 The race was sponsored by Mobil 1 and was the opening race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series season run by IMSA.This race marked the first time that a diesel powered racing vehicle had won a major endurance sports car race, with Audi taking the victory in their new R10 TDI sportscar, which was also the car's first race ever.However the win was not without problems, as one of the two Audi R10s suffered overheating problems and did not finish.