Pompano Beach, FL. -- Friday evening, 23 Feb 2001, Champion Racing hosted a gala press launch for their 2001 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) program, where they will campaign the third of three Audi R8 Prototypes for the full season. ALMS founder Don Panoz was on hand for the event, celebrating another major entry in the full series. The launch party also celebrated the start of the second year of their two-car Audi S4 Competition assault on the Speedvision World Challenge.

R8 drivers Dorsey Schroeder and Andy Wallace unveiled Champion's colorful new R8, and S4 Competition drivers Derek Bell and Michael Galati were celebrating the kickoff of their second full year of competion in the Speedvision World Challenge GT class, where they had their first overall win at Las Vegas in 2000. Champion drivers past and present joined members of Audi Sport North America and Champion's full race team and guests as the cars competing in both series were unveiled amidst much fanfare.

Audi of America VP Len Hunt was on hand with a major announcement, that Champion would join in Audi's assault on the 2001 Le Mans 24-hour race as part of a three-car team. Dorsey Schroeder and Andy Wallace will contest the full 2001 ALMS schedule beginning with the opening round at Texas on 4th March, and will be joined by Ralf Kelleners at Sebring on 17 March. As Wallace has other commitments for Le Mans, Schroeder will be joined by Kelleners and Didier Theys for the renowned French enduro, to be held on 16-17 June.

Champion's R8 will also be present at the Le Mans pre-tests on 6th May, where the final entry and alternates will be selected for this year's race. Due to these  substantial commitments in the team's first season, no rounds of the European Le Mans Series will be contested. Bell and Galati will spearhead the Speedvision World Challenge assault, which also begins at Texas on 4th March. Eight of the ten so-far announced rounds of the Speedvision World Challenge will run parallel with ALMS events this season.