Rolfsracing.com - News Blog

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.

The former Formula 1 World Champion, crowned in 1992, knows the Silverstone circuit better than anyone else. He won no less than three Formula 1 GPs on this track. He will race this very technical circuit in the Team LNT’s LMP1 car with his son Greg next September 11, 12 and 13. “Silverstone is one of the most fantastic circuits in the world, even with all the changes, and it is the home of motor-racing. If you drive between 95 and 98% of your abilities, you set the pole and if you are able to drive at 100%, you take the pole by one second. 1992 was the last time I have been on pole at Silverstone in Formula 1 for almost two seconds.”

>>>>>Read more on the LMS in our RolfsRacing.com Le Mans Series Page.

The 5th and final round of the LMS 2008 season takes the Le Mans Cars to Silverstone England on September 14, 2008. The event will be sponsored by

Autosport, the UK’s biggest selling weekly motorsport magazine. Sponsorship from the Haymarket Media Group re-creates the glory days of Silverstone’s six-hour sportscar races from the 1980s that were also sponsored by Autosport. The Autosport 1000km of Silverstone gives sportscar racing fans their first chance to see Audi and Peugeot renewing their epic Le Mans battle in Britain.

It also marks Scotsman Allan McNish’s first race on “home” soil since his spectacular victory in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

Le Mans Series organizers declared : “We hope we are starting a long-term partnership between Le Mans Series and Autosport.”We want the Autosport 1000km to become a regular event on the LMS calendar in the coming years.”

Autosport editor Andy van de Burgt added: “It’s fitting that the Autosport 1000km should be revived at such a great time for sportscar racing.

For more on the Le Mans Series visit our LMS PAGE in RolfsRacing.com

London, Great Britain – The new A1GP Powered by Ferrari cars were in testing action again over three days last week - on UK soil for the first time at Silverstone International Circuit in Northamptonshire. The new black A1GP liveried machine made its debut running alongside the yellow test car as the first real comparisons could be seen on a circuit where the previous A1GP cars had clocked up extensive testing miles.

On Monday and Tuesday Danny Watts was at the wheel of the car, so becoming the first driver to have tested both the old and new A1GP cars. “It has noticeably more power,” he commented. “The new aero package helps driving through the high speed sections of the track even quicker. The carbon brakes work extremely well meaning you can brake a lot later than you ever could before. It’s much more like a thoroughbred racing car. Overall the performance is a step up in every department. I thoroughly enjoyed driving the car.” FIA GT Champion, Thomas Biagi, drove all three days while Jonny Kane was also in the car on Wednesday.

The programme for Silverstone also included testing the new PowerBoost system. The new 8-cylinder Ferrari engine has a power output around 600bhp when drivers hit the PowerBoost button, giving approximately an extra 60 horsepower overall compared to last season. An impressed Watts said: “The extra 60bhp you get with the push-to-pass will open up more overtaking opportunities at every circuit A1GP visits this season which should make racing even more exciting.”

The test also allowed the opportunity for A1GP’s photographer to get the first shots of the new Ferrari engine out of the car.

A1GP General Manager, Technical and Operations, John Wickham: “The test was very encouraging and both test drivers gave very useful feedback. The brakes have much, much better performance, the engine is stronger, and it is more powerful and has more torque. We have obviously moved forward with this car. With this we have now covered 6100-kilometres testing with the first test car and 581-kilometres with the second.”