Audi Sport customer racing announces 2019 line-up for IMSA WeatherTech and Michelin Pilot Challenge Racing series ahead of Daytona season opener

• Audi GT3, GT4, and TCR racing categories represented at the Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend
• 12 Audi Sport customer racing vehicles fielded across the 24 hour Endurance Challenge and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS/TCR classes
• All-new Audi Sport customer racing support offered with OEM parts program and technical expertise for 2019 season

Audi of America showcases three-class race offerings at the annual ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA race weekend held from Jan. 25-27. Audi Sport customer racing will be represented in the field with eight cars competing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge support series opener on Friday Jan. 25. The 57th running of the 24 hour endurance race will feature four Audi R8 LMS GT3 race cars poised to take the top podium. The brand has won this event twice in the last five years.

Audi Sport customer racing
The 2019 racing season begins with the toughest challenge on the schedule for our Audi R8 LMS GT3 IMSA race teams. The late January event pushes the Audi Sport effort to the limit with 24 hours of racing at Daytona International Speedway. Three new IMSA teams will field the GT3 race car at the event: Starworks, Moorespeed, and WRT Speedstar. Returning to the grid for the third time is Land Motorsports who nearly took the overall win 2017, now on a mission to take the top spot.

In 2009, Audi Sport launched the customer racing program with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car, offering customers vehicles designed to compete in international GT3 racing. Redesigned in 2015, the Daytona-winning car continues to dominate in GT3 class having won every major endurance race around the world including at Daytona in 2016.

Audi R8 LMS GT4
The Audi R8 LMS GT4 was derived from the production R8 V10 Plus Coupe and shares 60 percent of its parts with the road car. The GT4’s performance and value make it ideal for amateur teams. The 2019 season will include four GT4 race cars fielded by returning team Carbahn Motorsports and new to the Audi Sport customer racing GT4 program, eEuroparts.com. Both teams have entered two Audi R8 LMS GT4 race cars for the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class.

Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
In the third category, the Audi RS 3 LMS TCR race car rounds out the Audi Sport customer racing offering. The Audi RS 3 LMS has won a championship in each year of U.S. competition since its introduction in 2017. Audi will defend the manufacturer’s championship with four cars on the grid. eEuroparts.com has expanded its program to three cars in 2019 and JDC-Miller MotorSports will support one full-season TCR race car.

Audi Sport Team Support
Audi Sport customer racing continues to maximize customer team support in 2019 by expanding the engineering team, reorganizing the parts program and continuing existing sponsorships. The GT3/GT4 race engineer Shawn Ulrich has been promoted to Technical Director. Shawn will be supported by Audi Master Guild Technician, Jon Bialczak. Newly hired RS 3 LMS engineer, Mark Murray, is known throughout the paddock for his Audi Sport prototype experience and winning 24 hours of Le Mans with Champion Racing. To complement the fleet of winning vehicles on the grid, and talent in the pits, an updated parts logistics program will now be supported by parts manager Peter Stuyck from Centigrade, Inc.

Audi Tire Center and Audi Genuine Parts will continue to support race teams in the 2019 season, promoting certified Audi maintenance Genuine Parts and customization through Audi Genuine Accessories.

The driver line-up features multiple 24-hour race winners. The teams/drivers are made up as follows:

Stream live at IMSATV or Tune in: