Road Atlanta: Champion Racing race results

Certified Champion Audi RS 6 And S4 Team Can't Overcome "Adjustments" at Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Ga. (September 24, 2004) - The Audi Certified Champion RS 6 and S4 team gave their best efforts during today's 50-minute SPEED World Challenge GT sprint race but nothing the crew nor drivers did could overcome the recent restrictions put upon the Champion Racing team from Pompano Beach, FL

Michael Galati and Peter Cunningham, drivers of the Audi RS 6s, were grid 12th and 13th for the standing start. Galati, empowering the all-wheel-drive quattro traction system, dove to the outside and used the grassy strip to make up some much needed positioning. Cunningham followed suit and both went into Turn 1 side by side with Galati finally taking the advantage. The two would maintain their positions throughout much of the race and actually gain a few spots due to attrition. The ultimate result was one of the lowest finishes for Audi and Champion Racing in the SPEED World Challenge GT Series in their five year history.

Randy Pobst, grid last due to a mistake in weight adjustment, fought his way up from 30th position to 13th position. The Audi S4 was fast in the straights but since the car has sat idle for nearly two years, it lacked sufficient suspension performance.

Galati is still lead in the lead for the Driver Championship by three points and Audi and Cadillac are now tied at 48 points for the Manufacturers' Championship.

Today's race will air at 1:00 pm (EDT), Sunday, September 26 on SPEED Channel.

Round Ten of the SCCA SPEED GT Championship heads to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Oct. 15-17, as part of Fry's Electronics Sports Car Championships.

Michael Galati (Olmstead, OH). "I had a great start and then after that I was just trying to survive. I mean the difference in speed, I felt like a Touring car on the straights. I pushed real hard throughout the race. It was just too much for us to overcome."

Randy Pobst (Gainesville, GA). "We brought out the S4 as our secret weapon and while it performed extremely well, it's still two years behind in suspension development. It still however, was a pleasure to drive. The starts are still the same though, great traction from the Audis."

Peter Cunningham (West Bend, WI). "The Audi RS 6 handled great. We were just in a whole different zip code when it came to the straights. Guys that we were beating in the corners would come back and beat us down the straight-aways. It was very frustrating. Otherwise the car braked great and went around the corners great. The quattro traction is amazing!"

-cr-