Audi sitting out of the ALMS for 2009
Audi Announced that it will be pulling the plug on its American Le Mans Series (ALMS) program for 2009. Following on the heels of Honda’s announcement that it will be exiting the F1 motorsports series. Audi and Honda have both cited a slumping global economy for its recent decisions.
“The decision to withdraw was a very difficult one for these reasons. Furthermore, with the Champion racing team we had a partner that operates at the highest level. The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi’s victories over the last few years in America,” said Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, the head of Audi Motorsport, in relating the difficult decision by Audi AG to call off ALMS participation next year.
Since Audi’s entrance into the ALMS in 2000, it has been a dominant team breaking the boundaries with the implementation of race technology and winning the LMP1 title 9 times – consecutively, since its start in foray into the series. Last season they took home the checkered flag 7 out of their 11 races. Despite their absence in 2009, Audi will still fully participate in all of its current European events.
However, Audi did announce that it will concentrate its motorsports efforts for 2009 on the new R15 TDI sport prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the re-worked touring car A4 for the DTM circuit and the newly developed R8 LMS for customer use in the GT3 class.
In 2004, NCDübs came to life in order to bring together enthusiasts of VW and Audi within the North Carolina region.