The Audi R8 LMS Wins the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona in its US Race Debut

January 31, 2016 | By Business Wire News

HERNDON, Va.

The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 LMS wins the twenty-four hour classic following a very exciting finish. In one of the closest finishes in endurance racing, owner/driver John Potter and drivers Andy Lally, Marco Seefried and Audi factory driver, Rene Rast, took the checkered flag after driving 703 laps with only a 3.048 second lead ahead of the second place car. The Audi R8 LMS which shares 50% of its parts with the 2017 Audi R8 production car wins its US racing debut.

In one of the most exciting and competitive races to kick off the IMSA 2016 season, the Audi R8 LMS took the checkered flag following a nail biting finish. Audi factory driver, Rene Rast, drove the final stint that required limiting fuel consumption to play out the team strategy in order to take the victory. The gap between the winning Magnus Racing Audi R8 LMS and the next car was only 3.048 seconds after twenty-four hours with the top three finishing on the same lap.

The #9 Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS fought back from last place following a tough start to finish 8^th backed by its strong crews and drivers. The #6 sister car held the lead at several points during the race and finished a respectable 14^th in the twenty-two car GTD category.

The #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports/Krohn Racing race car was struck by a prototype causing the team to retire after 513 laps in the 20^th hour. Magnus Racing and Stevenson Motorsports will compete for the remainder of the season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The next race will be at Sebring International Raceway on March 19^th.

The Audi R8 LMS shares 50% of its parts and is equipped with the same engine as the 2017 Audi R8 production car that will go on sale this Spring. The win underscores the performance and durability engineered into every Audi R8 production car.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. The Audi Group delivered over 1,741,000 vehicles to customers globally in 2014, and broke all-time company sales records for the 5th straight year in the U.S. Through 2019, AUDI AG plans to invest about 24 billion euros – 70 percent of the investment will flow into the development of new models and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusa.com/newsroom for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.