Audi Proves It Can Still Go the Distance at Petit Le Mans

Audi just got sweet redemption after narrowly missing a win by 0.293 seconds at the Rolex 24 in Daytona earlier this year. The Montaplast Audi race team pulled out an IMSA GTD Class win at the 20th Anniversary Motul Petit Le Mans. The race was part of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and marked the first win of the championship for the Audi team.

The Petit Le Mans, also referred to as Road Atlanta, is a 10-hour sports car enduro race that thoroughly tests a team. It’s the finale of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and one of the most highly anticipated races of the fall.

Each year four classes of factory and privateer teams battle it out for bragging rights of being the ultimate sports car. Audi has a decorated history at the Petit Le Mans. The automaker dominated during the 2000s, winning the overall every year between 2000 and 2008. But they haven’t won the GTD class since 2014.

After narrowly losing the first race of the championship, the Audi team made some adjustments then continued to refine things after their second race. They came into the Petit Le Mans, their third race of the season, ready to win.

THE CAR
The Audi R8 LMS GT3 was the model that claimed the 2017 Petit Le Mans victory. It was launched in 2015 with a price tag of $400,000. For the price of a fantastic home, Audi R8 LMS GT3 drivers get 585+ horsepower and satisfaction knowing they own a car that can win championship races.

THE DRIVERS
The Audi R8 LMS GT3 was driven by a team of three professional racecar drivers: Connor De Phillippi, Sheldon van der Linde and Christopher Mies.

THE COMPETITION
The Petit Le Mans attracts some of the most prestigious race teams in the world. The lineup regularly includes Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and Ford.

THE VICTORY
Unlike Daytona, when the Montaplast Audi team was inched out of a win by a fraction of a second, the Petit Le Mans was a decided victory. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 held its own with the frontrunners the entire race. A late-race caution in the final hour threatened the team’s lead, but De Phillippi was able to leg it out. At the end of the day, the Audi team bested their closest opponents by 15.518 seconds.

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