Audi R15 Tdi Diesel-Engined Sportscar Petit Le Mans Race

<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wSUG_ibJWC4/Ssz5-0FkiFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/Xfuyun6GKPg/s1600-h/Audi-R15-Tdi-Petit-Le-Mans-Race-sports-prototype.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389957711584856146" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wSUG_ibJWC4/Ssz5-0FkiFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/Xfuyun6GKPg/s400/Audi-R15-Tdi-Petit-Le-Mans-Race-sports-prototype.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Sports</span> Audi R15 Tdi Petit Le Mans Race<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Britain’s Allan McNish</span> (pictured) came tantalisingly close to achieving his fifth <span style="font-weight: bold;">Petit Le Mans race </span>victory at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Road Atlanta</span> on Saturday (26 Sep) and maintaining Audi’s 100% winning record in the annual <span style="font-weight: bold;">American sportscar endurance race since the German manufacturer’s debut in 2000.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dumfries</span>-born double <span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Mans 24 Hour race winner</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Italia</span>n co-driver <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dindo Capello</span> led for the opening 4hrs before the Scotsman suffered two spins and dropped to third place on the treacherously wet and slippery track in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Georgia</span> - moments before the race went in to a Safety Car period and was ultimately stopped with almost five hours run.<br />After a further delay of almost four hours and near constant heavy rain, organisers decided not to re-start the event which in any case was limited to 10 hours or 1,000-miles, leaving the <span style="font-weight: bold;">McNish/Capello diesel-engined Audi R15 TDI</span> classified third, a mere 3.465secs behind the winning <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peugeot (Franck Montagny/Stephane Sarrazin).</span><br />The McNish/Capello Audi had started from third place on the 27-car grid but McNish swept in to the lead on the opening lap. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The “sister” R15 TDI of Lucas Luhr/Marco Werner </span>began from fourth place, a position the German duo were classified in, one lap down on the top-three, when the race was declared over. Meanwhile the McNish/Capello Audi won the efficiency award “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Michelin GreenX Challenge</span>” – a trophy awarded to the most environmentally friendly car.<br />Audi unexpectedly contested a third race of the year to collect further race information about its new sports-prototype in preparation for the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Le Mans 24 Hours</span> next June.</div>

Audi R15 Tdi Diesel-Engined Sportscar Petit Le Mans Race

New Sports Audi R15 Tdi Petit Le Mans Race Britain’s Allan McNish (pictured) came tantalisingly close to achieving his fifth Petit Le Mans...

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