[200q20v] Just announced: Audi & Panoz

[WARATAP at aol.com]

Just came through and thought it would be of interest:

Panoz Motorsports Group Enters Multi-Level Partnership With Audi of America, 
Inc.

  
* Panoz Racing School Becomes Home of 'Audi Driving Experience' In The   

US ... Including Advanced Handing Courses & Teen Programs   

* Audi Gains Title Sponsorship of Petit Le Mans   

* Audi Named Official Performance Car For Road Atlanta & Mosport Tracks &   

Racing School   

* Special 'Experience Packages' To Be Offered To Audi Owners  

BRASELTON, Ga., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The popular Audi Driving Experience -- 
including an advanced handling course and a teen safety program -- comes to 
North America for the first time via the Panoz Racing School. 

The Audi Driving Experience is just one aspect of an exclusive, multi-level 
agreement between the Panoz Motorsports Group and Audi of America. 

According to Scott Atherton, President of the Panoz Motorsports Group, "The 
agreement includes three other key areas in which Audi and Panoz are 
partnering." 

The agreement also calls for Audi to become:  

* Title sponsor of the crown jewel of the American Le Mans Series, the   

Audi Petit Le Mans (October 3-6, 2001, at Road Atlanta)  

* Official performance vehicle for Road Atlanta and Mosport International   

Raceway  

* Official car of the Panoz Advanced Handling Programs. 

"Based on Europe's highly successful Audi Driving Experience model, Panoz 
Racing School will begin the American program this summer at Road Atlanta, 
Sebring International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Mosport 
International Raceway," Atherton explained. 

The Audi Driving Experience includes:  

* a hands-on driving program where participants learn advanced handling by   

actually driving performance Audi street vehicles  

* a teen handling and safety curriculum  

* the Audi Academy which trains and familiarizes Audi brand specialists   

and company personnel  

* a special driving experience, custom-packaged for Audi owners (and   

available to non-owners.)  This select program includes not only the   

advanced Audi Driving Experience but also related lifestyle activities   

such as golf, destination hotels and entertainment. 

Says Don Panoz, Chairman of The Panoz Motorsports Group, "This is an 
opportunity to advance an already great Audi-Panoz relationship. 

"On one hand, Audi continues to build on its brand which has been enhanced by 
Audi's growing racing and performance reputation and its dominance of major 
international circuits such as Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series.  On 
the other, Panoz Motorsports continues to grow its own brand which is built 
on a foundation of world-class facilities, major international racing events 
like the American Le Mans Series and Panoz GT and Pro GT Series and, of 
course, our unparalleled driver and racer training." 

The agreement calls for Audi (featuring the Audi A4, 4-door, 1.8-liter turbo 
sedan) to become the official car of the advanced handling and performance 
programs of the Panoz Racing School. 

"This is an excellent opportunity for a truly unique relationship," says 
Panoz Motorsports Group President Atherton.  The Audi branding experience has 
become vertically integrated, from the winner's circle of the world's great 
racing tracks to training for the highways of America.  Similarly, the Panoz 
Racing School is part of the Panoz vertically integrated motorsports 
enterprise." 

Atherton cited the Panoz involvement in every facet of the motorsports 
industry, performance auto development and the school's high level of 
instruction which creates a unique and authentic experience for all 
motorsports enthusiasts. 

Atherton stressed that the advanced handling curriculum does not train race 
drivers, as the school does in its racing curriculum.  Rather, he said, "The 
program's charter is to develop responsible street drivers capable of 
handling any and all extremes they may encounter on the roadway." 

Atherton concluded, "The teen driving program is expected to develop a large 
following at our school locations in light of the current emphasis on teen 
driver safety.  The strength of the joint Panoz-Audi program is its ability 
to capture the attention and to train young drivers for a lifetime of 
rewarding, safe driving experiences.  Consider the powerful effect of 
real-life handling experiences which we can maximize via actual, hands-on, 
behind the wheel situations in a controlled environment in the Audi A4 versus 
making the attempt with lectures and simulators." 

MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT -  Click Here   

http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X13465770  

SOURCE  Panoz Motorsports Group   

CO:  Panoz Motorsports Group; Audi of America, Inc. 

ST:  Georgia, Texas 

IN:  AUT SPT 

SU:  PDT JVN 

08/01/2001 16:32 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com 

-Ingo
'91 200q20v with a few mods...
http://members.aol.com/Quattringo/index.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.audifans.com/pipermail/200q20v/attachments/20010801/c8bc2915/attachment.htm