GT2 victories for Audi in France, Spain and America

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• Audi #r8lmsgt2 successful in three series on two continents
• Audi #rs3lms continues winning streak in TCR Europe
• Podium successes for Audi #r8lms in GT3 version

The Audi #r8lmsgt2 – Audi Sport customer racing’s most powerful race car – recorded successes in the highest-quality European GT2 #racing series, in Spanish endurance #racing and in the USA. The other Audi Sport models were also successful in customer #racing.

Audi #r8lms GT2

Second win of the season in the GT2 European Series: The Belgian Audi customer team PK Carsport celebrated its second win of the season in Dijon on the third weekend of the European GT2 Series. Starting from fourth place, Stienes Longin made a good start to the second race. As early as on the first lap, the Belgian in the Audi #r8lmsgt2 overtook a KTM. For twelve laps, Longin was then behind Audi Sport driver Pierre Kaffer, who was piloting an #r8lmsgt2 of Team LP #racing. After the pit stops, Peter Guelinckx took over Longin’s car and took the lead on lap 22. On the challenging rollercoster track in France, the Belgian paid close attention to tire wear and ended up winning by 5.9 seconds ahead of a KTM. After victory at the season opener in Monza and a second-place finish at the Red Bull Ring, it was already the third podium result this season for Peter Guelinckx/Stienes Longin.

Two overall victories in Spain: Team Club Deportivo DAGO is getting better and better into its stride with the Audi #r8lmsgt2 in the Campeonato de España de Resistencia. After two second and two third places in their class on the first two race weekends, Pablo Yeregui Ybarra/Daniel Carretero Ortega prevailed in the overall standings for the first time at the third round at Aragon. In the first race, the Audi of the Spanish driver pairing crossed the finish line with a lead of 28.4 seconds. In the second race, they were 16.5 seconds faster than their pursuers after 50 minutes of #racing.

Class victory in America: GMG #racing scored a class win at the fifth round of the GT America powered by AWS race series. CJ Moses won his category in the Audi #r8lmsgt2 in the second 40-minute race in Virginia.

Audi #rs3lms (TCR)

Comtoyou #racing continues winning streak: Audi customer team Comtoyou #racing extended its lead in the TCR Europe with two more victories. At the Hungaroring, junior driver Kobe Pauwels was the first driver this season to celebrate two victories in one weekend. In the first race, the Belgian in the Audi #rs3lms created a 1.2 second advantage over team-mate Tom Coronel, whom he had overtaken on the seventh of 13 laps. Pauwels won the second race with a five-second advantage over Tom Coronel. At the top of the standings, veteran Coronel extended his lead from 16 to 44 points after four of seven events. John Filippi, who also drives an Audi #rs3lms from Comtoyou #racing, remains second in the standings. Kobe Pauwels has reduced his gap in third place from 43 to just six points behind Filippi. In addition to the one-two-three lead in the drivers standings, Jean-Michel Baert’s squad also ranks first and second in the team standings, leads the rookies category with Kobe Pauwels and occupies the top spot in the Diamond classification with Tom Coronel.

Two podium results in the Kumho TCR World Tour: One week after the first victory of the Audi #rs3lms in the only worldwide TCR #racing series, Audi Sport Team Comtoyou clinched two more trophies. In the fourth round of the Kumho TCR World Tour at the Hungaroring, Frédéric Vervisch managed a good start in the second race. Already on the first lap, he overtook Hyundai driver Dušan Borković and was thus second. An accident then occurred behind Vervisch, affecting five competitors. Rob Huff, who had started twelfth for Audi Sport Team Comtoyou in another Audi #rs3lms, benefited from this. After a safety car period the Briton overtook Mikel Azcona in the Hyundai and was fourth, one lap later he snatched third place from Santiago Urrutia in a Lynk&Co. On lap six, Huff also passed teammate Vervisch and finished second ahead of the Belgian.

Third class victory at the Nürburgring: For the third time in four races of the 2023 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, an Audi #rs3lms was in front in the TCR classification. As at the previous round in April, the Møller Bil Motorsport team from Norway was again unbeatable. Anders Lindstad, Kenneth Østvold and Håkon Schjærin won the fourth #event with a 1.28-minute lead.

Five trophies in Croatia: The Coppa Italia Turismo held its third #event at the Grobnik circuit. In the first sprint, Konukoglu Turgut in the Audi #rs3lms managed second place in the TCR classification ahead of Kostyantyn Gutsul in another Audi from Team MM Motorsport. In the second sprint, Ozen Zekal of Bitci #racing, Sandro Pelatto of Aioka #racing and Kostyantyn Gutsul, three Audi privateer drivers, finished in the top three positions of the TCR standings.

Podium successes in Denmark: Two different Audi drivers returned from the second weekend of TCR Denmark with trophies. Kevin Engman steered his Audi #rs3lms to third place in the first race at Djursland. In the second sprint, Marius Solberg Hansen was the best Audi driver in third. The Danish Endurance Championship also held its second round at the same #event. Christian Hansen and Stefan Lorenzen finished the second one-hour race in an Audi #rs3lms in third place in their class.

Audi #r8lms GT3

Second place again in the International GT Open: Team Eastalent #racing recorded another second-place finish on the third race weekend of the pan-European GT #racing series. Simon Reicher and Audi Sport driver Christopher Haase finished second in the Audi #r8lms in the first race at the Hungaroring. They had started tenth and improved to the podium over the course of 70 minutes. Three weeks earlier, they had managed second place at Spa already. After three of seven events, Haase and Reicher are third in the standings.

Trophy in America: In the GT America powered by AWS race series, Team SKI Autosports was delighted with a podium result. Veteran Johnny O’Connell finished third in the Audi #r8lms in the second race in Virginia.

Class podium at the Lausitzring: In the first sprint of the P9 Challenge race series, Team Bliss Autosport by XR #racing managed a podium. Marco Reinbold steered the team’s Audi #r8lms to third place in its class at the Lausitzring.

Audi #r8lms GT4

Class successes in South Africa: The Audi #r8lms GT4 was successful twice at the fourth round of the G&H Transport Extreme Supercars Series in South Africa. Jimmy Auby won his class in the production-based model in both races on the Aldo Scribante circuit.

Second place in America: Michael Attaway recorded a podium result at the fifth round of the American Trans Am Championship. The American drove his Audi #r8lms GT4 to second place in the GT class at Indianapolis.

Coming up next week

22–25/06 Watkins Glen (USA), round 5, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
23–25/06 Zandvoort (NL), round 2, DTM
23–25/06 Monza (I), round 2, Campionato Italiano GT Sprint
23–25/06 Ningbo (CHN), round 3, GT Super Sprint Challenge
23–25/06 Zhejiang (CHN), round 2, TCR China 
23–25/06 Sydney (AUS), round 4, TCR Australia
24/06 Silverstone (GB), round 4, British Endurance Championship