I finally had the pleasure of making it to Road Atlanta, one of the world's best road courses. The track, which is only a little over 4 hours from my house, is home to the 1,000 mile endurance race that wraps up the American Le Mans Series. Thanks to a loyal customer, Doug and I had tickets to the Audi Hospitality tent which hired a celebrity chef to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner during the 2-day event. We also had access to an open bar, luxury portable bathrooms, flat screens to watch the race and protection from the wind when needed. It was incredible. Although the race ended up being a bit disappointing it was still an incredible experience. Peugeot sport beat out Audi sport for first and second place after both Audi R18s were pulled from the race with just hours left (1 crash, 1 clutch issue). Aston Martin took 3rd place.
But despite Audi losing we had a ton of fun! The atmosphere of the track was incredible. Walking through the pits we were able to observe pit crews working feverishly. In the hospitality tent we socialized with Audi enthusiasts and met the engineers of the R18. The vendor area was busy with plenty of giveaways and cool merchandise for sale. Walking through the Audi corral was a huge treat! We saw our first Audi TTRS, many R8s, souped-up S4s and more. We even participated in a parade lap around the track with the Audi club prior to the start of the race. At night the glowing headlights zooming around the track coupled with the rumble of the engine created a stunning and soothing ambiance.
I've had my first taste of American Le Mans and can't wait to graduate to the French countryside. Maybe we'll make it in 2013...
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