- Customer teams in New Zealand win endurance classifications
- Audi private teams provide variety in Italian touring car racing
- Debut for “Dakar Chronicles” in Paris
The International Motorsport customer team celebrated a strong winning streak in New Zealand with a well-deserved title win for its Audi R8 LMS. The brand’s customers also remain the benchmark in touring car racing, as the halfway point of the TCR Italy season proves. A film premiere with the Audi RS Q e-tron drew a lot of applause in the city center of Paris.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
First title successes of the season in New Zealand: The North Island Endurance Series completed the last two of its three championship rounds in the space of just one calendar week. After 2016, 2017 and 2023, the title in the 3-hour category was decided in favor of an Audi customer team for the fourth time. Sam Fillmore and Jonny Reid won both races with Team International Motorsport (IMS) in the Audi R8 LMS, having already prevailed in the season opener. This is Fillmore’s second title after 2023 and Reid’s third after 2016 and 2023. The second event at Hampton Downs turned out to be a thrilling comeback race.
After a spin and a safety car period, Fillmore was one lap down. One of the strategic moves that made the success possible was a pit stop during which the team only changed the tires on the left side of the car, which were subject to higher loads. After three hours of racing, Sam Fillmore/Jonny Reid achieved a narrow victory with a lead of 0.851 seconds. Second place went to another Audi team: Steve Brooks/Ryan Wood were the best pursuers in the Audi R8 LMS from Wolfbrook Motorsport. Wood continued to close the gap, but was unable to overtake the leading Audi. The final race, again held at Hampton Downs, took place a week later. At 21.1 seconds, Fillmore/Reid’s lead was bigger than ever before this season.
The two New Zealanders then celebrated their title win with a 23-point lead. Steve Brooks/Bill Riding finished third and clinched the class title in the drivers classification for amateur crews. Yang Baijie and Li Zhicong made a strong debut as a new driver pairing in the third round of the China GT Championship. The Chinese pairing celebrated overall victory in the second race from eleventh on the grid in the Audi R8 LMS of the 610 Racing team after finishing third in the first race. Their brand colleagues Dennis Zhang/Liu Kaishun completed the podium in the second race in third place for Team Harmony Racing. There were also successful Audi customer teams in the amateur classification.
Liu Hangcheng/Lu Zhiwei won this class in the first race for 33R Harmony Racing ahead of Pan Deng/Yang Xiaowei from 610 Racing and Jiang Nan/Yang Haojie from 33R Harmony Racing. In the second race, Chen Yechong/Song Yiran with the Uno Racing Team were the second-best amateur team with an Audi R8 LMS. Tresor Attempto Racing were delighted with a second place in class in the Campionato Italiano GT Endurance.
At the second round of the series in Monza, Riccardo Cazzaniga/Rocco Mazzola/Fabio Rauer crossed the finish line in second place in the Pro class after three hours of racing, 25.4 seconds behind the leader. Team CCS Racing recorded two victories in the third round of the P9 Challenge. Thomas Westarp won the second sprint and the one-hour endurance race at the Lausitzring in the Bavarian team’s Audi R8 LMS. At the third round of the Extreme Supercars in Zwartkops, South Africa, Paul Hill finished third, first and second in the Audi R8 LMS in Class A in three races.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
New frontrunner in Italy: At the top of the TCR Italy standings, a change in the lead between Audi’s best customer teams at the halfway point of the season is providing fans with plenty of excitement. Nicola Baldan in the Audi RS 3 LMS of Aikoa Racing took over the top position in Monza from Canadian Nicolas Taylor, who is now 29 points behind the Italian after a retirement. Pietro Alessi and Matteo Poloni, two other Audi privateer drivers, follow in the next positions in the standings.
In the first race, Matteo Poloni in the Gear Works Audi took his first win of the season ahead of Pietro Alessi from BF Motorsport. Poloni had best grasped an unclear situation in the middle of the race and overtook two rivals in quick succession on his way to victory. Nicolas Taylor completed a one-two-three for Audi customers with PMA Motorsport. In the second race, Nicola Baldan saved a narrow lead of 0.858 seconds over Aikoa teammate Francesco Cardone after a five-second penalty. The time penalty was imposed because Baldan had cut through the first chicane at the start to avoid his teammate.
Audi privateers were also successful in other categories: Francesco Cardone won the Masters classification on Saturday and Sunday, followed by Sandro Pelatti from PMA Motorsport in third and second place. The best rookie in the first race was Carlo Alberto Bocca from BF Motorsport ahead of Zekai Özen from the Texaco team. On Sunday, Özen was second ahead of Bocca. Pietro Alessi from BF Motorsport won the age group up to 25 years with a lead of three tenths of a second over Nicolas Taylor on Saturday. The following day, Filippo Barberi from Aikoa Racing was the best Audi driver in this classification in third place.
Once again, the TCR Italy DSG for racing cars with dual-clutch transmissions also made a guest appearance at Monza. Gustavo Sandrucci was the best driver of an Audi RS 3 LMS in third place on Sunday. The Italian from Casals Motorsport also won the Masters classification in the first race ahead of Alessandro Berton from Planet Motorsport in another Audi. Sandrucci remained unbeaten on Sunday, with Berton finishing third. Carlotta Fedeli from RC Motorsport won both races in the women’s classification, while Seda Kaçan from the Texaco team, also in an Audi, was second best on Saturday. The female racing driver from Turkey won the rookie classification ahead of Giacomo Prandelli from Aikoa Racing, before Prandelli prevailed in his Audi on Sunday. In the group for drivers under 25, Mattia Lancellotti was third best for Planet Motorsport in his Audi on Sunday.
At the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Team Goroyan RT by Sharky Racing made it onto the podium in the TCR class with an Audi RS 3 LMS. In hot weather and asphalt temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius, Nathanaël Berthon/Danny Brink/Artur Goroyan/Roman Mavlanov completed a distance of 3,070 kilometers. As the best private team, they finished third in their class behind two factory competitors. In the supporting program, Manfred Lewe won his class in the Cup und Tourenwagen Trophy in the Audi RS 3 LMS in the first race. Ivars Vallers won this classification in the second race in an Audi. Two Audi customers won trophies in their classes on the third weekend of the TCR Spain. In the first race in Valencia, Guillaume Salvodelli took second place in the Masters classification in his Audi RS 3 LMS. Sébastien Thome was third in his class in the first and second sprint in another Audi RS 3 LMS.
Audi R8 LMS GT4
Best result of the season in French GT4 racing: The third of five race weekends in the GT4 France racing series was Philippe Thalamy’s most successful to date. The amateur driver from Team Speedcar was the best Am driver on the grid of the first race in Spa in his Audi R8 LMS GT4. As a solo driver, he finished in second place for Team Speedcar after just over an hour of racing. In the third round of the Extreme Supercars, Jimmy Giannoccaro was successful in an Audi R8 LMS GT4. The South African won Class D in the first two races.
Dakar Rally
Debut in Paris: The film “Dakar Chronicles” had its event premiere in the capital of France. The documentary accompanied the protagonists of the 2023 Dakar Rally. In addition to director Jalil Lespert, former Audi Dakar driver and 14-time rally winner Stéphane Peterhansel was also present. An Audi RS Q e-tron was the prominent eye-catcher in front of the mk2 Bibliothèque cinema in the south-east of Paris.
Coming up in the next weeks
25–29/06 Spa (B), round 3, GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
26–29/06 Spa (B), round 3, GT4 European Series powered by Rafa Racing Club
27–29/06 Misano (I), round 4, TCR Europe
27–29/06 Nürburgring (D), round 2, Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy
28–29/06 Pingtan (CHN), round 2, SRO GT Cup
02–06/07 Bangsaen (THA), round 2, Thailand Super Series
04–05/07 Le Castellet (F), round 5, 24H Series European Series
04–05/07 Nürburgring (D), NLS-Light
04–05/07 Spa (B), round 3, Belcar Endurance Championship
04–06/07 Norisring (D), round 4, DTM
04–06/07 Hungaroring (H), round 4, International GT Open
05/07 Oulton Park (GB), round 5, TCR UK
05–06/07 Sugo (J), round 4, Super Taikyu Series
