24H LE MANS: AUDI WINS FOR 9TH TIME

AUDI R10 drivers Christophe BOUCHUT and Scott TUCKER took part to the fastest 24H of Le Mans in history: almost 400 laps! And as KENNOL always says, performance is nothing without endurance. The best proof was given this week-end, since AUDI wasn’t necessarily fastest on the track, but their homogeneous performances were the key to success this year. Great job!

▌ACCIDENT IN PORSCHE TURNING

The world’s most difficult motorsports event lived up to its reputation today as Level 5 Motosports drivers Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut fell victim to the perils of endurance sportscar racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their Team Kolles Audi R-10, with co-driver Manuel Rodrigues behind the wheel, crashed in the Porsche curves during the early morning hours, ending their run.

« That is just a shame, » Tucker said. « You know these things can happen in such a long race. But we really felt we had settled into our pace with good, consistent lap times. We just needed to be around at the end to post a good finish. »

Race speeds were incredible, that is why this race has the reputation it does.

Scott TUCKER
 

▌397 TOURS ON 3,366 miles

After rolling off 12th in a field of 55 of the best racecars and drivers in the world, the No. 14 Audi R-10 had been setting lap times that equaled their qualifying speed – demonstrating the blistering speed of the race that would go into the record books as the fastest-paced 24 Hours of Le Mans ever run. The team was running as high as 7th place in the early going!

Covering a record 397 laps for 3,366 miles — nearly the distance from London to New York — the 2010 running of the legendary race proved there is indeed no more difficult test in motorsports. And, with Audi posting nine wins in the last 11 years at Le Mans — including three for the R-10 — there is no doubt they have become the class of the field in international endurance racing.

We’ll come back in 2011, but
with our own team, cars, and drivers…

Christophe BOUCHUT
 

Next up for Tucker and Bouchut will be a return to the American Le Mans Series where they sit atop the standings for the Le Mans Prototype Challenge. The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Grand Prix will be held July 11, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Television coverage will be carried by SPEED.