American co-driver, Mark Patterson, was unable to attend due to work commitments.

Despite inclement weather on the opening day of the two-day test at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimão in Portugal (8-9 Mar), the American owned and British-based team clocked up a trouble-free 1,200km.

Richard Dean, Managing Director and Co-Owner of United Autosports, commented: ‘We knew the Audi R8 LMS would be good but it’s truly fantastic! We encountered no problems whatsoever.

‘The build quality is stunning. Audi Sport personnel were in attendance for our maiden runs while our drivers and engineers were highly delighted with the R8 LMS and the 2010-spec Michelin tyres.’

Patterson will get his first run in the latest evolution version of the 525-hp Audi R8 LMS which claimed three championship titles and 23 race wins in its 2009 début season at Silverstone (23-24 Mar) when he will be joined by all three team-mates.

The newly-formed team’s focus in 2010 is on successfully defending the FIA GT3 European Championship title for the German manufacturer which begins at Silverstone (GB) in May.

The 2010-spec Audi R8 LMS features detailed improvements to the chassis and suspension. The capacity of the engine’s cooling system has been improved to cope with extreme ambient temperatures. Meanwhile the electronics and exhaust system have been further optimized.

Yorkshire-based United Autosports will make its race début in the opening round of the British GT Championship at Oulton Park (5 Apr) a month before the FIA ‘opener’ at Silverstone.

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With the FIA GT3 season a few months away, Christopher Haase, Christopher Mies and Phoenix Racing can now look back with excitement and towards 2010 with great ambitions.

Phoenix Racing’s Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies have been confirmed as the 2009 FIA GT3 European Champions by the FIA following the decision by the RACB to reject the appeal made after the result of the final event of the 2009 season at Zolder last October. (continue reading…)