# Did Champion sell Audi R8 #605???



## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

A R8 sporting the 2006 Limb Rock bodywork took part at the 2009 Palm Beach Historic Races (08-02-09), driven by Travis Engen.
Is this #605 or is it another R8 just with look-a-like paint scheme, or is this really #605? Did champion sell or loan the car for the event? 
Anyone know more info about this?
This is the forth R8 to show up in Historic Sports Car Racing in the US, chassis 403, 405 and 501 also still race in HSR.
http://www.hsrrace.com/ 
http://flickr.com/photos/smuckatelli/3308405349/


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

*Re: Did Champion sell Audi R8 #605??? (lappies)*

The car may've been loaned. Unless they sell it to back to Audi, I doubt that Champion would sell the car due to it's historical significance.
However, the economy could make anyone, even Mr. Maraj, do just about anything-though the funding of his team has had more to do with Audi since mid-2006 than out of his own pockets/sponsors.


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

*Re: Did Champion sell Audi R8 #605??? (chernaudi)*









Here is the car in the Fourtitude Sebring gallery. Note under the role hoop, above the drivers name list, is the name (Travis) T.Engen. He raced the car at the HSR event at Sebring (Sebring Endurance Challenge). #405 was als there in the hands of Bill Adam.
Photos of the event here: http://public.fotki.com/colin1...-2009/ 








Note that it says owner Travis Engen.
I cant beleive Champion sold #605! Le Mans Winner and Final R8 to race and they sold it?








But glad to see it still racing, along with #501, #405 and #403 - all in the HSR


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## 16v (Aug 4, 1999)

*FV-QR*

appears that he can afford such toys http://www.ek.fi/businessforum...n.pdf


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (16v)*









Race Car on the left, show car on the right








The Show Car
Seems there were two R8s in this livery. Both were at Lime Rock in 2006. One raced, and the other was a show car. Could Travis Engen's R8 be the show car? That would make it chassis #505? and not #605? 


_Modified by lappies at 6:28 AM 4/28/2009_


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (lappies)*

Champion did sell 505 part way through the '06 ALMS season-that has been confirmed.


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (chernaudi)*

I read that Travis Engen's R8 is of the last generation so of the 600 chassis numbers and has no race history. Chassis 601-606 where built. 601,2,3,4,5 all raced but 606 is the one with no race history (still some debate if the 2004 sebring #88 veloqx R8 was #606 or #604).
So I assume Mr Engen's car is #606.
Also Bill Adam who usually races #405 was in a newer R8 at the Atlanta Historic races in August. I think this is #505.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7...42216/
Travis Engen was also there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7...42848/
This means that there are 5 R8s that still race in Historic racing in the USA, 606, 505, 501, 405, 403
I speak under correction about 606 and 505.


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (lappies)*

I think the show car in the photos above is #606, 606 was in america when it went on sale in 2006. That would explain why Travis Engen's R8 is in that livery.


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (lappies)*

I don't know where 605 went considering that Champion is still in chapter 11 banckruptcy-but I thought the plan was to eventually sell or give the car back to Audi eventually, which is what I heard back in 2006 when I asked what Champion and Audi Sport wanted to do with the car.


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

*Re: Did Champion sell Audi R8 #605??? (R8Mechanic)*

So 605 is back with Audi (in Audi of America's hands) as was orignally planned?


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## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

*Re: Did Champion sell Audi R8 #605??? (chernaudi)*

What've you heard. I saw the car in Sebring last year at the museum and inquired about it with Audi and it was believed that they owned it though the ownership on the card in the museum suggested otherwise. I haven't chased it down further.


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## johnwhite209 (Dec 5, 2009)

Really amazing!!!!!!!!!


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

I know this is now almost a year old topic, but I thought I would add this. Travis Engen's R8 is chassis 606, has been confirmed. 

Here is the chassis number:











Also the Audi R8 that is being used by Bill Adam is chassis 607. It is a chassis that was used as a show car and never raced. It was built up with parts remaining from Champion R8 campaign which ended in 2005. It is at the same spec level as chassis 605.

Chassis 607:









Both 607 and 606 are not on the records at Audi. According to Audi the last R8 built was 605. But 605 was the last R8 assembled in Germany by Audi. Chassis’ 606 and 607 were build in Germany but not assembled there, they were assembled in the USA. 606 was used for testing and then sold to Mr Engen.

Both now race in HSR events in the USA


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

They're probably not on record since they never were intended to be raced and were built with back door help from Audi. I read in an old magazine that Brad Kettler now owns a company that builds body panels and other parts for the R8 under license from Audi Sport, but without much direct backing from Audi.

However, Audi listed I think it was #403 in Audi R8: Born to Win as a backup car for Le Mans, but it was never raced and is used as a show car, usually with the Adelade "crockadile" body work on it. Strange that Audi put out the book in 2007, but didn't list those cars, but they were either built after the book was published, or Audi didn't include them since they were built basically as replicas using unused tubs and parts.


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## lappies (Apr 10, 2006)

Chassis 403 did race though, at Le Mans 2000 and during the ALMS that year, and it was the actual chassis that raced in Aus as the Crocodile. I think you might be refering to chassis 402. 402 won at Sebring in 2000 and was never raced again, I speak under correction, but I think 402 was the spare for Le Mans 2000 and is currently the chassis that carries the crocodile bodywork, as 403 is owned privately. 403 was also the Johannson car in 2001 and now is owned or at least was owned in 2009 by Aaron HSU and raced in HSR during 07-08.

There are many chassis errors in the book "R8 Born to win", I was quite shocked when I went through it.


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