Fuel strategy played a big part in how the GT race was determined, and if there was one area where Kettler’s Le Mans pedigree with Audi made the biggest difference, this was it.

“And as far as fuel goes, at the end of the race, we actually split the cars three ways. We did that not knowing what the real outcome of the race might be and who we were going to have to race at the end. The (race-winning) No. 24 car was basically the Rabbit,” he said.

“The No. 52 car did the Kettler check-mate, which is my predictable and very favorite move, and that is they stopped, basically within about 15 seconds of being exactly on point to run out of fuel at the end of the race. We stopped on that lap, which was the lap that they knew we could make the checkered flag and maybe not need fuel. We knew the car wouldn't go another lap other than that so we stopped on that lap and filled that car and we knew it was done to the end. No matter what happened, it was going to be in a position to challenge.

“All three cars had a different strategy, it was all different because if the No. 24 couldn't fill that gap and get in and get out and just lose the lead and not be able to get it back, the No. 52 car would be there to take the flag. And if there was a yellow it would've benefited towards the Rum Bum car. He would've been in a good position to win it. I think we did a good job because they were all three on the last lap, one-two-three, even though the Run Bum car ran out.”

The No. 24 Alex Job/WeatherTech R8 had been running competitively for most of the race, and as viewers witnessed, its drivers, when given the command to wring the car’s neck, set a torrid pace in the final hours of the race--even when it wasn’t necessary.

“That car was our Rabbit for more than one reason,” confided Kettler. “You had the three strategies, but we also knew some of the best Porsches were struggling with fuel or tires and some struggled with both. Some were short-fueling the tank coming in, just doing 25 seconds of timed fuel and throwing new tires at it every 20 or 25 laps. The minute we saw that, we knew it was time to turn up the heat and make them chase us.

“And they couldn’t do it, they couldn’t keep up without burning their tires off and using up fuel. It was exactly what we were hoping they’d do, and I think it was pretty well played in terms of the way we did it. We wanted them to be comfortable with us for most of the race. ‘Same old Audis turning the same old pace.’ They played right into our hands and didn’t have an answer when we put the heat on ‘em.”

That choice—to wait and pounce at exactly the right time--proved to be the move of the race.

Turning up the heat also required complete confidence in the fueling and refueling systems used with the R8s—another area where Le Mans procedures and protocols had an impact.

“I’m biased, but Audis have better fuel system than other cars, full-stop,” he said. “They are better designed, they get everything out of the tank and, you know, you can sit there on the wall with only a hint of apprehension in your belly when it goes by with four liters in the tank and it goes by the start/finish line, you know you're going to come in. And you're going to put 19.2 gallons in the car. That’s our gun-to-the-head, giving it all we got; we’re not playing it safe, we’re not trying to feel warm and fuzzy about all that stuff, but at the same time we run those cars down into the level so far because that's also part of race performance.

“I figure we probably filled and drained cars probably 50 times at the workshop to know exactly how much we had to use and it helped in our strategy calls. This was one of the tightest, closest to the limit that we've ever played it in any of my experiences. And it breaks my heart and it stings that [Rum Bum Racing’s] Joe [Varde] ran out of fuel but we knew it and we knew what we were doing when we made that decision and it was a conscious decision and it was a gamble and we almost made it work. And [Alex Job’s] Greg Fordahl also did an amazing job.”

Kettler, who was more of a mentor during the Rolex 24 than an engineer or operations director, says infusing the three independent teams with Audi Sport’s winning culture and high expectations was a critical, if unseen aspect of what transpired on the racetrack.

“The pressure. We bring pressure to the teams. We are hired to do a job and we expected them to perform. I told all these guys, even down to the guys prepping the tires and carrying the food back and forth to the pit, I said, ‘you are now, at least at this race, you are inside the Audi family; you are expected to be professional and give the very best effort that you possibly can,’” he explained.

“I said, ‘If you want to draw a parallel between this and Le Mans you can because the way that those cars are supported and what we expected them to produce is no different than what we are doing here. When they didn't get enough fuel in the car one time, I was the first one who would ask, ‘why did we miss a half-liter. You know that would cost us a lap. Do you understand?’ It wasn't always all nice. There's a lot of pressure and expectation given to those teams and the teams, all three teams stepped up to the challenge and did a good job.”

For those who’ve met Kettler or seen him interviewed, the easy-going American doesn’t have a booming voice, isn’t overly intense and follows a more philosophical path to how he practices his craft.

And that kinder, gentler side of Kettler was on display for the majority of the 24-hour race, except for the well-timed wobbly he threw in the early going…

“I was really playing straw boss amongst those four cars. And I'm good at that. I'm good at catching stuff before it happens. And got them all motivated and kept them motivated,” he said before revealing some of his ‘motivational tactics.’

“I had to shut off the mobile phone for these guys. A couple guys were on their phones too much so we had them shut that thing off and put it in the pit cart. You could update your Twitter later, dude. Concentrate on the race first. I wasn't going to accept it. They said, ‘well, you're texting.’ I said, ‘I'm texting the engineers back and forth what we’re doing, that's what I'm doing.’ I said, ‘you need to be focused on putting the wheels on and getting as tight and fast as you can possibly be and not make any mistakes. That’s what you need to focus on.’

The eventual choice to shut down cell phone use came when Kettler saw the devices were becoming more than a distraction that took place between pit stops.

“I had a couple of guys, they come back over the wall before they even wrap up their air line to get reset for the next stop, they were on their phone. I'm like, no, this won't happen. Put your toys away, boys. You are, unfortunately, going to have to watch an incredible race in front of your eyes without being on your phone. It wasn’t an epidemic but I wanted people focused. We’re trying to win this thing, we need the best effort from all of you because if one little thing breaks down, the whole system breaks down. It's got to be like that. So I wasn’t there to make any friends and I had some dirty looks and some comments but, at the end of the day, I think everybody was pretty happy.”

Managing the overuse of cell phones was easy compared to another situation Kettler had to confront.

“I nearly had to remove the crew chief on the No. 52 car because his mind was really (not in the game) at the beginning part of the race,” Kettler continued. “They almost released the car with the fuel hose on it would have lit up pit lane if they had. Yeah, it was close. I used that as an example to just completely blow my cool and yell and scream and got everybody's attention and everybody was good after that.”