Rolex Series: Unfortunate end for the Audi R8 GRAND-AM in the NAEC

By Johan Laubscher

The Grand-Am Rolex Series headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, for the Brickyard Grand Prix. This event was the eighth round of the Rolex Series, and more importantly, it was the third and final round of the North American Endurance Championship. Two Audi R8 GRAND-AM teams were again entered in the GT class for this event.

The North American Endurance Championship consists of the three endurance races within the Rolex Series, namely: The Daytona 24 Hours, 6 Hours of the Glen, and the Brickyard Grand Prix (3 Hours). The Alex Job Racing Audi R8 GRAND-AM won the Daytona 24 Hours in January, driven by Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis, Edoardo Mortara and Dion von Moltke. This resulted in Audi drivers leading the NAEC standings. Thus a factory Audi R8 GRAND-AM was entered for the six hour event at Watkins Glen, entered under the name of Audi Sport customer racing, run by quattro GmbH and Kettler Motor Werks. The #24 factory Audi was driven by Filipe Albuquerque, Edoardo Mortara and Dion von Moltke, whilst Oliver Jarvis was taking part in the Blancpain Endurance Series that weekend. Watkins Glen also saw the debut of another new Audi team in the Rolex Series, Fall-Line Motorsports, who are entering a single Audi R8 GRAND-AM.

It was a difficult event at Watkins Glen, but even so, the #24 Audi Sport customer racing squad arrived at Indianapolis with a chance at clinching the NAEC title. The factory Audi would only be driven by two drivers this weekend, due to the shorter race duration. These two drivers were Audi Sport Team Rosberg's Filipe Albuquerque and Edoardo Mortara, but Dion von Moltke was on site supporting the team as well. The Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM was driven by Al Carter and Brett Sandberg.

The factory Audi squad showed excellent pace all weekend, and qualified in third for the three hour event, followed by the Fall-Line Motorsports entry in ninth. Filipe Albuquerque took the green flag in the #24 Audi R8 GRAND-AM and remained within the front battle for the first hour. He was running as high as second for the majority of his stint and things were looking good. 

Unfortunately tragedy struck within the second hour. The #94 BMW M3 lost control in the in-field section and collected Albuquerque from behind. The resulting damage ended the #24 Audi’s race and their bid for the NAEC title. The incident can be seen at 2:57 minutes in the highlights video embedded below.

Further back the Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 GRAND-AM soldiered on well and came home for a top ten result, finishing ninth within the GT class. The race was eventually won by the #61 Ferrari 458.

The Brickyard Grand Prix results can be seen HERE.

This event concluded the three-round North American Endurance Championship, but the Grand-Am Rolex Series will now head to Road America for round nine in August. 

Photo credit:
Audi of America

Screenshots from Grand-Am on YouTube

Rolex Series: Two Audi R8 GRAND-AM for Indianapolis

By Tarek Ramchani

The world famous Indianapolis Motors Speedway will host the eighth round of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series next week.The Indianapolis meeting, known as the Brickyard Grand Prix, will be a three-hour race supporting the NASCAR Sprint Cup and held on the road course.

The event itself is part of the special North American Endurance Championship. It will be the third and final race of this championship within the main Rolex Series. Audi will be represented by two R8 GRAND-AM cars from two different teams.

The #24 car is a full factory effort under the name of Audi Sport customer racing. The car will be shared by two Audi works drivers, Edoardo Mortata and Filipe Albuquerque, both of them racing in the DTM with Audi Sport Team Rosberg. The car will be directly supervised by quattro GmbH and Kettler Motor Werks. Audi Sport customer racing is currently third in the team's standings of the NAEC with 22 points. Both Edoardo Mortata and Filipe Albuquerque are fourth overall in the driver's standings with 22 points. At Indy Audi will fight hard to achieve a GT class victory after the main Daytona 24 Hours earlier this year, as well as trying to win the North American Endurance Championship.

The second Audi R8 GRAND-AM entry is a privateer effort from Fall-Line Motorsports. The customer team debuted with the car at Watkins Glen, with some positive performances, including leading the race. At Indianapolis their #46 Audi will be shared by drivers Al Carter, Charles Espenlaub and Brett Sandberg. At the Glen the three drivers finished twenty-seventh overall and fourteenth within the GT class. At Indy the Fall Line Motorsports team will try to learn more with the car and improve further.

Photo credit: Audi of America

Rolex Series: Fall-Line Motorsport Steps Up To GT With Audi-Customer Racing

Fall-Line Motorsport Press Release

Buffalo Grove (June 20, 2013)- Audi customer-racing is returning to the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series with Fall-Line Motorsports for the remainder of the 2013 season starting with the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International on June 28-30.

The six hour endurance race at the historic Watkins Glen track marks the return of the Audi R8 GRAND-AM to the series after its GT Class Rolex 24 win at Daytona during the first round of the 2013 championship.

"Audi's many global motorsports programs act as a showcase for our, 'truth in engineering' campaign," stated Brad Kettler, Audi Sport USA director of operations and engineering. "It is therefore imperative Audi aligns itself with apex performing teams to execute its racing programs. Fall-Line is such a high-performing professional race team and Audi is excited to launch what will hopefully be a successful and long-term partnership."

Audi is in their second season as an official automotive partner of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series adding its R8 GRAND-AM GT race car to its long-line of successful prototype sports cars dominating Le Mans and American Le Mans racing in recent years.

"This year alone Fall-Line has earned podium finishes in both SCCA and the Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge Series events so expanding up the ladder and adding Rolex GT to our schedule is a natural progression," said Fall-Line Motorsports team principal Mark Boden. "Audi's sports car legacy and its knowledgeable and experienced support staff are an obvious choice for us to help further evolve our team and we're proud to represent the 'four rings' synonymous with sports car victory!"

Piloting the car at Watkins Glen will be current Fall-Line drivers Al Carter, Charles Espenlaub, and Charlie Putman, all whom drive currently in the Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge Series for the team. The successful Fall-Line trio has worked together for several years and has won many races including Fall-Line's team and drivers' 2010 Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge Series championship with Espenlaub and Putman. The #46 will be carrying sponsorship from the beloved charity that Al Carter and all of Fall-Line have supported over the years with B+ Racing featured prominently on the car. Additional partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fall-Line will be competing with the Audi R8 in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series for the remainder of the 2013 season with a varied driver lineup throughout the year. Looking ahead Fall-Line is excited for 2014 and the inception of the newly formed United Sports Car Racing series. The class structure is still shaking out, and the classification for the Audi R8 has yet to be determined but a Fall-Line Audi R8 will be there.

Photo credit: Fall-Line Motorsport