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In the future, the so-called “Le Mans Intercontinental Cup” will consist of the major races of the Le Mans Series in Europe, the USA and Asia and aims to continue the heyday of the legendary World Championship for Makes. In its debut year in 2010, the 1000-kilometer race at Silverstone (Great Britain), the “Petit Le Mans” race at Road Atlanta (USA) and an event on the Asian continent. Further races are to be added in 2011.

Audi will contest the new Le Mans Intercontinental Cup in the 2010 season with two R15 TDI cars fielded by Audi Sport Team Joest. Three cars are planned for the 24-hour race at Le Mans on June 12/13. Audi Sport Team Joest plans also to contest the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), which Audi would like to use as a dress rehearsal for Le Mans, with three cars.

Audi aims to demonstrate “Vorsprung durch Technik” specifically in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi is just one victory behind Ferrari in the French endurance classic’s all time winners’ list following its eighth victory last June. Only Porsche has more wins at Le Mans. Audi targets the ninth victory in probably the world’s toughest car race, in which the development of alternative and fuel-saving power concepts are the focus of attention, in June 2009 with a newly developed LMP1 sports car. The Audi R15 TDI differs significantly from its predecessor, the R10 TDI, at first glance and features many technically innovative details with which Audi aims to maintain its supremacy in Le Mans.

The new Le Mans prototype is equipped with a smaller, lighter and even more efficient TDI engine. During the chassis and aerodynamic development Audi Sport engineers followed similar routes to those exhibited on the current Audi A4 DTM.

“It was clear to us that we must develop a new car if we wanted to continue to be successful in Le Mans,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “The Audi R15 TDI is the result. The step from R10 to R15 is significantly larger than it was from the R8 to the R10.”

Only the basic concept was carried over from the predecessor model: The R15 TDI is also powered by a TDI engine and is an open-topped roadster. Audi does not wish to release any further details at this time.

The first private tests with the new Le Mans sports car are scheduled for later this year. The R15 TDI will only be presented to the public immediately before its race debut in the 12-hour race in Sebring (USA) on 21 March 2009.

Audi Sport Team Joest will field three new R15 TDI prototypes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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Emanuele Pirro will race an Audi sports prototype for the last time in his career at the American Le Mans Series finale on 18 October at Laguna Seca. The Italian has served the brand since 1994 and is one of the most successful Audi factory drivers ever with three touring car titles, two sportscar championship victories in the American Le Mans Series and five wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich and the 46-year old Audi factory driver Emanuele Pirro had already reached an agreement some time ago about the end of the Italian’s active career for Audi at the 2008 American Le Mans Series season finale. Included among Pirro’s outstanding victories under the banner of the four rings are the Italian Touring Car Championship (1994 and 1995), the German Touring Car Championship (1996), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007) and the American Le Mans Series (2001, 2005).

“On behalf of the Audi motorsport squad and the entire AUDI AG I would like to extend our thanks to Emanuele Pirro for the excellent and extremely successful cooperation over the last 15 years,” explains Dr Wolfgang Ullrich of Pirro who became the first driver to be signed during his time as Head of Audi Motorsport since 1993. “Throughout this extraordinarily long relationship many personal experiences and great memories of fantastic individual race wins and championship victories with Audi touring and sportscar unite us still today.”

“A wonderful chapter of my life and career comes to a close,” explains Emanuele Pirro. “Even as hopeless optimist, at the very beginning I would never have dreamt of spending 15 such fantastic and wonderfully successful years with Audi on both a personal and professional level. I want to pass on my sincerest gratitude to Audi Sport and all the teams for who I have driven - ROC Competition, Audi Sport Italia, Team Joest and Champion Racing and also all my team mates during this time.”

In order to nurture this prosperous and successful cooperation Audi has opened the possibility for Emanuele Pirro to act as brand ambassador in the future. Audi successfully implemented the rejuvenation of the sportscar programme driver squad in 2006 with the signing of Lucas Luhr (winner of the LM P1 class in the 2008 American Le Mans Series together with Marco Werner), Alexandre Premat and Mike Rockenfeller (joint winners of the Le Mans Series 2008) and continued it this year with races for Marcel Fassler and Christijan Albers.

The DTM returns to Le Mans after a year’s break. For Alexandre Premat, who is contracted to Audi since 2007, the tenth race of the season means his first DTM start in front of his home crowd. The motorsport career of the French “star of tomorrow” started at Le Mans.

“Even though I’ve never driven with the DTM car there, I don’t expect it to be so difficult. The track is actually quite untypical compared to the other tracks found on the DTM calendar and certainly not as technical as many other tracks.”

Besides a great acting career and a life of working for and giving to many charities, Paul Newman was also a talented race car driver and winning race team owner. Paul died at his home in Westport, Connecticut on Friday September 26, 2008, surrounded by friends and family. He lost his long battle with cancer at age 83.

Newman got the racing bug while filming the 1968 motion picture “Winning”, where he portrayed an Indianapolis 500 driver.

He had many success as a race car driver. 1972 was the year of his first win at Thompson, Connecticut in a Lotus Elan. In 1977 he came in fitfh at the 24 Hours of Daytona. By 1979 he co-drove a Porsche 935 to in the 24 Hours of LeMans and came in second.

During the 1970’s and 80’s Newman earned several SCCA National driving titles. At the age of 70 in 1995 he co-drove to victory in the IMSA GTS class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. He also raced in the Trans-Am and Can Am series.

In 1982 with his long time Can Am Series rival Carl Haas, he formed Newman/Haas Racing, which resulted in many championships in the IndyCar and Champ Car series.

Paul Newman is survived by his wife Joanne Woodward, five daughters, two grandsons, and his older brother, Arthur. Newman also had a son Scott, who died in 1978. He will be missed.