Video: Onboard the Audi TT RS at the Nürburgring

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 Nürburgring 24 Hours weekend has arrived. To kick off the weekend let us have a look at the track in one of the Audi Sport sport customer race cars which will be competing: An Audi TT RS (SP4T class).

Phoenix Racing and Audi are the reining champions with the Audi R8 LMS ultra. This year eight Audi R8 LMS ultra are taking part in the event fielded by five different teams. A number of other Audis are also entered in the event which is set to be another great 24 Hours at the Green Hell.

Note: This onboard video is from a 2012 VLN event.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Communication / Media

Video: Audi R8 LMS sound VLN Nürburgring 2012

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi R8 LMS ultra was introduced with immediate success in various GT and endurance championship around the world this year. The car was one of the stars of the German based VLN Endurance Series at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. The R16 was able to score three overall victories in the hands of Phoenix Racing and Raeder Motorsport, and a fantastic 1-2 victory in the Nürburgring 24 Hours as well.

Here is a nice video from nordschleife-video.de featuring a mixture of Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars from Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Audi race experience and Raeder Motorsport at the Green Hell. Turn up your speakers for the great sound from the 5.2 V10s.

Audi R8 LMS R16 on Facebook

Video: Audi TT RS at the Nürburgring Nordschleife

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi TT RS was introduced in the late 2010 season to compete in the VLN Endurance Series and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. Both are run on the demanding and legendary Nordschleife. The car is factory built from the Audi subsidiary, quattro GmbH. This race version of the TT RS is powered by a 2.5L five-cylinder engine which produces around 340 bhp, very close to the street legal car. Competing in the SP4T class in VLN, it was team Raeder Motorsport who took charge of developing and racing the car for the first time. In 2011 the car even won a VLN round overall ahead of much more powerful and faster GT3 cars from the top SP9 class.

Here is a great onboard lap around the Green Hell with the TT RS driven by Audi legend, Frank Biela.

Audi TT RS VLN on Facebook

1-2 Audi victory at the Nürburgring in VLN round 8

By Tarek Ramchani

Round 8 of the VLN Endurance Series at the Nürburgring was the 44. ADAC Barbarossapreis. A four hour event that gave Audi a brilliant 1-2 overall victory.

Raeder Motorsport made history by winning their first overall race with the Audi R8 LMS ultra in the Nordschleife based series. The #44 car shared by Audi legend Frank Biela along with Thomas Mutsch and Christian Hohenadel crossed the finish line victorious after a great and fought race. The car started from position 8 after the qualifying session and had a great three-way battle with the Phoenix Racing run #15 Audi R8 LMS ultra and a Porsche GT3 R from Manthey Racing. In the end the white and green Audi won it right ahead of the Bilstein backed Phoenix car. This was the team's second overall win with Audi in VLN, after the stunning victory last year with the Audi TT RS. The #15 Phoenix Audi had a great race as well, a strong second with team's regular drivers, Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler. A great performance after ninth place in qualifying. The sister Phoenix car, the #5 machine of Christer Jöns and Luca Ludwig, finished in a good sixth place after a titanic battle in the closing stages with an SLS GT3 AMG.

Overall it was a great weekend for the Audi squad at the Green Hell. A nice 1-2 win, proving once again that the Audi R8 LMS ultra is among the best in long endurance races. The next round is set for next month, the 36. DMV 250-Meilen-Rennen.

Video: Onboard with the Audi master Frank Biela R8 LMS ultra

By Johan Laubscher

In the world of Audi Motorsport Frank Biela is one of the absolute legends. He started his career at Audi in 1991 and over two decades later he still races cars from the four rings. During 2012 Frank has been racing for Raeder Motorsport  in the VLN series. He has been driving the green and white #44 Audi R8 LMS ultra. He is enjoying his time racing with the team, battling at the front of the VLN grid. Here is a great onboard video with Frank as he pushes the car around the Nürburgring.

Onboard Frank Biela #44 Raeder Audi R8 LMS ultra

Audi unlucky season opener at Nordschleife's VLN

By Tarek Ramchani

The VLN Endurance Series started yesterday at the world famous Nordschleife. Three Audi R8 LMS race cars entered the first round of this unique sportscar championship.

A single brand new Audi R8 LMS ultra was entered by Phoenix Racing the #5 car of Oliver Jarvis and Rene Rast. The other two cars were older Spec R8 LMSs. The sister Phoenix #15 for Frank Stippler, Christopher Haase and Markus Winkelhock. Team Raeder Motorsport entered the third car with Frank Biela, Thomas Mutsch and Christian Hohenadel. 

Right from the start it was obvious the race would not be easy at all. The Porsche GT3-R cars dominated the early stages of the race battling with each other ahead of the field. The Audi cars had to chase and catch up. The #5 Phoenix was the best from the Audi camp racing in the top 5 overall in the first part of the race. Later the first disaster came, the #15 Phoenix car crashed while it was in the lead overall. A few minutes later and it was the turn of the #44 R8 LMS from Raeder Motorsport to crash. Bad luck didn't stop hitting the Audi squad and the #5 Phoenix Audi crashed as well. In less than 30 minutes all three cars faced crashes in very rainy weather and a very wet race track. The race was later red flagged with heavy fog on the track, making it impossible to continue. Victory went to the #19 BMW Z4 GT3 from BMW Team Schubert.

Audi was unlucky in the top SP9 class, but did dominate the SP4T class. A 1-2 victory for Raeder Motorsport with their Audi TT-RS. The #272 TT-RS finished as the best Audi car in an amazing 8th overall, ahead of many top GT3 cars.

The season opener wasn't easy for Audi overall. We all hope that the other nine rounds will be better for the Audi R8 LMS. Team Phoenix Racing and Raeder Motorsport will do the full season in VLN. Mamerow Racing and the Audi race experience will join for a part time effort and selected events.

Photo Credits: Norbert Kratz and Julian Schmidt