BTCC: Audi Motorsport Newsletter 2005-08-28

Ingolstadt, 28 August 2005
Audi Motorsport Newsletter 17/2005

DTM:
Audi driver Ekström second at Zandvoort

Audi driver Mattias Ekström finished second in round eight of the DTM at Zandvoort (The Netherlands). He now trails Gary Paffet by one point again. Starting from fifth place on the grid, Ekström battled for the lead with Paffett before his Audi A4 DTM lost the front left flics after brushing Christian Abt's car. Despite the loss in aerodynamic balance, the reigning DTM champion stayed on course to finish in second place. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen finished fourth to consolidate his third place in the standings despite having started from the fifth row and struggling with an A4 DTM that had also suffered severe front end damage. Martin Tomcyzk moved from 15th on the grid to sixth position also scoring points. Audi further extended its lead over Mercedes-Benz in the Manufacturers' championship.

LMES:
Two more races for Allan McNish in the Audi R8

After having won the 1000 kilometer race at Silverstone together with Stéphane Ortelli, Scotsman Allan McNish will also compete in the two remaining Le Mans Endurance Series (LMES) races at the Nürburgring and in Istanbul for Audi PlayStation Team Oreca.

News from the Audi brand group

WTCC:
Promising debut for the SEAT León Cupra

The SEAT León Cupra, of which the road version is available at the dealers from September, made a good start into its World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) career. Driving the only León Cupra on the grid, Jordi Gené scored seventh and fourth positions in the heats at Oschersleben. The SEAT Toledo Cupra proved clearly that it is everything else but and old-fashioned model: In the first heat Rickard Rydell clinched second place and was seventh in the second race. Peter Terting collected points at his home race with fifth place. In the second heat he had to retire after a collision on the first lap.

FIA GT:
First point for the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT

Peter Kox and Norman Simon collected the first point of the season for Lamborghini. The drivers from Germany and the Netherlands made it to eighth place at Oschersleben with their Murciélago R-GT although they lost two laps due to a puncture and a spin in the opening part of the race.

BTCC:
Hard weekend for SEAT in the BTCC

At the eighth race weekend of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) SEAT had to be satisfied with two fifth and a sixth place. In the rain at Knockhill, works driver Jason Plato made it to sixth place in the first race after having started from seventh place on the grid. Team mate Luke Hines didn't let the weather get him down and clinched fifth position in his SEAT Toledo Cupra after having started seventh. Plato was fifth in the third race.

Supercopa:
SEAT Leon Supercopa title fight tightens up

The champion of the SEAT Leon Supercopa will only be crowned at the seasons' final at Hockenheim. With a victory and a second place on Saturday, Bastian Kolmsee and Daniel Bauer narrowed the gap to leader Thomas Marschall. Florian Stoll won the heat on Sunday. Before the final two races of the year, which will take place during the DTM weekend, five drivers have excellent chances of winning the title.

-audi.de-