Ross Wylie was handed a dream job recently when the rising motor racing ace from Dumfries was invited to drive this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race winning Audi.
The Thornhill driver who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier this month (15 Sep), got behind the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS ultra at the Misano race track in Italy.
Motorsport, a respected monthly publication that has been in existence since 1925, arranged for the Scotsman to drive the 180mph Audi on the back of his meteoric rise from karting to car racing which culminated this month with Ross claiming the British GT4 Championship title on his series debut.
The Audi competes worldwide in the GT3 category – a class that Ross aspires to – and in addition to winning the annual Nürburgring race staged around the fearsome 14-mile Nordschleife, the R8 also won the Spa 24 Hours.
Ross reflected: “Getting the chance to drive the actual Nürburgring 24 Hour winning R8 at Misano was simply amazing! It’s a massive highlight for me and I am really grateful to have been given such a special opportunity by the British magazine.
“Audi has won three of the major 24 hour races this summer including the Le Mans 24 Hours which my near neighbour Allan McNish won last year.
“So getting to see how Audi Sport operates first hand, it came as no surprise to me why they are so dominant in sportscar racing.
“Spending time with Nürburgring race winner Marcus Winkelhock and other head guys at Audi Sport was a great eye opener, an experience I won’t forget.
“Since winning the British GT4 title, I’ve started to work hard in finding the budget to graduate into the GT3 category.
“This is where I want and need to be in 2015 and hopefully the Audi test was a taste of what lies ahead.”
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