Audi looks to ramp up US involvement in the near future
Audi is evaluating programmes in IndyCar, Daytona Prototypes and DTM America as it looks to ramp up its involvement in US motorsport


The German marque's new research and development boss Wolfgang Durheimer revealed that Audi is in the process of making key decisions about its motorsport future in North America and could decide early in the summer in time for a programme or programmes to be launched for 2014.
"At the moment we are talking about ideas," he said. "We will have important discussions between now and when the holiday season starts, because we need to get our act together and decide when and where we will race."
Durheimer, who also co-ordinates motorsport for all the brands of the Volkswagen group, put meat on the bones of Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich's comments in January about a possible entry into the Prototype (nee Daytona Prototype) category of the new-for-2014 United SportsCar Racing championship.
Ullrich left the door open to a possible Prototype USRC entry by Audi, but Durheimer went further and stated that he was in favour of a move into the top class of the merged US sportscar series.
"I am personally in favour of Daytona Prototypes, because I think it is important to make overall wins," he explained. "Class wins [with the R8 GRAND-AM] are nice, but at the end of the day you have to win the race."
Durheimer said it was too early to say whether Audi would build its own chassis in addition to an engine or put its own bodywork on one of the three existing DP chassis on the market. He stressed that an Audi USCR car would definitely "look like an Audi".
INDYCAR ALSO A POSSIBILITY
An entry into IndyCar as an engine supplier is also possible, according to Durheimer.
"Another opportunity would be IndyCar, which I think is still very popular and the Indy 500 is an outstanding race," he said.
VW and Audi were part of the discussions that resulted resulted in the new IndyCar engine formula introduced ahead of last year.
Durheimer also underlined Audi's support for the idea of DTM America, which is due to start in 2015 or '16, and explained that it was the brand's intention to compete when the series comes on stream.
"The DTM set-up would be perfect, because we know the technology and the suppliers of the parts," he explained.
Durheimer said it was possible that Audi could compete in more than one of the categories under evaluation at some point in the future.
"Two of the three would be the maximum," he said.
The latest decision-making process at Audi follows the appointment of motorsport fan Durheimer last September and the end of its opportunity to race in LMP1 in a North American sportscar series.
LMP1 will disappear next year when the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am merge under the USCR banner.
Durheimer explained that Audi was looking to step up its motorsport involvement in the US as it attempts to catch up with rivals Mercedes and BMW in terms or road car sales.
"We have to catch up in terms of being known as a sporty, dynamic and pushy player," he said, adding that "a solid motorsport programme" was a good way of achieving that.

WEC drivers slam new, 'dangerous' qualifying format
Silverstone WEC: Audi claims one-two after dramatic finish

Latest news
Friday Favourite: The Porsche “twins” who usurped Audi’s best
In a long career as a Porsche factory driver that yielded success in prototypes and GT cars on both sides of the Atlantic, Timo Bernhard was frequently paired up with Romain Dumas. Together, the pair were a near unstoppable force and were no less potent when they were loaned as a package to Audi
Porsche completes two-car LMDh test at Monza as US-bound chassis debuts
Porsche Penske Motorsport has begun testing a second example of the 963 LMDh contender as it ramps up preparation for its twin programmes in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023.
The final episode on the Monza round of the FIA World Endurance Championship sees the action reach a dramatic and thrilling conclusion in the race.
Rast, Muller and Cassidy to miss Fuji WEC to focus on DTM
Rene Rast, Nico Muller and Nick Cassidy are all expected to miss the fifth round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship at Fuji Speedway next month to prioritise their DTM commitments.
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
The history lessons Peugeot should have learned on its return
The Peugeot 9X8 will make its World Endurance Championship debut at Monza this weekend. The French manufacturer has gone radical and will be hoping it doesn’t need to overhaul its contender, as it did with its first Le Mans challenger…
Why Peugeot's sportscar return will capture the imagination
OPINION: Peugeot will make its World Endurance Championship debut at Monza this weekend with the 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar that has ignored design conventions by eschewing a rear wing. Its distinctive look will help sportscar racing appeal to fresh audiences as a new golden era is ushered in
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How an Italian junior formula giant is readying for its Le Mans future
Prema remains a colossus in single-seaters, but the serial Formula 2 and Formula 3 title-winning squad has joined forces with top GT squad Iron Lynx for an attack on sportscars in the World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series. Ahead of its debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours, its sights are firmly fixed on LMP2 glory – and a future in Hypercars next year...
The British rookies targeting a good first impression at Le Mans
Three young Britons will make their first starts in the Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend in the highly-competitive 23-car GTE Am field. But how did they get here? Autosport hears their stories.
The wingless wonder Peugeot hopes will restore it to Le Mans glory
Peugeot went radical with the initial plan for its Le Mans Hypercar project, and then stuck to its guns. Here’s how things are shaping up a few weeks before the debut of the 9X8 in next month's Monza World Endurance Championship round
How Toyota’s sole survivor turned the tables at Spa
After a chastening opening to the season at Sebring that ended in an enormous accident, Toyota's #7 crew got their World Endurance Championship underway with victory at a treacherously slippery Spa to make up for its sister car's Sebring defeat to Alpine, as Glickenhaus's promising qualifying turned to disaster in the race