Audi defends Intercontinental GT Challenge lead in Mazda Raceway California 8 Hours

Audi defends Intercontinental GT Challenge lead in Mazda Raceway California 8 Hours

Following its victory in the Total 24 Hours of Spa in July, Audi is travelling to America as the leader of the manufacturers’ standings of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Three customer teams are competing with the Audi R8 LMS in the Mazda Raceway California 8 Hours.

Factory-supported are Audi Sport Team Land and Audi Sport Team Magnus. The squad of Wolfgang Land will be racing with Californian driver Connor De Phillippi and the two Germans Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies. Audi Sport Team Magnus from Salt Lake City, Utah is factory-supported for the first time and relies on the two Germans Pierre Kaffer and Markus Winkelhock, plus the South African Kelvin van der Linde. Winkelhock and Haase jointly won the Total 24 Hours of Spa this year, together with Frenchman Jules Gounon.

One privateer team completes the line-up. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is putting an Audi R8 LMS on the grid for Dutchman Robin Frijns and Britons Jake Dennis and Stuart Leonard. Earlier this month Frijns and Leonard, with the team of Vincent Vosse, won the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, the most important GT sprint racing series in Europe.

“We look forward to the first visit of the Intercontinental GT Challenge to the United States”, says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “With three teams and our driver line-up we’re in a very good position. Our aim is to maintain the lead of the standings in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.”

Audi is the defending champion in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and after two of four rounds is leading the GT3 manufacturers’ classification with a nine-point advantage over Bentley. Christopher Haase, leading the drivers’ standings, is one point ahead of five drivers tied on points in position two – including Jules Gounon and Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock.