Weekly Racing Roundup (11.25.19)

Shahin Wins Final Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup Title

Yasser Shahin became the final champion of the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup at the series-ending round at Sepang on Saturday and Sunday.

The Bend Motorsport Park driver finished fifth in the tenth and final race of the year, enough to secure the championship, while title rival and 2018 champion Andrew Haryanto claimed the championship’s last ever race victory.

Absolute Racing’s Vincent Floirendo took the Challenger Trophy championship, while FEA driver Sheng Yanwen claimed the GT4 title.

Haryanto finished Race 2 almost 12 seconds in the lead ahead of Alex Au, while Shahin won Saturday’s race with a move around Haryanto in wet conditions.

Shahin finishes the season on 143 points compared to Au’s 133 and Haryanto a further oe point back.

Shahin will join Haryanto and Anthony Liu in the prize drive for Audi Sport Asia in next year’s Suzuka 10 Hours.

“We close the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup chapter as it began in 2012, with every driver fighting hard and fair all the way to the flag” said Martin Kuehl, director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

“Congratulations to our champions Yasser Shahin, Vincent Floirendo and Sheng Yanwen, and our thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of the Cup over the last eight seasons.

“We set out to support the development of the GT segment in Asia. Today, we have Audi teams and drivers in championships all over the region.

“Now we look forward to opening an exciting new chapter with the Audi Sport Asia Trophy in 2020.”

ACO Pledges With European Hydrogen Forum to Promote Technology

The ACO has signed a letter of intent with the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) to promote hydrogen technology, demonstrate its potential and work towards progressing the adoption of hydrogen systems.

ACO president Pierre Fillon recently attended the annual forum of the FCH JU in Brussels. The FCY JU structure brings together the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.

Fillon set out the ACO’s hydrogen program to an audience that included the first vice president of the European Commission, members of the European Parliament and the heads of the European Commission’s directorate generals for energy and climate action.

His speech included details of Mission H24 and plans to introduce a special category for electric/hydrogen prototypes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, as well as the recent installation of a hydrogen filling station near Circuit de la Sarthe.

News & Notes

***Hyundai has revealed the RM19, a track car set to serve as a rolling test bed for its mid-engine sports car which is due in 2021. The RM19’s design is based on the Veloster, which serves as the base for one of its current TCR models, and used the same two-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine as its i30 N TCR.

***Hyundai has further hinted at the production version of its upcoming mid-engine sports car featuring an electrified powertrain, which would most likely be in the form of a petrol-electric hybrid configuration.

***Goodyear will equip teams in VLN and the Nürburgring 24 next year, making its first steps into GT3 racing after establishing a base in LMP2 and GTE in the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series since its return to international sports car racing earlier this year.

***The tire brand will also be used in two other German championships: DMV GTC and DMV NES 500. It will serve as sole tire supplier for those to series, as well as for the BMW M240i Racing Cup and TCR classes in VLN.

***Rebellion president and owner Alexandre Pesci will drive the Rebellion DXX buggy in the 2020 Dakar Rally. The buggy has been developed by Romain Dumas’ Team RD Limited company. “Romain Dumas has demonstrated all these qualities in the past for the development of unique and efficient vehicles,” said Pesci. “Even if my goal is only to participate and to reach the end of this extreme rally raid, we can consider that to finish a Dakar is already a great achievement.”