Audi Presents 24 Hours of Aspen

December 7, 2001

ASPEN, Colo.- Audi of America, Inc. is proud to continue its title sponsorship of the 24 Hours of Aspen. The Audi 24 Hours of Aspen is indisputably regarded as the World Championship of endurance skiing. The race begins at noon on December 9, when twenty athletes put their minds, bodies and spirits on the line as they race top-to-bottom on Aspen Mountain for 24 hours straight. Their only rest is the 14-minute gondola ride to thesummit. Teams compete for the title of "World's Toughest Skiers," $20,000 in prize money and fundraising for charity.

"The Audi 24 Hours of Aspen is an exciting event that nicely complements our motorsports involvement with 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Walter Hanek, Audi of America's Director of Marketing. "The participating athletes face incredible challenges in this endurance test, and they fully represent Audi's core values -- technology, design, performance and emotion -- in striving toward the finish line."

This year, the international field of 10 teams represents 8 countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States. A mix of new racers, returning veterans and the 2001 defending champions make up this year's teams.

To date, the event has raised more than $3 million for a number of different charities. This year the event will benefit Challenge Aspen, one of the premier non-profit organizations for people with disabilities in the United States.

The festivities begin Friday with the racers skiing on Snowmass with Challenge Aspen children who are learning to experience skiing with adaptiveequipment. On Saturday, a Celebrity Gala Dinner and auction will be held at the St. Regis Aspen and all proceeds will benefit Challenge Aspen. Audi Vice President Len Hunt will kick off the race on Sunday as a forerunner down AspenMountain. Audi has served as the official vehicle of Aspen for the last five years.

Audi of America is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and markets a line of performance-oriented luxury cars: the A4, A6, A8, TT and the allroad quattro. October 2001 represented the introduction of the all-new 2002 A4-- an extraordinary vehicle featuring stunning symmetry and powerful performance. Audi's event marketing programs center around the performing arts, lifestyle and sporting events. The parent company, Audi AG, is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany.