# All Aussie Raid On Nürburgring In Audi R8 LMS



## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

[source: Audi Australia]
Following their successful debut with Audi motorsport at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Australian drivers Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff have been invited to take on the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife track in the same Audi R8 they shared in February.

The dynamic duo finished as one-second behind runners up behind Audi’s other R8 LMS entrant in this year’s Audi-dominated Bathurst endurance race, and are now looking for a strong result in Germany.

The Aussie drivers will be supported by the Audi Race Experience team and will compete in the fourth round of the German VNL endurance championship. They will form a rare “Down Under” pairing to attack the four-hour race on the incredibly testing 23 kilometre, 73-corner track in the Eifel Mountains, with a view to returning to contest the Nürburgring 24 Hour race in 2012.

Not only will the legendary circuit provide a unique test to the highly experienced Aussie pair but it will be a role reversal from their last outing in the R8 LMS, which saw them passing on their knowledge of the Bathurst circuit to their German teammates.

The close second placing of Lowndes and Luff, together with local privateer Mark Eddy, at Bathurst and the successive fastest laps set by the pair-was obviously enough to impress the Audi Race Experience Team Manager Manfred Janke; a man who can count seven Le Mans victories amongst his achievements.

Luff has driven at the iconic Nürburgring-Nordschleife track previously, but Lowndes will have his first experience the circuit, with expert guidance, in a street version of the Audi R8 on May 25. The pair will then have only a two hour familiarisation session in the R8 LMS race car before the Saturday morning qualifier and noon start for the four hour race.

The well drilled Audi race experience team of 15 will be supporting the Aussie attack, with the traditional Audi factory team standard of detail and focus, as they battle with up to 40 cars in their class for ultimate honours.

Commenting on the opportunity an excited Craig Lowndes said “I am delighted Audi has invited me back to race the R8 LMS again”.

“The Nürburgring is going to be a tremendous challenge, it’s probably the toughest track to learn anywhere in the world but what a track! To race a car like the Audi R8 at Nürburgring will be a fantastic experience.” Warren Luff mirrored Lowndes’ enthusiasm, “After we achieved such an outstanding result at the Bathurst 12 Hour and Audi proved such an incredible team to work with, I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and opportunity at Nürburgring.”

The May 28 race at Nürburgring is part of the Audi race experience team calendar of five endurance races, four of which are part of the German multi-class VLN series and the other being the annual highlight of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, this year to be held on June 24 to 26.


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## 400hpsrt4 (Mar 19, 2011)

Hot ****! Im goin to that!  only 2 hrs away from me


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