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GRAND-AM: APR Confirms Audi R8 LMS Program
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge squad steps up to Rolex Series, first customer of Audi R8 LMS for 2012...
John Dagys  |  Posted November 23, 2011   Chicago, IL
APR Motorsport will enter the Rolex GT Series ranks with a brand-new, GRAND-AM specific Audi R8 LMS car. (Image: APR)
Momentum keeps building towards the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, as the first Audi customer program for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series has been confirmed.

SPEED.com has learned that Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge veterans APR Motorsport will step up to the Rolex Series next year, with intentions of competing in the entire 13-round championship with the mid-engined sportscar.

READ: Inside the Audi R8 LMS

The Alabama-based operation, which fields VW GTIs and an Audi S4 in the production-based series, makes the logical step up to the Rolex GT category, where it will face some of its toughest competition yet in the expanding category.

In addition to Audi, which has built a GRAND-AM-specific version of its GT3 machine, multiple entries from Ferrari are expected for the Rolex 24, including a full-season campaign by AIM Autosport and partial schedule for Extreme Speed Motorsports.

Audi plans to make four R8 LMS cars available for customers next year, with the possibility of ramping up production in 2013 based on initial demand. So far, APR is the only team to lay out plans for a full-season effort.

Further details, such as the driver lineup for APR’s Rolex GT Series attack, have yet to be announced.

The first GRAND-AM-spec R8 LMS is expected to be on track early next month during the Rolex Series test at Daytona on Dec. 6-7. APR plans to debut its car at the official "Roar Before the 24" test on Jan. 6-8.

The team has also reaffirmed plans of returning to CTSCC action in 2012.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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