Young racing talent Aditya Patel set to create motorsport history with Audi

Mumbai/Nürburgring: Young Indian race talent, Aditya Patel is all set to write a new chapter in motorsport history, becoming the first ever Indian to compete in the 24 hours of Nürburgring. This is one of the most respected and highly anticipated races on the endurance race calendar and qualification to the race defines the stamina, skill and technical capabilities of the cars and its drivers. Audi India had signed a 3 year contract with the promising young racer, securing a seat with the team Pro-Handicap e.V in the iconic Audi TTS. Team Pro-Handicap e.V is highly experienced and is known for the reliability of their car, the Audi TTS, having completed the 24 hours of Nürburgring all 7 times that they have entered. The team is one of the few to race with only 3 drivers, giving them at least 7 hours of racing time each, while most other teams are racing with 4 drivers. Speaking on the association, Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India said, “Audi’s association with motorsport goes back a long way and our achievements on the racetrack reflect our passion for high quality engineering, technology and success. We believe in nurturing young talent and are confident that the capability of the Audi TTS and Aditya’s skill is a good combination to take on this challenge. The main objective for Aditya is to  finish the race, which will lay a strong foundation for future success.”

Aditya Patel, Audi race talent said, “This is a huge opportunity and I am very excited to race in one of the biggest events in international motorsport. So far I have been racing in the sprint format, but this exposure to a high level endurance format will help to develop my skills as an all-round racer. I feel confident of finishing the race, because I know what Audi cars are capable of. Although there is a long way to go before I can compete with the best, I am thankful that Audi India and my sponsors have given me such a big chance to gain vital experience so early in my career.

Aditya Patel has qualified for the race after his participation in the VLN endurance series held in Germany last month. The Nürburgring is renowned for being the most challenging track in the world, with a distance of 25 kms (15.5 miles), various blind turns and varying weather zones. Aditya’s motorsport career began at an early age with the JK Tyre National Racing Championship in 2001 when he was 14.Consistent performances and dedicated support from long term sponsors like JK Tyre, MAS Holdings and Petra Energy saw him rise through the ranks and later into more advanced formats such as the VW Polo R Cup and the VW Scirocco R Cup in Germany, where he finished 5 overall, in 2011.

Audi India and JK Tyre along with other long term sponsors are dedicated to defining a concrete development path for Aditya. This will provide him access to various international racing platforms in Audi performance models ranging from the newly (in India) launched Audi TT to the super sports car, the Audi R8. The practice and qualifying sessions for the 24 hours of Nürburgring will be held on 17 -18th May and the competing race is scheduled for 19th - 20th May. 

Live updates will be available on the official Audi India facebook

(http://www.facebook.com/audiindia) and twitter (@audiin) pages.