Champion Racing established itself as one of the top “privateer” motor racing teams in the world. Established in 1994, six years after Champion Racing President Dave Maraj started his Champion Audi and Champion Porsche dealerships in Pompano Beach, Florida, the 40-strong team has proven its mettle against some of the best teams and manufacturers in racing.
Champion Racing's Audi R8 LMP-900 program began in February 2001, when it was announced that Champion would field an R8 Prototype in the full 2001 American Le Mans Series as well as making the team's first-ever appearance at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours.
2004 again saw a very successful season for the team as the ADT Champion Racing Team clinched the 2004 American Le Mans Championship title after winning eight times in nine starts.
In June 2005, in front of over 230,000 spectators and approximately 2,000 media representatives, Team ADT Champion Racing and the No. 3 Audi R8 piloted by JJ Lehto, Marco Werner and Tom Kristensen, crossed the finish line in first position in what will be remembered as one of the most fiercely contested races in the history of the event. In doing so, Team ADT Champion Racing re-wrote history for an event that dates back to 1923.For Dave Maraj, owner of Champion Racing (Pompano Beach, FL), winning the 73rd 24 Hours of Le Mans fulfilled a lifetime achievement that began back in 1993. Not only was this win significant to Maraj personally, but it also marked the first time in 37 years that an American team has won the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy. In addition, Team ADT Champion Racing won all three Championship titles in the 2005 American Le Mans Series season: the Team Championship (second for Champion Racing), the Driver’s Championship (won by teammates
Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela) and the Manufacturers’ Championship (Audi’s sixth consecutive Championship).
The Audi R8 competed in its final race at Lime Rock Park in June 2006. With 62 wins from 79 races to date - including five victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans - the R8 is the most successful Le Mans Prototype of all time. In 2006 Audi unveiled the new Audi R10 TDI Diesel Powered Prototype. The two-car Audi entry runs the ALMS season under the responsibility of Dave Maraj's Champion Racing team under the Audi Sport North America banner.
The diesel-powered R10 closed out the ALMS 2006 season at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, within its debut season, the R10 notched all seven wins. With the victory at La Sarthe, Audi became the first manufacture to debut a new Le Mans Prototype and remain unbeaten in its debut season. Audi Sport North America continued to build its American Le Mans Series résumé in 2007 with a sweep of all 12 Series rounds and its fifth LMP1 championship.
One of the most dominating teams in the 10-year history of the Series, Audi Sport North America has posted 45 class victories and a record 22 in a row dating back to Sebring in 2006. That was the race that Audi made motorsports history by winning for the first time with the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI, a prototype that represented a new wave of technology into the Series Numerous world famous motor racing stars have driven for Champion Racing during the past 10 years, including Le Mans 24 Hour race winners Derek Bell, Thierry Boutsen, Hurley Haywood, Johnny Herbert, Stefan Johansson, Tom Kristensen, JJ Lehto, Allan McNish, Emanuele Pirro, Hans Stuck Jr. and Andy Wallace. Juan Fangio II, Bill Adam, Michael Galati, Randy Pobst, James Weaver and the late Bob Wollek have also represented Champion Racing.