Team ADT Champion Racing, still relishing their 1-2 victory from the Twelve Hours of Sebring last month, enters Round Two of the American Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta with pride, confidence, and enthusiasm. At the same time, the team knows they can’t underestimate the competition, not only against the Dyson Racing team, but also between themselves as the two-car Audi R8 teams proved last month when they posted the closest race finish in history at the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Team ADT Champion Racing (Pompano Beach, FL) travels to the beautiful hills of Braselton, Georgia to compete in the 2-hour, 45-minute Sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta scheduled for Sunday, April 17 at Road Atlanta’s 2.54 mile, 12-turn road course. The ALMS teams will return again in the fall for the well-known, 10-hour or 1000-mile (whichever comes first) endurance race affectionately known as Petit Le Mans.
The winning Audi R8 from Sebring, the No. 1 car, will be piloted by defending American Le Mans Series Driver Champions JJ Lehto and Marco Werner (Germany). This talented combination hopes to repeat their win from last year’s Petit Le Mans race and to score their second victory of the 2005 ALMS season.
The highly motivated duo of Frank Biela (Germany) and Emanuele Pirro (Italy), drivers of the No.2 Audi R8, are poised to challenge their “sister” car and the two-car squad from Dyson Racing. As was demonstrated in the first race of the season, a team has to perform flawlessly both in the pits and on the track to claim victory. The Biela/Pirro combination (winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002) has proven their potential and their competitiveness.
Biela and Pirro will start the week’s festivities by appearing at an Audi Stars and Cars promotion at Nalley Audi in Roswell, GA on Thursday, April 14. This promotion was created to transfer the level of excitement, enthusiasm and education the racing environment offers to Audi dealers, employees, customers and prospects while highlighting Audi technology, styling, durability and reliability. For more information, contact Nalley Audi at 678-795-3300.
The Sportsbook.com Atlanta Grand Prix takes place April 15-17 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Sunday’s race, a two-hour, 45-minute timed race gets the green flag at noon. CBS Sports will provide live coverage from 1:00 – 3:00 pm EST. The American Le Mans Series Radio Web, www.radiolemans.com, will also supply flag to flag coverage.
DRIVER QUOTES:
TEAM ADT CHAMPION RACING AUDI R8 #1
JJ Lehto (Fin). Age: 39. Born: Espoo, Finland. Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco:
“Team ADT Champion Racing has been very successful for the last two years at Road Atlanta, so we will be trying to repeat that success again this year. But the Dyson team is a big question mark, and I don't think they showed their full potential in Sebring. They will be much stronger in Atlanta so it will be even harder for us. And then there is of course our sister car that we need to keep ahead of, but Marco and I will be doing our best to keep on top of it all.”
Marco Werner (D). Age: 38. Born: Dortmund, Germany. Lives: Ermatingen, Switzerland:
“We are in a very good position coming off our win at Sebring. I predict a very, very hard race with the Dyson team as Road Atlanta suits their cars very well. I believe this is good for the series though, two Lolas, two Audis. And anytime you compete against James Weaver, you know you’re going to have a good fight.”
TEAM ADT CHAMPION RACING AUDI R8 #2
Frank Biela (D). Age: 40. Born: Neuss, Germany. Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco:
“I am really looking forward racing again at Road Atlanta. I am happy that we have two races there, this short one and then the 1000k Petit Le Mans in September. After our first race at Sebring, we will expect something better, seven seconds better in fact. The competition will be very strong but I know we can do a good job. I’ve been with Champion Racing several times now and I must say how very happy I am with the team. I feel really confidant working with Champion Racing and look forward to many successful races with them.”
Emanuele Pirro (It). Age: 43. Born: Rome, Italy. Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco:
“Even though we lost at Sebring, the race gave me a lot of confidence. It proved that we are as fast as the #1 Audi R8. It also gave me a lot of motivation to achieve what we missed by a fraction in Sebring. The Dyson team proved to be more than a threat as they challenged us hard early on. We intend to take them very seriously.”
For more information on Audi motorsports visit www.audiusa.com. For more information on Champion Racing, visit www.championracing.net. |