Audi Celebrates Diesel’s B-Day by Winning the Pole at Sebring in a Diesel!

The 12 hour endurance race at Sebring Florida starts this morning at 9:30 AM CST on Speed. In Friday’s qualifying both the pole position and the second spot were won by the new Audi R10 TDI, a diesel powered race car! There have long been diesel powered race cars, a few turbine cars, Jay Leno even drives around in a steam powered race car; so this is nothing new. It is however extremely rare. Rarer still is any success. Due to the huge market for diesel vehicles in Europe this is a good marketing idea for Audi. The coming diesel regulations here in the States mean the Audi will likely be selling more diesel cars here and some racing victories can’t hurt. The Sebring race is run on the old airfield down there and is a true endurance test due to the rather decrepit old surface. You can even see planes in the background. Today would be Rudolph Diesel's 148th birthday, Flying Debris commented on the birthday here.