The Audi AG automobile manufacturing company is located in Ingolstadt, Germany. Their huge range of cars includes sports models and SUVs. With the Quattro R8 and R10 chassis, turbo engines and Audi transmission, they have taken home nine first place trophies from Le Mans over the last 12 years. There is additional information about the production models of the car at Autosport Werks and AutosportWerks.com.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race is the world’s longest running endurance race for sports cars. Established in 1923, it runs for 24 straight hours at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The circuit contains a mixture of public roads and specially designed motor racing track. Three drivers take turns operating the vehicle and the winner is the team who have completed the highest number of laps over the entire duration of 24 hours. The race has earned the nickname, ‘The Grand Prix of Efficiency and Endurance.’
Audi first won at Le Mans in July of the year 2000, the start of the New Millennium and the Twenty-First Century. They raced a Class LMP900 Quattro R8 chassis with a 3.6L turbo V8. The drivers consisted of Emanual Pirro from Italy, Frank Biela of Germany and a Dane, Tom Kristensen. The team won with a total of 368 laps. This year saw a hat trick for Team Joest, completing 367 and 365 laps, respectively to win second and third places. Altogether, over the years, the Quattro R8 took the checkered flag in five races out of a total of seven competitions.
The winning combination of Biela, Kristensen and Pirro took first place at Lemans in 2001, driving an R8 Quattro chassis powered by the 3.6L turbo V8. On that occasion they won the race with 321 laps. Their North American counterparts took second place in a similar motor with 320 laps. They repeated their success the following year, scoring 375 laps. This was the first time that the same set of three drivers won the competition three years in a row.
Audi sat out the 2003 Le Mans competition but recaptured first place the following year with Team Goh of Sport Japan, comprising Seiji Ara from Japan, Italian Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen. They completed a total of 379 laps. Audi’s Sport UK Team Veloqx won second place, also having completed 379 laps.
At Le Mans 2005, Tom Kristensen drove for American Team ADT Championship Racing to complete a record of seven wins, including six consecutively. Audi’s Playstation Team Oreca settled for fourth place with 369 laps compared to the winning team’s 370. That year, the weather was extremely hot and many teams suffered mechanical problems as a result.
Team Joest regained momentum and took first place with 380 laps in 2006. This time they drove an R10 TDI Chassis with a TDI 5.5L Diesel Turbo V12. German Marco Werner replaced Tom Kristensen, who drove with Capello and Alan McNish to take third place for Team Joest with 367 laps.
Team Joest took first place in 2007 and again in 2008. The following two years they did not manage a win. In 2011, they again took place in spite of Alan McNish’s horrific crash shortly after the beginning of the race.
Those who are privileged enough to possess an Audi car understands that finding the right Audi repair service is critically important. If your Audi transmission is slipping, you can get help from qualified technicians.