Audi's 1997 motor sport programme

["Hans-Juergen Schneider" <hschnei@ibm.net>]

>From the Audi Webpage:
    
    Audi to enter Super Touring cars again in 1997 


    During the 1997 season, Audi and its
    works teams will be participating in the
    ADAC Super Touring Car Cup in
    Germany, as well as in the British and
    Italian Touring Car championships. The
    manufacturer of premium cars announced
    its decision at the champions' party it held
    in Ingolstadt on Saturday December 7,
    1996. 
     
    Audi will be entering four A4 quattro
    models in ADAC Super Touring Car Cup
    events, driven by Emanuele Pirro, Philipp
    Peter, Yvan Muller and Tamara Vidali.
    Together with John Bintcliffe, Frank Biela
    will be driving once again in England, while
    Rinaldo Capello and his new team
    colleague Karl Wendlinger will be at the
    starting line in Italy. In the season just
    conluded, Audi won no less than seven
    championship titles worldwide. 
     
    With the company's support, Audi
    importers in Australia, Belgium and Spain
    will once again be entering the A4 quattro
    in their national Super Touring Car
    championships. The Austrian importer
    Porsche Austria will enter an Audi A4
    quattro in the ADAC Super Touring Car
    Cup, with Ralf Kalaschek at the wheel. 
     
    Since the World Motor Sport Association
    (FIA) has forbidden four-wheel drive from
    1998 onwards, Audi sees the 1997
    season as a transitional year, in which the
    company will also concentrate hard on
    developing a front-wheel drive car for
    1998. 
     
    However, there is another reason why it will
    be difficult for Audi to repeat this year's
    success in 1997: on Friday December 6th,
    1996, the FIA decided to increase the
    Audi A4 quattro's basic weight by 30
    kilograms to 1,070 kilograms. "That
    means that from the outset, we'll be
    carrying 95 kilograms more than our
    front-wheel drive competitors in 1997,"
    says Audi's head of motor sport, Dr.
    Wolfgang Ullrich. "Overcoming this
    handicap is a virtually impossible task - but
    Audi has always been eager to take on
    such challenges". 
     

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. Hans-Juergen Schneider / hschnei@ibm.net .
. 200 Quattro  /  90 Coupe Quattro 20V     .
. Germany                                  .
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