Audi’s R10 TDI diesel race car remains unbeaten — despite a controversial rules change mid-season that threatened to take away the car’s chances. The team celebrated a double victory in the fifth race of the car and the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series at Road America. Earlier this month, the racing league decided to allow the competing gas-powered LM P1 Lolas to drop 143 pounds of weight to make for a tighter race. At the time, Audi said it was “deeply disappointed about the random decisions of the IMSA organization.” Meanwhile, the competitors justified the new rules by saying the R10 had an “insurmountable and crushing advantage.” This weekend’s long distance race lasted over 2.45 hours. Quotes and gallery after the jump…
Quotes after the race at Road America
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “This was a really exciting race with an incredibly tight finish. As expected the track at Road America suited our R10 TDI very well. Despite this we had to fight hard for the victory because the caution periods cost us the advantage we gained over and over again. The lighter Dyson-Lolas today came very close to us, sometimes even too close. Congratulations to the team who did a great job and had a good strategy.”
Frank Biela (Audi R10 TDI #1): “I am very happy. It was a good race, very good for the spectators. But it didn’t look good at the beginning. In turn 1 James Weaver pushed me off and I rejoined the track as the last car. I had a big vibration and had to pit for new tyres. Then the team did a very good job and the strategy worked well. Emanuele took the car on fresh tyres and drove a fantastic race to the finish.”
Emanuele Pirro (Audi R10 TDI #1): “It was one of the best races of my life. After the accident at the start we were one lap down. But with a little bit of luck we got back the lap. Later I could come close to Dindo but I could not pass him. When the right moment came at the re-start I tried everything that I have learned in my career, I put a lot of pressure on Dindo and it worked. I am absolutely delighted.”
Dindo Capello (Audi R10 TDI #2): “I had a great fight with Emanuele in the closing stages after the re-start. My Audi was very good and I was in control but then the pace car came out. I was very careful at the re-start because the officials always look at this very carefully and my team radioed to remind me to maintain the speed of the pace car when it pulled in and not to accelerate until the green flag was waved. I lost a little momentum allowing Emanuele to slip ahead. I then had to think about the championship and not take a big risk.”
Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI #2): “Obviously we would have liked to have won but in terms of the championship it was a good result and we’re in a strong position with three races to run. The race featured a lot of full course yellow safety periods and just like at Salt Lake City when we were leading that race with 20minutes remaining, the final caution cost us a certain victory which is a little frustrating but it’s good to have scored another Audi 1-2. At the start of the race I survived a hit from James Weaver who also hit me again coming down the pit-lane which caused slight damage.”
Dave Maraj (Team Director Team Audi Sport North America): “It was an incredible race. For Frank and Emanuele to win having dropped to the back of the field after the first corner incident with the Dyson Lola is amazing. They drove very well but also the team played a big part in this victory with a good race strategy when things had looked grim. Allan and Dindo have also extended their championship lead. With all the discussions about the advantage of the Audi R10 TDI, it is interesting that the Dyson Lola finished less than a second behind the winning Audi on a circuit that suits the R10 TDI perfectly.”
Results at Road America
- 1 Biela/Pirro (Audi R10 TDI) 76 laps in 2h 45m 32.115s
- 2 Capello/McNish (Audi R10 TDI) + 0.400s
- 3 Weaver/Leitzinger (Lola-AER) + 0.713s
- 4 Maassen/Bernhard (Porsche) + 27.374s
- 5 Luhr/Dumas (Porsche) + 27.524s
- 6 Dayton/Wallace (Lola-AER) + 28.061s
08/21, 8:07 AM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Hahaha! Yes! Take that! Diesels FTW.
08/21, 8:41 AM
posted by:
Piablo
Too bad about racing. This is exactly why it’s losing fans all over the world. The rules, rules and more rules. This diesals is pretty impressive. I’d like to know what makes it so dominating…oh and where I could get one myself!
08/21, 8:48 AM
posted by:
anonymous
Propoganda. How about the diesels run the same displacement and boost as the other cars, then we will see who dominates.
08/21, 8:51 AM
posted by:
anonymous
“Too bad about racing. This is exactly why it’s losing fans all over the world. The rules, rules and more rules. This diesals is pretty impressive. I’d like to know what makes it so dominating…oh and where I could get one myself!”
Rules? You sure it isn’t the manufacturers like Audi and Cheverelot that have dominated in the ALMS for the past few years? Or the fact that the ALMS bends over for the French elitist ACO? How about the “wait till next year” line we keep getting fed? BMW left Grand Am to run….an old E46 M3 and the seasons almost over and yet, STILL no Lexus IS350.
08/21, 8:51 AM
posted by:
Renton
Diesel…its what’s for dinner.
08/21, 9:09 AM
posted by:
tino
Renton…it’s what’s for breakfast
08/21, 9:48 AM
posted by:
matt
what an impressive car!!!
08/21, 9:49 AM
posted by:
Dogs Bollocks
Way to go Audi, you rock. I will always buy AUdis or VWs
08/21, 10:28 AM
posted by:
J
Even with Dyson driving into them . . . there were some bloody stupid hits in that race, the Panoz/Ferrari incident was pretty bad too.
08/21, 10:32 AM
posted by:
Jay
YES!! Go Audi! Now they’re going to ask for more rule changes probably to compete with the Audi. Get it in your thick skulls people, Diesel is good!
08/21, 10:44 AM
posted by:
Fatstrat
Diesel really isn’t the issue here people. While the motor is good the real issue is the parameters for competetion withing the series. Audi found a loop hole, the series was willing to allow it to go so far to see if it would benefit the series. Now they are just figuring out how to make it work.
For the 100th time, the rules changes are not new, to Audi or other teams. They are constant in this sport and the exasperation of you people is indicitive of a lack of knowledge of the history of it. the complaints by the teams are just posturing as is also typical in any motorsport.
I like the Audi diesel race car too, but I like the competetive series far better.
08/21, 12:17 PM
posted by:
al
GERMAN ENGENEERING!!!!!!!!!!
08/21, 1:05 PM
posted by:
Onur
“Unfair advantage??” I don’t think anyone is telling lola not to build a Diesel engine right?! So why don’t they just build an engine that can compete against the audis. Racing is about technology, don’t blame the opponents if you can’t keep up. Go build a Diesel of your own.
08/21, 1:11 PM
posted by:
bman1113vr
Interesting how the P2 Porsches got in at 4th and 5th!
In response to Onur: most teams don’t have audi’s budget for R&D.
08/21, 2:25 PM
posted by:
anonymous
“”Unfair advantage??” I don’t think anyone is telling lola not to build a Diesel engine right?! So why don’t they just build an engine that can compete against the audis. Racing is about technology, don’t blame the opponents if you can’t keep up. Go build a Diesel of your own.”
Lola does not race the car, it’s a privateer team with a MUCH smaller budget then Audi’s. Sports car racing is privateer based, they can’t compete with the OEM’s. And about “racing is technology”. Explain to me then, why does the Audi need more displacement and boost, and it still can’t rev higher then the AER engines to make LESS power then the old Audi’s? It’s propoganda. Diesel engines are terrible race engines, and Audi is just driving up costs. Sports Car Racing, especially in Europe is HEAVELY privateer based, and not many, if all, can make ir a profitable proposition. Thus continues the further slide of International Sports Car racing thanks to the French(ACO).
08/21, 2:26 PM
posted by:
anonymous
And also I would to add that Lola does not build engines.
08/21, 4:06 PM
posted by:
Gunther Bunky
diesels obviously do NOT make terrible race engines. the audi R10 is kicking ass, just as the petrol R8 did. if you want to destroy interest in LMS, ban audi, or any other “factory” team.
also note, champion racing *is* a privateer team. of course audi is heavily invested in their efforts, as are the other manufacturers. anyone fielding an LMP car is throwing big bucks at it. right now, audi is throwing more money and technology at the champion team, thereby driving technology and the advancement of the sport.
08/21, 5:25 PM
posted by:
anonymous
“diesels obviously do NOT make terrible race engines. the audi R10 is kicking ass,”
A billion dollar budget, 12 cylinders with larger displacement then a gas engine and more boost versus shoe string privateer budgets…real ass kicker there. They only seam to be competing against themselves.
08/21, 5:27 PM
posted by:
anonymous
Champion privateer? You’re kidding right? They’re an Audi dealership and are being bankrolled by Audi U.S. Compare that to Dyson, which is being primarily bankrolled BY Dyson. Do you think a “privateer” would get ex Formula 1 drivers and the best engineers in the country that easily?
08/21, 6:15 PM
posted by:
The Stig
Good on Audi. Now share the love and give the US some more diesel choices in the market. Puhleeze.
08/21, 8:48 PM
posted by:
Kmoney
Uhh, I was at that race. Those R10s are one notch above silent. All you hear is the turbo whine or whatever it is, no loud exhaust whatsoever.
08/22, 1:34 AM
posted by:
Gunther Bunky
“versus shoe string privateer budgets”…
so why don’t we just reduce everyone to minimal budgets and race go-karts? isn’t investment is ALMS and Le Mans in general a “good thing” for christ’s sake? sure it’s tough on the little(r) guys right now, but over time, more teams should be shooting for this kind of backing and Le Mans will be more available to racing fans. i’m sure as sh1t not gonna settle for watching NASCAR.
08/22, 10:33 AM
posted by:
Fatstrat
Wrong Bunky.
The private teams are just that, private. It is just like business. If they cannot affort to compete, they go race a different series that they can afford to be in and the one they left eventually collapses. That is how motorsports has always been. 4 manufacturers cannot support a series.