Endurance racing podiums and class lead for Audi R8 LMS in European series

Audi Sport customers collected even more endurance trophies and are leading their respective class standings with the Audi R8 LMS in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie and 24H Series. In addition, the Audi RS 3 LMS secured TCR podium results with Audi privateers in Germany, Italy and Portugal, while the Audi R8 LMS GT4 finished runner-up in its class in a 24-hour race of the 24H Series in Portugal.

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Thrilling battle at the Green Hell: Scherer Sport Team Phoenix scored its third overall podium result of the 2022 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) during the fourth event of the season. The 6-hour race, a special race distance differing from the usual 4-hour races at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, saw Audi Sport driver Frank Stippler and teammate Vincent Kolb starting from the front row in second place with an Audi R8 LMS from Scherer Sport Team Phoenix. Stippler took the start, but dropped to sixth place in the opening phase. Together with Kolb, the duo moved forward back into the leading group, competing for a podium finish. The fans at the legendary Green Hell enjoyed a close duel for second place in the final hour between Stippler in the R8 LMS and Christian Krognes in a Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW. The duel between the two drivers saw several overtaking maneuvers taking place until the penultimate lap, when Krognes, who was running third behind Stippler, made a mistake at the exit of the chicane on the Grand Prix circuit. The resulting spin of the BMW opened up the gap for Stippler to hold onto his position to the end of the race, finishing runner-up. It was the second podium result of the season for Stippler and Kolb and moved them into the lead of the SP9 Pro “class winner’s trophy” classification, while Scherer Sport Team Phoenix is currently holding second and third in the “speed trophy” classification with the number 5 and 16 entries, respectively.

Phoenix Racing’s podium steak continues: At the fifth round of the 24H Series, the 24-hour race at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit, Phoenix Racing finished on the podium once again with its Audi R8 LMS. Starting from pole position, the driver quartet of Michael Doppelmayr, Elia Erhart, Swen Herberger and Audi Sport driver Pierre Kaffer were involved in a race-long duel at the front against a CP Racing Mercedes, with 26 lead changes taking place in the course of 24 hours. Erhart’s hand was injured during a pit stop in the night, but his three teammates continued onwards with the battle for the lead. In the end, Phoenix Racing finished runner-up after a close fight, less than 27 seconds behind the winners after racing around the clock twice in Portugal. With this result, Phoenix Racing has finished on the overall podium in each of the four 24H Series races that the team has competed in so far this year, which includes the overall victories of the 12-hour races at Spa and Hockenheim in April and May. Phoenix Racing continues to lead the GT3 teams’ standings of the 24H Series European Championship classification, while drivers Doppelmayr, Erhart and Kaffer remain at the top of the corresponding class drivers’ standings.