Champion Racing

Champion Racing's Audi R8 during the 2005 Petit Le Mans.

Champion Racing is a sports car racing team based in Pompano Beach, Florida, USA. Founded in 1994 by Dave Maraj as the motorsport wing of the Champion Motors car dealership, the team has campaigned various Porsches and Audis in North American road racing series. Champion Racing won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005, and the American Le Mans Series teams' championship in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The team currently runs a pair of factory supported Audi R10 TDIs in the ALMS, under the name Audi Sport North America.

Porsche years

Champion entered their first race at the 1993 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing 21st overall and 7th in the Invitational GT class with a Porsche 911 Carrera 2 driven by Justin Bell, Mike Peters, and Oliver Kuttner. In 1994, they entered a 911 Turbo in several IMSA GT races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. For the 1995 season, Champion partnered with Michael Colucci Racing (MCR), and the team moved up to a 2 car team with a pair of 911 GT2. Champion running the #72 car (964 chassis) and MCR running the #74 car (993 chassis). After an accident put them out a Daytona, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Bill Adam finished 2nd in the GTS-1 class at Sebring. They also collected class podiums at Watkins Glen and Sears Point in the #74 car. In 1996, Stuck and Adam won the GTS-1 class at Sebring with the #74, the first major win for Champion Racing. In 1997 Champion scaled back to a one car team, taking over the reigns of the #74 Porsche with Stuck, Adam, and Thierry Boutsen finishing 2nd in class at the 1997 Daytona 24 Hours.

For 1998, Champion Racing purchased a Porsche 911 GT1 Evo. The team ran a full season in the USRRC GT1 class, winning the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen and finishing on the podium in 3 other races, winning the makes (Porsche) and drivers (Boutsen) championships. The team also competed in three PSCR races; Boutsen, Bob Wollek, and Andy Pilgrim finished 2nd in GT1 and 3rd overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Boutsen and Wollek won the GT1 class at Road Atlanta in June (3rd overall), and Boutsen, Wollek and Ralf Kelleners won the GT1 class at the inaugural Petit Le Mans, finishing 3rd overall, earning an automatic entry to the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 1999, Champion ran the GT1 in the new American Le Mans Series. Due to the regulations, however, they were forced to run in the Prototype class against theoretically faster cars. They scored their best result in the 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing 4th overall and in class. The team also raced a Porsche 911 GT3-R in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 2nd in the GT class.

With no place to run the GT1 in 2000, Champion changed cars to a Lola B2K/10 with a Porsche engine. The team entered only two ALMS races (Sebring and Sears Point) and failed to finish either one. They also entered the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, finishing 7th in class and 21st overall. The team spent most of the season developing the car, with the aim of a high finish at the 2001 24 Hours of Daytona.[1]

Daytona 2001 started well; the team qualified 6th. However, a loss of oil pressure seven and a half hours in caused the car to retire. The team came back to finish 2nd in the Daytona finale at the end of the season. The team finally found some success with the Lola at the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona, finishing 4th. After the race, the team would abandon the project, however Oliver Kuttner's Pegasus Racing would run the car in the latter half of the season.

World Challenge GT with Audi

Champion Racing Audi RS6 driven by Michael Galati.

In 2000, Champion partnered with Audi to develop and run the Audi S4 Competition in the SCCA Speedvision World Challenge series' GT class. For their first season, the pair of cars would be driven by reigning Touring Car champion Michael Galati and Le Mans winner Derek Bell. Bell finished 9th in the opening round at Charlotte. Galati would take 2nd in the championship, winning at Las Vegas and taking two other podiums. In 2001, Galati won the GT drivers' championship, taking 4 wins, and Audi won the manufacturers' championship by 1 point over Acura. In 2002, Galati would repeat as champion, with Bell 7th, and Audi 2nd in the manufacturers' standings.

In 2003, Champion debuted the new Audi RS6 Competition. Randy Pobst finished on the podium at the first five races of the season, and won the last two rounds to take the Drivers' championship, and the manufacturers' championship for Audi.

Audi R8 and R10 years

Champion Racing started running Le Mans Prototypes in 2001 with the Audi R8, which led them to victory in the 2004 and 2005 American Le Mans Series, as well as the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2006, Champion Racing took over the Audi Sport North America brand from Joest Racing and started fielding the Audi R10 TDI. Since then, they have won the 2006, 2007 and 2008 American Le Mans Series.

External links

• Official site