Before Audi began taking the measure of the competition with 10 overall race wins in the past 13 years here at Sebring, Audi literally took the measure of the Sebring International Raceway circuit.

“This was the first track we measured,” said Dr. Martin Muhlmeier the head of Engineering and Technical Development for Audi Sport.

“We instrumented a production car and drove the circuit to measure all the distances, the bumps, everything to use in our simulations,” Dr. Muhlmeier told a group of Michelin guests.

While the Sebring track measurements haven’t changed, the time it takes an Audi to win the pole here has. Frank Biela averaged 122.39 mph in winning the pole in 2000 aboard an Audi R8.

Marcel Fassler clocked an average speed of 129.604 mph (1:43.886) to claim the 2013 pole in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Despite rule changes, that is more than six second per lap quicker than Biela’s 2000 Sebring time.