No subject

1991. =20

Too bad for V8Q-veteran Biela and team :-(

Dave / Shawn,

How was the race from your point of view?

- Jeremy

-----Original Message-----
From: audi-nw-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:audi-nw-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of John =
Ewald
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2006 6:49 AM
To: northwest audi enthusiasts
Subject: [Audi-nw] Audi triumphs with Diesel power at Sebring

Audi MediaInfo
Ingolstadt, 19 March 2006

Audi triumphs with Diesel power at Sebring

First victory for a Diesel sportscar
Tom Kristensen achieves another record
V12 TDI engine writes motorsport history
=A0
The new Audi R10 TDI has immediately written motorsport history in its=20
first outing: Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan=20
McNish (Scotland) won the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) achieving the=20
first ever victory of a Diesel powered sportscar. Tom Kristensen became=20
the first driver to win America=92s most famous endurance race for a=20
fourth time, achieving another record after his record seventh Le Mans=20
victory from last year.
=A0
  30 degrees Celsius in the shade, high humidity and asphalt=20
temperatures reaching up to 43 degrees, caused especially difficult=20
circumstances on the Florida track which is one of the most demanding=20
in the world. Allan McNish had already shown the potential of the=20
650-hp V12 TDI engine with a record-breaking pole position time in=20
qualifying. Because the heat exchanger had to be replaced after the=20
morning warm-up, Dindo Capello was forced to start the number two R10=20
TDI from the pit-lane starting his chase from the back of the field.
=A0
  It took Capello only half an hour before he had moved from 35th and=20
last position to second just behind the sister car of Frank Biela.=20
Shortly before the end of the second hour, the Italian took the lead,=20
which the number two R10 TDI kept until the finish. Only changing the=20
fuel filter and two loose wheel nuts caused unscheduled pit-stops.
=A0
  The number one Audi R10 TDI that had clearly led the race for the=20
first two hours did not reach the finish. The car driven by Frank Biela=20
(Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) was=20
withdrawn just before one-third distance due to an overheated engine.
=A0
  The reason: Shortly after the start of the race, the telemetry system=20
of car number one, that transmits the data from the car to the pits,=20
had stopped working. As a consequence, Audi Sport=92s engine technicians =

had no data at all for the whole distance. When Marco Werner reported=20
high water temperatures via radio during the fourth hour of the race,=20
the second placed R10 TDI was called into the pits. The team discovered=20
radiators completely blocked by tyre rubber. After cleaning the=20
radiators, the temperatures sank immediately. However, Team Audi Sport=20
North America decided to precautionary withdraw the second placed R10=20
TDI from the race because the engine had been running with=20
significantly high temperatures for an extended period.
=A0
Quotes after the race at Sebring
=A0
  Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of AUDI AG: "Audi has =

once again written motorsport history, this time by being the first=20
manufacturer to win an endurance race with a diesel powered sportscar.=20
This impressively confirms the efficiency of the modern TDI technology.=20
It is especially remarkable that this success was achieved at the very=20
first race of the new Audi R10 TDI. The whole team from Audi Sport and=20
the Technical Development of Audi has once again done a great job. I=20
thank everyone who is participating in this ambitious project.=94
=A0
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "This has been a very=20
tough race and thus a good test for Le Mans. To get the first victory=20
for a TDI engine after our pole position is fantastic. We showed today=20
what=92s in our new sportscar with a Diesel engine. Thanks to the whole=20
crew from Audi Sport and Team Joest. Of course it is a shame that we=20
couldn=92t bring both cars to the finish. But we learned a lot today and =

know that it is still a long way to Le Mans.=94
=A0
Dindo Capello (Audi R10 TDI #2): "Audi has again done something=20
extraordinary. With this victory we really make a new chapter about=20
motorsport history. It reminds me when Audi started rallying with the=20
quattro to show that four-wheel drive is good not only for farm=20
vehicles. When Audi announced it would go racing with a Diesel engine,=20
maybe many people did not take us seriously. But I think now they will=20
not laugh anymore about us.=94
=A0
Tom Kristensen (Audi R10 TDI #2): "Audi had the courage to put such a=20
young car into a race at an early stage. It paid off. I know how many=20
people have been working very hard for this and I would like to thank=20
all of them. I have to say many thanks especially to the mechanics.=20
What they did after the warm-up was a job which normally is not done in=20
this short amount of time. Thanks also to my colleagues Allan and Dindo=20
who drove very well. Crossing the finish line was a historic moment for=20
the Diesel technology. I know that Audi has a good image in America.=20
I=92m sure the image of Audi TDI will be soon as good in the US.=94
=A0
Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI #2): "The whole team should be very proud -=20
we have created a little piece of history. In a few years time, people=20
will look back and realise this was a monumental moment, not only in=20
Audi Sport history, but also in motorsport where the first ever Diesel=20
engine won an international race. We all worked very hard for this one.=20
And we will all be celebrating a lot tonight. =94
=A0
Frank Biela (Audi R10 TDI #1): "The first victory with a Diesel engine=20
and for the R10 TDI is a great story. Especially if you have in mind=20
that we had not so much time. The roll-out happened quite recently. You=20
can only take your hat off to Audi Sport for this achievement. We had a=20
superb car at the beginning of the race. But things like this can=20
happen, that=92s racing. Now we have to keep our heads up, look forward, =

show the same performance at Le Mans and finish the race there.=94
=A0
Emanuele Pirro (Audi R10 TDI #1): "In motor racing you can have=20
mechanical problems sometimes. Of course there is sadness for us=20
because a little problem prevented us from having a good battle for the=20
win. Despite that, it has been a positive weekend. One of the two cars=20
won its first race, this is a big achievement and a big reward for all=20
the work all of us did in developing the R10 TDI. I keep my full=20
confidence for the very big race which is Le Mans.=94
=A0
Marco Werner (Audi R10 TDI #1): "We had good race speed, and as long we=20
were in the race, things went without problems. Of course it is a shame=20
we had to stop prematurely. Despite that, my thanks to Audi and Team=20
Joest. The boys had a lot of work this weekend. Audi faced stiff=20
competition after such a short period of testing. Others often don=92t=20
have the courage to do this in public.=94
=A0
Ralf J=FCttner (Technical Director, Team Audi Sport North America): "We=20
are happy about the success because we have been working extremely hard=20
for that. It=92s even more important we learned a lot of things - we can =

take home a long list and work towards Le Mans. This will happen with a=20
lot of joy because we have seen the potential the R10 TDI has and that=20
the concept is right. Losing one car very early was not nice, and I=20
really feel sorry for the guys of car number one. They also worked=20
through many nights.=94=20
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