DTM: Six Audi’s qualify in top ten at Hockenheim R1 |  |
- DTM: Six Audi’s qualify in top ten at Hockenheim R1
- Two Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG’s for the Nurburgring 24 Hour
- Volkswagen announces drivers for Golf24 attack on Nurburgring 24 Hour
| DTM: Six Audi’s qualify in top ten at Hockenheim R1 Posted: 30 Apr 2011 11:21 AM PDT
Strong start to the DTM season for Audi. Leading up to the qualifying sessions, Audi remained in front during both practices. In the first, Audi went 1-2-3 with Rockenfeller, Scheider, Ekstrom. In the second practice, Audi went 1-2-3 again but with Scheider, Tomczyk and Molina. Qualifying would not be the same for Audi but 6 drivers would end up in the Top 10. While we were watching, both Mattias and Timo didn’t show times after Q1. We were quite nervous! Ekstrom would go on throughout the four qualifying sessions ending up 2nd behind Bruno Spengler of Mercedes. He missed pole by 00.132. Timo Scheider looked to be on Championship form but a mistake cost him where he ended up fourth, 01.164 down. Mike Rockenfeller, who has been very fast took fifth with Martin Tomczyk sixth. DTM and Audi newcomer, Edoardo Mortara put Audi in the tenth spot. Mortara comes over from Volkswagen and the Formula 3 Euro Series.
Audi starts into 2011 DTM from front row Audi tackles the new DTM season from the front row of the grid. In qualifying at the Hockenheimring Mattias Ekstrom missed the pole position by merely 0.132 seconds. With six A4 DTM cars on the top ten grid positions Audi achieved a strong overall team performance. At the crucial shoot-out for the top four grid positions the two-time DTM champion was the first driver to go out on the track. At 1m 34.402s Ekstrom, who recently became a father, set an impressive time which in the end was only beaten by Bruno Spengler. “This qualifying session was a thriller for us,” said the Swede. “The car wasn’t so good at first. But every time I went out we changed something. In the end, my A4 was perfect and I managed a good lap. Naturally, I’d prefer having finished in first place but this will be my goal for tomorrow…” His team-mate Timo Scheider made it into the fourth qualifying segment (Q4) as well. After a braking mistake on entering the hairpin, the 2008 and 2009 DTM champion had to settle for grid position four though. Mike Rockenfeller on his first run for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline barely missed Q4 by a mere 0.002 seconds and will start from position five. The best driver of a year-old car, Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), will start into the race next to him, from the third row. Miguel Molina finished Q3 in eighth place after some ignition misses. Formula 3 champion Edoardo Mortara (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) in tenth place was the second-best rookie right behind Christian Vietoris. Oliver Jarvis and Filipe Albuquerque will start from positions twelve and 15. Rahel Frey on her first DTM weekend consistently improved during each practice session. The young Swiss driver will tackle the race from position 17. “Having six Audi cars in the top ten is a very nice team result,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “We’ve got an Audi on each of the two front rows and even two on the third row. Tomorrow will no doubt be a very thrilling race for which we’ve got good prerequisites.” The first DTM race of the year will start at 2 p.m. ARD will air live coverage from Hockenheim on “Das Erste” starting at 1:55 p.m. (local time).                                                             - Audi Motorsport Related posts:
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| Two Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG’s for the Nurburgring 24 Hour Posted: 30 Apr 2011 08:23 AM PDT
Volkswagen has added two Scirocco GT24-CNG’s to the mix for the 24 hour race. This will complement the three 440hp Golf24‘s, one of which will be racing at this weekends VLN. These five cars are factory efforts. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Vanina Ickx and Peter Wyss will be in one car, while Giniel de Villiers, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Klaus Niedzwiedz. If you recall, Volkswagen celebrated a one-two-three finish in the class last year. The Scirocco GT24-CNG power-trains are powered by eco-conscious bio natural gas running at 330hp.
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| Volkswagen announces drivers for Golf24 attack on Nurburgring 24 Hour Posted: 28 Apr 2011 08:23 AM PDT
Big names for the comeback: When the Volkswagen Golf returns to the legendary 24-hour race on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife (23–26 June) well-known Volkswagen drivers like Rene Rast and Peter Terting will be joined on the grid by former Formula 1 racers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell as well as DTM driver Edoardo Mortara. The spectacular Golf24 with a power output of 440 hp and four-wheel drive will make its racing debut in the “Green Hell” as early as at the Nurburgring Endurance Championship this weekend.
Strong mix: young guns, seasoned campaigners and legends in the Golf24 Volkswagen will field three Golf24 cars at the 24-hour race in June. The car designated as number 35 will be driven by Rene Rast, Volkswagen Junior and winner of the 2010 Porsche Supercup, Nicki Thiim, the son of former DTM champion Kurt Thiim, who most recently was successful with Volkswagen at the 24-hour race on the Nurburgring, plus the former DTM and World Championship driver Peter Terting, who is a firm component of Volkswagen’s 24-hour driver squad as well. “I’m looking forward to the race because due to its atmosphere and history it’s an absolute highlight,” says Rast, who participates in the one-day classic in the Eifel for the second time. “After not being able to run due to conflicting commitments in the past two years, it’s great to be returning this year in the Golf24. The car is incredibly good fun to drive and was very fast in the initial tests.” Car number 135 will be driven by the Swede Fredrik Ekblom and the two Germans Thomas Mutsch and Patrick Simon, who are thoroughly familiar with the Nordschleife. “It’s a great honor to be able to contest the 24-hour race in the new Golf24. The car not only looks fantastic but also handles that way,” says Ekblom, who was victorious in last year’s Swedish Touring Car Championship with Volkswagen. “The race on the Nordschleife is unique. Its importance has continually increased in the past few years and the field is sensational. This will be my third run, so I know that you can’t make any predictions. Anything is possible on the Nordschleife.” The number 235 Golf24 has a prominent crew in the cockpit. It is occupied by the Formula 1 legends Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell who take turns with two young guns from Volkswagen’s formula school. Edoardo Mortara won the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2010 and is driving for Audi in the DTM in 2011. After a career in Formula 3, Franck Mailleux established himself as a sports car racer, at the Le Mans 24 Hours among others. “The 24-hour race on the Nordschleife is a big thing. I’m very much looking forward to it,” says Johnny Herbert. “I clinched my last Formula 1 victory on the Grand Prix circuit of the Nurburgring in 1999, so I always like coming back to the Eifel track. The Nurburgring has a very special meaning for me.” - Volkswagen Motorsport Related posts:
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