There isn’t an event more important for APR Motorsport than this weekend’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races at Barber Motorsports Park.

APR Motorsport’s home base is located just down the road from Barber in Opelika, and the team will enjoy considerable support from friends, family, customers, and employees for this weekend’s Porsche 250. The team will be hard to miss, as it brings seven race cars, several transporters, and a small army of staff.

“This is of course a very important weekend for our team, and our entire organization,” said Stephen Hooks, President and CEO of APR. “This is our home race and we want to put on a good show and represent APR well. We also want to rebound from a difficult weekend in Daytona, and all the guys have been flat out to improve all of our cars. We’re ready.”

Returning to action for the first time since the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, drivers Jim Norman and Dion von Molke will once again pilot the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am in the Rolex Sports Car Series’ GT class. While the car endured a difficult Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team has been able to make significant improvements and the drivers enjoyed a very successful recent test in the car. Von Moltke recently competed at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where he anchored a Porsche to the GT-C class victory.

“Our test in the APR Audi R8 Grand-Am went really well,” said von Moltke. “We were surprised by the progress that we made and with the work that the guys at APR have done since then, I think we can surprise a lot of the paddock at Barber. After winning in Sebring, I’m more motivated to join Dr. Jim and the APR Motorsport team and go after some wins in Grand-Am.”

The CTSCC program will grow to six cars as APR adds the no. 131 APR Jetta GLI in the ST class for Juan Carlos Alvarez, with APR Motorsport currently finalizing an agreement for his co-driver. Rookie Nelson Canache, driving the no. 41 APR Audi S4 that he shares with Ian Baas in the GS class, stormed from the back of the field to the front in Daytona before a mechanical issue caused the car to lose several laps. Likewise, David Cheng, in the no. 161 APR VW GTI that he shares with Aleks Altberg, had a similar charge through the field before that car was sidelined.

“I’m excited for this weekend’s race at Barber,” said Canache. “It is a new challenge and such a technical track. It will be hard work for the drivers and the team to have the car in the best possible shape for the race. I’m going to do my best on the driving side and work with the APR crew to improve our Audi S4, which is improving each time we go to the track. Since it is so close to APR, we really want a strong result.”

Their teammates – Nate Norenburg, Josh Hurley, and Alvarez in the no. 151 APR VW Jetta GLI, Hector Guerrero and Juan Pablo Sierra in the no. 181 VW Jetta GLI, and Christian Perez and Daniel La Riva in the no. 191 VW Jetta GLI – performed exceptionally well to bring their cars home in adverse weather conditions.

With the exception of Baas, Norenburg, and Hurley, all of APR’s CTSCC drivers took their first green flag in the series at Daytona. Building on that experience and after a successful test at Barber, the CTSCC team is ready to continue APR’s long history of success at its home track.

The Porsche 250, the second round of the 2012 Rolex Sports Car Series, will go green on Saturday, March 31 at 12:15 PM and will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on Saturday, March 31 at 4:00 PM ET. The CTSCC race from Barber will go green on Saturday, March 31 at 4:00 PM and will be broad cast on SPEED Channel on Saturday, April 8, at 12:00 PM ET.

Rolex Series

no51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am – Dr. Jim Norman / Dion von Moltke

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

no41 APR Audi S4 – Nelson Canache / Ian Baas
no131 APR VW Jetta GLI – Juan Carlos Alvarez / TBD
no161 APR VW GTI – Josh Hurley / Nate Norenberg
no171 APR VW GTI – Aleks Altberg / David Cheng
no181 APR VW Jetta GLI – Hector Guerrero / Juan Pablo Sierra
no191 APR VW Jetta GLI – Christian Perez / Daniel La Riva

Photo: © 2012 Corey Beaman

- APR Motorsport

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APR Motorsport, the largest team in GRAND-AM with seven cars spread amongst the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, is proud to announce its new partnership with RAYS Wheels.

The team, which fields an Audi S4 in the CTSCC’s GS class, as well as two VW GTI’s and three VW Jetta GLI’s in the ST class, will exclusively race on RAYS Wheels in the popular series. Future project cars developed at APR will also utilize RAYS Wheels. Rolex Series rules prohibit the use of one-piece RAYS wheels on the no. 51 APR Audi R8 Grand-Am, but RAYS wheels will be featured on street Audi R8s that are built at APR.

“We are thrilled to have RAYS Wheels on board with APR Motorsport,” said Stephen Hooks, Founder and CEO of APR. “Much like APR, RAYS Wheels have built their company and reputation entirely in the world of motorsports. Both companies have similar goals and strive for the highest quality in the parts they provide for their customers, and we are both committed to a long-term partnership.”

As part of their partnership, APR and RAYS Wheels will be developing a line of wheels for Audi and Volkswagen vehicles that is set to debut later this year. The team utilized RAYS Wheels for the first time during the BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway, where the drivers quickly gave positive feedback on the lightness and strength of the new RAYS wheels.

“We are very excited to be working with the team at APR for the upcoming season,” said Wakana Kosumi, Overseas Marketing Manager for RAYS Wheels. “They are highly recognized both in the USA and our home in Japan, as well as globally. They showcase similar characteristic as RAYS and we believe their performance will be a great addition to our product advancements.”

Details about the new line of RAYS Wheels developed with APR Motorsport will be released later this summer.

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With the rain falling steadily at the start of the BMW Performance 200, APR Motorsport made the calculated decision to start their cars at the back of their respective fields. With 81 cars starting in the CTSCC race in the rain at Daytona – split between the GS and ST classes – the team was betting on a fair amount of opening-lap carnage and chose to keep its rookie drivers clear of the inevitable carnage.

Amazingly, the opening lap had no serious collisions, off-course excursions, or full-course yellows. The shock from the assembled crowd and everyone crowding around a TV monitor in the pits was palpable.

Starting shotgun on the GS field, Nelson Canache steadily moved the no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4 through the field throughout the wet first portion of the race. With the Audi S4′s four-wheel-drive system, Canache drove from 40th to 15th before the first caution period of the race slowed his progress. However, the car developed a mechanical problem that took several laps to fix, dropping Canache well off the lead lap. Once handing the car over to teammate Ian Baas, Baas took the car to the finish in 33rd position.

“The Audi is a really good car, and it was amazing in the rain,” said Canache. “I almost wish the team had let me start the race from our position where we qualified, but I understand why we started at the back. I think we could have been leading the race before our first pit stop. The problem we had with the car was really too bad, but I think Ian and I will be fighting for wins in the Audi S4 this year.”

Among the quartet of APR Tuned VW’s in the ST class, there was a fair amount of inter-team rivalry for the highest-finishing driver – especially as the four cars started lined up nose-to-tail. David Cheng, in the no. 171 APR Tuned VW GTI, passed 23 cars during the opening stint before his car developed a mechanical problem, sidelining him and teammate Aleks Altberg after a strong run.

It would be Hector Guerrero, in the no. 191 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI that was started by Juan Pablo Sierra, that would cross the line 22nd in the ST class, just ahead of teammate Daniel LaRiva in the no. 181 APR tuned VW Jetta GLI that was started by Christian Perez.

“I had one moment where I was battling with another car into the bus stop, and I had to go off through the dirt,” said Guerrero. “I did what Alex Popow did last year in the Daytona Prototype. Other than that, the car was good. We had a little bit of a push, and somehow I lost the rear bumper, but I was really happy with the car. It felt better and better each lap and I’m really happy that we finished our first race.”

“Since this was our first race and I didn’t have much time in the car, I just wanted to drive without making mistakes,” said LaRiva. “So I didn’t push too hard, I thought it would be dangerous to push. Each lap I got a little more confident in the car, and I can tell it will be a very fast car in ST after some more testing.”

The no. 161 APR Tuned VW GTI lost two laps to the leader due to confusion under separate yellow-flag periods. The car was started by Juan Carlos Alvarez, who then turned it over to Nate Norenberg, with Josh Hurley finishing the race. Despite being two laps down, Hurley’s laptimes showed the car has the pace of the top-five cars in the ST field.

“The car was amazing,” said Hurley. “I knew it was fast but it was really fast and really consistent – it’s a car that can win in ST. I wish we didn’t have our problems under yellow because if we had been on the lead lap, we would have scored a lot of points. I’m excited about the potential of this car for the rest of the year.”

While the results weren’t as strong as the APR Motorsport team was hoping for, there were a few positives that the team took away from Friday’s BMW Performance 200.

“Our goal for this race was to run without problems and to get our cars and drivers through a race distance,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsports for APR. “We are obviously not happy that we had problems with the Audi S4 and with one of our VW GTI’s, but we showed a lot of speed from those cars. All of our drivers drove smart and brought the cars back safely, and we are really encouraged by what we learned with our new VW Jetta GLI’s. We’ll go back and apply what we have learned and come back for the next race, and compete further up the field like the APR Motorsports team normally does.”

The BMW Performance 200 will be broadcast on SPEED on February 4th at 12:00 PM ET. The next race for the APR Motorsports CTSCC team will be at Barber Motorsports Park on March 31, while the team will also compete in their first Rolex 24 at Daytona which begins Saturday, January 27th at 3:30 PM ET and will be broadcast live on SPEED.

- APR Motorsports | Photos: © 2012 Corey Beaman

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What is there not to love about APR Motorsport? They offer some of the best Audi and Volkswagen performance products money can buy, period. Now, APR Motorsport will field the largest VW / Audi racing program on our shores. 1 Audi S4, 2 VW GTIs, 2 VW Jettas and 1 badass Audi R8 Grand Am.

Augmenting the previously announced no. 41 APR Tuned Audi S4 for Ian Baas and Nelson Canache in the GS class, as well as the no. 171 APR Tuned VW GTI for Aleks Altberg and David Cheng, the team will add three additional VW’s in the ST class for the 2012 season, beginning with this Friday’s BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The team will add yet another car to the lineup beginning with the series’ second race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, bringing the team’s CTSCC total to six cars and making APR Motorsport, along with its entry in the Rolex Series, the largest team this season in GRAND-AM.

As part of the expansion, the team will roll out a pair of brand new Mk. 6 VW Jetta GLI’s for this week’s BMW Performance 200 at Daytona. The team shook down the first Jetta at the CTSCC’s January Test Days at Daytona International Speedway, where initial feedback from the drivers was overwhelmingly positive.

Rookies Hector Guerrero and Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle, from Puebla, Mexico, will steer the new no. 181 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI. Lendle is no stranger to racing VWs, as he scored a win and numerous podiums in the VW TDI Cup USA in 2010, and has also competed in Mexico’s Formula 2000 powered by Volkswagen. He comes to APR after winning the 2011 Gran Turismo Turbo championship in Mexico, with two wins. Guerrero is a veteran of the Venezuelan GT class championship, and took the championship in 2008.

Fellow rookies Daniel LaRiva, from Anzoatequi, Venezuela and Christian Perez, from Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, will be driving the no. 191 APR Tuned VW Jetta GLI in their first season in the CTSCC. LaRiva scored two wins in 2011 in Venezuela’s Super Touring GT championship, while Perez finished third in the Venezuelan South Eastern GT championship.

Returning to APR for a full season in the ST class, Nate Norenberg, from Plymouth, Minnesota, will be joined by Juan Carlos Alvarez, from Maracay, Venezuela, in the no. 161 APR Tuned VW GTI. Norenberg finished second in his debut with APR last season at Watkins Glen after beginning his professional driving career in the VW TDI Cup, while Alvarez brings a long history of sportscar, endurance racing, and Seat Leon Supercup experience to his rookie season in GRAND-AM.

“It was, without a doubt, a massive undertaking for us to field this many cars in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” said Jeff Mishtawy, Director of Motorsports for APR. “There have been many long nights at the shop in preparation for Daytona, but it will be a very impressive sight with our cars lined up in the pits and together on track. Each of our cars will be capable of getting race wins and continuing APR’s competitive tradition in the CTSCC. We have won races and contended for the championship each season we have raced in the CTSCC, and our APR Tuned GTI’s and Jettas are more than capable of doing it again in 2012.”

APR’s winning record in the CTSCC is what has attracted a number of international drivers to the program in 2012. While the team has grown to accommodate the number of drivers, the staff at APR has also had to brush up on a new language to prepare for the new season.

“It is very exciting that we have attracted a large number of international drivers to our program,” said Mishtawy. “In testing, we’ve seen that they clearly have the speed and talent to drive at this level, and we will be working closely with them to develop them into winning endurance drivers. At the same time, our entire staff – and our North American drivers Nate, David, Aleks and Ian – is now learning Spanish!”

APR Motorsport’s five car CTSCC team will compete in the season-opening CTSCC race, the BMW Performance 200, this Friday at Daytona International Raceway. The race will be broadcast Saturday, February 4th, at 12:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel.

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Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman have been announced as co-drivers for the APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM for the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

When he slides behind the steering wheel of the APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM, von Moltke, from Coral Gables, Fla., will return home to the team in which he started his professional driving career. Von Molkte competed with APR in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2008 and 2009, taking three victories before moving to the Daytona Prototype ranks in 2010. The South African, also a student at Florida International University, returns to APR with a wealth of endurance racing experience under his belt with finishes at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

“This is a dream come true,” von Moltke said. “I started my professional racing career with APR, and to have the opportunity to come back to such a first class winning organization, and then to be the first one racing the Audi R8 GRAND-AM – can it get any better than this? This is like going home, but the series and fan base is stronger than ever, and APR has developed its winning program to an even higher level. For me and my partners, PRNewswire and South African Airways, this will be a long-term relationship with APR and Audi. It will be all about success on the track, every single weekend.”

Veteran driver Norman will join von Moltke for the duration of the season. Norman, an airplane racer turned racecar driver, quickly transitioned from his first season of Skip Barber competition in 2007 to competing in Porsche Cup cars throughout 2011, where he took the IMSA Mission Foods GT3 Challenge championship. He also scored a fourth at the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as at Petit Le Mans in GT-C – partnered in both races by von Moltke. Professionally, Norman is a surgeon, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on parathyroid disease.

“I’m very excited about joining the winning APR Motorsport team for the upcoming Rolex Series season,” Norman said. “I have really enjoyed racing with Dion and am really looking forward to spending an entire season as his teammate. I’m really excited for the Audi fans as well, who will get to see and hear the Audi R8 LMS this season. We will put on a great show for them at some of the greatest racetracks in North America.”

“I am so happy that Dr. Jim is joining me in the car,” von Moltke added. “He raced with me last year, and I have watched him grow into a series champion who I’m excited to share the car with. Together, we will win some races this year.”

For the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Six Hours at the Glen, longtime APR Motorsport driver Ian Baas from Noblesville, Ind., will join von Moltke and Norman. A winner at the Rolex 24 in 2006, Baas will greatly augment the team’s chances for success in the endurance races, as well as be an invaluable asset during the team’s testing program.

“I am extremely happy to be a part of this historical season with APR Motorsport and Audi,” Baas said. “We have had a lot of success with the VAG brands starting in 2008 with the VW GTIs, and now to move up to the GT category with the already successful Audi R8 GRAND-AM is a match made in heaven!”

“We are very happy with putting together the team of Dion, Jim, and Ian for the 2012 Rolex Series season in our brand-new Audi R8 LMS,” said Stephen Hooks, president and CEO of APR. “Bringing the Audi R8 GRAND-AM to the Rolex Series for the first time will be a challenge, but we have three very capable drivers that will be more than up to the very stiff competition in the Rolex Series GT class. With Daytona right around the corner, the team is flat out getting prepared to give our three drivers the best chance possible at a win.”

Von Moltke, Norman, and Baas will turn their first laps in the APR Audi R8 GRAND-AM at the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 6-8, 2012.

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