Audi to Nurburgring with top-two in championship

Podium lock-out on debut at Hockenheim, one-two finish at Oschersleben, and now the first four finishing positions at Zandvoort: The new Audi A4 is clearly the car to beat in the 2008 DTM. Audi also wants to demonstrate this in no uncertain terms to the spectators at the Nurburgring on 27 July.

The final spurt in the title fight starts in earnest at the seventh round of the most popular international touring car series. With championship leader Timo Scheider (40 points) and defending champion Mattias Ekström (35 points) Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline comes to the last German DTM race before the finale at Hockenheim with two drivers heading the standings. Three international events at Brands Hatch, Barcelona and Le Mans are still to run before the big showdown in October.

During the first half of the season, Audi established an excellent base for the successful defence of its title with the new A4. The brand from Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm last achieved this in the DTM with the V8 quattro seventeen years ago (1990/1991).

Target at the Nurburgring is to make another step in the direction of winning the title. The foundations for this are good since the 3.629 kilometre long sprint-track has usually been a happy hunting ground for Audi over the past years. The then Audi customer team Abt Sportsline celebrated its first ever DTM race win there in 2001. Since then Audi has taken a total of five victories at the track in the Eifel, including 2005 with Mattias Ekström and 2007 with Martin Tomczyk. Last year all four Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline drivers scored points.

Championship leader Timo Scheider comes highly motivated to the Nurburgring: The 29-year old was born in Lahnstein near Koblenz. For his "home race" the Audi factory driver once again plans a special event: Like last year he will treat the fans to 1,000 litres of free beer and will be pulling the pints in person.

To avoid TV coverage of the final stage of the Tour de France the race will start at 5:35 p.m. on Sunday (27 July). Immediately before the DTM race starts, spectators in the Eifel can see in action the Audi R10 TDI, which will race three weeks later on 17 August in the 1000 kilometre race at the Nurburgring.