Reinke Addresses Audi’s Indianapolis Absence

Audi Sport’s head of customer racing has addressed why the manufacturer will not be represented at this weekend’s Indianapolis 8 Hour after winning the event last year.

According to Chris Reinke, the lack of Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo IIs on the grid for the third round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli is mainly based on the German marque’s reduced attention to the U.S. market.

Audi’s lack of active GT3 customer cars in the U.S. has precluded it from supporting a local team at the Indianapolis meeting, which also serves as the final round for Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

It is the first time that Audi has missed a round of the IGTC, which started in 2016.

In February, Reinke told Sportscar365 that Audi Sport was in the process of “restructuring” its customer racing support in the U.S. due to a lack of regional market traction and a “strategic focus” on electrification from the main company in Europe.

The Indianapolis grid will instead feature IGTC points leader Mercedes-AMG, which has four Pro entries including a factory-driven car for overseas entrant Craft-Bamboo Racing.

Ferrari’s representation is led by two AF Corse entries involving works drivers, while Lamborghini is also bidding for overall honors with GTWC America champion K-PAX Racing. Porsche, Acura and BMW teams are also on the 25-car, GT3-only entry list.

The two best-finishing IGTC-nominated cars from each registered brand will score points for the manufacturers’ championship.

“We had a strategic change lately regarding Audi Sport customer racing in the U.S. market,” Reinke told Sportscar365.

“We try to still support all our customers who have committed to Audi Sport customer racing products, to the very best by giving them access to spare parts supply etc.

“At the same time, we reduced our strategic effort in the U.S. unfortunately. That leads to this situation.

“The regulation, by allowing us to scratch one result out of the IGTC standings, allows us to downscale our IGTC entry by one event.

“Through this special situation, from our end on the U.S. market, we opted this year unfortunately not to support this race.”

Just before the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, IGTC organizer SRO Motorsports Group issued a mid-season update to the rulebook, permitting each manufacturer to drop the lowest-scoring race from its points total.

Points from Spa cannot be dropped, however the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, the Indianapolis 8 Hour and the season-ending Gulf 12 Hours are available for deletion.

Even with the benefit of that rule, reigning champion Audi’s absence from Indianapolis means it cannot challenge runaway IGTC leader Mercedes-AMG for the title, considering its maximum possible score of 78 points is lower than AMG’s current 86-point haul.

Sainteloc Racing won last year’s Indianapolis 8 Hour under the Audi Sport Team Sainteloc banner and was joined at the event by two factory-supported entries from Team WRT.

Sainteloc previously expressed interest in pursuing a defense of its Indy crown. However, the cost of transporting cars to the U.S. is known to have been a significant barrier.

Additionally, WRT had its final race with Audi at last weekend’s GTWC Europe Endurance Cup season finale, with the Belgian squad now embarking on a new chapter with BMW.

Reinke indicated that Audi Sport looked at putting together an European entry for this year’s race at Indianapolis, but that did not materialize.

“It seemed to always be very challenging for everybody involved to get it flying this year,” he said.

“Nevertheless, we are all passionate racers, and it scratches our passion that we will miss out on this race, especially as we are not able to defend our Indy win.

“Everybody involved — whether it is us, or third parties — we tried as hard as we could to find a possibility. In the end, it didn’t work out and it won’t happen.”

Optimism for Audi Sport Entries at Gulf 12H

While the Indianapolis grid will lack Audis, Reinke has expressed optimism that the manufacturer will return with its so-called ‘strategic’ Audi Sport Team entries for the Gulf 12 Hours.

The new IGTC season-closer on Dec. 11 has already drawn up a 34-car provisional entry, which includes two cars apiece for Audi teams Attempto Racing and Sainteloc.

“At the moment there seem to be more possibilities on supporting the finale in Abu Dhabi, the Gulf 12 Hours, than there were at Indy,” Reinke suggested.

“So I am optimistic that we will enter Pro cars under the Audi Sport banner, but it’s too early to say today.

“If we have the possibility, as the Audi Sport brand, to support strategic entries, it is our intention for the 12 Hours. Nothing has been decided yet. Even so, time is running up.

“I’m optimistic that we’ll get it going. But that’s not to say that it’s decided yet.”