From the racetrack Audi motorsport news

Aug 24, 2008

Audi have prematurely clinched the LM P1 Manufacturers’ Championship in the American Le Mans Series with their third consecutive 1-2 victory. Before the last three races, the brand with the four rings is out of reach in the classifications for engine and chassis manufacturers.

Team Audi Sport North America’s two Audi R10 TDI prototypes were running with different strategies in the closing stages of the Grand Prix of Mosport (Canada). Dindo Capello and Emanuele Pirro used one of the two caution perdiods for an early and final refuelling stop. If another "yellow” had occurred, the strategy might have worked out for the two Italians, but it stayed "green” until the end forcing Pirro to reduce the engine power and save fuel in the final hour. While other cars, opting for a similar strategy, ran out of fuel before the end, the Audi driver was able to take advantage of the low fuel consumption of the TDI engine and crossed the finish line in second position with the last drop of Shell V-Power Diesel.

Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner applied a different strategy in the exciting race. They stayed on track during the second caution period and came to the pits later for their third schedulled refuelling stop. This dropped them to eighth position, but Lucas Luhr was able to make up half a minute in the closing stages with enough fuel and fresh tyres, gradually moving up the race order. Nine laps from the finish he overtook the leading Acura/Honda.

Marco Werner had passed his pole sitting team-mate Dindo Capello on lap seven when the Italian got stuck behind a slower car. He held a 24-second lead when the Safety Car entered the track for the first time. After the driver-change, Lucas Luhr was also able to open a gap before his lead was negated by another caution period.

The only incident for the winning Audi crew occured during the first pit-stop when Marco Werner touched the pit-wall while exciting the pits and damaging the front section of his R10 TDI. The German was nevertheless able to set a new lap-record in 1m 05.823s.

Luhr and Werner celebrated their fifth overall victory in the 2008 American Le Mans Series and their seventh consecutive class win. This means the two Germans have the LM P1 Drivers’ title almost in their hands. The next race takes place next Saturday (August 30) in Detroit (U.S. state of Michigan).