APR scored their first podium finish with their brand-new Audi R8 Grand-Am on Saturday. The P2 finish was the highest for the new R8. The only prior top-10 finish for the No. 51 APR Motorsports Audi was ninth at Montreal. Dion von Moltke brought the car home safely after several contacts with other GT cars in a very hard fought finale. Dion and his co-driver Dr. Jim Norman were able to fight their way back from 16th place in an impressive 2nd place finish after an accident during qualifying forced them to start at the rear.
The German from Bad Munstereifel Qualifies Second in First GRAND-AM Appearance
Proving a quick study to the challenges of the Watkins Glen International circuit, Frank Stippler drove the no. 52 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am to second in the fifteen-minute qualifying session for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen.
APR Motorsport announces second Audi R8 GRAND-AM to compete at Watkins Glenn
Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler to pilot the new #52 Audi R8 GRAND-AM
Expanded Driver lineup for #51 APR Motorsport race car
A second APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM will compete at Six Hours at the Glen GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car endurance classic. The #52 race car will join its sister car, #51, as they continue to find improvements and strategic advantages for the second longest race on the series schedule.
DOVER, N.J. – Newly formed Limitless Racing is campaigning a new Audi R8 GRAND-AM in the highly competitive Rolex GT series and has added rising star Elivan Goulart to pilot and manage their efforts. The team, founded by Dr. Jason Lee of New Jersey, is scheduled to run in at least four GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class events in 2012 with plans to run a full season in 2013. Goulart is making quite a name for himself, most recently claiming SCCA 2011 Spec Miata National Champion honors, NASA 25 hours of Thunderhill Champion, 2011 SCCA President’s Cup award recipient and North East Division Driver of the Year.
It is one thing for privateers to take a production car and turn it into a race car, it is another thing all together for an automotive manufacture to build a turnkey race car for their customers. This is precisely what Audi has done with the R8 LMS / Grand-am race car. This car is set to make its North American debut this weekend at the 50th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. This new video released by Audi shows the new race car and highlights the differences between it and the showroom version of the same chassis. Enjoy the video, and please join us in rooting on the Audi R8s at Daytona this weekend!
Bolstering its first effort on the Rolex 24 at Daytona, APRMotorsport is proud to announce Emanuele Pirro – a man synonymous with Audi and success in endurance racing – will be behind the wheel of the no. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 Grand-Am for this year’s 24-hour classic.
“I would like to thank APR for giving me this opportunity to drive in one of the classic 24-hour races,” said Pirro. “I have a lot to learn, and I hope to be able, together with the rest of the APRMotorsport team, to finish the race in a good position to make the best possible introduction of the Audi R8 Grand-Am in the American market. I know the race will be super competitive. I am ready for it; I am well trained; I am in very good shape and very motivated. I will have a very open-minded approach, as I have very limited experience in the GT class, although I have overtaken tons of them in 10 years of prototype racing!”
Pirro’s success with Audi dates back to 1994 when he took the Italian Touring Car Championship at the wheel of an Audi 80 sedan. Sports car fans in America will undoubtedly link him to Audi’s legendary R8 and R10 LMP racers, which Pirro drove to five wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as two championships in the American Le Mans Series. After retiring from active competition with Audi, Pirro drove in select ALMS races in the Drayson Lola – earning himself a spot on SpeedHunters.com’s Greatest 20 Overtakes with a daring move to take the lead at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2010.
