Two additional Audi teams have been confirmed for next month’s California 8 Hours at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with Magnus Racing and Belgian Audi Club Team WRT set to represent the German manufacturer alongside the previously-announced Land Motorsport squad in the Intercontinental GT Challenge round.
Audi factory drivers Pierre Kaffer, Markus Winkelhock and Kelvin van der Linde will team up in an Audi Sport Team Magnus entry, with WRT to field a privateer Audi R8 LMS for newly crowned Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup champions Robin Frijns and Stuart Leonard, plus Jake Dennis.
It will mark the first factory effort for the Magnus squad, which took part in this year’s Pirelli World Challenge.
The German manufacturer’s second works-backed entry, fielded by Audi Sport Team Land, will feature Connor De Phillippi, Christopher Mies and IGTC points leader Christopher Haase, who took victory in the most recent round at Spa in July.
“With three teams and our driver lineup we’re in a very good position,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “Our aim is to maintain the lead of the standings on this legendary track.”
Haase leads the IGTC standings by one point over a five-way tie for second that includes Winkelhock and Jules Gounon, with the Frenchman set to compete in a RealTime Racing-entered Acura NSX GT3 for the Oct. 13-15 event.
More than 20 cars are expected for the race, including at least eight entries in the GT3 Pro class.