Audi R8 V10 Official Safety Car For Second Year In A Row At Rolex 24

· Audi To Lead Field For Inaugural Race Of TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

For the second year in a row, the Audi R8 V10 will lead the field of cars at the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“We are excited to be the Official Safety Car of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship for the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America. “Watching the R8 V10 make its way around the track on the banked turns of Daytona International Speedway as the safety car will further prove its ability to offer incredible balance as a car for the track and on the road.”

The Audi R8 V10 road car and the R8 LMS race car, of which five will compete in the GT Daytona (GTD) class of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, share more than 50 percent of their parts and components. Two of those key components are the V10 naturally aspirated engine and the fully aluminum ASF® (Audi Space Frame) which provides a very stiff and lightweight chassis that weighs less than 500 pounds. The 13,000-mile engine service interval under race conditions is a testament to the durability of the R8 LMS. Where other race engines require servicing after a 24-hour race, the 5.2 liter V10 FSI engine in the R8 LMS can race a whole season without a major overhaul.

The teams that field the Audi R8 LMS are GMG Racing, Flying Lizard Motorsports (two entries), Fall-Line Motorsports and Paul Miller Racing.

The 2014 model year Audi R8 V10 5.2 liter engine generates 525 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque which accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds. New for the 2014 model year is the seven-speed S tronic transmission offering incredibly quick and smooth shifting between gears, including skipping gears automatically when downshifting for exceptional control and performance. The highly praised gated manual transmission is also available standard while the double clutch S tronic is available as an option.

The Audi R8 V10 road car is equipped with magnetic ride which allows the suspension to be stiffened for more dynamic driving or to offer a more comfortable ride. Standard waved brake rotors provide better heat dissipation as well as offer a nine pound weight reduction compared to conventional brake rotors which reduces unsprung weight. The R8 V10 is available as a coupe or Spyder.

The Audi R8 model line is also available as a V8 coupe or Spyder with 425 horsepower in a manual transmission or with the available seven-speed S tronic. For maximum performance, the R8 V10 Plus offers 550 horsepower, is 130 pounds lighter than the V10 and reaches 60 mph in a breathtaking 3.3 seconds.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona race will start at 2:10 pm EST on Saturday, Jan. 25, and end 24 hours later.

The full television schedule to watch all of the action is as follows:

Saturday, Jan. 25

2-4 p.m. EST on FOX

4-9 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 2

Overnight (Jan. 25-26)

9 p.m. – 7 a.m. EST on IMSA.com (includes live images, in-car cameras and announcers)

Sunday, Jan. 26

7 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1