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Audi wins with Diesel power again at Sebring - Sunday, March 18, 2007
at 02:19
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Sebring, 17 March 2007
Audi’s pioneering Diesel technology has triumphed again. Having written motorsport history by scoring the first victory for a Diesel sportscar in the 12 Hours of Sebring last year, the latest 2007-spec R10 TDI has immediately made its mark to earn Audi an eighth consecutive Sebring win after a hard fought duel with the 150-kg lighter LM P2 cars.
Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) swept their revised Audi R10 TDI to a 6-lap victory at Sebring today (17 March), the opening round of the 2007 American Le Mans Series. The winning Audi covered 1346.800-miles in the warm Florida sunshine, setting also a new track record in 1m 46.730s.
The "sister” Audi Sport North America R10 TDI of defending American Le Mans Series champions Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland), plus Tom Kristensen (Denmark), started from the front row alongside the pole-sitting #2 Audi despite the sports car being totally rebuilt after an accident in practice following qualifying on Thursday night.
The #1 Audi led for most of the opening five hours after the #2 Audi had suffered a left rear puncture losing two laps. But after five hours, the leading #1 Audi lost 30mins with two pit-stops to rectify an electrical issue allowing the Biela/Pirro/Werner Audi to recapture the lead from seventh place. The #2 Audi’s 2006 Sebring race winning combination ultimately finished second in the LM P1 class – fourth overall.
Note to the editors: A complete Sebring race report with quotes of all Audi drivers will follow.
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