Video: Australian GT Round 3 at Phillip Island with Audis from MPC and Minda

By Johan Laubscher 

The third round of the Australian GT Championship took place at Phillip Island last weekend. The two Audis from Melbourne Performance Centre and Minda Motorsport performed very well.

Two sets of top ten finishes were achieved by the Audi R8 LMS and ultra teams. Other Side Productions has produced another Australian GT highlights video for the series. The highlights package featuring round three hat Phillip Island as been embedded below: 

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre

Video: Audi domination in Jamaica with Doug Gore ABT-Audi TT-R

By Johan Laubscher 

The first round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) saw a dominant display by Doug Gore in the ATL Automotive ABT-Audi TT-R.

The CMRC season opener was held at Dover in Jamaica last weekend, and the two Audis in the field both performed very well. More about the event and results can be read HERE. The Jamaica Observer has put together a great video featuring the ATL Racing team at Dover, that video has been embedded below.

Photo credit: Screenshot from the video / Jamaica Observer

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in full shape for Silverstone’s challenge

Belgian Audi Club Press Release

All the emotion of the Blancpain Endurance Series is back this weekend, as the world's GT élite travels to England for the second round of the 2013 season, which is scheduled on another legendary track: Silverstone. In Monza's season-opener, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT had a positive start, although results were influenced by race incidents and the best-placed of the WRT Audis finished fourth after losing the podium in the last corner. The Belgian squad is crossing the Channel determined to better, on a track that should be more favourable to the R8 LMS ultra. The three cars of Laurens Vanthoor-Stéphane Ortelli-René Rast, Edward Sandström-Frank Stippler-Christopher Mies and Nicky Mayr-Melnhof-Matt Halliday-Rahel Frey are all entered in the Pro category, where competition is particularly fierce.

"We are very happy to resume activity in the Blancpain", states Team Principal Vincent Vosse, "as this is really the top GT competition at the moment and a series I personally like very much. It's always nice to go to Britain, which is the cradle of modern motorsports and there are always so many fans, and Silverstone has always been a track where we have done well. The fact that it's a flowingly fast track suits the Audis well, although we know the R8 is not the fastest car in terms of pure performance. Last year we achieved two podium finishes, and we aim at being on the podium this time too. The competition, though, is extremely strong, once again, and there are plenty of very good cars and teams, with excellent drivers and great ambitions, but that's what we are too!"

With 60 cars entered, the Blancpain will indeed feature again a fabulous grid, and the battle will be fiercer than ever. A key addition will be the works car from Aston Martin, which will certainly aim at shining on home soil. "It will be certainly one of the cars to be watched more closely", confirms Sporting Director Pierre Dieudonné, "although not the only one, of course. But we know we also are among the strong teams. For the rest, there haven't been many developments since Monza. Only very minor adjustments have been made to the Balance of Performance, which in the Blancpain is working reasonably well. Needless to say, weather conditions may play a role, and the forecasts seem to point to changing conditions, but that is something pretty usual in Britain and nothing that can scare a ... Belgian team!"

Among the drivers, spirits are high and one man is looking for revenge. Edward Sandström shared with Mies and Stippler the best-placed WRT car at Monza and drove the last and incredibly lively stint, managing to preserve the third place from the fierce attacks of rivals until the last corner. Since then, the Swede has overcome the slight disappointment and reflects on what happened: "It was, of course, frustrating to lose the podium so close to the finishing line and because of the obstruction of a slower car", he concedes, "but it was still a good race and a good result. I fought well in the last stint, not only against rivals, but also against some pick-up problem, and there is always something to be learnt. Maybe when I stumbled into that slower car, I should have been less conservative, but I wanted to avoid taking unnecessary risks. Anyway, fourth was not a bad result with regard to the championship, especially at Monza, which was probably the most challenging circuit for us".

"Now we go to Silverstone", goes on Edward, "It's a track I adore, I am always excited at going there, and I think we will be competitive, despite the very strong opposition. The Audi always performed well there, especially in the fast corners such as Becketts, Copse and Stowe, and the WRT Team is working perfectly, in an excellent atmosphere. With 60 cars on the track, qualifying well will be important and also a challenge, as you cannot have a clear lap for yourself, and you need to choose the right group of cars to be with."

The weekend format, as usual, foresees free practice and pre-qualifying on Saturday, with qualifying on Sunday morning and the 3-hour race kicking off at 2:50 pm UK time (one hour later in continental Europe).

Photo credit: Belgian Audi Club

BES: Seven Audi R8 LMS ultra for round 2 at Silverstone

By Tarek Ramchani

Silverstone is hosting the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series this weekend. A traditional 3-hour race format, and no less than seven Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will be entered for the event.

Seven cars from three different Audi Sport customer racing teams. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is fielding three cars, all of them in the upper Pro-Cup class. The  #1 Audi R8 LMS ultra will be shared by Stephane Ortelli, Laurens Vanthoor and Rene Rast. The #2 car will be driven by Rahel Frey, Matt Halliday and Niki Mayr-Melnhof. The #13 machine is for Edward Sandstrom, Christopher Mies and Frank Stippler. The Belgian team had a mixed race last time out at Monza. Strong performances on track but also a lot of bad luck. The best ranked car was the #13 Audi in fourth, losing the podium spot in the last corner to a McLaren MP4-12C. Silverstone should be more favorable for the Audi R8 LMS ultra, the Belgian team is aiming high in Britain. In the team standings Belgian Audi Club Team WRT are fourth with 12 points.

The second Audi entry is from Phoenix Racing. The German team has a two-car effort in the demanding Pro-Cup class. The #6 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Christopher Haase, Oliver Jarvis and Harold Primat, and the sister #16 car for Enzo Ide, Anthony Kumpen and Markus Winkelhock. At Monza Phoenix Racing performed very well, both cars entered the top 10 on a very penalizing track which had a very healthy grid. Phoenix Racing is fifth in the points standings with 10 points.

Sainteloc Racing is the third Audi team in the series. A big change for the Silverstone round as their Pro-Cup entry will not take part in the event. The French privateer team will have two cars. The #42 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Ronnie Latinne, David Hallyday and Romain Monti in the Pro-Am class, and the sister #41 car of Pierre Hirschi, Marc Sourd and Claude-Yves Gosselin in the Gentlemen Trophy.

As seen at Monza, the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series has an impressive level of competition. The largest and most competitive GT3 racing series around. The five Pro-Cup Audi R8 LMS ultra cars will have to fight very hard against very strong rivals from Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Porsche and the full factory Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3.

Photo credit: Blancpain Endurance Series

Audi at Le Mans: strong characters united

Audi Press Release

• The most successful Le Mans racers compete for the four rings
• Ultimately, the team spirit achieves the results
• Head of Audi Motorsport Ullrich: Our drivers feel like ‘Audians’

Ingolstadt, May 30, 2013 – Three more weeks until the Le Mans 24 Hours celebrates its 90th anniversary. Since 2000, Audi has been celebrating great successes in the world’s most important endurance race with technological innovations. But none of the eleven victories would have been possible without a compelling driver squad. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich explains his personnel strategy.

“For us, it’s important to have race drivers in the squad who also fit the Audi brand well in terms of their personalities,” stresses Dr. Ullrich, who has been at the helm of Audi Sport since November 1993. The first driver signed by the Austrian was Emanuele Pirro. He remained under contract for 15 years and today is a brand ambassador for the company. His compatriot Dindo Capello, who has since acquired shareholdings in three Audi centers in Italy, was an Audi factory driver even for 19 years, and Frank Biela for 18. All of these are unusually long and successful top-caliber careers – particularly in the service of one and the same brand. All three have won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Audi as well. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro did so together five times.

The outstanding successes of Tom Kristensen, who with eight triumphs under his belt is the record holder at Le Mans, will always be linked to the Audi brand as well. Allan McNish at the wheel of Audi sports cars has shaped the race at La Sarthe just like Marco Werner has. And the next generation of drivers is leaving no stone unturned to become equally successful: Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F) have been unbeaten at La Sarthe since 2011 and are the current FIA World Endurance Champions.

“We’ve always managed to make our drivers feel like ‘Audians,’” says Dr. Ullrich. “The brand with the four rings supports us in this. Audi has always clearly indicated how important successes in motorsport are and that the brand likes to see the race drivers as ambassadors. Our drivers are proud to be able to compete for the Audi brand that is so successful.”

While the Le Mans challenge has always been a great one, the requirements profile has changed. “The talent has got to be very strong, but it’s not strictly about sitting in a car for a longer period of time and driving consistent lap times anymore,” says the Head of Motorsport. “Today, we need drivers who manage to complete a real 24-hour sprint in the team without making any mistakes. That’s why we’ve always signed driver personalities who caught our attention with their performance potential and ability to assess risks, and who thus rarely had accidents.”

In addition to these traditional traits, there is a lot more involved for Dr. Ullrich: “Our drivers have to be team players and identify with the brand. Then they will form a unit together with the Team Director and the Head of Sport. Everyone pursues their aims together and everyone supports each other, especially in difficult moments. The drivers have to be willing to put individual interests aside.”

Driver pairings for Le Mans have repeatedly had to be recombined. Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish were driving together for seven years since 2006 – there is arguably no other professional endurance racing team that can claim such longevity. “Accordingly, finding a successor for Capello after the end of his career was a major challenge,” says Dr. Ullrich. “We were seeking someone who was driving at a very high level and who was well-matched with the personalities of the other two. In Loïc Duval, we found a superb solution.” A third team was newly formed as well: Marc Gené (E) competes with Lucas di Grassi (BR) and Oliver Jarvis (GB). “You can only tell how good a driver squad functions after it’s driven together. A single race is typically not enough for this.”

The Head of Motorsport regularly grants approval to his drivers to participate in other events as well – Mike Rockenfeller, for instance, won the Daytona 24 Hours in 2010 at the wheel of a Daytona prototype. “I’m convinced that it’s good for a race driver to have a wish like this fulfilled,” says the Audi manager with certainty. “He can work on his range of driving skills and receives new impulses concerning the approaches used by other teams. And this has always had a motivating effect, and thus in the end paid off for Audi as well.”

At the moment, Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer are celebrating great success – from two consecutive Le Mans victories to the FIA WEC World Champion’s title in 2012. Prior to being signed by Audi in 2010, none of the three drivers had ever been on the podium at Le Mans. “This is a combination of three exceptional talents,” praises the Head of Motorsport. “Here, a squad has formed that has absolute trust in each other. And every member is on a great performance level. This means we’ve got three absolute sports car stars together in one car. And they’ve personally grown so close together that they’re extremely united and thus exceptionally strong.”

Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer are not the first successful trio of Audi – and certainly not the last.

Photo credit: Audi Media

TunerGP: MTM R8 RS notches up best time in Hockenheim

MTM Press Release

Once again, sport-auto had invited an illustrious selection of members of the pedal to the metal industry to the Tuner Grand Prix 2013 and almost all came to the Motordrome Short Course to show what's what when it comes down to metres and tenths of a second. The selected track measures not quite 2.6 kilometres, which is demanding for test drivers and machines alike.

Driving the Audi R8, Florian Gruber, MTM's chief racer and test driver, emphatically answered every question about who was the day's fastest with a lap time of 1:06.695 minutes. Nobody in the field of 66 starters was able to better it. In addition to its dominant role on the track, the 606 hp ten cylinder engine has also received the blessing of the TÜV (German Technical Inspection Authority) for use on the public highway; equipped with a height-adjustable chassis with three-part BBS wheel rims with central locking and tyres to match (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup - VA 295/30 - 18, HA 345/30-19) and a passenger seat.

All the same, Florian Gruber recorded a best time of 1:14.0 at the wheel of the MTM A1 quattro, enabling him to break into the ranks of the next higher class dominated by hot VW Golfs.

Roland Mayer, MTM's Managing Director and petrol head in one and the same person, voiced his satisfaction with the performance: "Armed with a stopwatch and under comparable conditions it's always good to show what a car prepared by MTM is capable of. On some another occasion, we will then demonstrate that our success is built not just on peak performance but on our reliability as well.

This year a racing edition of the MTM R8 is putting in an appearance at the international GT Sprint Series but with 40 hp less than the road version because of restrictions imposed by the rules. Up-and-coming racer Thomas Schöffler is available to the MTM team, as he was last year. Who will be driving the second MTM R8 at the next race meeting at the Slovakia Ring (8 - 9 June 2013) near the capital Bratislava will be decided shortly. The 10-cylinder naturally aspirated engines with their 560 hp will then have to prove themselves against international competition with illustrious names such as Porsche, Maserati and Ferrari. Noblesse oblige.

Photo credit: MTM

CMRC: Doug Gore dominates Dover with his ABT-Audi TT-R

By Johan Laubscher

The Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) got underway at Dover in Jamaica last weekend. Two Audi race cars were entered in the event: The ATL Automotive ABT-Audi TT-R driven by Doug Gore and the extensively modified Audi A4 STW driven by Doug Maloney.

Dover is Jamaica’s premiere race circuit and Doug Gore has been unbeaten so far this year, within all the Jamaican events. Gore competes for the Team Jamaica squad within the CMRC competitors, listed by their Caribbean country of origin. It is the second season that the ABT-Audi TT-R has been allowed in the CMRC. The car arrived in the Caribbean during 2011 but was disallowed to compete in the CMRC, due to being underweight. 

The ATL Audi was finally allowed to compete during 2012, but misfortune struck the team at this very round last year, the CMRC season opener of 2012. Doug Gore was involved in a first-corner crash during the very first race of the season. The resulting damage ended the ATL Automotive team’s season, as the car needed to be returned to ABT Sportsline in Germany for serious repairs. The ATL ABT-Audi TT-R was eventually repaired and returned to Jamaica at the beginning of 2013, and has since been unbeaten all year.

The second Audi is that of Doug Maloney, an ex-Super Touring Audi A4 STW. His car arrived in Barbados during 2007 and has been modified by the Maloney Racing Team. He has competed in the Barbadian BARL series and the CMRC since the car’s arrival in 2007. Maloney competes for Team Barbados within the CMRC.

The 2013 season opener at Dover was set to be another clash between all the big names in Jamaica: Gore (Audi) vs Summerbell (Mitsubishi) vs Rae (Mazda), all competing within Group 4 of the CMRC. The weekend got off to a good start as Doug Gore dominated the proceedings by taking pole position, whilst Maloney qualified his A4 in eighth.

Doug Gore continued his dominant form as he went on to make it three from three on the day, taking all three CMRC race victories. Admittedly Gore’s biggest opposition, David Summerbell in the Mitsubishi, unfortunately retired from race one with gearbox issues, which put him out for the rest of the day. Doug Maloney also performed very well with his Audi A4 STW, as he finished on the podium in all three races. Maloney finished third in races one and three, and he finished second behind Gore for an Audi 1-2 in race two.

It was a great day for the ATL Automotive team, who remain unbeaten in Jamaica this year.  

More information:
Jamaican Tuner on Facebook
 

Photo credit: D_MONTii Motography N More (Donavan Montague) / Jamaican Tuner

Gallery: Audi R18 TDI at Dindo Capello's Audi Zentrum Alessandria

By Tarek Ramchani

Dindo Capello retired from Le Mans competition as a factory Audi driver last year. The Italian had a great career with the Inglostadt brand from 1994 to 2012.  First in touring car racing with Audi Sport Italia, claiming the 1996 title with the A4 quattro Super Touring. He then followed Audi on their Le Mans sportscar assault. Dindo Capello won the Le Mans 24 Hours overall three times, two for Audi and one for Bentley.

Successes also came in the American Le Mans Series and the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring. Dindo Capello is still racing with Audi, taking part in the Italian GT Championship this season with Audi Sport Italia and the R8 LMS ultra, more about that here.

As recognition for his successful career and loyalty to the brand, Audi AG has given Dindo the ultimate gift. The Audi R18 TDI (chassis #102), which won the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring, is now on permanent loan from Audi for Capello. Here is a selection of nice photos from our friend "Mr Monza" Stefano Ciabattoni. The Audi R18 TDI is at Audi Zentrum Alessandria, one of Dindo Capello's Audi centers.

You can read all about Dindo Capello's career with Audi right here.

More information:
Audi Zentrum Alessandria official website
Audi Zentrum Alessandria official Facebook

Photo credit: Stefano Ciabattoni

Australian GT: Consistency the key at Phillip Island for Minda Audi

Minda Motorsport Press Release 

Minda Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3


Rnd#3, Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli
Phillip Island, Victoria (24-26 May)

Three rounds into the 2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli, Minda Motorsport’s reigning Trophy Class champions continue to punch above their weight in the Equity-One Audi R8 LMS. Team-mates Dean Koutsoumidis and Andrew McInnes continue to improve with every outing to be right in the championship fight amongst an array of much newer 2013-specification cars.

“We weren’t sure what to expect from the ‘upgrade’ from the Lamborghini we ran last season to the newer specification 2011 Audi R8 LMS, especially given the large number of new and upgraded cars we are competing against this year,” Dean Koutsoumidis explained. “But so far, we’ve been able to mix it with some of the newer cars and be right in the thick of the action, and here we are at the mid-point of the season, and we’re doing very nicely thank you very much!”

Despite almost three months since the Adelaide round with the V8 Supercars, the team had been able to turn some practice laps during test sessions at Phillip Island, with both drivers ‘in the groove’ ahead of the Phillip Island round, although by race day, Andrew McInnes was lamenting a lack of time in the car..

“Our arrangement is that whoever is the slower driver after qualifying buys dinner for the team that night,” McInnes explained. “Dean drove in two of the three practice sessions, the sponsor ride session and qualifying, and now he’s faster, so it’s my shout.. #&*%!”

Despite the unpredictable nature of the Phillip Island venue at this time of year, race one provided cool but dry conditions, although with a 3:55pm start under cloud cover, the fading light was always going to provide an added level of intensity.

Off the fourth row, alongside F3 star James Winslow in the 2012-spec Audi R8 ultra of Rod Salmon (the former car owner of the #71 R8 LMS), Dean made a great start to be in the thick of the battle over fourth position, although far enough back not to be caught up in Justin McMillan’s wild spin on the exit of the final corner on lap two.

From there he sat comfortably, not too far off the battle for fourth, to be sixth by the time he was due in for his compulsory pit stop [CPS]. Andrew rejoined in eighth position, but was quickly through on Jim Manolios and Rod Salmon to take over sixth, which became fifth after points leader Klark Quinn stopped again after damaging a tyre.

“That’s not a bad result,” Koutsoumidis grinned post-race. “It was nice to see Andrew have a bit of a go for a change.. [laughs].”

Clearly fired up by his team-mate’s comments, McInnes fired off the line in race two to give the recovering Justin McMillan and Ferrari’s Peter Edwards something to think about, the #71 Audi filling the mirrors of the two 2013-spec cars all the way to the pit stop, handing the car over to Koutsoumidis in fifth place.

Dean rejoined the race in seventh, which quickly became sixth after the demise of Roger Lago’s Lamborghini, but during his stint he was caught and passed by Winslow in Rod Salmon’s Audi, the Equity-One/Minda Motorsport Audi crossing the line in seventh place for more valuable championship points.

“The car was faultless all weekend,” Dean acknowledged afterwards. “It didn’t put a wheel wrong, and our lap times improved with almost every session. Consistency really is the key for us this year because we just don’t have the outright aero grip of the newer cars, but we’re always there, and with three rounds still to come, we’re still in the points race!”

For the Minda Motorsport team the next round of the championship will come in six weeks time at Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek) on July 12-14.

2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli

Rnd#3, Phillip Island - Qualifying [May 25]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:26.5248R

02. 88. John Bowe - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:27.4308

03. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP] - 1:28.0291

04. 23. Roger Lago - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:28.8855

05. 48. Justin McMillan - Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:29.0617

06. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]
- 1:29.1267

07.
71. Dean Koutsoumidis  - Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 1:30.5255

08. 6. Rod Salmon - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP] - 1:31.3387

09. 75. Steve McLaughlan - Dodge Viper Competition Coupé [TROPHY] - 1:33.9012

10. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP] - 1:35.9553


Race #1 [May 25]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]
- 39-laps

02. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP]

03. 23. Roger Lago - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 [CHAMP]

04. 88. John Bowe/Peter Edwards - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]

05.
71. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes  - Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 38-laps

06. 6. Rod Salmon/James Winslow - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP]

07. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]
- 36-laps

08. 19. Mark Griffith/Jack Perkins - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport]

09. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP]

10. 73 Michael Hovey - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport] - 35-laps


Race #2 [May 26]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]- 38-laps

02. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP]

03. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]

04. 88. John Bowe/Peter Edwards - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]

05. 48. Justin McMillan - Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ GT3 [CHAMP]

06. 6. Rod Salmon/James Winslow - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP]

07. 71. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes- Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 37-laps

08. 75. Steve McLaughlan - Dodge Viper Competition Coupé [TROPHY] - 36-laps

09. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP] 

10. 19. Mark Griffith/Jack Perkins - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport]


A highlights package will be televised on SBS Speedweek on Sunday, June 9 from 2:00pm AEST (check local guides for confirmation).

Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli

GT Championship points(after round three of six)


1. Klark Quinn (195 points), 2. Tony Quinn (141), 3. Roger Lago (135), 4. Craig Baird (133), 5. Peter Edwards/John Bowe (118), 6. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes (115), 7. Justin McMillan (111), 8. Jack Le Brocq (110), 9. Jim Manolios (70), 10. Rod Salmon (65), 11. Christian Klien (70), 12. Andrew Taplin (59), 13. Shane Van Gisbergen/Matt Kingsley (54)

2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli - calendar
Rnd#1, 8-10 February - Bathurst 12-Hour, NSW
Rnd#2, 28 Feb - 3 March - Clipsal, Adelaide, SA
Rnd#3, 24-26 May - Phillip Island, Victoria
Rnd#4, 12-14 July - Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Rnd#5, 2-4 August - Queensland Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
Rnd#6, 8-10 November - Highland Motorsport Park, NZ

Minda Motorsport is proudly supported by Equity-One Mortgage Fund.

For more information, please contact Minda Motorsport on 03 5995 3943.

www.mindamotorsport.com

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre / Minda Motorsport

Australian GT: Solid weekend for Salmon and Winslow at Phillip Island

Melbourne Performance Centre Press Release

Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 LMS ultra
Rnd#3, Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli
Phillip Island, Victoria (24-26 May)

After a race winning weekend at Melbourne’s Sandown Park during the Victorian State Series the week prior to the third round of the Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli, Melbourne Performance Centre/Skwirk.com.au Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra pilot Rod Salmon was ‘fired up’ ahead of Phillip Island and ready to get into the thick of it..

Joined by Englishman James Winslow - a multiple Formula 3 champion - the team were ready to do battle. “Last weekend I had my first victory in the Audi, which was pretty special,” Rod reflected. “It was nice way too to prepare for this weekend, especially after a three month break.”

Whilst the Sandown event provided Rod with some extra momentum heading into Phillip Island, it also turned up an unexpected set of circumstances that would plague the team through practice and race one.

During the opening practice session, Rod’s times were affected by stones that had become embedded in the hot rubber after the final race at Sandown, when the Audi driver was forced to return to the transporter through the back of the pits. The cool Phillip Island conditions, and the lack of grip kept the tyres below operating temperature, with the stones remaining embedded in the tyre through much of the session.

The other impact of the Sandown event didn’t become apparent until race one where both drivers reported a ‘long’ clutch pedal, a result of Sandown’s standing starts. “That’s not something we do in the GT Championship,” MPC’s Troy Russell explained. “And whilst it hasn’t impacted the pace of the car, it’s a driver comfort issue, so we’ll fix it between races.”

Despite losing much of the opening practice session, the Skwirk.com.au Audi was into the thick of the action in P2 with Winslow sitting on top of the timesheets for much of the session, his 1:29.4124 beaten only by GT rookie Jack Le Brocq in the Erebus Mercedes Benz SLS AMG in the closing stages of the session.

Ahead of qualifying the team opted for strategy, leaving Rod in the car to avoid further pit stop penalties on top of Winslow’s classification as a professional driver.

“During the compulsory pit stop (CPS) in each race, teams are given performance time penalties based on their qualifying position and the experience of each of their drivers,” Rod explained. “With James in the car we automatically receive an additional 18-second penalty, and for every row further forward we qualify, that’s a five seconds more.”

James started race one off the fourth row, and the experienced open-wheel star was quickly into the thick of the action, locked onto the tail of the McMillan Lamborghini in a battle for sixth position. That soon became a battle for fifth position after McMillan spun wildly off the circuit on the run out of the final corner on lap two.

“I could see he was watching me in his mirrors,” Winslow confirmed afterwards. “He started to slide on the exit, then caught it and then finally went completely sideways. I wasn’t sure exactly which way to go initially, but he was soon off the circuit and we kept at it.”

Next in line was Roger Lago, although the two-time Porsche Challenge champion wasn’t about to be pressured into giving up track position, leaving Winslow as the sandwich between the Lamborghini and a hard-charging Klark Quinn.

Lap after lap ahead of the CPS, Winslow looked for a way past the big V10 Gallardo, but was unable to effect a pass ahead of the pit stops.

“The three of us were locked together for much of the opening stint of the race, and I just couldn’t get past the Lamborghini,” Winslow admitted. “I tried everything, and used every trick I had up my sleeve maximising my aero experience from Formula 3, but we just didn’t have the legs to get past him.”

Rod put in a consistent drive to cross the line in sixth place, having dropped a position to the R8 of Andrew McInnes in the closing laps.

“It’s nice not to have had to complete the full one hour distance on my own,” Rod admitted afterwards. “I looked at how exhausted Tony Quinn was after he emerged from his car after having completed the full race distance alone and remembered just how hard that had been at Clipsal. To be consistently quick across a full hour in one of these cars is hard work, both mentally and physically, so that was a much more pleasant experience for me.”

Rod was back behind the wheel for the start of race two, and despite dropping a position early to the hard-charging Justin McMillan, he sat comfortably within reach of the battle unfolding between McMillan’s Lamborghini, the Audi R8 of McInnes and the Ferrari 458 of Peter Edwards.

“I just wanted to settle into a rhythm and stay within reach ahead of the pit stops,” Rod admitted. “I knew that if we kept within a couple of seconds that James would be able to recover that during his stint, and there was no sense getting into the middle of a battle for position; this weekend was about amassing points and getting back into the championship.”

After their CPS, Winslow charged, moving quickly back into the top six, the Skwirk.com.au now the third fastest car on the circuit, but despite his pace he fell just short of McMillan’s Lamborghini, crossing the line in sixth place.

“A couple more laps and I would have had him,” James explained afterwards. “We were consistently in the 29s, but lapped traffic cost us in the end, but all up I was grateful for my Audi experience with Rod, it’s a fantastic car to drive, we just needed a slightly longer race.”

For the MPC/Skwirk.com.au team it’s off to Sydney Motorsport Park in July (12-14) for round four of the Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli.

2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli

Rnd#3, Phillip Island - Qualifying [May 25]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:26.5248R

02. 88. John Bowe - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:27.4308

03. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP] - 1:28.0291

04. 23. Roger Lago - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:28.8855

05. 48. Justin McMillan - Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ GT3 [CHAMP]
- 1:29.0617

06. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]
- 1:29.1267

07.
71. Dean Koutsoumidis  - Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 1:30.5255

08. 6. Rod Salmon - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP] - 1:31.3387

09. 75. Steve McLaughlan - Dodge Viper Competition Coupé [TROPHY] - 1:33.9012

10. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP] - 1:35.9553


Race #1 [May 25]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]
- 39-laps

02. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP]

03. 23. Roger Lago - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 [CHAMP]

04. 88. John Bowe/Peter Edwards - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]

05.
71. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes  - Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 38-laps

06. 6. Rod Salmon/James Winslow - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP]

07. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]
- 36-laps

08. 19. Mark Griffith/Jack Perkins - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport]

09. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP]

10. 73 Michael Hovey - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport] - 35-laps


Race #2 [May 26]
01. 36. Jack Le Brocq - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 [CHAMP]- 38-laps

02. 7. Tony Quinn - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 [CHAMP]

03. 1. Klark Quinn - Porsche GT3-R [CHAMP]

04. 88. John Bowe/Peter Edwards - Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 [CHAMP]

05. 48. Justin McMillan - Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ GT3 [CHAMP]

06. 6. Rod Salmon/James Winslow - Audi R8 LMS GT3 ultra [CHAMP]

07. 71. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes - Audi R8 LMS GT3 [CHAMP] - 37-laps

08. 75. Steve McLaughlan - Dodge Viper Competition Coupé [TROPHY] - 36-laps

09. 29. Jim Manolios - Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R [CHAMP] 

10. 19. Mark Griffith/Jack Perkins - Ginetta G50 GT4 [Sport]


A highlights package will be televised on SBS Speedweek on Sunday, June 9 from 2:00pm AEST (check local guides for confirmation).

Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli

GT Championship points(after round three of six)


1. Klark Quinn (195 points), 2. Tony Quinn (141), 3. Roger Lago (135), 4. Craig Baird (133), 5. Peter Edwards/John Bowe (118), 6. Dean Koutsoumidis/Andrew McInnes (115), 7. Justin McMillan (111), 8. Jack Le Brocq (110), 9. Jim Manolios (70), 10. Rod Salmon (65), 11. Christian Klien (70), 12. Andrew Taplin (59), 13. Shane Van Gisbergen/Matt Kingsley (54)

2013 Australian GT Championship presented by Pirelli - calendar
Rnd#1, 8-10 February - Bathurst 12-Hour, NSW
Rnd#2, 28 Feb - 3 March - Clipsal, Adelaide, SA
Rnd#3, 24-26 May - Phillip Island, Victoria
Rnd#4, 12-14 July - Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Rnd#5, 2-4 August - Queensland Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
Rnd#6, 8-10 November - Highland Motorsport Park, NZ

Photo credit: Melbourne Performance Centre

TunerGP: MTM Audi R8 performed very well at the 2013 TunerGP

By Johan Laubscher

The annual TunerGP was held at Hockenheim this past weekend, the sport auto High Performance Days 2013. It is a very popular European event for Tuning companies. MTM (Moteren Technik Mayer) has taken part in this event for many years, and this year they added a special car to their entry.

The MTM team has been competing in the Italian Superstars GT Sprint Series this season, using an Audi R8 LMS race car. They have shown good pace and results so far this year. The team decided to enter their Audi R8 LMS at the TunerGP.

The event requires modified streetcars, thus MTM modified the specification of their R8 LMS to make it eligible for the TunerGP. The modifications allowed the car to be registered for street legislation and it was entered in the C15-A class for "supersportler" cars. The changes to the car included: raised ride-height, added passenger seat and new BBS three piece rims with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.

Florian Gruber drove the Audi at the event. The car was named the MTM R8 RS, after its modifications for the TunerGP. Gruber was able to post very fast lap times, which ultimately won the event overall. The overall average winning lap time was 1:06.695. The results from the TunerGP can be seen HERE.

It was a great result for MTM, and the car looked and sounded great circling the short version of Hockenheim. An onboard video and photos from the MTM website have been included below.

Photo credit and more information:
MTM website
MTM on Facebook 

British GT: M-Sport Audi R8 LMS ultra recovered well at Silverstone

By Tarek Ramchani

As expected the Silverstone 500 was a very close event. Round 3 of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship had a special 3-hour endurance race, with fantastic performances from the M-Sport Audi

The qualifying session was very hard for the three Audi cars. For the race there were fears that the R8 LMS cars would not be able to recover and fight for top spots. However M-Sport, with their #10 Audi R8 LMS ultra, was able to improve and bounced back. The car shared by Rembert Berg and Warren Hughes recovered very well against a world class field of GT3 machines. They started down from twenty-second and they finished in a very strong fourth position. The Scottish based team again doing well after their great second at Rockingham last time out.

Less luck for the other Audi R8 LMS ultra entry from United Autosports. The #25 car of Mark Patterson and Matt Bell finished way down in seventeenth place after they had started from twenty-first position on the grid. A very hard result for the Anglo-American team in the chase for points and the championship title. The #11 PE Group Blendini Motorsport Audi R8 LMS ended in twenty-second place with drivers Dom Evans and Tom Roche.

The race win went to the BMW Z4 GT3 of Ecurie Ecosse. The Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 of Beechdean AMR was second and the BMW Z4 GT3 of Optimum Racing was third.

The next stop for the British GT Championship will be at Snetterton, with a two race format on June 15th and 16th.

Photo credit: British GT Championship

Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (25-26/05/2013)

By Johan Laubscher

1. The Weekend

Focussing this week on the weekend of 25 - 26 May 2013

2. The Events

•           Portuguese GT
•           Australian GT
•           British GT
•           CMRC
•           Tuner GP

2.1. Portuguese GT

Round two of the Portuguese GT Championship was held at Estoril this weekend. Team Novadriver took part with both of their Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. Both cars qualified within the top three, with the #1 Novadriver Audi taking pole. It was a very good two-hour race for the team. The lead had changed by the first pitstops with the #10 Novadriver Audi leading and their teammates in fifth. An Audi 1-2 had been established after the second pitstops and this was maintained to the flag. Victory went to the #1 of Cesar Campanico, Carlos Vieira and Mikko Eskelinen, followed by their teammates João Figueiredo, João Ramos and Manuel Gião in the #10.

Supercars Series FB page

Results

2.2. Australian GT

The third round of the Australian GT took place at Phillip Island. Two Audis were entered in the event, an Audi R8 LMS ultra entered by Melbourne Performance Centre and an Audi R8 LMS entered by Minda Motorosport. Rod Salmon was joined by James Winslow in the MPC entry this weekend. Race one saw both Audis finished within the top six, as Minda Motorsport finished fifth ahead of the MPC entry in sixth. The second race saw a reversed Audi order as both finished within the top seven, with MPC leading Minda Motorosport, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.

Australian GT FB page

Results

2.3. British GT

   

The Silverstone 500 was held this weekend, round three of the British GT Championship. The 500 was a special three-hour event and three Audi teams took part. M-Sport entered one 2013 Audi R8 LMS ultra, United Autosports with one 2012 Audi R8 LMS ultra and Blendini Motorsport with an Audi R8 LMS. The teams had performed very well at round two of the championship but they battled this weekend. None of the Audis qualified within the top twenty. The race itself saw M-Sport perform very well and they recovered to fourth place overall, the only Audi within the top ten. United Autosports finished seventeenth and Blendini twentieth. 

Endurance-Info website

Results

2.4. CMRC

   

Jamaica hosted the first round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC). The event was held at Dover and two Audis were entered in the event. The ATL Automotive ABT-Audi TT-R of Doug Gore was part of Team Jamaica and the extensively modified Audi A4 STW of Doug Maloney was part of Team Barbados. Doug Gore claimed pole position by a healthy margin on Saturday. Gore converted pole into a dominant race one victory, with Maloney placing his Audi on the podium in third. 

Jamaican Tuner FB page

Results

2.5. Tuner GP

  

The annual TunerGP was held at Hockenheim this weekend, the High Performance Days at Hockenheim. This is a massive tuner event in Germany with a large number of tuning companies and competitors taking part. Many Audi cars took part on the day. APR also showed well with their Stage III TT RS which won their category, the car was entered by Wolf-Power. The overall victory went to MTM with an Audi R8 LMS, posting a 1.06.695 average lap time. Florian Gruber was behind the wheel of the R8 LMS. The car was modified to comply with the street regulation for the TunerGP, and competed under the name of the MTM R8 RS.  

MTM website
Results

3. Next Weekend’s events (1-2/06/2013)

•           DTM
•           Grand Am
•           Blancpain Endurance Series
•           STT
•           SCCA World Challenge
•           V de V
•           RCN
•           GT Open
•           SCCA U.S. Majors
•           Swedish GT
•           French Rallycross
•           Race Trophy Austria

All photos are hosted at their respective website which are listed within the Weekend Round Up