Sepang 12 Hours: Audi prepares to race in the Sepang 12h in Malaysia

Audi Press Release

• Team Absolute Racing fields three entries at the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) on August 30
• Seven Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers to participate at Sepang International Circuit
• First GT endurance race for upcoming youngster Matt Solomon

Sepang, Malaysia, August 28, 2014 – Audi returns to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this weekend as the brand with the Four Rings prepares for the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) on August 30. Team Absolute Racing will be fielding three Audi entries, with nine drivers in total, of which seven are Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers.

Audi Sport customer racing Asia is supporting the three MMER entries of Absolute Racing with factory driver Marchy Lee, 2012 Audi R8 LMS Cup Champion, and Audi Hong Kong driver Matt Solomon. For youngster Solomon, the MMER will be his first GT endurance race, his first night race and an important step in the driver development programme of Audi for the upcoming talent.

Ashraff Dewal will drive his "Visit Malaysia" cup car (#69), together with Jacky Yeung and Marchy Lee. Jeffrey Lee and Massimo Vignali will team up with fellow Audi R8 LMS Cup driver and 2013 Champion, Adderly Fong, in an Audi R8 LMS ultra (#101). As the seventh Cup driver, youngster Matt Solomon joins a team with the Swiss pair, Alexandre Imperatori and Henri Moser in an Audi R8 LMS ultra (#99).

"The participation of seven Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers in the MMER underlines the increasingly broad reach of the Audi Sport customer racing Asia programme. For youngster Matt Solomon, his first GT endurance race and first night race will be an important development step in his career", says Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.

The MMER safety car will be an Audi R8 V10, which is also used for the 2014 season of the Audi R8 LMS Cup. The drivers will return to the familiar circuit close to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur just two weeks after racing in Sepang for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup, the only brand cup of Audi worldwide.

In last year’s Sepang 12h race, Audi took a one-two finish in the GTC class. Alex Yoong, Jacky Yeung and Ashraff Dewal were first across the finish line, ahead of the Audi R8 LMS of the Chinese Brothers Racing Team.

Also representing Audi will be team MPS from Australia, who will be driving an Audi R8 LMS ultra (#28) in the GT3 class, and team B-Quik Racing from Thailand, whose Audi R8 LMS (#26) will be racing in the GTC class.

Photo credit: Audi R8 LMS Cup