xcel
03-22-2009, 03:51 PM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Audi and Peugeot turbo-diesels go head to head in a war of supremacy in the fastest 12-hours of Sebring ever! (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=196127)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Audi_R15_TDI_2_with_McNish_behind_the_wheel.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Mar. 21, 2009
Audi R15 V10 TDI at the 12-Hours of Sebring - McNish behind the wheel just before dusk.
In the fastest Sebring race of all time, the Audi’s pair of R15 TDI prototypes ran the entire distance without much in the way of technical problems. The Peugeot 908 HDi’s however did not fair as well but proved their prowess by swapping first, second and third spots with the mighty R15’s again and again right until the end.
Sebring, FL -- In a thrilling duel of diesels, the 12-Hours of Sebring turned out to be just as exciting from the couch as it was at the track. With enhanced drama thanks to unique pit strategies and the simple fact that we had four European super-diesels going head to head in a contest of super powers proved American Le Mans Series racing is alive and well.
With the best equipment the Europeans have to offer proving their worth lap after lap and second by second, this years 12-hours of Sebring will be as memorable as the 06 race when the first Audi R10 TDI was released from its cage dominating the track and its opponents just 3 short years ago.
Peugeot’s 908 HDi turbo-diesels
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Peugoet_908_leading_the_Audi_R15.jpgPeugeot’s 908 HDi turbo-diesel leading the Audi R15 early in the race.
Regarding the Peugeot’s, they made the trip to the USA with an entry of two 908 HDi turbo-diesels and returned to France with mixed fortunes to show for their efforts.
The Peugeot teams were hampered by a number of issues from missing a warm-up lap to broken components throughout the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The eventual second place team driven by Franck Montagny, Stéphane Sarrazin, and Sébastien Bourdais had to start from the pit-lane due to a hydraulic problem which was resolved shortly before the start. Before the first hour was up, the two Peugeot’s were running one and two.
The number 7 car driven by Christian Klien, Pedro Lamy and Nic Minassian was forced to pit with an air conditioning problem that cost it nine laps. All hopes of a Peugeot victory then rested on the crew of the number 8 car which traded the top spot with the two Audis again and again. Three hours from the finish, the number 8 car had to unexpectedly pit after a rear-left tire leak was discovered. Regarding a win, this leak ended up being its undoing... The number 7 car was sidelined at 11:35 into the race with a gearbox failure.
Audi R15 TDI Turbo-diesels
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Audi_R15_and_Peugeot_908_Diesels_battle_of_the_titans.jpg
Audi R15 leading the mighty challenge of a 908 in the afternoon at the Historic Sebring Raceway.
The Le Mans R15 prototype with its all-new V-10 TDI engine completed its maiden run in December. With poor weather and temperatures never exceeding 45 degrees F during its testing, it was not until the week before the 12-hours of Sebring where the Audi teams would find out if the R15’s were going to prove their metal.
With ambient temperatures almost double those experienced during the prototypes testing in Europe, the crews and drivers worked day and night to learn more about the turbo-diesel sports cars and to adapt to the central Florida temperatures and track. They were able to solve all the minor warmer temperature teething problems just in time for race day.
Ladies and Gentleman, start your engines!
Once the green flag dropped, the new Audi R15 TDI’s proved to be very fast. Allan McNish outpaced the pole sitting Acura/Honda at the start completing the first lap with more than a five seconds advantage. Later, however, it was not the Acura/Hondas that were the cars to beat but the two Peugeot 908 HDi’s. The lead swapped no fewer than 22 times among the diesel-powered prototypes from Audi and Peugeot. Over long periods of the race, the four leading prototypes were covered by just a few tenths of a second.
CleanMPG coverage
NASCAR was using leaded fuel until a few years back and Formula One although fast, it is the wrong fuel. American Le Mans and the European Le Man’s Series, at least where the P1 class is concerned, includes diesel race cars that are more fuel efficient, quieter and even include emissions controls with the included DPF’s! Add to it that the racing diesel fuel in most cases is synthetic; this is one type of racing that makes sense.
As the first 3-hours were in progress, I was trying to add to our own lap by lap blog in the 12 Hours of Sebring off and running (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=195941) coverage. Soon afterwards, ABCDPetersen discovered a live behind the wheel feed of the two Audi R15’s and the Acura ARX-02a P1 entry which made the race that much more exciting for the few of us CleanMPG’ers that were interested in watching the diesel battle of a lifetime occur in real time.
As the race wore on into the night, the fastest lap recorded occurred when Sébastien Bourdais in the number 8 Peugeot 908 HDi drove the 3.7 mile chicane and hair pin filled course in a blazing 1 minute 43.274 seconds.
In the exciting final stages of the race, Allan McNish was able to fully exploit the R15 TDI’s capabilities by putting the “hammer down” in a display of “at the edge” racing not seen in the America LeMan’s series in quite some time. Throughout the last hour, McNish was handling all competitors with lap times averaging 1 to 2–seconds faster than both his teammates in the #1 R15 and the #8 Peugeot 908 driven at the time at the time by Franck Montagny. McNish was able to open a lead exceeding 1-minute which allowed a ‘splash-and-dash’ (quick refuel pit) just before the end of the race and did so without losing the lead position. He eventually crossed the finish line 22.279 seconds in front of the second placed Peugeot 908.
The Audi R15 TDI came out on top in its debut as drivers Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) achieved a historic victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The winning Audi and second place Peugeot completed 383 laps – beating the previous distance record by traveling an impressive 48 miles further on the 3.7 mile course than any previous car in the 12 Hours of Sebring’s long and illustrious history.
It was the ninth overall victory for the Audi brand at Sebring continuing an impressive series: After the Audi R8 (2000) and the Audi R10 TDI (2006) a new Le Mans prototype from Audi drove to victory in its debut race at Sebring for the third time. Tom Kristensen scored his fifth victory in the US endurance classic becoming the most successful driver in the history of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Dindo Capello won at Sebring for a fourth time with Allan McNish chalking up his third victory.
Michelin Green X Challenge
Since 1923, Michelin and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) have shared the same spirit of innovation. The inaugural Le Mans 24 Hours race was won by a team racing on Michelin tires.
In the spirit of CleanMPG, the Michelin Green X Challenge (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20505) includes the American Le Mans Series and rewards competitors which succeed in consuming the least fuel while at the same time optimizing performance. The team which comes out on top in the Michelin Green X Challenge after the five rounds of the 2009 Le Mans Series will be given an automatic entry for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The number 2 Audi R15 TDI proved it was not only the fastest and most reliable prototype on its debut but also the most efficient. Audi celebrated a clear 1-2 victory in the "Michelin Green X Challenge” in which the fuel consumption is measured in relation to the performance.
For Acura, Audi and Peugeot, the 12 Hours of Sebring was a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in which a total of three new R15 TDI’s, two 908 HDi’s and possibly two ARX-02a prototypes will compete.
Winner’s commentary
Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): "Our brand new R15 TDI was faultless throughout and allowed Audi to secure another Sebring victory. This must go down in the history books as one of the best Sebring 12 Hour races ever when you take in to account our competition, the intensity from start to finish making it a sprint race, with the final two hours especially typifying what Audi Sport is all about: grit and determination – the entire team can be proud in taking the laurels back to Germany.”
12 Hours of Sebring - P1 class final results
Position|Drivers|Vehicle|Laps completed|Time
1|Capello/Kristensen/McNish|Audi R15 TDI|383 laps|12h 00m 38.638s
2|Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais |Peugeot 908 HDi|+ 22.279s
3|Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner|Audi R15 TDI|- 2 laps|
4|Fernandez/Diaz|Acura/Honda ARX-02a|- 23 laps|
5|Minassian/Klien/Lamy|Peugeot 908 HDi|- 27 laps|
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Audi_R15_TDI_2_with_McNish_behind_the_wheel.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Mar. 21, 2009
Audi R15 V10 TDI at the 12-Hours of Sebring - McNish behind the wheel just before dusk.
In the fastest Sebring race of all time, the Audi’s pair of R15 TDI prototypes ran the entire distance without much in the way of technical problems. The Peugeot 908 HDi’s however did not fair as well but proved their prowess by swapping first, second and third spots with the mighty R15’s again and again right until the end.
Sebring, FL -- In a thrilling duel of diesels, the 12-Hours of Sebring turned out to be just as exciting from the couch as it was at the track. With enhanced drama thanks to unique pit strategies and the simple fact that we had four European super-diesels going head to head in a contest of super powers proved American Le Mans Series racing is alive and well.
With the best equipment the Europeans have to offer proving their worth lap after lap and second by second, this years 12-hours of Sebring will be as memorable as the 06 race when the first Audi R10 TDI was released from its cage dominating the track and its opponents just 3 short years ago.
Peugeot’s 908 HDi turbo-diesels
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Peugoet_908_leading_the_Audi_R15.jpgPeugeot’s 908 HDi turbo-diesel leading the Audi R15 early in the race.
Regarding the Peugeot’s, they made the trip to the USA with an entry of two 908 HDi turbo-diesels and returned to France with mixed fortunes to show for their efforts.
The Peugeot teams were hampered by a number of issues from missing a warm-up lap to broken components throughout the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The eventual second place team driven by Franck Montagny, Stéphane Sarrazin, and Sébastien Bourdais had to start from the pit-lane due to a hydraulic problem which was resolved shortly before the start. Before the first hour was up, the two Peugeot’s were running one and two.
The number 7 car driven by Christian Klien, Pedro Lamy and Nic Minassian was forced to pit with an air conditioning problem that cost it nine laps. All hopes of a Peugeot victory then rested on the crew of the number 8 car which traded the top spot with the two Audis again and again. Three hours from the finish, the number 8 car had to unexpectedly pit after a rear-left tire leak was discovered. Regarding a win, this leak ended up being its undoing... The number 7 car was sidelined at 11:35 into the race with a gearbox failure.
Audi R15 TDI Turbo-diesels
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Audi_R15_and_Peugeot_908_Diesels_battle_of_the_titans.jpg
Audi R15 leading the mighty challenge of a 908 in the afternoon at the Historic Sebring Raceway.
The Le Mans R15 prototype with its all-new V-10 TDI engine completed its maiden run in December. With poor weather and temperatures never exceeding 45 degrees F during its testing, it was not until the week before the 12-hours of Sebring where the Audi teams would find out if the R15’s were going to prove their metal.
With ambient temperatures almost double those experienced during the prototypes testing in Europe, the crews and drivers worked day and night to learn more about the turbo-diesel sports cars and to adapt to the central Florida temperatures and track. They were able to solve all the minor warmer temperature teething problems just in time for race day.
Ladies and Gentleman, start your engines!
Once the green flag dropped, the new Audi R15 TDI’s proved to be very fast. Allan McNish outpaced the pole sitting Acura/Honda at the start completing the first lap with more than a five seconds advantage. Later, however, it was not the Acura/Hondas that were the cars to beat but the two Peugeot 908 HDi’s. The lead swapped no fewer than 22 times among the diesel-powered prototypes from Audi and Peugeot. Over long periods of the race, the four leading prototypes were covered by just a few tenths of a second.
CleanMPG coverage
NASCAR was using leaded fuel until a few years back and Formula One although fast, it is the wrong fuel. American Le Mans and the European Le Man’s Series, at least where the P1 class is concerned, includes diesel race cars that are more fuel efficient, quieter and even include emissions controls with the included DPF’s! Add to it that the racing diesel fuel in most cases is synthetic; this is one type of racing that makes sense.
As the first 3-hours were in progress, I was trying to add to our own lap by lap blog in the 12 Hours of Sebring off and running (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=195941) coverage. Soon afterwards, ABCDPetersen discovered a live behind the wheel feed of the two Audi R15’s and the Acura ARX-02a P1 entry which made the race that much more exciting for the few of us CleanMPG’ers that were interested in watching the diesel battle of a lifetime occur in real time.
As the race wore on into the night, the fastest lap recorded occurred when Sébastien Bourdais in the number 8 Peugeot 908 HDi drove the 3.7 mile chicane and hair pin filled course in a blazing 1 minute 43.274 seconds.
In the exciting final stages of the race, Allan McNish was able to fully exploit the R15 TDI’s capabilities by putting the “hammer down” in a display of “at the edge” racing not seen in the America LeMan’s series in quite some time. Throughout the last hour, McNish was handling all competitors with lap times averaging 1 to 2–seconds faster than both his teammates in the #1 R15 and the #8 Peugeot 908 driven at the time at the time by Franck Montagny. McNish was able to open a lead exceeding 1-minute which allowed a ‘splash-and-dash’ (quick refuel pit) just before the end of the race and did so without losing the lead position. He eventually crossed the finish line 22.279 seconds in front of the second placed Peugeot 908.
The Audi R15 TDI came out on top in its debut as drivers Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) achieved a historic victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The winning Audi and second place Peugeot completed 383 laps – beating the previous distance record by traveling an impressive 48 miles further on the 3.7 mile course than any previous car in the 12 Hours of Sebring’s long and illustrious history.
It was the ninth overall victory for the Audi brand at Sebring continuing an impressive series: After the Audi R8 (2000) and the Audi R10 TDI (2006) a new Le Mans prototype from Audi drove to victory in its debut race at Sebring for the third time. Tom Kristensen scored his fifth victory in the US endurance classic becoming the most successful driver in the history of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Dindo Capello won at Sebring for a fourth time with Allan McNish chalking up his third victory.
Michelin Green X Challenge
Since 1923, Michelin and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) have shared the same spirit of innovation. The inaugural Le Mans 24 Hours race was won by a team racing on Michelin tires.
In the spirit of CleanMPG, the Michelin Green X Challenge (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20505) includes the American Le Mans Series and rewards competitors which succeed in consuming the least fuel while at the same time optimizing performance. The team which comes out on top in the Michelin Green X Challenge after the five rounds of the 2009 Le Mans Series will be given an automatic entry for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The number 2 Audi R15 TDI proved it was not only the fastest and most reliable prototype on its debut but also the most efficient. Audi celebrated a clear 1-2 victory in the "Michelin Green X Challenge” in which the fuel consumption is measured in relation to the performance.
For Acura, Audi and Peugeot, the 12 Hours of Sebring was a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in which a total of three new R15 TDI’s, two 908 HDi’s and possibly two ARX-02a prototypes will compete.
Winner’s commentary
Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): "Our brand new R15 TDI was faultless throughout and allowed Audi to secure another Sebring victory. This must go down in the history books as one of the best Sebring 12 Hour races ever when you take in to account our competition, the intensity from start to finish making it a sprint race, with the final two hours especially typifying what Audi Sport is all about: grit and determination – the entire team can be proud in taking the laurels back to Germany.”
12 Hours of Sebring - P1 class final results
Position|Drivers|Vehicle|Laps completed|Time
1|Capello/Kristensen/McNish|Audi R15 TDI|383 laps|12h 00m 38.638s
2|Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais |Peugeot 908 HDi|+ 22.279s
3|Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner|Audi R15 TDI|- 2 laps|
4|Fernandez/Diaz|Acura/Honda ARX-02a|- 23 laps|
5|Minassian/Klien/Lamy|Peugeot 908 HDi|- 27 laps|