Audi in the American Le Mans Series: From Dallas to Road Atlanta

With the direct fuel injection (FSI) Audi successfully introduced a new engine technology, which immediately proved its worth in Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Both Audi customer teams, Champion and Johansson, who competed with two 2000-spec R8 vehicles, made Audi´s winning streak in the ALMS perfect. At five of the ten races, at least one customer team stood on the podium.

Review: The ten ALMS round

Dallas: Audi experiences a dream start to the new ALMS season: In the Texas metropolis Rinaldo Capello celebrates the first overall victory with his team mate Tom Kristensen. On the Texas Motor Speedway Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro take a well-deserved second place in the other Infineon Audi R8 after fighting their way through the field. A customer team starts with an R8 for the first time: Dorsey Schroeder and Andy Wallace secure fourth place.

1. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)117 laps

2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 7.511s

3. Magnussen/Brabham (Panoz)+ 25.632s

4. Schroeder/Wallace (Audi R8)+ 46.956s

5. Graf/Salles (Panoz)- 1 lap

6. Cochran/Dean (Panoz)- 4 laps

Sebring: In the USA Audi successfully completes a dress rehearsal for the Le Mans 24 Hour race: For the second time in succession Team Audi Sport North America celebrates a double victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. After an exciting duel Michele Alboreto, Laurent Aiello and Rinaldo Capello lie just 0.482 seconds ahead of team mates and last year´s winners Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro. With places three and four the Audi customer teams, Champion and Johansson, give Audi its first quadruple triumph in the ALMS.

1. Aiello/Alboreto/Capello (Infineon Audi R8)370 laps

2. Biela/Kristensen/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 0.482s
3. Kelleners/Schroeder/Wallace (Audi R8)- 4 laps
4. Johansson/Smith (Audi R8)- 8 laps
5. Field/Dayton/Sutherland (Lola-Judd)- 38 laps
6. Konrad/Borcheller/Gavin (Saleen)- 38 laps

Donington: In Great Britain Audi continues its winning streak in temperatures of just 10 degrees celcius and at the same time celebrates its first win at a European ALMS race. While Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello secure a commanding victory despite receiving a stop-and-go penalty, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro take second place thanks to a perfect pit stop strategy. With the Johansson squad an Audi customer team again manages to bring home a podium result.

1. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)115 laps

2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)- 1 lap

3. Johansson/Smith (Audi R8)- 1 lap

4. Redon/Boullion (Courage-Peugeot)- 4 laps

5. Cochran/Bross (Panoz)- 9 laps

6. Graf/Salles (Panoz)- 9 laps

Jarama: The Team Audi Sport North America uses the second European round of the ALMS to clinch another double victory. In Team Johansson, the two Infineon Audi R8 sportscars have a strong opponent. A pit stop after an accident costs Stefan Johansson and Guy Smith time, opening the way for Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro round off the latest Audi success with second place.

1. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)114 laps

2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 42.428s
3. de Radigues/van de Poele (Reynard)- 6 laps

4. Johansson/Smith (Audi R8)- 9 laps

5. Müller/Ekblom (BMW)- 12 laps

6. Lehto/Müller (BMW)- 12 laps

Sears Point: Back in the USA the Infineon Audi R8 continues the series of wins. Thanks to a better strategy Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen win ahead of team mates Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro. The two Infineon Audi R8 racers fight fiercely for honours over the entire 2:45 hour race duration on the circuit in the Californian wine region. Third place is also hotly contested, with Panoz pilots Jan Magnussen and David Brabham narrowly defeating the Audi R8 of the Champion team.

1. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)107 laps

2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 6.674s

3. Brabham/Magnussen (Panoz)- 1 lap
4. Wallace/Herbert (Audi R8)- 1 lap

5. Fellows/O’Connell (Chevrolet)- 10 laps
6. Pilgrim/Collins (Chevrolet)- 10 laps

Portland: With the lead changing almost every lap, this round turns into the most exciting ALMS race of the season. At the chequered flag just three tenths of a second separate Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro in their Infineon Audi R8 from the victorious Panoz. After 14 wins in a row, Audi has to settle for second. Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert and his partner Andy Wallace occupy third place with a 2000-spec Audi R8. Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen secure fifth place after experiencing gear shifting difficulties.

1. Brabham/Magnussen (Panoz)131 laps

2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 0.374s

3. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8)+ 15.589s

4. Graf/Lagorce (Panoz) + 21.758s

5. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)- 4 laps

6. Duno/Graham/Ragigues (Reynard)- 8 laps

Mosport: Rain turns the ALMS round in Canada into a turbulent race. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro take their first win of the season. The difficult conditions hamper Team Audi Sport North America: Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen retire after sliding from the wet track twice. The Champion Audi R8 also fails to reach the finish after an accident.

1. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)115 laps

2. Magnussen/Brabham (Panoz)- 2 laps

3. Tinseau/Collard (Cadillac)- 3 laps
4. Taylor/Angelelli (Cadillac)- 3 laps

5. Weaver/Leitzinger (Riley&Scott-Lincoln)- 3 laps

6. de Radigues/Lambert (Reynard)- 4 laps

Mid-Ohio: Although the two Infineon Audi R8 cars dominate the 2:45 hour race in Mid-Ohio, the Team Audi Sport North America has to settle for second place for Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen. A stop-and-go penalty costs the driver pairing the victory. The second Infineon Audi R8 is relegated from the front of the field to fourth place after experiencing problems with a faulty plug rail. Johnny Herbert and Andy Wallace also suffer problems. The Champion Audi R8 finishes in fifth.

1. Magnussen/Brabham (Panoz) 116 laps
2. Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8)+ 11.338s
3. Weaver/Leitzinger (Riley&Scott Lincoln)+ 37.169s

4. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)+ 58.741s
5. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8)- 1 lap
6. Graf/Lagorce (Panoz)- 1 lap

Laguna Seca: With a triple victory Audi secures the manufacturers´ title of the ALMS for the second time in succession. Additionally, Team Audi Sport North America clinches the team championship. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro win the race, but face strong opposition from the Audi customer teams. The Champion Audi R8 manned by Johnny Herbert and Andy Wallace crosses the finish line just 1.602 seconds behind the victorious Infineon Audi R8. Third place goes to the Johansson Team. Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen experience bad luck. Their vehicle comes to a standstill with clutch damage. This marks the first ever retirement of an R8 due to a technical problem in the ALMS.

1. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)120 laps

2. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8) + 1.602s

3. Johansson/Lemarié (Audi R8)- 1 lap

4. Taylor/Angelelli (Cadillac)- 3 laps

5. Tinseau/Collard (Cadillac)- 4 laps

6. Konrad/Borcheller (Saleen)- 8 laps

“Petit Le Mans“, Road Atlanta: Audi winds up its successful 2001 motorsport season with a triple victory at the “Petit Le Mans“. After ten hours the Infineon Audi R8 driven by Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro wins ahead of the two 2000-spec cars of the Audi customer teams Johansson and Champion. Emanuele Pirro secures the ALMS driver championship after a trouble-free race over 1,000 miles. Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen farewell their title hopes after the first hour when Kristensen becomes involved in an accident while in the lead and retires. Capello and Kristensen finish their ALMS season behind Pirro and Biela in places three and four respectively.

1. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8)394 laps

2. Johansson/Lemarié (Audi R8)- 3 laps

3. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8)- 6 laps

4. Taylor/Angelelli/Tinseau (Cadillac)- 12 laps

5. Collard/Goossens (Cadillac)- 30 laps

6. Pilgrim/Collins/Fréon (Chevrolet)- 32 laps