Rolex 24: Audi on third row of the grid at Daytona

Audi Press Release

• Filipe Albuquerque with Alex Job Racing is best Audi driver

• Teams are mainly focused on race preparation

• All four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars are thoroughly prepared

Ingolstadt, January 24, 2013 – The best Audi R8 GRAND-AM will be starting into the 24-hour race at Daytona (Florida) from the third row. The fastest driver of the Audi customer teams in qualifying was Filipe Albuquerque.


Following several warm-up laps, the Audi factory driver managed to make a perfect landing. After the tire pressure had reached the planned optimum level, Albuquerque drove a flawless lap on the high-speed track in Florida. His time of 1m 48.282s earned him and Team Alex Job Racing grid position six in the GT class, making Audi the third-best brand in the field of the eight manufacturers.

René Rast achieved the second-best time of an Audi driver. The German from Team APR Motorsport took grid position eleven (1m 48.581s). Markus Winkelhock in the Audi R8 GRAND-AM qualified in the front half of the field of 34 GT vehicles as well. The Audi from Rum Bum Racing will start from position 16 (1m 48.865s) on Saturday. The American Matt Bell from APR Motorsport achieved grid position 27 in another R8 GRAND-AM.

The main focus of all the teams was and continues to be placed on preparing for the 24-hour race. All teams are using the remaining night practice on Thursday and a final practice on Friday to further refine the set-up of the customer race sports car. The race will start at 15:30 local time on Saturday.

Selected quotes

Romolo Liebchen (Head of Audi Sport customer racing): “In qualifying, there were no surprises. We concentrated on preparing for the race. It was important not to take any risks today. Together with the preparation in the tests at the end of last year and in the beginning of January, we’re tackling the race with a clear conscience. The drivers are giving us feedback confirming that we’re running with a set-up that provides very good drivability.”

Filipe Albuquerque (Audi R8 GRAND-AM #24/Alex Job Racing): “I’m very happy with my lap. I kept my cool because I knew that the first three laps are nothing special. I knew when I’d be able to attack. The tire pressure was developing according to plan and then I only needed a single lap. Everything was right on the dot. There was no more traffic and I made no mistakes. Afterward, the tires were used up. Things couldn’t have gone any better today. And in the other practice sessions we want to improve our car a little bit more. I’m looking forward to the race.”

Qualifying results

1 Nick Tandy (Porsche) 1m 47.631s
2 Andy Lally (Porsche) 1m 47.828s
3 Sean Edwards (Porsche) 1m 48.007s
4 Patrick Long (Porsche) 1m 48.137s
5 Alessandro Balzan (Ferrari) 1m 48.260s
6 Filipe Albuquerque (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.282s
7 Marco Seefried (Porsche) 1m 48.319s
8 Robin Liddell (Camaro) 1m 48.330s
9 Daniel Serra (Ferrari) 1m 48.521s
10 Anthony Lazzaro (Ferrari) 1m 48.577s
11 René Rast (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.581s
16 Markus Winkelhock (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 48.865s
27 Matt Bell (Audi R8 GRAND-AM) 1m 49.937s

Photo credit: APR Motorsport

Positive Daytona tests for Audi R8 GRAND-AM teams

By Tarek Ramchani

Daytona hosted the annual "Roar Before The Rolex 24" last weekend, the official test days of the Rolex 24 Hours. Audi was well represented at the world famous speedway. Four Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars were there and they did really well.



Audi debuted the R8 GRAND-AM spec car last year in the Rolex Series. It was a really mixed season, as APR Motorsport had a lot of ups and downs with the car. The team really improved during the season and achieved a sensational second in class at the season finale. Later towards the end of 2012 the Audi R8 GRAND-AM again proved that it was heading in the right direction. Audi Sport customer racing and quattro GmbH were among the fastest in the last December tests at Daytona.

Now the Audi Rolex Series squad has increased, welcoming two new comers. Both Alex Job Racing and Rum Bum Racing are fielded a single car each. They join APR Motorsport, the Alabama based team, who is back for the second straight year this time with two cars. All three teams worked very hard in these tests this weekend. Most of the time they were able to enter the top 10 in the very demanding GT class. The R8s were as fast as the world class rivals from the Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet and Mazda teams.

The amount of the support from Audi is clearly showing. The Four Ringed brand really wants to add an Audi victory in the Florida classic to their already impressive results with the Audi R8 in the other big endurance classics. Proof of that is the massive presence of Audi works drivers and Audi Sport customer racing engineers who are present with each of the three teams. In end the best result for the Audi R8 GRAND-AM was a fine second place in class, set in the third session with the #52 car of APR Motorsport.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is set for the end of January. And as seen last weekend Audi will be one of the big favourites for the GT class win.

Photo credit: APR Motorsport / Daytona International Speedway

Rum Bum Racing ready for their first Rolex 24 at Daytona

Rum Bum Racing Press Release

Rum Bum Racing will build on the team's 2012 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship with a debut campaign in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, competing in the Rolex Series GT Class with an Audi R8 GRAND-AM.



Rum Bum Racing driver and team manager Matt Plumb will be joined by Audi Sport drivers Frank Biela, Christopher Haase and GT1 World Champion Markus Winkelhock in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM as the Rolex Sports Car Series opens the 2013 season at Daytona International Speedway on January 26. Bolstering the Rum Bum Racing effort, Audi Sport customer racing will provide engineering and parts support as needed.

Team owner Luis Bacardi developed Rum Bum Racing as an organization that was capable of success at any level of competition. The Joe Varde-led group has a strong record of results at the famed Daytona International Speedway, which is located just an hour northeast of the team's Orlando-based race shop.

The group burst onto the GRAND-AM scene with a victory at Daytona in their 2010 debut and then followed up that effort by claiming the Daytona pole and a repeat win in 2011. Rum Bum finished fifth in last year's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event held ahead of the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 as the team initiated a Championship-winning season.

"Mr. Bacardi and the rest of the Rum Bum Racing team are thrilled to be entering Rolex Series GT competition with a winning brand like Audi," offered Plumb. "They are globally recognized for excellence on and off the track and clearly know what it takes to win."

Having led the race in his first-ever Daytona Prototype start, Plumb has seven Rolex 24 At Daytona starts to his credit, and is very much looking forward to his eighth. As he helps Rum Bum Racing transition to an even bigger stage, he is quick to credit Audi for their program.

"Audi Sport customer racing has been a pleasure to deal with and has gone out of their way to ensure we have everything that we need to be competitive," said Plumb. "They gave me the opportunity to get some laps in the car, and I was very impressed. It is clear that they have done a tremendous amount of development on the Audi R8 GRAND-AM, and I can't wait to be behind the wheel again at the Roar."

Audi saw endurance racing success last year having won the 12-hour Bathurst, Australia race as well as the 24-hour races held at the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder.

The 2013 GRAND-AM season will kick off with a three-day test held January 4-6 in preparation for the 24 hour race at the end of the month. Rum Bum Racing will announce additional facets of the team's 2013 racing program in the new year.

Photo credit: Regis Lefebure / Fourtitude