Communications Motorsport Jürgen Pippig Stefanie Höcker Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 34200 Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 38053 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 27 July 2008 News from the Audi DTM team • TV presenter Kai Pflaume caught a whiff of DTM air • Audi R10 TDI meets Auto Union Type D • Tom Kristensen on a cycle tour with Normann Stadler Ingolstadt/Nürburg – From the national ladies skiing team to TV presenter Kai Pflaume, a large number of prominent guests experienced the DTM with Audi. But there were loads of other activities surrounding Audi at the Nürburgring as well. Many prominent guests came to visit Audi at the Nürburgring. The German national ladies skiing team around Maria Riesch and Katy Hölzl and their chief coach Mathias Berthold had the chance of a close-up DTM experience including a peak behind the scenes during a pit lane tour. Real-world and TV judge Alexander Hold, actor Sam Eisenstein (“Alles was zählt”) and TV presenter Kai Pflaume were guests too, as were footballer Lukas Sinkiewicz from Bayer 04 Leverkusen and actor Norbert Heisterkamp (“Alles Atze”, “7 Zwerge”). At the “World of Race Cars” fans were treated to a “meeting of generations” featuring two very special Audi models. The Audi R10 TDI, which has already become a legend with 17 victories clinched in 31 racing events, met a true-to- the-original copy of the Auto Union Type D with a double-compressor engine. While Le Mans winner Dindo Capello was at the wheel of the R10 TDI, Frank Stippler piloted the copy of the 485-hp pre-war racing car at its German début. Three high-ranking corporate members visited the seventh DTM round. Michael Dick (Member of the Management Board of AUDI AG, Business Division Technical Development), Bernd Osterloh (Chairman of the Volkswagen Works Council) as well as Norbert Rank (Chairman of the Audi Works Council in Neckarsulm and the Volkswagen Group Works Council) followed the DTM at the Nürburgring. At the invitation of AUDI AG 1,065 mechanics from the area around the Nürburgring visited the DTM. In their own hospitality area on the pit roof, in a separate grandstand and during an exclusive pit lane tour they became acquainted with the brand’s motorsport commitment in the DTM. By hosting the mechanics, Audi recognised the day-to-day work performed by the staff in the service garages. The DTM race at the Nürburgring attacted numerous Audi customers and dealers as well. The Audi VIP lounge was completely sold out before the event. At the “Audi Drive Away” on Saturday Audi dealers took possession of Audi A4 Avant cars while on Sunday A8 vehicles were handed over. The dealers had the chance to do a sporty lap around the circuit in their cars. Shortly before sunset on Friday quattro GmbH created a folkloristic atmosphere during the “Rhenish Night”. A fife and drum band provided an unusual sound setting at the event, which is traditionally held at the Nürburgring. The guests, including the Virgin, Prince and Farmer of the Cologne carnival from the years 2004 to 2008, enjoyed authentic Colonian culinary delights throughout the evening. On Saturday night fans of Audi and Timo Scheider enjoyed a generous gesture: despite the rain the DTM leader treated his loyal supporters to about 1,000 litres of free beer at camping ground A5. Two marathon men by themselves: the eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and tri-athlete Normann Stadler met at the Nürburgring. Stadler, who won the Ironman Hawaii Triathlon twice, and the Dane, who is an enthusiastic cycle racer in his free time, not only swapped experiences about their respective sports. Both also mounted two of the tri-athlete’s super-light cycles to go on a small tour of the Eifel. Martin Tomczyk swapped his Audi A4 DTM for a Volkswagen Race Touareg at the Nürburgring. Volkswagen factory driver Dieter Depping gave some instructions in the Dakar Rally vehicle to his Audi colleague prior to the offroad drive in the Eifel. Tomczyk was enthralled with the ride across rough terrain: 2/3 “This was huge fun and I’m already looking forward to next time.” This opportunity will present itself to the Audi driver on 16 August: at the Red Bull X- Fighters freestyle motocross competition in Wuppertal Martin Tomczyk will have the chance to drive the rally prototype again. Actor Fritz Wepper – always a welcome guest at the DTM – visited Timo Scheider this time. Wepper personally drove his new Audi RS 6 into the pit lane for a photo shoot. An autograph session by Audi Sport Team Phoenix drivers served a good cause. On Thursday, the team based at the Nürburgring and its two drivers, Alexandre Prémat and Oliver Jarvis, supported the preservation of the local public swimming pool by signing autographs and donating prizes for a raffle. Before the race weekend in the Eifel, Katherine Legge visited the German branch of the British radio station BFBS in Herford. As a guest on the “breakfast show”, the Audi factory driver proved her knowledge of British traffic rules in a quiz. As a prize she received a pair of soft-fabric dice for her racing cockpit, which were even seen as a good luck charm in her Audi A4 DTM some of the time. In Lemgo Katherine Legge was in for a surprise reception. Mayor Dr Reiner Austermann welcomed the Brit in a street named Leggestrasse and presented her with an illustrated book about the Old Hanseatic City of Lemgo. To explain the unusual name of the street the politician said that in the Middle Ages the so-called “legge” (laying place for linen) was incepted to have the famous Lemgo quality linen inspected by “legging masters” under oath prior to delivery of the goods. - Ends - Photographs and information available at www.audi-motorsport.info AUDI AG sold a total of 964,151 cars in 2007 and thus achieved its twelfth consecutive record year. With revenue of € 33,617 million and profit before tax of € 2,915 million, the company attained its best figures ever. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). At the end of 2007, production of the Audi A6 started in Aurangabad, India. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi employs about 54,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than € 2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015, from the 26 currently on offer to 40. 3/3 .