- Three Pro crews amongst four-strong IGTC contingent
- Patriotic liveries for North America’s leg of the globetrotting series
Audi Sport has nominated a full quota of Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli entries for the Indianapolis 8 Hour Powered by AWS on October 15-17 when its factory-supported R8 LMS GT3s will also feature special US-inspired Stars and Stripes liveries.
Three Pro cars and another Silver line-up – the highest calibre combination permitted by Intercontinental’s regulations outside of Spa – are aiming to extend Audi’s 15-point lead over Ferrari in round two of the globetrotting GT3 series, which concludes at the Kyalami 9 Hour in early December.
The entries are split equally between Ingolstadt’s proven Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS factory squads and IGTC race winners: Team WRT and Sainteloc. Indeed, they’re two of just three outfits to have won multiple Intercontinental races since the championship began in 2016.
Both of Audi Sport Team WRT’s R8s sport patriotic liveries and full factory driver line-ups. Newly crowned Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Series champions Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts – who also lie second in the IGTC Drivers’ standings – are joined by Christopher Mies, while Mattia Drudi, Robin Frijns and Nico Mueller take charge of the second car. Mueller and Frijns are also firmly in title contention after completing IGTC’s podium in Round 1.
Meanwhile, Sainteloc’s works entry – which completes Audi’s patriot themed trio – features three more drivers from the factory roster: Christopher Haase, Patric Niederhauser and 2017 IGTC Drivers’ champion Markus Winkelhock.
The French squad’s Silver crew will be confirmed at a later date.
However, Kelvin van der Linde – who finished second at Spa alongside Vanthoor and Weerts – will not travel to the US. The DTM title contender has two rounds in as many weekends leading up to Indianapolis.
Only each manufacturer’s two best placed entries can score points at Indianapolis, but that might still be enough for Audi to clinch its first IGTC title since 2018. Leaving the Brickyard with a 44-point advantage – one more than available for finishing first and second – over IGTC’s other four full-season marques would be enough for Audi to seal the Manufacturers’ crown before Kyalami’s season finale.
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