First Titles In 2018 For Audi Sport Customer Teams

•Sofronas/Welch clinch overall victory in Pirelli World Challenge GTS SprintX

•Class title for Chase/Dalziel in Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX

•Further successes for Audi R8 LMS GT4, Audi R8 LMS and Audi RS 3 LMS

Neuburg a. d. Donau, August 13, 2018 – In its first season, the Audi R8 LMS GT4 celebrated its first title in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS SprintX with GMG Racing. Other teams with their results made for a successful weekend for Audi Sport customer racing.

Audi R8 LMS GT4

Premiere title: At the season's finale in the strong field of the Pirelli World Challenge GTS SprintX in Utah, James Sofronas and Alex Welch in the Audi R8 LMS GT4 of GMG Racing celebrated overall victory. As a result, the duo clinched the first title of an Audi Sport customer team this season. In addition, this marks the first title the Audi R8 LMS GT4 has ever won as a customer car. Sofronas/Welch had traveled to the final races of the season with a large points advantage so that a sixth and a tenth place were enough for their triumph.

Instantly strong: The Audi R8 LMS GT4 on making its racing debut on Canadian soil instantly scored its first successes. In both races of the Canadian Touring Car Championship at Circuit Trois-Rivières, local hero Malcolm Strachan from Team NewRoads Automotive took first place in the GT Sport class.

Serial winner: The German Kris Heidorn in the fourth event of the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup at Brands Hatch secured victories number six and seven this season. The Audi Sport driver Rahel Frey and Maximilian Paul split the other podium finishes – a second and a third place –between themselves.

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Best in class: On the fifth and last race weekend of the Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX at Utah Motorsport Campus, the Audi R8 LMS from TruSpeed AutoSport with Parker Chase and Ryan Dalziel at the wheel finished both races in second place of the Pro/Am class. As a result, the duo also won the title in this class.

Two victories: On the second race weekend of the GT Masters Asia at Shanghai International Circuit, Audi Sport customer teams achieved several podium finishes. In race one, Xu Jia and Mitch Gilbert in the Audi R8 LMS of Team Kings took victory. Their brand colleagues Adderly Fong/Vincent Floirendo from Team EN Sport Motors by Absolute Racing finished third. In addition, Team Tianshi Racing with drivers David Chen and Naomi Zhang secured first place in the GTC class. The second race was canceled due to difficult weather conditions.

Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)

Remaining in front: Dmitry Bragin defended his lead of the standings on the fifth race weekend of the TCR Russia. In race one at Moscow Raceway, the driver from Team Taif Motorsport finished third. His fiercest rival in the title race scored no points. In race two, Audi Sport celebrated a one-two-three result: Aleksey Dudukalo won ahead of his teammate from Lukoil Racing, Ivan Lukashevich, and Bragin.

Podium in North America: On the fourth race weekend of the Canadian Touring Car Championship at Trois-Rivières, Marco Cirone in the Audi RS 3 LMS from Mark Motors Racing achieved third place in his class.

Coming up next week

17–19/08 Virginia (USA), round 9, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

17–19/08 Virginia (USA), round 8, IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge

17–19/08 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 9 and 10, ADAC GT Masters

17–19/08 Zandvoort (NL), rounds 9 and 10, ADAC TCR Germany

17–19/08 Wakefield Park (AUS), rounds 5 and 6, GT-1 Australia

18–19/08 Slovakia Ring (SK), rounds 7 and 8, GT4 Central European Cup

18–19/08 Slovakia Ring (SK), rounds 9 and 10, FIA CEZ

18–19/08 Assen (NL), rounds 9 and 10, TCR Europe

18–19/08 Assen (NL), rounds 7 and 8, ASS TCR Swiss Trophy

18–19/08 Assen (NL), rounds 7 and 8, TCR Benelux

18–19/08 Karlskoga (S), rounds 10 to 12, TCR Scandinavia