Neuburg a. d. Donau, November 22, 2021 – At the season finale of the 24H Series, two teams from Audi Sport customer racing had reason to celebrate. In addition to the overall victory of the Audi R8 LMS at Sebring, the brand also recorded a class win in the TCR classification as well as runner-up titles in several final championship rankings.
Audi R8 LMS GT3
Success at Sebring: Team TECE’s Rutronik Racing celebrates its first win in the 24H series in Florida in an Audi R8 LMS. It was also the first time an Audi customer team has won the championship this season, after Car Collection Motorsport won the unconventional 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi in January. Privateers Michael Doppelmayr, Elia Erhart, Swen Herberger and Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock share the cockpit of the Audi R8 LMS at the famous Sebring track. Starting from pole, TECE’s Rutronik initially led the 24-hour race for 18 laps in variable weather. A thrilling battle for the top job ensued for the Porsches of the Herberth Motorsport team. After three-quarters of the race, heavy rain forced race control to interrupt the game. Swen Herberger crossed the finish line after 559 laps, 1 minute 44 seconds ahead of Porsche. After three wins at the Nurburgring and two at Spa, it was Marcus Winkhoek’s sixth overall 24-hour victory in his racing career. Since 2009, the Audi R8 LMS has won its 14th overall 24-hour championship. In the final standings for the 24H series, TECE’s Rutronik Racing finished second in the GT3-Am team, with Michael Doppelmayr and Swen Herberger third in the GT3-Am driver’s class.
Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)
First victory of the season for AC Motorsport: The long-standing Audi customer team AC Motorsport took its first win of the season with the Audi RS 3 LMS in the final of the 24H series at Sebring. Stéphane Perrin and his teammates Mathieu Detry, Rik Breukers and Matthew Taskinen had a long battle in Florida against Volkswagen Team Autorama Motorsport, which had two cars on the track. Depending on the race, AC Motorsport’s lead widened to three laps, or shrunk to 26 seconds after spinning and technical problems, as happened at night. In the end, the privateer Audi driver quad won the TCR class by one lap and finished a respectable eighth place in the Sport and Touring Car Series. For AC Motorsport, it was the first 24-hour class title since a similar success in Dubai in 2020. In the 24H Series Championship standings, the Belgian team finished second in the TCR Teams classification, with Stéphane Perrin and Mathieu Detry second in the TCR – Drivers rating. Building on its success in the US, the Audi RS 3 LMS takes its sixth class win at the 24 Hours.
Audi RS 3 LMS on sales tour: Deliveries of the second-generation Audi RS 3 LMS have already begun. Audi Sport Asia Customer Racing showcased this entry-level touring car model at the trackside Fisherman’s Entertainment Centre on the penultimate weekend of November during the Macau Grand Prix. With 13 cars from the previous generation, Audi is the most popular touring car brand in the street racing scene.