Following the successful debut last year, at which the Abt-Audi TT-R occupied second place overall in its debut 24 Hour race, the team is well equipped for revenge on the Nordschleife. Team Infineon Abt Sportsline is currently building up the two race cars that are based on the 2003 vintage DTM car in their Kempten premises.

Parallel to this, the driver line-up for the latest running of the classic is also confirmed: Christian Abt, Mattias Ekström and Fredrik Ekblom share one TT-R, Patrick Huisman, Frank Stippler and Karl Wendlinger take turns at the wheel in the sister car.

Infineon Team Abt Sportsline, who will be supported by quattro GmbH, the sporting subsidiary of AUDI AG, will enter both the Abt-Audi TT-R cars. In addition to "S line", the trademark for the quattro GmbH sporting kits, Audi Original Parts and Infineon are already confirmed as partners. The six drivers to start at the Nürburgring have intimate knowledge of the Nordschleife. The two Audi works drivers Christian Abt (Germany) and Mattias Ekström (Sweden) - both of whom are running in the DTM with an Audi A4 - will be supported by Ekström's fellow countryman Fredrik Ebklom, who won the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) last year in an Audi A4.

The other Abt Audi TT-R will be driven by the veterans Patrick Huisman (Netherlands) and Karl Wendlinger (Austria), who also started for Abt-Audi in the DTM over the last two years and who steered the second placed number eight car at the Nordschleife last year. The young German Frank Stippler completes the team.

"We have assembled a powerful squad with a mixture of seasoned campaigners and youngsters for the 24 Hour race at the Nürburgring," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. A comprehensive test programme is planned for the forthcoming weeks to prepare themselves for the marathon twice around the clock.