Team rallies to see checkered flag in 50th edition of Florida endurance classic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2012 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) – It would be fair to say that things didn’t go quite to plan for the no. 51 APR Motorsports Audi R8 Grand-Am in its first race – the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona. Despite two multi-hour stints in the garage to make repairs, the team was determined to see the checkered flag in its first Rolex Series race.

Trouble first hit the Audi R8 just past the two-hour mark when Emanuele Pirro brought the car behind the wall during a full course caution, and the team had to replace the clutch – a big job on the mid-engined Audi R8 Grand-Am. The APR Motorsports team drew a large crowd of spectators in its garage area, which let out a loud cheer when the car was finally lowered back to the ground and sent back into the fray after a two-hour repair.

Worse news would come at 2:15 in the morning, when Nelson Canache was nudged off the track by a Ganassi Racing BMW Riley Daytona Prototype, sending him into the wall on the left side of the track approaching turn three. After another two-hour repair of the right front and right rear suspension of the Audi R8 Grand-Am, the car returned to the track with Dion von Moltke behind the wheel. However, von Moltke quickly brought the car back and further investigation revealed more damage than was originally thought.

The APR Motorsports crew worked through the night – and into the morning – and just after sunrise, the no. 51 Audi R8 Grand-Am returned to the track with Dr. Jim Norman behind the wheel. Norman, Ian Baas, von Moltke, Canache and Pirro cycled through the car until it had to be brought back to the garage to replace a faulty power steering pump.

Performing another miracle, the team rapidly replaced the pump and installed Norman in the car. Driving into the bus stop with a few minutes remaining, broken bodywork due to damage from earlier in the race caused Norman to spin and go off course. Norman was able to return the car to the pits and the team effected repairs and Norman was able to take the checkered flag in 31st position in the GT class.

The team’s performance was not enough to secure the second class win for five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro in his second appearance in Daytona, but despite the struggles Pirro enjoyed his time with APR in Daytona.

“The race was a real struggle for everybody, but I really appreciate how the crew and the team worked so hard to keep us going,” said Pirro. “It was a really special experience for me to come back and be a part of this race again after thirty one years. To have a good result is of course important, but the whole experience was really, really nice and I have had a very enjoyable time with Audi and APR.”

Von Moltke, who will pilot the car for the 2012 Rolex Sports Car Series, takes several positive elements out of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“Having driven the car throughout the race, I really feel that this is a car that we can win with,” said von Moltke. “We came to this race with very little testing time and data, and even though we had some problems we were really happy with the speed we had in the race. Audi and APR will make this car stronger than ever for the next race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. That is APR’s home race, and with the support of PR Newswire and South African Airways, we will be looking to have a race that shows the true potential of the car.”

Team owner Stephen Hooks, who graduated his team from the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge to the Rolex Series for the first time, left Daytona frustrated with the result but encouraged by the effort of his crew – which worked miracles throughout the race to make sure the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am saw the checkered flag.

“We can take two things away from our first Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Stephen Hooks, President and CEO of APR. “Our team can tackle anything that is thrown at them. They worked all night and did an amazing job to repair a substantial amount of damage on our R8. I’ve been bragging about our crew to everyone on our Live Blog. Under ridiculous circumstances and without any sleep since 6 AM yesterday they have made everybody on this team proud. I told them that we will have better outings and I was thrilled that our car crossed took the checkered flag. Finishing any 24 hour race is no small accomplishment, but when you look at what we were up against this race it is just unbelievable.

“The second thing is the performance of our drivers and our car for this season. We saw a lot of pace out of our Audi R8 Grand-Am, in the hands of all of our drivers. Dr. Jim, Dion, Nelson, Emanuele and Ian all did a great job behind the wheel and all were able to run very competitive times throughout the race. I’m very encouraged by that and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

The next race on the Rolex Series schedule is the Porsche 250 at Birmingham Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on March 31. The race will be shown live on SPEED Channel at 4:00 PM ET.

A full high resolution photo gallery is available in our Media Gallery.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. For more information, visit www.parathyroid.com.

ABOUT MOTUL USA
Motul USA is a world-class company specialized in distribution of high-tech synthetic lubricants formulated for powersports and automotive applications. Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 World Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Car (WRC), Dakar® and others. For more information, log on to www.motul.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

The Audis and VWs charge forward in the rain at Daytona

January 28, 2012 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) – With the rain falling steadily at the start of the BMW Performance 200, APR Motorsport made the calculated decision to start their cars at the back of their respective fields. With 81 cars starting in the CTSCC race in the rain at Daytona – split between the GS and ST classes – the team was betting on a fair amount of opening-lap carnage and chose to keep its rookie drivers clear of the inevitable carnage.

Amazingly, the opening lap had no serious collisions, off-course excursions, or full-course yellows. The shock from the assembled crowd and everyone crowding around a TV monitor in the pits was palpable.

Starting shotgun on the GS field, Nelson Canache steadily moved the no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4 through the field throughout the wet first portion of the race. With the Audi S4’s four-wheel-drive system, Canache drove from 40th to 15th before the first caution period of the race slowed his progress. However, the car developed a mechanical problem that took several laps to fix, dropping Canache well off the lead lap. Once handing the car over to teammate Ian Baas, Baas took the car to the finish in 33rd position.

“The Audi is a really good car, and it was amazing in the rain,” said Canache. “I almost wish the team had let me start the race from our position where we qualified, but I understand why we started at the back. I think we could have been leading the race before our first pit stop. The problem we had with the car was really too bad, but I think Ian and I will be fighting for wins in the Audi S4 this year.”

Among the quartet of APR Tuned VW’s in the ST class, there was a fair amount of inter-team rivalry for the highest-finishing driver – especially as the four cars started lined up nose-to-tail. David Cheng, in the no. 171 APR Tuned VW GTI, passed 23 cars during the opening stint before his car developed a mechanical problem, sidelining him and teammate Aleks Altberg after a strong run.

It would be Hector Guerrero, in the no. 191 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI that was started by Juan Pablo Sierra, that would cross the line 22nd in the ST class, just ahead of teammate Daniel LaRiva in the no. 181 APR tuned VW Jetta GLI that was started by Christian Perez.

“I had one moment where I was battling with another car into the bus stop, and I had to go off through the dirt,” said Guerrero. “I did what Alex Popow did last year in the Daytona Prototype. Other than that, the car was good. We had a little bit of a push, and somehow I lost the rear bumper, but I was really happy with the car. It felt better and better each lap and I’m really happy that we finished our first race.”

“Since this was our first race and I didn’t have much time in the car, I just wanted to drive without making mistakes,” said LaRiva. “So I didn’t push too hard, I thought it would be dangerous to push. Each lap I got a little more confident in the car, and I can tell it will be a very fast car in ST after some more testing.”

The no. 161 APR Tuned VW GTI lost two laps to the leader due to confusion under separate yellow-flag periods. The car was started by Juan Carlos Alvarez, who then turned it over to Nate Norenberg, with Josh Hurley finishing the race. Despite being two laps down, Hurley’s laptimes showed the car has the pace of the top-five cars in the ST field.

“The car was amazing,” said Hurley. “I knew it was fast but it was really fast and really consistent – it’s a car that can win in ST. I wish we didn’t have our problems under yellow because if we had been on the lead lap, we would have scored a lot of points. I’m excited about the potential of this car for the rest of the year.”

While the results weren’t as strong as the APR Motorsport team was hoping for, there were a few positives that the team took away from Friday’s BMW Performance 200.

“Our goal for this race was to run without problems and to get our cars and drivers through a race distance,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsports for APR. “We are obviously not happy that we had problems with the Audi S4 and with one of our VW GTI’s, but we showed a lot of speed from those cars. All of our drivers drove smart and brought the cars back safely, and we are really encouraged by what we learned with our new VW Jetta GLI’s. We’ll go back and apply what we have learned and come back for the next race, and compete further up the field like the APR Motorsports team normally does.”

The BMW Performance 200 will be broadcast on SPEED on February 4th at 12:00 PM ET. The next race for the APR Motorsports CTSCC team will be at Barber Motorsports Park on March 31, while the team will also compete in their first Rolex 24 at Daytona which begins Saturday, January 27th at 3:30 PM ET and will be broadcast live on SPEED.

ABOUT MOTUL USA
Motul USA is a world-class company specialized in distribution of high-tech synthetic lubricants formulated for powersports and automotive applications. Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 World Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Car (WRC), Dakar® and others. For more information, log on to www.motul.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Team’s two Audis and four VW’s put in strong efforts in opening day at Daytona

January 27, 2012 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) – The first day at Daytona for the GRAND-AM season opener is a long one, with several practice sessions as well as qualifying crammed into one busy day at Daytona International Speedway.

With their Audi R8 Grand-Am in the Rolex Series, and an APR-Tuned Audi S4, two VW GTI’s, and two VW Jetta GLI’s in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, APR’s pit area was busy throughout Thursday and was packed for the team’s qualifying sessions.

Tasked with qualifying the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am for its first race, the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, Dion von Moltke laid down a lap good enough for 22nd in a strong field of 41 cars, with a lap time of 1:50.749. Showing the depth of the GT field, von Moltke’s time was 1.4 seconds off the pole winning time.

“We are making big, big gains with each session,” said von Moltke. “The car definitely feels better even compared to this morning. Bringing Mark Scott on board has really helped, and we made a big change in qualifying that was really positive but I had to change the way I was driving to get the most out of it. But the time that we ran in qualifying wasn’t a one-lap wonder; it’s a repeatable lap we can run all race long so we are making big improvements with our race pace. We will have a really good car for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

Nelson Canache, in the no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4 that he will turn over to Ian Baas, qualified sixteenth in the GS class for his first CTSCC race. Canache is also driving the team’s Audi R8 Grand-Am in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend.

“The car was very good, but I am kind of disappointed because I only got one clean lap because of the yellow flag period,” said Canache. “But the car was great and we have been working on improvements in each practice. I’m happy with the car and I am ready to race tomorrow.”

In the ST class, David Cheng led the way for APR as he put the no. 171 APR Tuned VW GTI ninth on the grid in the ST class, clocking a 2:08.128 in the late afternoon qualifying session. He will share the car with Aleks Altberg.

“We didn’t have the fastest car in qualifying, but we have a good race car,” said Cheng. “The guys have done a great job setting up the car, and we will be able to out-brake everyone, and get the power down sooner than everyone. If I can have a good start, and stay out of trouble, and give the car to Aleks in a competitive spot, we can get on the podium.”

After a difficult day, his teammates Juan Pablo Sierra, in the no. 181 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI, and Juan Carlos Alvarez in the no. 161 APR Tuned VW GTI, qualified 21st and 33rd, respectively. Sierra will team with Hector Guerrero, while Alvarez will turn the car over to Nate Norenberg. The no. 191 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI of Daniel LaRiva and Christian Perez did not take part in the qualifying session.

“The car is much better and we made some big improvements in the brakes,” said Sierra. “We don’t have the best qualifying position, but the car is good. We just have to drive smart and stay out of trouble, stay away from all the crashes, and we can get a good result.”

“That was my first session in the car, because of the problem we had in practice,” said Alvarez. “I just wanted to learn the track and become familiar with the car, and I need to have more confidence in the car, but I was improving and learning each lap. It will be difficult to race like this, but if I can stay on the lead lap, anything is possible.”

On Friday, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will start its season with the BMW Performance 200 at 1:30 PM ET. Live Timing and Scoring can be seen at Grand-Am.com, and the race will be shown tape-delayed on SPEED Channel on February 4th at 12:00 PM ET.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. For more information, visit www.parathyroid.com.

ABOUT MOTUL USA
Motul USA is a world-class company specialized in distribution of high-tech synthetic lubricants formulated for powersports and automotive applications. Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 World Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Car (WRC), Dakar® and others. For more information, log on to www.motul.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport, and on twitter (@GoAPR).

Team’s motto is ‘We’re not just here to race, we are here to entertain’

January 26, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – This weekend’s 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona promises to be one of the most competitive in history of the twice-around-the-clock event. While the competition amongst the dozen or so Daytona Prototypes will no doubt command the headlines, the action in the 40+ strong GT field – with the no. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 Grand-Am – is likely to steal the show.

And, don’t forget, Friday’s season-opener of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge also promises to be incredibly exciting – there’s 81 cars entered, five of them from APR Motorsport.

There are almost endless choices of teams, drivers, and cars to keep tabs on throughout the anniversary weekend at Daytona. Here are a few reasons to keep an eye on your favorite team from Alabama.

The Audi R8 Grand-Am. Grand-Am’s fans, and APR Motorsport’s customers and fans, have been waiting for this car for a long time. It will take the green flag for the first time on Saturday, and based on its endurance racing pedigree, it should run like a clock until the checkered flag falls at 3:30 PM on Sunday. We think ours looks very cool with its distinctive APR livery. And have you listened to it? It sounds like a vintage F1 car.

Stock up on energy drinks, and watch around-the-clock. When SPEED Channel goes off the air with its coverage of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at 11:00 PM ET, the race will be streamed on Speed.com until the race returns to television at 9:00 AM ET. So if you aren’t in Daytona suffering enjoying the chilly January weather, you can still watch the race from start to finish from the comfort of your own home. The coverage begins at 2:30 PM ET on Saturday, with the race going green at 3:30 PM ET.

Talk to us for 24 Hours straight. If it’s three in the morning and there is something you really need to know – how cold it is, how many energy drinks the APR Motorsport staff has had to drink, or how Emanuele prepares his pasta – just ask us a question on our Live Blog. The Live Blog, which will be available on APRMotorsport.com, will be a race-long conversation between APR Motorsport’s fans and the team and drivers.

You get to practice your Spanish. Nelson, Juan Pablo, Juan Carlos, Daniel, Hector, and Christian all speak Spanish first and English second. Pretty much the entire APR Motorsport staff speaks English first and Spanish never. You can see how this might be entertaining. (We do have bilingual people on the radio with our drivers, so don’t go and complain to Grand-Am).

We will blow up your twitter feed. Follow us at @GoAPR. Anything you want to know, and stuff you didn’t know you wanted to know, will be on twitter. If you’re not on twitter, follow us on facebook for text, photo and video updates, facebook.com/APRMotorsport.

Emanuele Pirro is driving with us. He’s won Le Mans five times times driving Audis. He’s also Italian, and as such he has put the entire APR Motorsport team on a diet of lasagna and pasta. Obviously he can turn a wheel, but he’s a genuinely nice guy, cracks jokes all the time, and is also a class winner at the Rolex 24 at Daytona – 31 years ago.

The return of Dion. Dion von Moltke was just a kid when he first drove for APR in the CTSCC, and scored three wins with the team. He’s still just a kid, a student at Florida International University, but now he’ll be driving our Audi R8 Grand-Am in his fourth Rolex 24 at Daytona.

We have a real doctor on our team. Dr. Jim Norman will drive the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am throughout the 2012 season. ‘Dr. Jim’ has dedicated his life to the treatment of hyperparathyroidism (in real life, not on TV) and aims to raise awareness of the disease and its treatment through his website at www.parathyroid.com. His passion for it will surprise you: ask him about the disease, and before long, he will have you performing surgery.

You couldn’t miss us, even if you tried. We are bringing six cars to Daytona. Ten percent of the ST field in Friday’s BMW Performance 200 will consist of APR Tuned VWs, including two brand new Mk. 6 Jetta GLI’s. We also have two VW GTI’s in ST, a Audi S4 in GS, and of course, our Audi R8 Grand-Am in the Rolex Series. That’s only one car in Rolex, but we think it stands out from the crowd pretty well.

The weekend begins with Friday’s CTSCC season opener, the BMW Performance 200, at 1:30 PM ET. That race will be shown tape-delayed on February 4th at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel, but live timing and scoring can be seen on Grand-Am.com. The 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona goes green at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, and will be broadcast on SPEED Channel and Speed.com.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. For more information, visit www.parathyroid.com.

ABOUT MOTUL USA
Motul USA is a world-class company specialized in distribution of high-tech synthetic lubricants formulated for powersports and automotive applications. Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 World Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Car (WRC), Dakar® and others. For more information, log on to www.motul.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com and follow us on facebook at facebook.com/APRMotorsport.

Team will field armada of six cars in 2012 CTSCC with major South American influence

January 24, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – You won’t have to look far to see an APR-tuned Audi or Volkswagen in this year’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Augmenting the previously announced no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4 for Ian Baas and Nelson Canache in the GS class, as well as the no. 171 APR Tuned VW GTI for Aleks Altberg and David Cheng, the team will add three additional VW’s in the ST class for the 2012 season, beginning with this Friday’s BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The team will add yet another car to the lineup beginning with the series’ second race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, bringing the team’s CTSCC total to six cars and making APR Motorsport, along with its entry in the Rolex Series, the largest team this season in GRAND-AM.

As part of the expansion, the team will roll out a pair of brand new Mk. 6 VW Jetta GLI’s for this week’s BMW Performance 200 at Daytona. The team shook down the first Jetta at the CTSCC’s January Test Days at Daytona International Speedway, where initial feedback from the drivers was overwhelmingly positive.

Rookies Hector Guerrero and Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle, from Puebla, Mexico, will steer the new no. 181 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI. Lendle is no stranger to racing VWs, as he scored a win and numerous podiums in the VW TDI Cup USA in 2010, and has also competed in Mexico’s Formula 2000 powered by Volkswagen. He comes to APR after winning the 2011 Gran Turismo Turbo championship in Mexico, with two wins. Guerrero is a veteran of the Venezuelan GT class championship, and took the championship in 2008.

Fellow rookies Daniel LaRiva, from Anzoatequi, Venezuela and Christian Perez, from Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, will be driving the no. 191 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI in their first season in the CTSCC. LaRiva scored two wins in 2011 in Venezuela’s Super Touring GT championship, while Perez finished third in the Venezuelan South Eastern GT championship.

Returning to APR for a full season in the ST class, Nate Norenberg, from Plymouth, Minnesota, will be joined by Juan Carlos Alvarez, from Maracay, Venezuela, in the no. 161 APR Tuned VW GTI. Norenberg finished second in his debut with APR last season at Watkins Glen after beginning his professional driving career in the VW TDI Cup, while Alvarez brings a long history of sportscar, endurance racing, and Seat Leon Supercup experience to his rookie season in GRAND-AM.

“It was, without a doubt, a massive undertaking for us to field this many cars in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsports for APR. “There have been many long nights at the shop in preparation for Daytona, but it will be a very impressive sight with our cars lined up in the pits and together on track. Each of our cars will be capable of getting race wins and continuing APR’s competitive tradition in the CTSCC. We have won races and contended for the championship each season we have raced in the CTSCC, and our APR Tuned GTI’s and Jettas are more than capable of doing it again in 2012.”

APR’s winning record in the CTSCC is what has attracted a number of international drivers to the program in 2012. While the team has grown to accommodate the number of drivers, the staff at APR has also had to brush up on a new language to prepare for the new season.

“It is very exciting that we have attracted a large number of international drivers to our program,” said Mishtawy. “In testing, we’ve seen that they clearly have the speed and talent to drive at this level, and we will be working closely with them to develop them into winning endurance drivers. At the same time, our entire staff – and our North American drivers Nate, David, Aleks and Ian – is now learning Spanish!”

APR Motorsport’s five car CTSCC team will compete in the season-opening CTSCC race, the BMW Performance 200, this Friday at Daytona International Raceway. The race will be broadcast Saturday, February fourth, at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com, or follow the team on Facebook (facebook.com/APRMotorsport) and twitter (@GoAPR).

Companies will partner on Audi R8 Grand-Am effort in 2012 Rolex Series season

January 23, 2012 (Opelika, AL) – Bolstering APR Motorsport’s campaign in the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the team is proud to officially announce the lineup of sponsors that will support the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am, beginning with this weekend’s 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Enabling the team to achieve maximum exposure for not only itself, but for GRAND-AM road racing, PR Newswire has joined the team and will work with APR throughout the 2012 season. The team has already benefited tremendously from the arrangement, as team news has twice been displayed on PR Newswire’s giant news screen in Times Square.

“We are excited to participate in the upcoming racing season with APR Motorsports and to provide continued sponsor support to talented driver, Dion Von Moltke, as his career continues to soar,” said Scott Mozarsky, chief commercial officer, PR Newswire. “Our company helps our customers maximize the value of their content assets and we look forward to using our multimedia and distribution offerings to allow consumers, journalists and fans to best engage with the compelling videos, photos and other content being created by APR and other organizations associated with this exciting sport.”

Pioneered by Dr. Jim Norman, Parathyroid.com is the world’s leading authority on parathyroid glands and parathyroid disease. The website provides a wealth of information about Hyperparathyroidism, parathyroid mini-surgery, parathyroid tumors, parathyroid hormone problems, and high blood calcium in an easy-to-read language.

“Educating the public about Hyperparathyroidism and its treatment has been my life’s work, and I’m proud to display Parathyroid.com on the APR Audi R8 Grand-Am,” said Norman. “Through our racing efforts, I hope to educate more people about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. APR’s Rolex Series team will provide an outstanding platform to do this.”

Known the world over for the performance and quality of its products, Motul is joining the APR Motorsport team as the team’s official lubricant. The company, which pits its products to the test on tracks around the world, is continuously involved in research and development to improve the performance of its products.

“The partnership between Motul and APR Motorsport is a combination of great brands coming together to create a winning partnership,” said Joey Cabrera, Automotive Manager of Motul USA. “Not only will APR be using Motul in their race cars, but will also be distributing Motul throughout its large dealer network. We look forward to a great season of Rolex Series racing with APR.”

With the partnerships finalized, the team can focus on its ambitious 2012 racing program as it moves into the Rolex Series for the first time.

“We are thrilled to bring such a strong lineup of partners to our first season in the Rolex Sports Car Series,” said Stephen Hooks, President and CEO of APR. “Since we initially announced that we would be taking the Audi R8 Grand-Am to the Rolex Series, the feedback from our customers, fans, and sponsors has been nothing short of overwhelming. We look forward to working with our partners throughout the season and delivering strong results, on and off the track.”

The Rolex 24 at Daytona will kick off the 2012 Rolex Series season, on January 28-29, at Daytona International Speedway. The race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel, and on Speed.com.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content — from rich media to online video to multimedia — and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. For more information, visit www.parathyroid.com.

ABOUT MOTUL USA
Motul USA is a world-class company specialized in distribution of high-tech synthetic lubricants formulated for powersports and automotive applications. Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 World Championship, MotoGP, World Rally Car (WRC), Dakar® and others. For more information, log on to www.motul.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

The 32-year-old from Doncaster expects to start the season at the wheel of an AWM Motor Sport Golf GTI similar to that which netted him four race victories in 2011, but says he could switch to a Scirocco.

“There are a few options open to us,” says building company MD Mason, “and one of them is to build a completely new car. There are a number of Sciroccos coming in and it may prove to be the car to beat.

“I am certainly going to go for another shot at the championship and I am hoping that it’s going to be a good, close and competitive season – it would be nice to win it after a good battle with some strong competitors.”

Mason came into the series as a racing rookie in 2009 and enjoyed immediate success, taking championship third. He claimed his first race wins in 2010, and won at Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone last season on his way to third in the title race once again.

“What cost me the championship last year was a sticking rear brake at Oulton Park, and then another brake problem at Zandvoort, which caused me to go off.” Despite these mishaps Mason finished and scored in every round, but the greater consistency of Steve Chaplin and James Walker helped them out-point the Yorkshireman.

Mason’s team-mates in the AWM squad will be motorsport newcomer Simon Tomlinson and experienced saloons racer Stewart Lines, who has Clio Cup, SEAT Challenge and Mini Challenge experience and who took part in the final two meetings of the 2011 Volkswagen Racing Cup season; both will drive Golf GTIs. Mason says AWM may yet field a fourth car.

The APR Volkswagen Racing Cup grid is shaping up to be as large and competitive as ever. KPM Racing has announced plans to field a six-car team, including Sciroccos for James Walker and Craig Milner, while 2011’s top rookie, Tom Wilson, is set to return in a two-car team with his father, Jonathan, at the wheel of a Scirocco.

The APR Volkswagen Racing Cup was established in the UK in 2000 and is entering its 13th season as the sole saloon-racing supporting event to British GT and British F3. This year the championship will also race at Brands Hatch alongside the German touring car championship and at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium as a supporting event to the 25-hour Fun Cup.

Scott – originally from England, now residing in Indianapolis – was almost literally born with gas in his veins when he was born above the gas station owned by his father. Beginning as a mechanic and amateur driver, Scott’s motorsports career spans nearly forty years and covers everything from Formula Ford to Formula 1. While a mechanic at McLaren International, Scott was a part of the 1976 World Championship team with driver James Hunt. In 1984, Scott came to the United States for the first time as a Lead mechanic of Mayer Motor Racing’s Indianapolis 500 team, before moving to a Chief Mechanic and trackside engineering role for the Buick Indy program.

In North America, Scott is best-known as half of former chassis constructor Riley & Scott. The company’s best-known creation, the Riley & Scott Mk. III, dominated prototype racing in IMSA and the USRRC with 48 wins – including three wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona – 38 pole positions, six driver’s championships and three constructors’ championships. Riley & Scott also designed and developed the Cadillac Northstar LMP as well as chassis for the Trans-Am series. Returning to open-wheels, Scott operated the company’s IndyCar program in 1998 and 1999.

More recently, Scott has operated Prototype Development, which creates prototype parts in the auto racing, marine, and aircraft industries. Over the past two seasons, Scott has served as the race strategist and team manager for Genoa Racing in the American Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series.

“I’ve always had a passion for sports car racing, and joining APR Motorsport is very exciting for me,” said Scott. “The Audi R8 Grand-Am is a very impressive car and I’m glad to have the chance to work with the team and its drivers to develop the car into a winner, especially in such a competitive season of GT-class racing. I have many great memories from the Rolex 24 at Daytona and am looking forward to being back for the 50th anniversary of the race at the end of the month.”

Scott’s first race weekend with the team will be the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, which takes place in two weeks on January 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mark to APR Motorsport,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsport for APR. “We recognized that Mark will bring a lot of skill to our Rolex Series program with our new Audi R8 Grand-Am. With the amount of success that he has enjoyed in endurance racing, we feel he will immediately make an impact with our program.”

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content – from rich media to online video to multimedia – and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. For more information, visit www.parathyroid.com.

Team’s cars show speed in both CTSCC classes in January Test Days

January 12, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – APR Motorsport showed the beginnings of another strong season in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at this weekend’s January Test Days, with their fleet of APR tuned Audis and Volkswagens taking part in three days of testing at Daytona International Speedway.

For the first time, Nelson Canache from Caracas, Venezuela joined Ian Baas in the no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4. The duo will contest the entire CTSCC season in the GS class, and the team’s new S4 was on the pace with both drivers behind the wheel.

As a rookie in the series, Canache impressed the team with his pace and his feedback as he adapted to the team, track, and the car on Daytona’s high banks. Canache will also take part in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the team’s Audi R8 Grand-Am.

“I am really enjoying driving the APR Audi S4,” said Canache. “I am getting a lot of good feedback from Ian and the team, which is helping me to improve. This is my first time at Daytona, and my first time in a four-wheel-drive car, but the car is very fast and has great top speed. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but we are moving in the right direction.”

Baas, who has developed the Audi S4 for the GS class over the past two seasons, was also excited after spending three day’s in APR’s newest S4.

“The APR Audi S4 was really good from the first lap, and we were able to carry out three good days of development on the car,” said Baas. “This is a new car so we are still learning a bit. We don’t have the ultimate speed, but we have a car that is very consistent over a stint and has great top speed. Driving with Nelson here this weekend has been great as well – we both have similar styles and we can learn a lot from each other.”

Also making their debut with APR and in the CTSCC, teammates Aleks Altberg and David Cheng wheeled the no. 171 APR Tuned throughout three trouble-free days of testing. No. 171, made famous throughout multiple seasons of CTSCC competition, demonstrated its speed with its two new drivers.

“I had a little bit of a learning curve – I have raced front-wheel drive, but never on a high-banked track like Daytona,” said Altberg. “The high speed braking took some time to get used to but I got comfortable quickly and the car was a ton of fun to drive. I think we have a competitive car and we should be looking good when we come back here for the Grand-Am 200.”

Cheng was equally optimistic after quickly acclimating himself to the GTI and spending his first weekend with the APR Motorsport team.

“We had a great weekend testing the GTI,” said Cheng. “Aleks was on the pace right away and like always I had a great time driving with him. The team gave us a fast car and we were consistently fast, and able to make improvements each session. I’m looking forward to a great year with the team.”

The team also unveiled, for the first time, the no. 181 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI. Put through its paces by team veterans Nate Norenberg and Josh Hurley, the car was also used to evaluate several drivers new to the team during the January Test Days. An exciting announcement about those drivers and the CTSCC season is coming from APR in the next few days.

“Just as the customers and fans of APR have become accustomed to seeing, our Continental program looks to be as strong as ever,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsport for APR. “Nelson and Ian had the Audi S4 up to speed right away and ran strong all weekend, as did Aleks and David in our GTI. We ran into a couple of issues with our new Jetta GLI but we still learned a lot and did a lot of driver evaluation with that car. We are looking good for our first race back in Daytona at the end of the month – and we’re coming back with more cars.”

The GRAND-AM 200 – the opening race of the 2012 CTSCC season – will be run on Friday, July 27, at 1:30 PM ET at Daytona International Speedway.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup is to enter the 2012 season with a new title sponsor – US Volkswagen Group tuning specialist APR, which is backing Britain’s most competitive and best-supported one-make saloon series as part of a new push into Europe.

Alabama-based APR, one of the biggest names in the world of Porsche, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen aftermarket performance products, has set up its European headquarters in Milton Keynes alongside those of Volkswagen Racing UK, and is set to become not just the championship’s title sponsor but also a technical partner.

APR will assist with scrutineering and offer technical assistance to competitors in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup. “APR was established in 1997 and has many years of motorsport experience in the USA,” said vice-president Keith Lucas, “and it is a logical progression for us to bring the expertise we have gained to the European motorsport market and to offer it to competitors here.

“Britain is the ideal place for us to start our European programme and the Volkswagen Racing Cup is a natural partner for us. It is a great championship and the competitors are enthusiastic and driven, just like APR.”

Sam Roach of Volkswagen Racing UK welcomed APR to the series: “It’s a great fit – APR has built a peerless reputation in the world of motorsport and aftermarket Volkswagen performance parts and the company’s knowledge and experience will prove a major benefit to the championship.”

In the United States, APR Motorsport has enjoyed major success over several seasons in GRAND-AM sports car racing – the team is set to contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month with the first Audi R8 LMS in North America – and also races two Mk VI Golf GTIs and three Mk VI Jetta GLIs in the ST class of the GRAND-AM challenge.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup was established in the UK in 2000 and is entering its 13th season as the sole saloon- racing supporting event to British GT and British F3. This year the championship will also race at Brands Hatch alongside the German touring car championship and at Spa- Francorchamps in Belgium as a supporting event to the 25- hour Fun Cup.

Team unveils striking livery while undertaking testing program at Daytona International Speedway

January 11, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – For the first time, the howl of the 5.2 liter V-10 engine in the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am echoed off of the high banks of Daytona, as the Alabama-based team made their first step to a season of GRAND-AM Rolex Series competition by participating in this weekend’s annual Roar Before the 24 test.

Working through a few teething problems that cropped up as their Audi R8 Grand-Am hit the track for the very first time, drivers Ian Baas, Nelson Canache, Dr. Jim Norman, Emanuele Pirro and Dion von Moltke received solid seat time in the car. A standout from the moment it rolled out of APR’s transporter, the Audi turned heads throughout the weekend.

Pirro returned to Daytona for the first time in 31 years and recorded the best lap time for the team at a 1:52.480. While he provided invaluable experience that can only come with five wins at the 24 Hours of LeMans, he enjoyed his time at Daytona and with APR Motorsport.

“We have enjoyed three very good days of testing here in Daytona,” said Pirro. “We came here all with very little knowledge about the Audi R8 Grand-Am, and we are still in a learning process to see what the car wants and how it wants to be driven. A lot of things here are very new – the team is new to the series, the race is new, the car is new, and most of the drivers haven’t worked together before. Any one of these things would be a big task, but all of these things mean it’s a huge task. We are putting as many parts of the puzzle together in order to be ready. The team will have a lot of work with three days of information to work through.

“It has been really, really nice to be back at Daytona. This is a race I always wanted to do and I’m really happy to have the chance. This is a unique situation for me because I also have a lot to learn, but it has been a very enjoyable experience with APR.”

Beginning their first Rolex Series campaign as teammates, Norman and von Moltke left with positive feelings about APR and the team’s new Audi R8 Grand-Am.

“We have a good lineup and we accomplished a lot during this test,” said von Moltke. “Everyone worked together well and we are going to continue working together throughout the next two weeks before the Rolex 24 at Daytona. I’m really looking forward to putting what we have learned here into effect and showing up at the 24 to show the true potential of the Audi R8 Grand-Am and APR.”

“What an amazing car and what a great weekend in Daytona,” said Norman. “We all had a lot of work to get comfortable with the car and find a setup that works well for all of us. But the team worked hard and the car got better each day, and we are all feeling really good about coming back in three weeks for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

The task of preparing the team and infrastructure of the APR Motorsport team, which has competed in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge for five seasons, to be ready for the Rolex Series fell to APR’s Director of Motorsports, Jeff Mishtawy. After the team’s first weekend, he was pleased with the results.

“The test weekend was great not only in that we got to evaluate where we are at with the R8, but where the team is at with the move to the Rolex Series,” said Mishtawy. “We did encounter some struggles but the team worked through all of them. All of our drivers did a great job giving us feedback throughout the weekend, and I think we all learned a lot from Emanuele. We will now go back and evaluate everything, and be as prepared as we can be for our first Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

The team will be back in Daytona for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which begins at 3:30 PM ET on January 28 and finishes one day later, on January 29, at 3:30 PM ET. Sixteen hours of the race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel, with the remaining eight hours available online at Speed.com.

ABOUT APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com
Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression, and kidney stones, among other conditions. Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium.

ABOUT PR NEWSWIRE
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content — from rich media to online video to multimedia — and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

Jan. 4, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – Bolstering its first effort on the Rolex 24 at Daytona, APR Motorsport is proud to announce Emanuele Pirro – a man synonymous with Audi and success in endurance racing – will be behind the wheel of the no. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 Grand-Am for this year’s 24-hour classic.

“I would like to thank APR for giving me this opportunity to drive in one of the classic 24-hour races,” said Pirro. “I have a lot to learn, and I hope to be able, together with the rest of the APR Motorsport team, to finish the race in a good position to make the best possible introduction of the Audi R8 Grand-Am in the American market. I know the race will be super competitive. I am ready for it; I am well trained; I am in very good shape and very motivated. I will have a very open-minded approach, as I have very limited experience in the GT class, although I have overtaken tons of them in 10 years of prototype racing!”

Pirro’s success with Audi dates back to 1994 when he took the Italian Touring Car Championship at the wheel of an Audi 80 sedan. Sports car fans in America will undoubtedly link him to Audi’s legendary R8 and R10 LMP racers, which Pirro drove to five wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as two championships in the American Le Mans Series. After retiring from active competition with Audi, Pirro drove in select ALMS races in the Drayson Lola – earning himself a spot on SpeedHunters.com’s Greatest 20 Overtakes with a daring move to take the lead at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2010.

However, despite his many successes with Audi at LeMans, Daytona holds a special place in Pirro’s heart as he scored a class win in the 1981 race at the tender age of 19.

“The Rolex 24 at Daytona has a very special meaning for me,” said Pirro. “It was my very first car race outside of Italy, driving the Lancia Montecarlo Turbo in the World Endurance Championship opening round. My racing experience was very limited, and the longest race I had done was 25 minutes. I remember the first time I saw the track. I was almost shocked! After this fantastic experience, when I came back to Italy I was celebrated as a hero. I never went back and now, after 31 years, I am really excited about it.”

Rounding out the driver lineup for APR Motorsport will be Venezuelan Nelson Canache. A two-time champion in the Venezuelan Super Touring GT class, Canache spent his 2011 season competing in the Seat Leon Super Cup in Mexico as well as the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Championship. This will be the first Rolex 24 at Daytona for the Caracas native.

“I am extremely excited for my first attempt at the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Canache. “Daytona is one of the most famous racetracks in the world, and the 24 Hours is well-known in Venezuela. APR Motorsport is a great team, and I think we are going to have a great run in the 24 Hours later this month.”

With the driving lineup of the no. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 Grand-Am solidified, Stephen Hooks, president and CEO of APR, is anxiously awaiting the green flag at the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of the month.

“To have the chance to bring Emanuele on board for the Rolex 24 at Daytona is a dream come true,” said Hooks. “He’s one of the most successful endurance racers of our time and a hero to Audi fans all over the world. For us, he will be a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience that we, as a team, can draw from. We aren’t underestimating the challenge of finishing the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but having Emanuele join APR gives everyone a big boost of confidence.

“Nelson tested with us recently, and he showed outstanding pace and gave great feedback in an unfamiliar car, setting a track record in his second on-track session. He will be a great addition to the team of Dion, Dr. Jim, Ian and of course, Emanuele.”

The APR drivers will get behind the wheel of the no. 51 APR Motorsport Audi R8 Grand-Am for the first time at this weekend’s Roar Before the 24, Friday January 6 through Sunday January 8, at Daytona International Speedway.

ABOUT APR

APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

ABOUT Parathyroid.com

Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium. It is recognized as the leading authority on hyperparathyroidism caused by parathyroid tumors located in the neck which affect one in 1000 people causing high blood calcium, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, depression and kidney stones, among other conditions. Parathyroid.com is an educational website discussing the adverse health issues associated with high blood calcium.

Young duo aiming for success in first season of GRAND-AM competition

January 2, 2012 (Opelika, Ala.) – APR is pleased to announce the signing of talented duo of Aleks Altberg and David Cheng to steer the no. 171 APR Volkswagen GTI in the ST class in the 2012 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. While both are newcomers to the CTSCC – and both barely old enough to drink champagne in victory circle – the teammates will be aiming at bringing home their first ST class championship in the New Year.

Chinese-born Cheng, who calls Sammamish, Wash. home, brings a wealth of endurance racing and open-wheel experience to APR. Cheng had a busy 2011 racing season, competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, scoring a podium in his first American Le Mans Series race, taking five wins in the Pacific F2000 championship, as well as a full season assault in the Scirocco R-Cup Asia, where he scored a second at the Merdeka Millenium 12 Hour Endurance race at Sepang, Malaysia – where he partnered with Altberg. A former class winner at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Cheng is no stranger to the speed and strategy necessary to be a winner in endurance racing.

“Competing in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge has been a goal of mine for a long time, and I couldn’t be happier that I will compete full time this season with Aleks as my co-driver, and with a winning team like APR,” said Cheng. “APR is the premier team in the CTSCC, and their record of victories speaks for itself. Aleks and I are looking to add to that number and bring home an ST championship!”

Altberg, from Mill Valley, Calif., will contest his first full season of endurance racing with APR. After earning Rookie of the Year honors in his first season at the Jim Russell International Racing Series, Altberg graduated to touring cars and partnered with Cheng to score the podium result at the Merdeka Millenium 12 Hour Endurance race. A quick study to new forms of machinery, Altberg is looking forward to sampling the APR Volkswagen for the first time at Daytona.

“It is great to have the opportunity to be a part of APR and to race with David this year,” said Altberg. “The transition from open-wheel cars to sedans is a big one, but I really enjoyed racing with David in the Scirocco R-Cup last season and I know we can have a lot of success in the CTSCC with APR. They are the team to beat and I can’t wait for our season to start in Daytona.”

Cheng and Altberg will join APR for the first time at the January Test Days at Daytona International Speedway on January 6-8, before the first race of the season, the GRAND-AM 200, at Daytona on January 26-27.

“David and Aleks are both young, talented drivers that will do great things with APR this season,” said Stephen Hooks, president and CEO of APR. “Everyone at APR is excited to have them join us and we can’t wait to watch them drive the no. 171 APR Volkswagen GTI to the front in 2012.”

About APR
APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

Dec. 14, 2011 (Opelika, Ala.) – APR Motorsport is proud to announce the driver pairing of Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman in the team’s Audi R8 GRAND-AM for the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

When he slides behind the steering wheel of the APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM, von Moltke, from Coral Gables, Fla., will return home to the team in which he started his professional driving career. Von Molkte competed with APR in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2008 and 2009, taking three wins before moving to the Daytona Prototype ranks in 2010. The South African, also a student at Florida International University, returns to APR with a wealth of endurance racing experience under his belt with finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

“This is a dream come true!” said von Moltke. “I started my professional racing career with APR, and to have the opportunity to come back to such a first class winning organization, and then to be the first one racing the Audi R8 GRAND-AM – can it get any better than this? This is like going home, but the series and fan base is stronger than ever, and APR has developed its winning program to an even higher level. For me and my partners, PRNewswire and South African Airways, this will be a long-term relationship with APR and Audi. It will be all about success on the track, every single weekend.”

Veteran driver Norman will join von Moltke for the duration of the season. Norman, an airplane racer turned racecar driver, quickly transitioned from his first season of Skip Barber competition in 2007 to competing in Porsche Cup cars throughout 2011, where he took the IMSA Mission Foods GT3 Challenge championship. He also scored a fourth at the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as at Petit Le Mans in GT-C – partnered in both races by von Moltke. Professionally, Norman is a surgeon, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on parathyroid disease.

“I’m very excited about joining the winning APR Motorsport team for the upcoming Rolex Series season,” said Norman. “I have really enjoyed racing with Dion and am really looking forward to spending an entire season as his teammate. I’m really excited for the Audi fans as well, who will get to see and hear the Audi R8 GRAND-AM this season. We will put on a great show for them at some of the greatest racetracks in North America.”

“I am so happy that Dr. Jim is joining me in the car,” added von Moltke. “He raced with me last year, and I have watched him grow into a series champion who I’m excited to share the car with. Together, we will win some races this year.”

For the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Six Hours at the Glen, longtime APR Motorsport driver Ian Baas from Noblesville, Ind., will join von Moltke and Norman. A winner at the Rolex 24 in 2006, Baas will greatly augment the team’s chances for success in the endurance races, as well as be an invaluable asset during the team’s testing program.

“I am extremely happy to be a part of this historical season with APR Motorsport and Audi,” said Baas. “We have had a lot of success with the VAG brands starting in 2008 with the VW GTIs, and now to move up to the GT category with the already successful Audi R8 GRAND-AM is a match made in heaven!”

“We are very happy with putting together the team of Dion, Jim, and Ian for the 2012 Rolex Series season in our brand-new Audi R8 GRAND-AM,” said Stephen Hooks, president and CEO of APR. “Bringing the Audi R8 GRAND-AM to the Rolex Series for the first time will be a challenge, but we have three very capable drivers that will be more than up to the very stiff competition in the Rolex Series GT class. With Daytona right around the corner, the team is flat out getting prepared to give our three drivers the best chance possible at a win.”

Von Moltke, Norman, and Baas will turn their first laps in the APR Audi R8 GRAND-AM at the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 6-8, 2012.

ABOUT APR

APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

There were a lot of “ooohs” and “ahhhhs” at Daytona International Speedway when Audi Sport Customer Racing of Germany tested its new Audi R8 GRAND-AM for the first time in America.

Not only did the red, white and blue car look spectacular, it performed flawlessly in the two-day session.

“This was a new experience for us,” said Romolo Liebchen, Audi’s head of customer racing. “This was the first time for Audi at Daytona. We got a lot of good information from Bilstein and our partners, and tried to do some setup at Paul Richard. Obviously, we were not so wrong. I think we are on our way.

“For me, this has always been a dream,” Liebchen added. “I was here the first time in 1999. The name, Rolex 24, for me, it’s one of the most important races, requires the most endurance. I have said we have to come here so that one day we may win this race. Audi must win this race one day, maybe not the first time out, but one day.”

Frank Stippler drove the car throughout the test. He’s no stranger to Daytona, having raced in the 2008 Rolex 24 for Farnbacher Loles Racing.

The car arrived in America on the eve of the test – with the team working on the new car in the parking lot of a nearby hotel on Monday to get it prepared. The preparation paid off, with several prospective customers very impressed with the new car.

“A lot of history is being made here, with the first run for the new Audi,” said APR owner Stephen Hooks. “I’ve spent a lot of time with our German counterparts. They’re working on reliability and gathering a lot of data while learning about the Continental tires. So far, I’ve been really impressed. The reliability has been fantastic and they’ll work on the speed concepts as they move forward.”

Jeff Mishtawy, APR’s director of motorsport, is also eager to work with the new car.

“It’s an unbelievably good-looking car, and it looks even better on the banks of Daytona,” Mishtawy said.

APR Motorsport fielded an Audi S4 in the Grand Sport class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2011, in addition to fielding Volkswagens in Street Tuner. In addition to mulling a move to the Rolex Series, APR looks to run in both CTSCC classes in 2012.

“Moving to GT would be part of our evolution,” Mishtawy said. “We took the step from ST to GS, and it would be an even bigger step to GT. But I don’t think it’s out of the reach of our team. If it works out, we’ll be focused on trying to make it the biggest success we can.”

Another interested spectator was APR driver Ian Baas, 2006 GT winner of the Rolex 24.

“The car looks great on the track,” Baas said. “It’s definitely going to be a force next year. It’s been very successful over in Europe, and I don’t think it will be any big issue to be quick and a winner over here right out of the box.”

Audi built the new car specifically for the Rolex Series. While it does not plan to run a car in the Rolex 24, it is eager to support any customer teams.

“My feeling is we will have two cars in the Rolex 24,” Liebchen said. “We will try to support them as much as possible so they can get a good result. Two cars would be fine for me.”

APR MOTORSPORT PRESENTS THE AUDI R8 LMS

Team will contest 2012 Rolex Series season with first Audi R8 LMS in North America, beginning with 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona

November 23, 2011 (Opelika, AL) – APR Motorsport is proud to announce that it will become the first team to compete in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series with the Audi R8 LMS, when the team takes the green flag for January’s 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 28, 2012 – and, hopefully, is first to the checkered flag on January 29.

Passion for the Audi brand runs deep at APR. Stephen Hooks, President and CEO of APR, was an aspiring driver and Audi enthusiast who raced Audis in the Motorola Cup – the predecessor to GRAND-AM. After leaving his driving ambitions to build APR into the largest aftermarket and motorsport company for Audis worldwide, Hooks returned to competition as a principal in APR Motorsport. The team was the first to race Audi’s newest and hottest sedan, the B8 model generation Audi S4, in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Being the first team to field the R8 LMS in North America is a natural progression for APR Motorsport.

The winning pedigree of APR Motorsport’s brand-new Audi R8 LMS, the first example built for the Rolex Series, is undoubtedly strong as well. Examples of the Audi R8 LMS have taken victory more than one hundred times in races in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. Now, APR’s customers – as well as Audi fans from Ingolstadt to Alabama – will cheer on the APR Audi R8 LMS as it seeks to add to the win tally.

Building upon experience gained in the CTSCC, APR Motorsport will now have the Rolex Series’ Grand Touring class looking over its shoulders with the series’ newest major contender, the Audi R8 LMS. Using the same team and infrastructure that has made the team a force to be reckoned with in the CTSCC, the team will now look to shake up the status quo of the Rolex Series – which has seen the series dominated by the same three manufacturers over the past several seasons.

The Audi R8 LMS, which is already a proven platform for success in GT racing the world over, will have the rest of the GT field looking over its shoulders. APR Motorsport also remains committed to discovering and developing the best driving talent found today in GRAND-AM.

Teams hoping that this will spell and end to APR Motorsport’s efforts in the CTSCC will be disappointed, as the team will continue its CTSCC program in 2012, with an exciting announcement about that program coming soon. APR Motorsport will make further announcements about drivers for the APR Audi R8 LMS, as well as marketing partners, in the coming weeks.

APR Motorsport’s Audi R8 LMS will make its on-track debut – dressed in the distinctive APR Motorsport livery – at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Raceway on January 6-8, 2012.

ABOUT APR

APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s sole mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance parts available for Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies.

Hopes are high for the APR Motorsport team after driver Ian Baas set the fastest lap time of 1:31.345 (100.104 mph) in the APR Motorsport No. 56 Audi B8 S4 during the morning practice session. The anticipation of racing at APR’s home track filled with Audi race fans and enthusiasts coming out to support Team Joest is only fueling this momentum further.

The Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix will be a completely new experience for the drivers and the team. It is an adrenaline-pumping race of fifty minutes and it does not involve the pit stops and driver changes that the APR Motorsport team is accustomed to doing. Furthermore, during the Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix, three separate classes – GTS, GT, and Touring Car – will be on the track at the same time.

In addition to the No. 56 Audi B8 S4 in the GTS class, APR has two entries into the Touring Car class. Josh Hurley is driving the No. 57 Volkswagen GTI, and Kevin Gleason is driving the No. 58 Volkswagen GTI. All three drivers are highly qualified, each has remarkable accomplishments in their respective racing careers and all three drivers have won races for APR Motorsport. This talent and experience was evident in the results from both practice sessions.

The practice sessions ended with Hurley leading the Touring Car class in the morning session with a lap time of 1:36.590 (94.668 mph), and finishing the afternoon session in fourth place overall. Gleason finished in fifth place in the morning session with a lap time of 1:37.244 (94.031 mph).

Making this debut race even more of a monumental occasion for APR Motorsport is the fact that this will be the first sprint race for their newly built No. 56 Audi B8 S4. This truly is an exciting event for the APR Motorsport team and drivers. For those who have followed the S4 build in recent months, this will be an opportunity to see the results of all that hard work in action.

The Pirelli World Challenge is scheduled to begin at 1:25pm Eastern. During the race, live timing and scoring can be found at world-challenge.com. Fans can also see the scheduled broadcast complete with commentary on the Versus network. The race is scheduled to air on October 29 at 4 p.m. Eastern.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

BRASELTON, Ga. – Mike Skeen, of Charlotte, N.C., led the opening Pirelli World Challenge practice on Wednesday morning for Friday’s Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix in his Corvette, while Eric Foss, of Dallas, Texas, and Josh Hurley, Gainesville, Fla., used experience to lead the GTS and Touring Car classes, respectively.

Josh Hurley’s APR Volkswagen led Touring Car’s Wednesday morning practice. (Weber photo)
Skeen and teammate Patrick Lindsey led the GT class and overall in their CRP Racing Corvettes, with Skeen topping the charts with a 1:22.996 (110.174 mph) in the No. 2 Cragar Wheels/CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Just 0.063-second separated his best lap from his teammate’s No. 12 Hawk Performance/CRP Corvette, in second with a 1:23.059 (110.090 mph).

Hurley, a former karter and SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen TDI Cup race winner at Road Atlanta, made his Pirelli World Challenge debut by leading the Touring Car practice with a lap of 1:36.590 (94.668 mph) in the No. 57 APR Motorsports Volkswagen GTI.

That lap was just 0.004-second ahead of second place Lawson Aschenbach’s No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si who turned a lap of 1:36.594 (94.664 mph), with Aaron Povoledo’s No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 just 0.042-second behind after a 1:36.632 (94.627 mph).

“The last time I was quickest in practice here I won TDI Cup in 2008,” Hurley said. “It’s my first time back here, so it’s fun to be back in a Volkswagen and back on top of the charts at Road Atlanta.

“I knew it was going to be close, especially between Aaron Povoledo and Lawson, too. We looked at the rules package and I knew it was going to be real close. I was expecting a race, and it’s actually a little closer than I thought. I was hoping we’d have them by a little more.”

Further tightening the field, Tristan Herbert was only 0.311-second behind Hurley in fourth position behind the wheel of the No. 33 Brimtek/GermanAutoParts.com Volkswagen GTI. Kevin Gleason, Hurley’s APR teammate, was fifth in the session with a 1:37.244 (94.031 mph) in the No. 58 APR Motorsports Volkswagen GTI.

The Pirelli World Challenge returns to the track on Wednesday afternoon for the second practice in preparation for Friday’s season finale. Follow all live timing and notes at world-challenge.com. Saturday’s race will be broadcast live on world-challengetv.com.

For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com.

Follow World Challenge on Twitter @WCRacing.

Calling all Audi Fans! QuattroWorld.com and APR Motorsport have teamed up once again to bring you the “unofficial” Audi Fan party at Petit Le Mans! We will start at 8pm for an informal get together where we can have some fun talking about our favorite team Audi Sport, as well as grab some SWAG and giveaways from QuattroWorld and APR!

2nd Annual Audi Fan Party at Petit Le Mans
Sponsored by QuattroWorld.com and APR
8PM FRIDAY NIGHT SEPT 30TH – At APR booth in Vendor Row

Special Guests include Ian Baas, Josh Hurley and Kevin Gleason of APR Motorsport and members of Audi USA’s media team!

This event is Free!! Entrance into the venue is necessary and a Petit Le Mans general admission ticket may be required!

Josh Hurley and Gary Gibson take to the track for the first time in a brand new APR Motorsport Audi B8 S4 sponsored by Perfect Pedal, which replaced APR’s previous S4 earlier this season. During initial testing, Hurley reported the S4 felt much stronger than the previous platform and is pleased with the latest modifications.

The S4 is now outfitted with APR’s entire performance line of hardware and software along with other Motorsport only modifications not suitable for the street. Performance repeatability is often difficult on forced induction engines in racing environments but thanks to recent hardware releases from APR, the S4’s power is remaining consistent without sacrificing engine reliability.

When designing the new S4, APR’s Motorsport Engineers paid careful attention to overall vehicle weight, particularly during development of the full interior roll cage. Structural rigidity and driver safety are at an all time high within the new driver safety cell while weight was reduced by varying cage piping diameter throughout.

Weight reduction was taken seriously right down to the wiring harness, which contains not a single wire more than necessary. The S4 was able to shave another 35 lbs. through these design changes putting the #91 Perfect Pedal S4 right at the minimum weight allowed per the rules.

For the first time anywhere in the world, the B8 S4 was outfitted with a highly advanced Bosch Motorsport ABS system featuring on-the-fly ABS adjustment. APR worked closely with Bosch Motorsport engineers to incorporate the system into the factory CAN bus and spent considerable time and resources recalibrating the factory Continental Simos 8.4 ECU to accept the new system. Simply removing the factory ABS system causes the ECU to enter into “Limp Mode” which drastically handicaps the engine by forcing it into a protection mode designed to severely limit engine output.

In Street Tuner (ST), APR Motorsport takes to the track fielding 3 VW GTI’s with #171 and #181 currently in 4th and 6th in team points. Overall, Volkswagen enters the final round in 2nd place for manufacture’s points. This comes thanks to only two to three APR DriverGear VWs battling against as many as ten Mazdas split between two different chassis styles and six Hondas, as well as many other makes.

If the cards fall correctly for Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis, #171 could take home the team championship with Volkswagen also sitting at the top in manufacturer’s points making this one of the most important races in APR Motorsport’s history. Ryan Ellis and #181’s Kevin Gleason currently sit 2nd and 4th for rookie of the year points standings.

The #161 MK5 GTI was severely damaged at the previous race and the technicians at APR Motorsport worked tirelessly to build another car using a backup chassis. This particular chassis (#002) is the winningest chassis in APR Motorsport’s stable with 3 race wins. #161 will be driven by Enzo Potollicchio and Anthony Massari. Enzo is currently the points leader in the Ferarri Challenge and is an accomplished Daytona Prototype driver. This marks Enzo’s first race with APR Motorsport.

The ever expanding APR Motorsport lineup leaves behind the cramped working conditions of the old paddock setup and welcomes a new motorsport truck and trailer. The new trailer is complete with a 30’ x 70’ awning capable of housing 5 vehicles and enough room to keep our guests safe and comfortable.

APR Motorsport is aiming for success across the board and is excited to close out the 2011 GRAND-AM season with an excellent points standing. Qualifying is on Friday, 9/16/2011 and the race is on Saturday, 9/17/2011. Live Timing and Scoring is available all weekend on www.Grand-Am.com.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

APR is pleased to present the 11th annual BBQ and Customer Appreciation Day at our purpose built engineering Performance Campus on October 8th in Opelika, AL.

See Who’s Registered!

APR Cordially invites one and all to come out for a day with us in our 34,000 sq. ft. Performance Campus to learn about new products and development on the horizon, a complete tour of our evolving facility, special guest speakers from the industry, technical seminars from the hardware, software and motorsport engineers and a tour of the New APR Motorsport Paddock with our New Audi S4 Grand Sport race car and our 3 VW GTI Street Tuner cars.

APR’s Annual Customer Appreciation Sale and onsite ECU upgrades will be offered all day with free labor on all ECU upgrades and many hardware installs. With hundreds of customer, club and staff vehicles on site, this marks an excellent opportunity to interact with customers and see what everyone’s saying about APR’s line of performance software and hardware.

Games, prizes, motorsport activities, kids activities, daycare and a special “Kids Zone” and more will be available all day. A complementary lunch of the South’s best BBQ will be served in the early afternoon so no one will go hungry. Anyone attending the event may enter our world famous Stage III Raffle and one lucky person will head home with a Free APR Stage III Turbocharger System! Complementary burgers will be served late into the evening and the event will be closed out with our annual fireworks show.

Start Date: Oct 08, 2011 – Start Time: 10:00 AM
End Date: Oct 08, 2011 – End Time: 11:00 PM

Description:

APR BBQ Treffen 2011 – October 8th, 2011

APR LLC
4800 US Highway 280 West, Opelika, AL 36801

Please Register Here!

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” ~ Bobby Unser

Watkins Glen NY: The race was set to begin with APR Motorsport’s cars in completely unfamiliar territory, the rear of the field. The Championship Leading car #171 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 suffered an engine related failure shortly before qualifying and was unable to post a time while the #161 Perfect Pedal VW GTI MK5 and the #181 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 both had their qualifying times disallowed due to a minor technical infraction. This was very disappointing because the #181 GTI of Chris Gleason Jr. had qualified in pole position with a new track record and the #161 GTI of newcomer Nate Norenberg had qualified 3rd in his first of many races for APR Motorsport.

Undaunted by the challenge of having to pass the entire field, Chris Gleason Jr. in the #181 GTI, Ryan Ellis in the #171 GTI, and Nate Norenberg in the #161 GTI went about their business picking off competitors as quickly as possible. Each of the opening drivers avoided contact while overtaking the field and insured that their driving partners would have a solid car ready to finish the race. Before the first round of pit stops, the APR Motorsport cars overtook 55 competitors with Nate Norenberg actually leading a lap before his pitstop! The APR pit crew was equally as motivated to win as were the drivers and turned in record-setting pit stop times. The APR Motorsport cars were passed by no other team in pitlane and actually gained several positions during the extremely quick stops.

APR Motorsport Director, Jeff Mishtawy, said “The drivers and the team all executed and got it done! Being relegated to the back after qualifying was tough to take as a team but it created an atmosphere of determination for everyone here. We were simply not going to be denied today.”

The finishing drivers, Ian Baas in the #171 GTI, Kevin Gleason in the #181 GTI, and Josh Hurley in the #161 GTI were now in place and continuing the charge to the front of the pack. Unfortunately, the GRAND-AM championship leading #171 GTI of Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis suffered a broken left rear suspension and had to make multiple pit stops in an effort to repair the damage, eventually finishing in 31st position and losing the championship lead. “This one was hard to take,” said Ian Baas. He continued, “We had a great car but we have to get to the finish line. We aren’t out of the championship yet, we must outperform everyone in the remaining 4 races to have a shot.”

The race would progress differently for Kevin Gleason and Josh Hurley. With 20 minutes remaining they had driven all the way to 3rd and 4th places respectively and were closing the on the 2 leaders when a full-course caution was thrown for a crash and bunched the field back up. On the restart, the ST leader was a victim of a “jump start” by the driver of the #30 Mazda in second place who then suffered a punctured tire ending his race and scattering debris all over the track bringing out yet another caution. The GRAND-AM officials assessed a penalty to the #30 Mazda and handing the lead to the #181 GTI of Kevin Gleason. On the final restart with 2 laps to go, Kevin and Josh Hurley held off the competition to complete a dream 1-2 finish after starting last on the grid, the first time this has ever been accomplished in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Kevin Gleason said, “What an amazing feeling to get my first Continental ST Win! APR executed perfect strategy and even better pit stops. I had a lot of fun with my stint charging through the field, the late cautions definitely made things a little tenser but it all worked out. Crossing the line leading an APR 1-2 is for sure the highlight of my career.” Josh Hurley reflected on the historic 1-2 finish with, “What an amazing team! Kevin and I knew that we had a great finish lined up and there was no way we were going to risk it by fighting with each other. Nate handed over a great car; I just had to keep it going.”

After the race, Chris Gleason Jr. said, “We were a little bit bummed out about it (the qualifying penalty), but we got the team together, we talked about it and we said, ‘We can still win this thing.’ And we believed it. We all executed our jobs and made it happen and here we are. We had a fast car and I felt good in the car. It was just actually ‘keep it safe’ but start picking off guys as soon as possible and that’s what I did. We executed our strategy and it just worked out. We got out there in good track position and Kevin was big time. He laid down the laps he needed to do it. Here we are in the winner’s circle. Go APR!”

The race will air on SpeedTV Sunday, June 12 at 5pm Eastern.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

Press release coming shortly.

APR Motorsport is pleased to present another successful qualifying round in the CTSCC for VW DriverGear Racing with a Second Place Qualifying while the Championship Points leader starts from a comfortable mid pack position for tomorrow’s Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park. VW TDI Cup Standout Kevin Gleason has seemingly found his stride at the tight and technical Lime Rock Park circuit in Lakeville, CT this afternoon after an excellent qualifying round. Ryan Ellis was unable to find enough traffic free lap time to be able to move up in the order despite extremely successful practice rounds.

APR Motorsport felt their work was cut out for them coming off a successful placing at the last race at VIR with such a short time in between races to setup the GTI’s for two completely different race tracks. Where the track at VIR is fast and requires a lot of confidence to carry momentum through the turns, Lime Rock Park is tight, technical and short presenting equal but opposite challenges for the strategists and setup experts in the CTSCC. This also makes it difficult for the technical crew of APR Motorsport as they only had a mere two weeks to completely change the handling characteristics for each track prior to arrival at Lime Rock.

The first practice session saw both GTI’s at the front of the pack but the practice before qualifying proved other teams were holding back and APR Motorsport found themselves quickly making setup improvements to compete. Ryan and Ian in the #171 GTI showed good pace towards the end of the second practice and went into qualifying feeling positive. Kevin and Chris Gleason, Jr. were able to be on point throughout Friday with a few tire pressure changes during practice that yielded great results for Kevin in qualifying.

Kevin relayed, “We were fortunate to get comfortable in the new setup very quickly. Both Chris and I took to Lime Rock like it’s a home track for us even though this is the first time we’ve ever been here.

APR Motorsport took our feedback seriously and did an amazing job giving us the car we needed to be fast. I’m glad I was able to reward their hard work with a P2. This might just be the race for Chris and I to bring one home!” Kevin will start out tomorrow’s race and turn over the GTI to his brother Chris who will finish out the strategy set by APR Motorsport while the #181 GTI is poised for its best finish of the year.

Ryan and Ian are disappointed that Ryan simply wasn’t able to find enough clean space on a hot lap to post his best time. Ian said after qualifying, “Ryan is a great qualifier and he’s proven that thus far this season. I know we had a better time in it but sometimes things just don’t go your way. I’m confident Ryan will run a great first stint tomorrow as usual and I just hope I can bring us up closer to the podium before time expires.” With a couple of Mini’s and both Kia’s ahead of the Points Leader in qualifying, Ian and Ryan know it will be tough to hang on to the lead for the Championship. Ryan remarked, “Generally I’m not too worried about the speed shown by the Minis and the KIAs. I know I’ve got a good car under me and the best co-driver I could hope for. Ian and I are going to move up quick and put it to the front runners. All I can say is that they better be ready for us!”

The Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT begins this Saturday at 10:30AM EST and will air on SpeedTV at a later date. To follow the action in real time, as it happens, visit APR’s facebook page or check out the APR Motorsport website at www.aprmotorsport.com for more information.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

APR Motorsport will find that time during the break after the New Jersey race to build a new S4 to be fielded at Mid Ohio. Gary Gibson and Josh Hurley will be back in action and looking for a podium with just a little bit of good luck. It’s been another tough season for the S4 so far but favorable rules package adjustments prior to the VIR race gives APR a good chance at finally showing some speed this season. “Our drivers and team have done a fantastic job with the Audi S4 this year and last year. We didn’t expect to be very competitive in our first year out with the new car but we hope for a little more out of the second season than we’ve had thus far. There has been some talk around the paddock that maybe that particular S4 was full of bad luck. If all it takes is replacing that S4 with a new one, well, we have our opportunity, so let’s hope that’s it”, muses Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsport for APR.

Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis are excited about the race this Memorial Day Weekend as it’s a split race with ST and GS each having separate races, although on the same day. Ryan relayed, “When you are in the slower class, a lot of effort while driving can be spent maintaining awareness of the faster cars around you. A single class race gives Ian and me the chance to focus solely on our driving and the positions of our competition. We should see faster laps and cleaner racing which is exactly what I want as we continue to lead the Championship.” Ian and Ryan field the #171 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 and are slightly ahead in points over the Mini and Kia teams.

Kevin and Chris Gleason, Jr. will continue their incredible rookie season together as they look for their first podium in the #181 VW DriverGear GTI MK6. A few bumps from other competitors during the previous races have been all that’s keeping them from as much success as the #171 car. Kevin said, “We’ve been in the hunt every race and I know there are good things to come for Chris and I. I hope it’s this weekend and with the split races I feel we will have a good chance. One of the greatest skills required in the CTSCC is keeping the car healthy around such a group of aggressive racers. Chris and I are looking forward to a race where our abilities behind the wheel in conjunction with the APR Team’s ability to give a fast car determine the finishing order.”

The Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT begins this Saturday at 10:30AM EST and will air on SpeedTV at a later date. To follow the action in real time, as it happens, visit APR’s facebook page or check out the APR Motorsport website at www.aprmotorsport.com for more information. At the writing of this release, both VW DriverGear GTI MK6’s have shown great speed in the opening practice round with the 3rd and 4th fastest times posted. Go APR!
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The behind the scenes trials and tribulations every race team experiences very rarely make it into public view in the world of motorsport but two completely unique situations occurred just before and during APR Motorsport’s qualifying session that simply must be shared. Understanding of how awesome it was for Chris Gleason, Jr to be able to secure 3rd in his #181 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 during qualifying can only be relayed by those present and working on the car. For the Audi S4 in the GS Class, the tale to be told is not one of great results but more of great disappointment. Fortunately, for Ryan Ellis and Ian Baas, Championship Points Leaders, in the #171 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 qualifying 4th was a smooth and almost seemingly routine event.

Chris Gleason, Jr spent the most time behind the wheel of the #181 GTI during practice and until the last session, things were going quite well. Kevin Gleason, Chris’ co-driver, felt comfortable with only a few practice laps as Chris would be qualifying. During the last practice session of the day, Chris began to experience issues with the GTI MK6 maintaining power and eventually even its ability to stay running. In desperation, with thoughts of the entire weekend slipping away, Chris was able to get the VW DriverGear GTI back to the pits despite the issues only to find the car unable to restart.

Electrical malfunctions are often times the greatest fear of the Car Chief and his team. Diagnosing issues in an electrical controller, which there are several of in modern production based race cars, can be time consuming and a bit unclear as to which direction to take next. Most motorsport technicians will take a blown engine any day over a no start condition due to an electrical fault. However, in this case, the APR Motorsport team was able to quickly repair Chris and Kevin’s car in the short time available prior to qualifying thanks to an often unfound expertise regarding the electronics of the car. While most onlookers in the paddock shook their heads fearing the worst, the APR Motorsport team realized it was time for business and replaced, recoded and adapted the car’s ECU along with other electrical controllers in short order and the problem was solved. Chris rewarded their efforts by driving to his best qualifying position to date in P3 which puts APR Motorsport in a great position to vie for the win in tomorrow’s race. Motorsport is truly a team effort.

Ryan Ellis and Ian Baas set some of the best times in the practice sessions leading up to qualifying and Ryan drove to a comfortable P4 completing a side by side start for APR Motorsport on the second row in tomorrow’s Bosch Engineering 200. Even with a tough weather forecast of scattered showers keeping the strategists on their toes regarding tire choice, Ryan feels very confident, “The VW DriverGear GTI MK6 has simply been incredibly consistent throughout the season. Ian and I are able to deliver another day at the office despite the changing locales and unique challenges brought by each new track. I can’t imagine a more competent car in this series and am thankful for the great car APR’s team provides to us time and time again.”

For Gary Gibson and Josh Hurley, drivers of the Audi S4 in the GS class, the day was filled with ups and downs ultimately resulting in early retirement after only 3 laps in qualifying. The troubles began Thursday during practice where an off track excursion resulted in heavy damage to the front of the car. The S4 Car Chief and his team made an incredible effort to repair the car for Friday’s practice and qualifying. Despite the heroic effort and copious amounts of race tape, fresh out of the box brake rotors both cracked only 3 laps into qualifying. Gary was forced to bring the S4 into the pits resulting in a start at the back of the pack on race day. Gary relayed, “With our recent adjustments to the rules package and the good pace of practice session 2 I felt really good going into qualifying. The team did an amazing job repairing the front end but fate was not on our side today. To see rotors fail so quickly is mind boggling but as they say, I guess that’s racing. Josh and I both are looking forward to a long, tough battle as we move up towards the podium in tomorrow’s race.”

Expect an action packed and exciting Bosch Engineering 200 at VIR as the VW DriverGear GTI MK6’s look to widen their gap in the Championship race in ST and the Audi S4 still looks for the top ten finish everyone around it knows is there. Catch all of the action with live updates from the APR Motorsport PR team on the APR Facebook Fan Page, www.GoAPR.com and APR Twitter Page.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com

Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis keep their Championship fight alive by finishing in 4th place on the tight and technical Barber Motorsports Park track throughout a tough race that was plagued with cautions. Kevin and Chris Gleason, Jr are finding podium pace as each event puts valuable experience under their belts and showed amazing patience while the rest of the field was engaged in race ending maneuvers for some, due to the difficult passing opportunities at Barber.

Todd Lamb and Skip Brock joined APR Motorsport for the thrill of racing at Barber in APR’s #161 GTI MK5. Their race ended early despite moments of brilliance by Todd and Skip that could have been an opportunity for a great showing from the 3rd VW in the ST class. “Who could pass up a chance to race at Barber Motorsports Park with APR? Even though our race ended early, Skip and I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend and look forward to another opportunity in the future.”

The Perfect Pedal Audi S4 finished 12th, the best showing so far, as the team struggled to find the podium pace from last year due to an unfavorable rules package for the S4. Gary Gibson and Josh Hurley didn’t put a single shoe wrong the entire race only to find the V8 cars were seemingly in another class all their own.

As APR Motorsport arrived for their home race in Birmingham, AL, a mere 2 hour drive from APR’s world headquarters, the reality of a long, hot summer race schedule began to set in as track temps climbed above 90 degrees in the Alabama sun. APR Motorsport entered the weekend with hopes of keeping their Championship bid alive in ST while fighting for their first podium in GS with the Audi S4 after running 2nd at Barber last year. As the GTI’s and S4 were unloaded and the team began setting up the paddock and the first practice session was run, Director of Motorsport, Jeff Mishtawy, quickly realized that after last week’s further competition adjustments from GRAND-AM, continuing the winning streak of the #171 GTI may not be possible on the very tight and difficult to pass Barber track. Jeff was thinking long term and began refining a secondary strategy of keeping the car healthy and finishing in the Top Ten in order to focus on better opportunities in the remainder of this year’s schedule.

For Gary Gibson and Josh Hurley, the Audi’s chances to secure the podium that slipped away for the S4 in 2010 at Barber began to evaporate as each practice proved the car was simply unable to keep up with the Mustangs and BMW’s that have enjoyed an opportunity to clearly separate themselves from the rest of the GS field with such a huge advantage over the other makes in competition. Gary and Josh provided very little suggestion to the team regarding setup as the car handled and braked as best it can. Gary relayed, “The PerfectPedal S4 was simply perfect in every way. As Josh and I fought for every inch during the race, it was apparent our Audi needs some help from the governing body.”

Chris, Jr and Kevin Gleason found themselves dealing with difficult tire wear and continual bumps and rubs from the other competitors as the heat began to frazzle some of the other drivers’ nerves and the race nearly degraded into a bumper car ride at the amusement park. Although they may be rookies in the CTSCC, both Gleasons displayed incredible cool under pressure and kept the VW DriverGear GTI safe and sound to finish in 8th. Kevin relayed, “It was a good race for Chris, Jr and I. We were able to avoid emotional reactions to what the other competitors brought to the race and kept the car out of the onslaught of mishaps that created so many cautions. APR Motorsport gave us another great car and Chris, Jr and I are looking forward to the crazy schedule coming up in the next few months. Go APR!”

Mission Accomplished is the predominant feeling from the APR Motorsport team as success was had all around considering the environment and insurmountable challenges faced at the Barber 200. The PerfectPedal Audi S4 may as well have been a podium considering how disadvantaged the #91 car is in comparison to the competition and the flawless level to which Josh Hurley and Gary Gibson drove the entire race. Kevin and Chris Gleason, Jr continue to prove their talent, patience and attention to detail as they finished in 8th despite a very aggressive field. The best results hail from the #171 VW DriverGear GTI MK6 as Ian and Ryan continue to lead in season points for the Manufacturer, Team and Driver Championships. Ryan Ellis increased his lead in the race for Rookie of the Year where he enjoys an almost insurmountable advantage after only three races into the season.

Next on the schedule is the Bosch Engineering 200 at VIR on May 13 -14. To catch all of the action from the Barber 200, tune in to SpeedTV this Saturday April 16th at 2pm ET.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goAPR.com

Rookies to Racers is the insiders documentary to the VW TDI Cup ladder series produced by Volkswagen of America. The VW TDI Cup has spawned a slew of professional drivers who have gone on to start their careers in professional motorsport with teams like APR Motorsport in GRAND-AM.

APR Motorsport salutes VW for putting together such an awesome opportunity for up and coming drivers around VW’s Jetta TDI. The experience gained through the coaching and development program organized and managed by Clark Campbell of VWoA has helped to launch such raw talents as Josh Hurley, Kevin Gleason and Ryan Ellis into professional motorsport where all three have thrived quickly in their short careers.

Josh Hurley was the inaugural TDI Cup Champion in 2008 and went on to win the MESCO Rookie of the Year Award in the Koni Challenge of GRAND-AM Road Racing with APR Motorsport in 2009. Josh drove APR Motorsport’s VW GTI’s to an incredible 8 podiums and 1 win in the 2009 and 2010 series. In 2011, Josh’s career progressed further by moving into APR Motorsport’s Audi S4 in the GS Class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Kevin Gleason entered professional motorsport with APR in their #181 GTi MK6 and has shown incredible speed with a 4th place finish in his second pro race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kevin drives with his brother, Chris Gleason in GRAND-AM’s CTSCC. Kevin finished the 2010 VW TDI Cup Season in 6th place after a wild battle for the points championship at the end of the season. Kevin won the Most Improved Driver Award after finding championship pace half way through the season and achieved 1 Pole Position and 2 Podiums in the 2010 VW TDI Cup Series.

The series opener will focus heavily on Ryan Ellis who races this year in the CTSCC in APR Motorsport’s #171 GTI MK6 which is currently leading the championship points race. Ryan won the first two races in the VW TDI Cup 2010 Season and went on to repeat that with APR by winning the first two races of the CTSCC 2011 Season. Ryan has proven his abilities very quickly in each series and APR Motorsport looks forward to a successful remainder of the season with Ryan and his co-driver, APR Motorsport mainstay, Ian Baas.

Don’t miss the TDI Cup action this Saturday, April 2nd at 7pm EST on the Discovery Channel.

To follow Kevin, Ryan and Josh’s careers with APR Motorsport, please visit www.aprmotorsport.com for all of the info as Kevin, Ryan and Josh battle for the Championship in both the ST and GS classes of GRAND-AM’s CTSCC.

Watch APR defend the title at Homestead Miami during the second race of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge!

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OPELIKA, Ala. – The Barber 200 couldn’t have come at a better time for APR Motorsport.

GRAND-AM’s only Alabama-based team is riding a three-race winning streak in the Street Tuner class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge heading into its home race, set for April 9 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.

The team will trailer three Volkswagen GTIs for the ST class in addition to an Audi S4 in the Grand Sport division for the two-hour drive to Barber. Ian Baas and rookie Ryan Ellis share the No. 171, and brothers Chris and Kevin Gleason co-drive the No. 181. In addition, the team will field a third ST entry, the No. 161 for Todd Lamb and Skip Brock. Josh Hurley and Gibson co-drive the No. 91 Audi. Baas and Hurley are former winners at the circuit, sharing the ST victory for APR in 2009.

“This is one of the most important – if not the most important! – races of the year for us,” said Jeff Mishtawy, APR’s director of motorsport. “We’ll have our whole staff and their families there, along with many of our friends. We had around 300 guests for last year’s race – and that will probably be even bigger this year.”

APR ended 2010 by winning the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park, with Ian Baas joined by Aaron Povoledo in the No. 171 Volkswagen GTI, scoring the first victory for the MKVI platform. Baas and pole-winning co-driver Ellis won the 2011 season-opening GRAND-AM 200 at Daytona International Speedway, and then pulled out a dramatic victory in the recent Kia 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway when Baas made a dramatic pass for the victory in the sprint to the checkered flag. Baas never held the lead until the final yards of the race, winning by .022 seconds.

“I was third place on a late-race restart with three laps to go and was able to move into the lead at the last second,” Baas said of the Homestead victory. “It was exciting, but it was hard work.”

Click here for the full interview with Ian Baas.

While the Audi has not shared the success of its ST stablemates, the team came away smiling despite a 29th-place finish at Homestead. The team lost ground during the event due to changing an upper control arm.

“That’s not the fastest car on a single lap, but it’s fantastic on longer runs,” Mishtawy said. “When other cars start dropping off, the Audi is able to main the same lap times throughout the stint.”

The Continental Tire Challenge competitors are coming from Homestead – with its long straights and banked superspeedway turns – to Barber, with its short straights and high-speed turns. However, APR will use a similar approach for both races.

“Barber is definitely a driver’s track,” Baas said. “I think the biggest key there is going to be similar to Homestead. You’ve got to save the car, save the tires and make sure they’re there for the final sprint to the finish.”

Ryan Ellis came to APR Motorsport this year as a rookie driver in the CTSCC of GRAND-AM Road Racing with the hopes of a solid showing his first year out of the VW TDI Cup ladder series. Little did he realize he would take pole and win his first race, but then also win his second race a few weeks after. Co-driver Ian Baas led an incredible charge during his driving stint of the race to move from 6th into 1st and win by 22/1000th’s of a second. Ryan qualified 6th and expertly maintained the health of the GTI through one of the tightest fields in CTSSC ST class history.

Less than 1/10th of a second separated the top 5 qualifiers and the top 15 cars were all within a second of each other. Ryan relayed, “Obviously we knew a repeat win was going to be a tough challenge. Competition adjustments after the win at Daytona had the team scrambling to find competitive speed over the break between races. A few setup changes during practice really helped Ian and I find some of that lost speed. I am so happy with the level of competition in the CTSCC. APR Motorsport keeps giving us an awesome weapon that Ian and I plan to keep firing at the bull’s eye. Go APR!”

Ian Baas has been with APR Motorsport since the team’s inception and has seen many tough races and stiff competition over the years. Ian had to say about this weekend’s race, “Without a doubt one of the most memorable races of my career. APR has worked long and hard with minor setbacks and bad luck keeping us from completing a brilliant season. This year though, we all feel great. This is actually our third win a row if you look at last season’s win in the final round at Miller. The new GTI MK6 is a great improvement over the previous generation we’ve run in the past. I hope we can finally get our season together and this is a great start for a championship run!”

Chris and Kevin Gleason were able to successfully pilot the 181 GTI MK6 into 4th place. After a stop and go penalty, Kevin took over for Chris about mid way through. Both brothers did an excellent job of overcoming the penalty and getting the car back up front. As both GTI’s were charging for the podium late in the race, Chris cheered his brother Kevin on from the pits like only a brother can. “Go Kev! Get him Kev! Go, go, go!”, shouted Chris as Kevin attempted daring move after daring move to bring the 181 car to the podium. Miami was not the Gleason’s day for a podium but to be the only car in the field to stop twice and still achieve 4th is a true testament to the abilities of the Gleason brothers behind the wheel.

The PerfectPedal Audi S4 was in a great position during the first quarter of the race to vie for the podium but when two other GS competitors tangled up sending one of the cars into a spin, Gary Gibson was forced off track. While re-entering the track after successfully avoiding the incident, Gary was hit by another competitor who was caught up in the mix as well. Unfortunately, a control arm was damaged in the accident and the S4 had to go behind the wall for repairs, losing our lead lap position. Once the APR Motorsport team was able to make the repairs, the decision was made to put the S4 back on track so Gary could get some additional seat time.

Prior to the accident, Gary Gibson had moved the PerfectPedal Audi S4 just behind the group of lead cars in 15th position. “I was watching all of the bumps and rubs occurring in the lead group ahead of me and was biding my time, preparing for a top ten attack. I felt I was in a very comfortable position to keep the tires fresh and save some fuel until I began picking up the pace but unfortunately, bad luck happens. I know there is a podium in the S4 this year and Josh and I are ready for it”, said Gary Gibson about the race.

Catch APR’s win on SpeedTV March 19th at 2PM EST.

APR Motorsport’s next race is their Home Race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. The Barber 200 takes on place APRil 7-9 at one of the most beautiful road courses in the world. APR Motorsport went 1,2 in 2009 and debuted the GTI MK6 there last year.

Full Photo Gallery Here

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goAPR.com

At risk of sounding cliche, Miami is hot and so was the qualifying round of the CTSCC in GRAND-AM for the 200 race tomorrow afternoon. The PerfectPedal Audi S4 prepared by APR Motorsport for the GS class and driven in qualifying by Gary Gibson placed 16th while the VW DriverGear GTI MK6’s placed 6th and 8th in ST class. Less than one second separates the top 15 qualifiers in ST and GS seems to be primed for a close race to the finish. APR Motorsport is in great position with both GTI’s thanks to Ryan Ellis in 181 and Chris Gleason in 171.

Gary Gibson navigated the Audi S4 with expertise after a slew of development enhancements greatly improved the braking and handling. APR Motorsport spent the long weeks between Daytona and this week’s race equipping the S4 with some new setup changes and components developed in conjunction with APR, LLC. Gary relayed, “After the braking upgrades over the last few weeks just like our sponsor provides for my racing simulator, the S4 now has the PerfectPedal too! There is nothing as confidence inspiring in racing knowing that no matter how fast you go, you have the PefectPedal to slow you down even faster. I am able to enter the turns with greater aggression and really get full use of Audi’s quattro all wheel drive. Josh and I are ready for the race!”

The VW DriverGear GTI’s have come off of their win at Daytona with great results in practice and good positioning in qualifying. Ryan Ellis, driver of the 181 GTI, debriefed us, “With good practice rounds putting me at the front, I was able to set my best lap early on. I can’t believe how close the qualifying field is and the race tomorrow is going to be a heated contest. I’m glad the APR team has Ian and I so well prepared. Our GTI is the perfect race car for the forthcoming challenge and I thank VW DriverGear and PlaySeat for their support in our efforts. Go APR!”

Chris Gleason drove the 171 GTI MK6 to a successful 8th position in qualifying. Chris and Ryan will start tomorrow’s race nose to tail allowing for team strategy in a very closely matched field. Chris Gleason relayed about his qualifying run, “Like Ryan, I wanted to take advantage of the good positioning practice gave us for the start, I had a little bobble in turn 2 of the the first hot lap but my 3rd hot lap was clean and strong. I may have lost some speed on turn 8 but after a good position was achieved I switched to a strategy of saving the tires for the race. I am excited for my brother and I as we co-drive with our team in 181 for a podium. APR has done a great job with our GTI and I know tomorrow is going to be a tough race but Kevin and I know the car will do what we need it to.”

Follow Live Timing and Scoring of tomorrow’s 200 race at GRAND-AM.com and visit APR, LLC’s Facebook page for live updates from the APR Motorsport pits. The race will be aired on SpeedTV March 19th at 2PM EST.

Follow us on Facebook for live updates all weekend!

The first race of the season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway!

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Less than a month ago if you were to visit APR’s Performance Campus in Opelika, AL you would have seen a Carbon Steel Metallic VW GTI MK6 seemingly collecting dust in the parking lot. Little did that GTI know it was soon to be on its way to setting a new track record at Daytona.

APR Motorsport has fielded 2 to 3 VW GTI MK5’s in the CTSCC since 2008 with amazing results and in 2010 added the brand new VW GTI MK6 to their car lineup in order to develop the new VW chassis. After a tough season in 2010 with the MK5’s finishing well and securing multiple podiums, APR’s GTI MK6 was able to win the final race last year at Miller Motorsports Park providing some insight to what the 2011 season may look like for APR.

As the 2011 season approached and APR Motorsport began finalizing their driver line up for the season, the decision was made to add a second GTI MK6 to the arsenal and retire one of the previous generation GTI MK5’s. Ryan Ellis of the VW TDI Cup and Ian Baas, mainstay APR driver of many successful battles, were excited to learn the new #171 would be their race car to vie for the 2011 season championship. “I’ve fallen in love with VW’s newest GTI even more so than the previous generation. I have a lot of memorable moments in those MK5’s but opportunities like this to prove the merits of a new chassis before anyone else is doing it is one of the reasons why I enjoy my time with the APR Motorsport team so much.”, said Ian Baas.

And prove the GTI MK6 was a serious competitor is exactly what Ryan and Ian were able to do this last Friday at the 2011 season opener. Last year’s development car, the now #181 GTI MK6, was driven in practice by Chris and Kevin Gleason, setting a blistering pace. Ryan was working with Ian and the team to help get the #171 car dialed in to his liking and was able to consistently bring his times closer to the already sorted #181 GTI MK6. In the final practice session before qualifying, it looked like APR could expect both GTI MK6’s to challenge for the pole until Kevin Gleason was caught up in a GS class onslaught into the infamous “bus stop” resulting in an off track excursion that retired #181 for the weekend.

Ryan Ellis was left to carry the standard for APR Motorsport in ST class qualifying and did so quite handily. Setting a new ST class track record at Daytona in the process, Ryan put the #181 on pole and the weekend was looking up again for APR Motorsport.

As the flag flew to start the race, Ryan Ellis was first up and rocketed ahead of the pack due to some slow starts by the competitors lined up immediately behind him. By the half way point of the first lap, the VW GTI MK6 was developing a commanding lead over the field. However Ryan, and later Ian, was quickly learning this was no walk in the park and both were soon to face fierce attack from the other contenders.

With the 2011 season showing some serious new competition from the Porsche Boxster teams and with the consistent and fast BMW teams apparently able to make some rather dramatic improvements in the off season as well, Ryan was beginning to feel the pressure from the field behind him. “About half way through my stint, I really had to pull out all of the stops and take full advantage of lap traffic drafting on the banks and find all of the available clean air in the infield. APR Motorsport did a fantastic job of preparing our new race car and I’m glad they did as it took everything I had to keep the competition at bay”, said Ryan after turning the car over to Ian.

Ian Baas returned the GTI to the race in 9th after the pit stop and driver change. However, the 8 cars ahead require at least one more stop and APR’s car is able to finish the race due to excellent strategy by Jeff Mishtawy. So, Ian was focusing on keeping the car healthy as he skillfully kept ahead of the other competitors that were fully fueled and able to finish the race without a stop as well. As Ian reclaimed the lead after all competitors made their final pits, a serious battle began to emerge.

V-Pack Motorsport’s BWM was nearly pushing Ian around the track for several laps as race time began to wind down. As multiple cautions were limiting V-Pack’s chances to pass, the BMW began making daring and expert moves on Ian to exchange the lead 4 times on the last few laps of green. “Whew! That was some intense racing! That BMW was just all over me and I was so surprised I was able to keep taking the lead back every time, what an amazing car the team gave Ryan and I for the opener”, commented Ian while on the podium.

A final caution was thrown when the BMW lost control in a corner in another attempt to pass Ian. GRAND-AM Officials and SCCA Track Volunteers quickly cleared the debris and the race was able to restart for two final laps. Ian Baas crossed the finish line in the lead winning one of the most exciting races in APR Motorsport’s history in the series. Director of Motorsport at APR, Jeff Mishtawy summarized, “This was a true testament of our team’s maturity and expertise fielding VW’s in motorsport. Our race winning GTI has performed nearly flawlessly and I can’t thank enough the individuals that come together as a team to make this happen. The team just did a fantastic job preparing Ryan and Ian’s new GTI and really proved how much they can accomplish in a short time due to their experience, dedication and passion for excellence.”

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

Ryan Ellis of VW TDI Cup Fame Puts APR Motorsport and VW’s GTI MK6 On Pole at the GRAND-AM 200 and Sets New ST Class Track Record at Daytona Speedway

APR Motorsport is pleased to present Ryan Ellis as our newest record setting driver in the ST class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Ryan hails from VW’s TDI Cup driver development program where he accomplished 2 wins, 2 poles and was a leader in 4 other races. The GRAND-AM 200 is only Ryan’s second professional race and his first since completing the 2010 season in VW’s TDI Cup.

Ryan was able to progressively improve his lap times during Thursday’s practice session as he became acclimated to 2.0 TSI power plant in the GTI’s. “Stepping into APR Motorsport’s #171 GTI and getting up to speed was not as difficult as I feared it would be. The transition from the TDI Cup Jetta’s was very smooth and I am very excited about tomorrow’s race, Go APR!”, Ellis commented.

APR Motorsport was also able to achieve a good first outing for the 2011 season in their GS class Audi S4. APR driver Gary Gibson was able to position the #91 Audi in the middle of the pack despite a minor suspension parts failure that kept him from achieving his best times during qualifying. “Making the move from prototypes to production based cars was initially a point of concern for me. However, fantastic sponsors like perfectpedal.com and the maturity of the APR team has made me feel part of the family already and I feel really good about tomorrow’s race.”, Gary relayed in the paddock after qualifying.

Be sure to check back often at goapr.com and facebook for updates during tomorrow’s race at Daytona International Speedway.

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Many people will agree, APR Motorsport operates as a closely knit family more so than your typical race team and so signing two generations of the Gleason family to drive the #181 APR Motorsport VW GTi MK6 is the merger of two motorsport families resulting in a powerful combination thicker than water. Chris Gleason, Chris Gleason Jr. and Kevin Gleason will share driving duties in the #181 VW GTi MK6 in the ST class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The 2011 season opener at the GRAND-AM 200 in Daytona will see Chris Gleason Jr. and Kevin Gleason as the drivers of the first round with Chris Sr. providing support.

APR Motorsport first noticed Kevin Gleason in 2010 when he was competing in the Volkswagen TDI Cup where he scored 1 pole, 2 podiums and a 6th place finish in the season standings. After such success with VW’s in the TDI Cup, APR Motorsport invited Kevin to come test with the team, where he impressed all with his maturity and pace. “Kevin was an absolute revelation for us. We knew he was going to be quick, but his attitude and work ethic made him a perfect fit for our team and we expect him to be able to battle at the front like a veteran”, commented APR Motorsport Director Jeff Mishtawy.

Partnering Kevin for the first round at Daytona will be his younger brother Chris Gleason Jr. Chris has been a long time karter and club racer, winning multiple poles and wins in Spec Miata and in 125cc shifter karts. Jeff Mishtawy shared his thoughts about the youngest Gleason on the team, “We’ve been very fortunate to have some of the best young talent in the country work with us and Chris continues this tradition. With Chris’ prior results we expect him to rise to the challenge of the CTSCC straight away.”

Joining his two sons will be long time professional racer Chris Gleason Sr. With podiums and race wins in series as varied as Trans Am, Formula Atlantic, GRAND-AM and ALMS, Chris brings his incredible racing pedigree to the APR Motorsport team in support of the next Gleason generation of racers. “When a driver like Chris Gleason knocks on your door you sit up and pay attention” said Jeff Mishtawy. “With his wealth of experience at all levels of the sport, Chris Gleason is truly an asset for APR Motorsport and I’m looking forward to working with him and his sons.”

Kevin Gleason perhaps summed up everybody’s thoughts best, “I couldn’t be more excited to be contesting the 2011 season with APR Motorsport. I knew from the moment I met the team that this was the place I wanted to be in 2011.  With APR’s state of the art facility, to the quality people who work with the team, I am looking forward to working extremely hard and achieving some great results.  To be running the season co-driving with my Father and Brother is just awesome, it’s something I could have only dreamed of and to have that dream come true is really special. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m looking forward to a great season.”

So look for the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge to be a family affair as the Gleasons and APR Motorsport have their sights set high beginning next week at the GRAND-AM 200.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, Ala. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

Despite the Audi being the first production-based racecar he had driven, Gibson was on front running pace within a handful of laps, quickly adapting to the Audi S4’s quattro all wheel drive. “We were very impressed with Gary’s approach to our first test. He asked all the right questions and clicked with the team straight away. His engineering based approach fits in perfectly with APR Motorsport’s methods and I expect Gary will be as competitive as possible when we roll off the trailer in Daytona,” said APR Motorsport Director, Jeff Mishtawy.

“I am excited about the coming season with APR Motorsport and the new challenges of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” Gary said after testing with APR Motorsport. “It was a very difficult decision to leave prototype racing and make the switch to sedans but I feel confident that teaming up with APR Motorsport in the Audi S4 will be the best possible way to make this transition. It is also the perfect situation for my marketing partner, Perfect Pedal. We feel that Grand Am and APR Motorsport represent the best way to grow and market Perfect Pedal.” Perfect Pedal is an aftermarket upgrade for the Logitech G25 and G27 equipped Racing Simulation Systems, which provides a realistic braking feel by using a hydraulic load cell to mirror real world brake pedals.

Despite being a rookie to Grand-Am, Gary brings a diverse racing background with him. He has raced both motorcycles and cars at the top levels of the sport and has contended for the IMSA Lite championship for the past three years. With that experience to build on, look for Gary to add wins in yet another form of racing to his resume this year.

Returning to APR Motorsport for the 3rd consecutive year, 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion Josh Hurley shared his thoughts on campaigning the Audi S4 in 2011, “I can’t wait for Daytona to start; we’ve made some serious improvements during the off season and on top of that, I have a stellar co-driver in Gary Gibson. He has not only shown the necessary pace, but he and I work well together and with the team. That team wide chemistry is what’s necessary to win championships, and that is our goal for 2011”.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

About Gary Gibson: A lifelong racer, Gary has been racing since the age of 5, starting with short track speed skating. By his early 20’s Gary began road racing motorcycles and was a consistent front runner in the AMA Pro F-2 series. He then moved on to racing with four wheels, starting with SCCA Spec racers and the IMSA Sports Toyota Championship where he was the season runner up twice. Since 2008, Gary has been competing in the IMSA Lite championship with multiple wins and several podiums in the last three seasons.

About Josh Hurley: A Fort Lauderdale native, Hurley was the 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion. In 2009, he stepped up to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge class, winning the MESCO Rookie of the Year award, as well as one race victory, two poles and five podiums. With backing from Fortis Watches Josh is once again charging to the front in 2010. To learn more about Fortis Watches visit www.Fortis-Watches.com. To learn more about Josh Hurley, please visit www.GoJoshHurley.com

During pre-season testing, Ellis was able to draw on his experience in the VW Jetta TDi cup series and was immediately up to speed in the Grand-Am spec cars. APR Motorsport Director Jeff Mishtawy said “We could see from the first session’s data onward that Ryan has the ability, smoothness, and patience we need in our drivers to be serious contenders for a championship.” During the successful test Ryan provided solid technical and driving feedback, factors which are very important to the team. Mishtawy continued “Ryan integrated very well into the team’s method of communication and data evaluation. It was quickly apparent that he would make a fantastic fit into our ST program. Just like with Josh Hurley, the VW Jetta TDi Cup has grown and developed the talent necessary to compete in Grand-Am”.

Mirroring the team’s feelings, Ryan is excited to be a part of the APR Motorsport VW DriverGear team in 2011. “I couldn’t be happier with the opportunity I have this year. I know that I have a great knowledgeable team with APR and a great teacher and co-driver with Ian. I think the 2011 season will provide a fantastic opportunity for me to prove myself as a driver and to learn a lot from Ian, the operations, and engineering of APR Motorsport. I could not ask for a better program to help launch my rookie year and career into Grand Am. I am especially excited to kick the season off at a venue as historic as Daytona.” For being a young rookie in Grand-Am, Ryan brings a wealth of experience having successfully raced everything from NASCAR late models to Spec Miatas, and even was twice crowned Virginia Red Bull Karting Champion. Already having been part of over 500 races in his 16 year driving career, the step up to APR’s ST program was logical.

Entering his 4th year as a driver for APR Motorsport, Daytona Rolex 24hr Winner Ian Baas is also quite happy to be returning to a championship contending car. Baas remarked “ I am thrilled to have Ryan as my Co-Driver for 2011,  we have met only a few times but Ryan’s maturity was very apparent.  He has already shown his aptitude in the VW Mk6 GTI when we tested back in October and we will have more testing before the Daytona race in January where the APR Motorsport / VW DriverGear GTI will be looking to start the season how we ended the last…with a Win!” About the Mk6 GTI Ian was optimistic, “ I had spent 2010 developing the Mk6 GTI and the GS cars for the team so I am very glad to be fighting for a championship again. This new generation GTI is definitely worth all of the work we put into it last year. As we proved at Miller, this car will be able to contend with the best in the class and with the hard work that this team is known for, we will be in the hunt until the very last lap of 2011.”

About VW DriverGear: VW DriverGear is the accessories division of Volkswagen of America. VW DriverGear represents the lifestyle of the VW driver and provides a wide range of accessories ranging from clothing to wheels for your favorite Volkswagen or your favorite Volkswagen driver. To get gear for your driver or your VW please visit www.drivergear.vw.com and use promo code “VWGTIAD” for a special offer to Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge fans!

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

The 2010 running of Petit Le Mans is slated to be one of the most important races since its inception as it marks the return of the R15 Plus to ALMS. It also sets the stage for a rematch where the Audi R15 Plus team aims to defend their Le Mans podium sweep against the Peugeots. APR and Quattroworld.com will commemorate this special event by offering Audi fans a place to hang out during the race in APR’s booth in Vendor Village at Road Atlanta.

The party will last all week as we root on the team from Audi. If you are already planning on attending Petit Le Mans, don’t forget to stop by Friday night and hang out with other Audi enthusiasts and check out APR’s B8 S4 race car and other modified Audi’s on display. APR’s booth will feature their newly released Audi RS4 4.2l Stage 3 supercharger system and B8 S4 street car with APR’s RSC Exhaust System and ECU Upgrade.

Are you still on the fence and haven’t booked your tickets yet? This is the exact special addition to the weekend’s events you were looking for to make it impossible to miss! As some people may already know, this is how you do Petit! APR and Quattroworld.com will keep the APR Booth open all day during the race on Saturday as your “base camp” to take a break from soaking in all of the activities and motorsport glory. Continue to stop by throughout the day and enjoy some shade and a live TV feed while you take a rest before heading to the next turn to watch Audi bring home another prestigious win.

APR will have an excellent sale to celebrate the event!

ECU Upgrades will be on site Friday and Saturday!

ECU Upgrade Sale:

- All 2.0T FSI or TSI or 2.7T – $599 For a Fully Loaded ECU! Normal Price $1203
- All 1.8T – $499 For a Fully Loaded ECU! Normal Price $1103
- All VR6, 2.5L, 4.2L, are $100 off! Normal Price $499-599
- B8 S4 3.0T ECU – Buy a single program now for $1499 and get a fully loaded ECU when it’s released!
- All Porsche ECU Upgrades are 10% Off!
- Existing APR Software customers may upgrade to a Fully Loaded ECU for $149.
- Customers Interested in a Single Program Only may take $50 off the Retail Price!

A Fully Loaded ECU Includes your Choice of 4 of the Following Programs:

- Stock Mode :: Exact Original Mapping and Performance
- 91 Octane Performance
- 93 Octane Performance
- 100 Octane Performance
- Valet Mode :: Limits RPMs and Power Output

A Fully Loaded ECU Also Includes:

- Fault Code Erase :: Erases Fault ECU Fault Codes
- Security Lockout :: Locks Advanced Functionality of Cruise Control, Password Protected
- Anti-Theft :: Disables Throttle to Render Vehicle Inoperable, Password Protected

APR Hardware Sale:

- Carbonio Carbon Fiber Intakes 10% Off!
- APR Stage 3 and K04 Turbocharger Systems 10% Off Select Systems!
- APR Exhausts Systems 10% Off!
- APR Intercooler Systems 10% Off!
- APR Bipipe 10% Off!
- APR R1 Diverter Valve 10% Off!
- All APR Motorsport Items including Silicone Hoses and APR FSI Fuel Pump 10% Off!

Our North American sale is at all APR dealers from September 25th till October 30th.

Find a dealer here: www.goapr.com/dealer/

Brought to you by APR and Quattroworld.com

For more information and tickets for Petit Le Mans please visit www.roadatlanta.com

GoAPR.com

Ian Baas and Aaron Povoledo take first place at Miller Motorsports Park in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in the APR Motorsport Driver Gear #91 VW MK6 GTI TSI. Ian and Aaron also finished with the most laps lead and Ian pulled a fastest lap time of 2:09.886.

Go APR!

APR Motorsport hopes to best last year, by going for a 1-2-3 in the Street Tuner class, with 2 MKV GTi’s and the return of the team’s MKVI GTi. Leading the charge for the MKV VW GTi’s will be Josh Hurley and Kevin Stadtlander in the 181 car. With 3 podiums to their credit this year, they are looking to jump up on the top step this round. This weekend the 181 car will be fighting for more than a win as both drivers are raising awareness for charities, with Josh Hurley supporting the Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cure Foundation and Kevin Stadtlander supporting www.imdense.org.”For this race weekend in Utah, I am happy to announce our support for a Florida based foundation supporting breast cancer awareness through high quality imaging and reporting. Check out www.imdense.org to get more information on this amazing patient-driven effort to create awareness for improving access to breast cancer screening, imaging, and doctor-patient communication,” said Stadtlander. Tammy Krichmar, Founder of I’m Dense Are You?, stated “I am dedicated to raising awareness to the link between breast density and breast cancer by promoting the need for a Senate or Federal Bill requiring communication of mammographic breast density information to patients. I am really excited to be along for the ride with APR Motorsport
this weekend.”

In the 171 MKV GTi will be Ray Mason and Adam Pecorari. While they are officially both newcomers to APR Motorsport, both have roots in the team. Jeff Mishtawy Director of Motorsport for APR and Ray Mason are both from Columbus Ohio have run into each other around the race track more than once. Josh Hurley has also worked with Ray as team engineer, when Ray drove the Fountain Motorsports car at Mid Ohio in 2008.

Like his co driver, Pecorari also has deep roots in the team. Ian Baas and Adam were teammates running Audi’s in World Challenge where both were consistent front runners, before moving to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. “I’m really excited to have Ray and Adam closing out the season for us. As everyone knows the VW’s run well at Miller and having
them on board gives us a great shot for three podium finishes” Mishtawy commented on the impact Mason and Pecorari would have.

Racing the team’s one of a kind 91 Volkswagen MKVI GTi will be two team veterans with Aaron Povoledo and Ian Baas leading the way. The two raced the 171 car at the last round in Trois Riveres, and were able to come away with a 5th place finish. Both feel that this weekend should be a breakthrough weekend for the 91 and are looking forward to getting the first victory for the MKVI package. “After being on the podium the last two years here, I’m really ready for a win, and I want to win one for the team who has worked so hard developing the MKVI. I can’t wait to get out there,” said Ian Baas. “I’m really happy to be back with the team, I almost feel like I’ve never been gone,” said Aaron Povoledo. “I really clicked with the whole team again at Trois Riveres, and with this track suiting the Volkswagens more than the street circuit last round, I feel we’ll be right there for the win,” Povoledo went on.

So this weekend make sure you watch out for APR Motorsport’s fleet of Volkswagen GTi’s as they look to carry the momentum into the off season for a championship charge in 2011.

About VW DriverGear: VW DriverGear is the accessories division of Volkswagen of America. VW DriverGear represents the lifestyle of the VW driver and provides a wide range of accessories ranging from clothing to wheels for your favorite Volkswagen or your favorite Volkswagen driver. To get gear for your driver or your VW please visit www.drivergear.vw.com and use promo code “VWGTIAD” for a special offer to Continental fans!

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com

About Kevin Stadtlander: Pittsburgh, PA native Kevin is an Interventional Radiologist at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, Florida, and is also an experienced racer with multiple wins and podiums in SCCA, PBOC, and NASA racing events. Combining his love for motorsports with his occupation as a physician, Kevin has been a member of the International Council of Motorsport Science and is currently the Medical Chief for Florida Region SCCA

About Josh Hurley: A Fort Lauderdale native, Hurley was the 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion. In 2009, he stepped up to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge class, winning the MESCO Rookie of the Year award, as well as one race victory, two poles and five podiums. With backing from Fortis Watches Josh is once again charging to the front in 2010. Josh also races to raise awareness for the Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Please visit www.pancreaticcure.org to see how you can help! To learn more about Fortis Watches visit www.Fortis-Watches.com. To learn more about Josh Hurley, please visit www.GoJoshHurley.com

The 2010 running of Petit Le Mans is slated to be one of the most important races since its inception as it marks the return of the R15 Plus to ALMS. It also sets the stage for a rematch where the Audi R15 Plus team aims to defend their Le Mans podium sweep against the Peugeots. APR and Quattroworld.com will commemorate this special event by offering Audi fans a place to hang out during the race in APR’s booth in Vendor Village at Road Atlanta.

The party will last all week as we root on the team from Audi. If you are already planning on attending Petit Le Mans, don’t forget to stop by Friday night and hang out with other Audi enthusiasts and check out APR’s B8 S4 race car and other modified Audi’s on display. APR’s booth will feature their newly released Audi RS4 4.2l Stage 3 supercharger system and B8 S4 street car with APR’s RSC Exhaust System and prototype ECU Upgrade.

Are you still on the fence and haven’t booked your tickets yet? This is the exact special addition to the weekend’s events you were looking for to make it impossible to miss! As some people may already know, this is how you do Petit! APR and Quattroworld.com will keep the APR Booth open all day during the race on Saturday as your “base camp” to take a break from soaking in all of the activities and motorsport glory. Continue to stop by throughout the day and enjoy some shade and a live TV feed while you take a rest before heading to the next turn to watch Audi bring home another prestigious win.

Brought to you by APR and Quattroworld.com

For more information and tickets for Petit Le Mans please visit www.roadatlanta.com

The Grand Prix of Trois Riveres marks the return of APR Motorsport’s Audi S4 in the GS Class and also celebrates the return of previous APR driver, Dion Von Moltke. The APR Motorsport Audi S4 is the first S4 to be raced in the world and in the the car’s debut season, it has already led multiple laps and has been a consistent top 5 runner. The team took a midseason break in order to further develop the car and are now looking to unleash their new developments this weekend on the tight and twisty streets of Trois Riveres. “The tight track, with low grip should really play to our strengths. Thanks to the Quattro all wheel drive, we get an excellent launch out of the corners” said APR Director of Motorsport Jeff Mishtawy. “Combine that with our awesome driver line up and the developments made back at the shop, and we should be contending for a victory!”

The GP3R also sees the return of Dion Von Moltke to APR Motorsport to pilot the S4 along with mainstay APR driver, Ian Baas. After a stellar 2009 season that saw Dion drive the APR Motorsport/DriverGear VW GTi to three victories in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Dion moved up to Grand-Am’s highest class, the Daytona Prototypes. This upcoming weekend Dion will return where it all started to battle for victory with APR Motorsport’s new Audi S4 in the GS class at the Grand Prix of Trois Riveres.

“We’re absolutely ecstatic to have Dion back with us this weekend”, Mishtawy relays. “Dion was here from the very beginning in 2008, and with us during our breakout 2009 season. He provided us with our very first win at the Glen last year and though we were happy to see him move to the prototypes, we have wanted him back with us for a long time. I’m glad the opportunity finally came!” Mishtawy went on.

“I can’t wait to drive with Dion again,” said Ian Baas, Dion’s co-driver for Trois Riveres, “It’ll be like the beginning of APR all over. He and I drove together that first year and really helped develop the cars, as well as battled to a podium by the end of the year. Dion is really a perfect choice for this race and it’s going to be awesome working with him again.”

So if you’re attending the Grand Prix of Trios Riveres this weekend, make sure you keep an eye on the 01 Audi S4 of APR Motorsport. With an all star driver lineup and Quattro all wheel drive, the car will surely be making a run for the pole and for victory.

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

Coming off three top 4 finishes in a row, the APR Motorsport VW DriverGear team would only have but one weekend to prepare for the challenges of the technical and tricky Mid Ohio course. The APR Motorsport crew relishes the challenge of the mid season stretch, where the schedules get tighter and the teams with the best preparation rise above the rest. Combine this with the team’s dominating performance at Mid Ohio last year where they led flag to flag, and the weekend looked to be very strong for the APR Motorsport team.

On the test day the team immediately showed their speed, putting both cars into the top five straight away, which allowed APR Motorsport to try some new configurations on the cars and begin working on race setups. However, all was not well, as the 181 car of Hurley and Stadtlander began to experience mechanical problems despite its pace. With time running out before qualifying, the APR Motorsport DriverGear crew made a tough choice and moved Hurley and Stadtlander into the #171 GTi, while Halpin and Baas would drive #181. This would allow Stadtlander, and Hurley to maintain their run towards the driver’s championship.

With qualifying rapidly approaching, Stadtlander jumped into the #171 for the first time and took to the track. Quickly getting up to speed in a different car and driving for the first time at Mid Ohio in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Kevin was able to put in an incredible qualifying effort coming in 24th despite having to learn the track during the qualifying session. Halpin and Baas had to miss qualifying while the crew worked to prepare the #181 GTi for the race the following day.

As the crowds filed in and temperatures soared, Stadtlander and Halpin climbed aboard their APR Motorsport VW DriverGear GTi’s to start their charges through the field. The green flag fell and both drivers pounced, carving their way up through the pack, setting times close to the leaders. Both drivers had to pace themselves however, as the high ambient temperatures put a lot of wear on the cars. Halpin and Stadtlander knew they had to hand over the cars in optimum condition for the final push to the front and were forced to slow their ascent to the lead of the pack with a lot of racing still left to come.

As the 3rd caution fell over the field, Halpin and Stadtlander brought in their APR Motorsport GTi’s for a full service stop. Baas and Hurley climbed aboard their cars and immediately took over what their partners had started. The #171 of Hurley and #181 of Baas quickly began climbing through the field when another caution was waved. This would bring in the #171 of Hurley for just a splash of fuel, while the #181 of Baas would require fuel and some repairs.

As they rejoined the field, Hurley began hunting the leaders and would soon take over the lead. Meanwhile, Baas began another charge from deeper in the field due to his mechanical difficulty prior to the last pit although needing further pit stops to rectify his mechanical issues.

After leading 16 laps, Josh had a clear gap over the cars behind when a competitor in the Grand Sport class spun directly in front of him. With nowhere to go, Josh hit the GS car head on but was able to continue, although falling back to 3rd place and suffering damage to the front end. Despite the bad luck and the effect it had on his concentration, Hurley quickly got back into the pursuit of the leaders.

In the #181 GTi, Baas was still nursing a wounded car and was forced to stop a total of six times during the race. Ian kept making amazing charges up the field, passing many cars, only to have to pit and pass them all over again. After all of these charges Baas and Halpin would wind up in 14th position, a spot not indicative of their pace, but showing how a good team could still salvage a result on a tough weekend.

We also talked to Baas about his charges through the field, “It was like groundhog’s day. I kept going by the same people! The crew did a great job in getting the car to the finish, and we definitely had the speed to be up front, but luck just wasn’t on our side today. It was great getting back in the GTi and I can’t wait for New Jersey,” said Baas on his run. Mike Halpin gave us further insight on the weekend “The team really works hard on these cars and it shows. While we didn’t get the results in the 181 car that we wanted, the pace was there, and I know that we will be right up front again next round in New Jersey. I can’t wait to get there!”

With Hurley and Stadtlander now jut 1 point away from 3rd in drivers points, the team will be pushing very hard before the next round on July 17 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. While there appears to be a break on the schedule you can be sure the APR Motorsport VW DriverGear crew will be hard at work once again as they plan to battle for victory.

About VW DriverGear: VW DriverGear is the accessories division of Volkswagen of America. VW DriverGear represents the lifestyle of the VW driver and provides a wide range of accessories ranging from clothing to wheels for your favorite Volkswagen or your favorite Volkswagen driver. To get gear for your driver or your VW please visit www.drivergear.vw.com and use promo code “VWGTIAD” for a special offer to Continental fans!

About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com.

About Mike Halpin: Hailing from Phoenix, Ariz., Mike Halpin is a veteran racer with multiple SCCA championships. His diverse career has included every current GRAND-AM class. In addition to his racing exploits, Halpin is a mechanical engineering with over 35 patents in semi conductor and suspension designs.

About Kevin Stadtlander: Pittsburgh, PA native Kevin is an Interventional Radiologist at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, Florida, and is also an experienced racer with multiple wins and podiums in SCCA, PBOC, and NASA racing events. Combining his love for motorsports with his occupation as a physician, Kevin has been a member of the International Council of Motorsport Science and is currently the Medical Chief for Florida Region SCCA.

About Josh Hurley: A Fort Lauderdale native, Hurley was the 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion. In 2009, he stepped up to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge class, winning the MESCO Rookie of the Year award, as well as one race victory, two poles and five podiums. Josh also races to raise awareness for the Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Please visit www.pancreaticcure.org to see how you can help! To learn more about Hurley, please visit www.GoJoshHurley.com.