Audi will take on Peugeot and Acura at Petit Le Mans next month as it gears up to try to win back its 24 Hours of Le Mans crown in 2010.

The German manufacturer has finally confirmed its plans to take part in the penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta on Sept. 26. The announcement follows two months of uncertainty about Audi's plans for the R15 TDI in the wake of its defeat by Peugeot at Le Mans in June.

Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich explained that a return to Petit for a 10th consecutive run marked “the first part of our preparations for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.”

“We want to use it as an opportunity for our engineers to learn even more about the R15 TDi in direct competition with strong rivals,” he said. “A lot of things can be simulated on test rigs and in testing, but nothing can replace the experience gathered in actual racing events.”

The two Joest-run R15s will be driven by Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello, and Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner. They will bid to maintain Audi's perfect record at Petit.

Petit Le Mans is likely to be the last time that the R15 races in its current form. Revised 2010 regulations set to be announced soon are expected to force Audi to modify the controversial front end of the car.

The Le Mans organizer finally conceded that there will be rule changes that affect the Audi when it announced the broad principles of its 2010 rulebook last week. The organizer revealed changes that will require modifications to the rear end of all prototypes, further tweaking the balance of performance between petrol- and diesel-engine LMP1 cars.

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