Speed thrills: Audi R8 LMS Cup makes Korean debut

MANILA, Philippines - Inje County, Gangwon Province, South Korea – A mild, sunny morning shakes the scenery awake: verdant mountains fringed by gurgling streams and rivers flowing past indifferent boulders and stones. In shallower areas, gaggles of eager campers and patient weekend anglers settle in on exposed shoals. Deeper river sections frothing with action become the playground of eager white-water rafters and kayakers.

But this least-populous, scenic county of South Korea also keeps a secret—a most surprising one. Within its chest throbs the Inje Speedium International Circuit—a 4.2-kilometer, 20-turn proving ground and showcase for motorsports.

Indeed, this promises a perfect stop (the two-rounder happens on the third of six race weekends) for the Audi R8 LMS (Le Mans Series) Cup, the first one-make series for the four-ringed brand from Ingolstadt. After successfully kicking off last year in the major market of China, Audi brass decided to include new venues in 2013—South Korea, Malaysia, and Macau, even as the number of teams increased from 16 to at least 20.

Media from the region have thus been flown in for the season’s inaugural race outside China and, understandably, local press people have high hopes for the sole South Korean driver, Kyong-Ouk You, who finished third in Shanghai.

The Audi R8 LMS vehicle is a GT3 racecar that has notched more than 100 international victories. The company reports: “only minimal adjustments will be permitted under the series regulations, allowing pure racing talent to shine. With its Audi Space Frame (ASF) body, the Audi R8 LMS represents Audi Ultra, the pioneering lightweight concepts of the German premium car manufacturer. The 2013 version of the car features improved aerodynamics and an optimized engine mapping.” The R8 is powered by a V10, 5.2-liter DOHC engine delivering 500 horses and over 500 Nm.

The series features a mix of amateurs or “gentleman drivers” who share the track along with “proven professionals” such as last year’s champion Marchy Lee and former Formula 1 stalwart Alex Yoong. Obviously, this event makes for great drumbeating for the Audi brand, and bringing the race to other Asian destinations means even wider marketing reach.

If you have a lot of spare change at your disposal, you can look into joining the series. Audi Sport director of customer racing in China Rene Koneberg reveals that a vehicle and premium service package will set you back 340,000 euros (almost P20 million) per season. On top of this is 48,000 euros (about P2.8 million) for subscription, plus more dough for driver’s insurance and damage.

Koneberg adds that at the drivers’ disposal are 34 Germany-trained technicians plus engineers and two million euros worth of parts that are shipped wherever the races are held.

“The interesting part is that all data is open,” he continues. This means everyone can learn from everyone—certainly an exciting prospect for beginners or weekend racers. Only minimal changes are allowed on the participating vehicles. There are strict parameters for tuning – equalizing the race into a true driver’s race.

Meanwhile, Audi Korea head of marketing communication Jörg Dietzel says the Audi R8 LMS Cup means good news for their Korean presence. “(It) helps build awareness not just for the sportiness of our brand, but for the racing scene in this country.”

During qualifying, erstwhile points leader Yoong spins out and crashes, which leaves him without a vehicle for the fifth round on Saturday, and consigns him to last place on the grid on Sunday. “As for this morning, it was a bit of a disaster for me, unfortunately,” he explains at the pre-race press conference. “I think I pushed too hard early on with tire pressures not quite up… I lost the rears on the braking for the final hairpin. I damaged the car quite badly.”

Round 5 ensues with a spectacular three-car crash on the very first lap – which involves local hero You (who promisingly started fifth on the grid). There’s no surprise on the podium later. The top three qualifiers take the same places: Earl Bamber (Castrol Racing), Adderly Fong (KAMLUNG), and Marchy Lee (Audi GQ).

Kyong-Ouk You later narrates that he managed to reach fourth place, but was pushed to the inside right before the collision. “It’s part of the race,” he says with a wan smile. “It’s part of professionalism to accept whatever happens.” Meanwhile, Marchy Lee declares he wants to have a “softer setup” for next day’s race, even if he was satisfied with his drive.

It proves to be the right move, as Marchy Lee capitalizes on a catastrophic fuel pressure problem for Earl Bamber’s R8 to snatch the lead and never relinquish until the checkered flag for Round 6.  Bamber was breaking away from the pack when he suffered the setback on the 13th lap.

Lee paced Adderly Fong and Cheng Congfu (Audi Ultra), and jumped to second place in points overall behind Fong. Alex Yoong, despite a gallant fight from last on the grid to fourth, dropped to third overall. Still, Yoong remained optimistic as the next rounds are set in Malaysia (at Sepang).

“I think the track is very demanding for our drivers,” Koneberg observes. “You saw a large gap between the first and last (racers), which shows that true driving ability makes a difference.”

And spells so much more thrills, one must hasten to add.

For more information, visit www. audir8lmscup.com.