Cadillac Racing News

News from Cadillac Headquarters Cadillac Racing Teams as well as other informational updates that pertain to the V-Series line of vehicles.

View IMSA Schedule

To learn more about IMSA Prototype Racing participation by Cadillac click on the following image.


View WEC Schedule

To learn more about FIA World Endurance Championship Racing participation by Cadillac, click on the following image.


View IMSA Schedule

To learn more about MSA Prototype Racing participation by Cadillac click on  the following image.
  • 09/16/2021 6:55 PM | Anonymous

    SOURCE: IMSA.com - Jeff Olson

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wayne Taylor calls it “a good first step.” Mike Krack says it’s “the perfect match.” For Tim Cindric, it’s “an opportunity we haven’t seen in our lifetime.”

    In little more than a year, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will unveil a new version of its highest class. In conjunction with Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), LMDh cars will replace Daytona Prototype international (DPi), turning IMSA’s fastest and most technically advanced racing cars into a platform for hybrid technology that matches global sports car formats.

    It’s a grand, expansive and complicated undertaking. It’s also enjoying a positive afterglow in the months since its announcement. Five manufacturers – Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – have committed to building LMDh cars. So far, three teams in the WeatherTech Championship have announced plans to field LMDh entries beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January 2023.

    More are expected to announce LMDh plans in the coming months.

     

    IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar ChampionshipMotul Petit Le MansRoad Atlanta, Braselton GASaturday 7 October 20176, ORECA LMP2, P, Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tim CindricWorld Copyright: Michael L. LevittLAT ImagesTim Cindric

    “It has the potential of having the equipment and regulations common across IMSA and the ACO,” said Team Penske President Tim Cindric, who’s preparing his team to partner with Porsche in its IMSA LMDh plans. “It’s an opportunity we haven’t seen in our lifetime, I don’t think. As a team, we wanted to be involved.”

    In the next few weeks, IMSA NewsWire and IMSA.com will delve into LMDh from the perspective of team owners and managers. Some of the most influential minds in IMSA will examine the response, the potential and the expectations of LMDh.

    So far, the plan has met an affirmative response.

    “We come now from a long GT era, and we have now the possibility to do a cost-effective (LMDh program to compete) for an overall win,” said Krack, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “This is very attractive, and at the same time you can sell technology. These two go well together.”

    Announced in January 2020, LMDh generated more momentum last month when Cadillac announced its development of an LMDh program with two established and successful DPi teams – Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing.

    13-14 December 2016, Daytona Beach, Florida USAGary Nelson©2016, Richard DoleLAT Photo USAGary Nelson

    “We were really hoping this would happen,” said Gary Nelson, manager of Action Express. “The format really got our attention. In my mind, trophies should be hard to get. I like tough competition, and that’s what this looks like it will provide.”

    The class is based on a cost-capped car generating more than 670 horsepower from the combined output of an internal combustion engine and a hybrid powertrain. Four constructors – Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic and ORECA – will build chassis, and manufacturers will be allowed to brand engines and stylize the bodywork.

    Wayne TaylorWayne Taylor

    “When there’s a big technology change, you’re starting from a clean sheet of paper,” said Wayne Taylor, whose Wayne Taylor Racing is part of Acura’s current DPi program and considered a front-runner to continue in Acura’s LMDh plans. “With the pressure to use and create clean energy, this is a good first step.”

    As auto manufacturers continue to hone hybrid technology and move toward electric production vehicles, racing offers the ideal proving ground and stage for the change. It’s not surprising, then, that LMDh has received an endorsement of participation.

    “IMSA has always made sure that they have the constructors on board, their teams on board and their audience,” Krack said. “It’s a package that all of us need. For us, it’s the perfect match.”

  • 08/08/2021 7:12 PM | Anonymous


    Source: Cadillac Media Pressroom - Kyle Chura


    The Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani won today’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sportscar weekend race at Road America.

    Felipe Nasr started the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R from pole position for the two-hour-and-forty-minute race. He had to weather two restarts from yellows to maintain the lead throughout his stint. He turned the car over to Pipo Derani and he proceeded to keep the red Cadillac at the front of the field for most of his stint as well. The only scare for the Cadillac’s was the 60 Acura stretching fuel and hoping for a late race with yellow until it had to pit for fuel with less than four minutes remaining. The win is the second in a row for the team and their third on the season (Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road America).

    “The race started pretty well,” Nasr said. “It was great to get the pole position yesterday. We know how important it is at this place to drive in clean air. It helps the whole setup of the car. You can look after your tires and [it helps] with fuel economy. At the start, I had a lot of pressure from the No. 10 car going into Turn One. After that, it was all about hitting the marks and that proves the car was good enough to stay in the lead. We knew it was going to be a fuel saving race to make it to the end.

    “It [the win] was great. I just want to say a big thank you to the guys at Action Express Racing. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac was amazing to drive today. It’s hard to believe when you get a perfect weekend like this because they are so hard [to come by]. Winning here after winning at Watkins [Glen], back-to-back wins, it just shows how much work and effort we’re putting into the car and the team. The [Championship] fight is on. We’re going to bring the Championship to all of us here. We’re certainly going to give them [the competition] more battles until the end [of the season].”

    “We had a fantastic weekend – perfect to be honest,” Derani said. “When I was in the car, the No. 60 car was out of my hands. So, I just hit my marks and focused on making sure we could make it to the end saving fuel. Not having a yellow [late in the race], helped us. The No. 60 eventually had to come into the pits with that off sequence strategy they had. That allowed us to just focus on bringing the car home. I’m really happy. We had a fantastic weekend. We didn’t put a foot wrong in any practice. We even skipped practice #1 because we felt it was too risky to go out with the amount of rain. Without testing in the rain, we went out there and put it on pole. That’s fantastic. That set the tone for us from the very beginning. I just want to say a big thank you to Whelen Engineering, Lucas Oil, Cadillac, and all of our sponsors for giving us an opportunity to go racing and to go win back-to-back races, which is awesome.”

    Kevin Magnussen took the start in the No. 01 V Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R. He ran in the top four before turning the car over to Renger van der Zande who had the task of combining fuel economy with making up positions to get on the podium to finish in third on the day.

    “I am not so sure how the others made it. I had to save a lot,” van der Zande said. “So, at the end maybe I could push a little bit. We lost a little speed in that last final fuel run, so we will have to look at what happened. Of course, we came to win, but we didn’t have the speed, so we’ll take a podium finish for the team and Cadillac today.”

    The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R was started by Tristan Vautier. He was able to maintain contact with the front running DPi cars at the beginning of his stint but fell back with tire degradation. He handed the car off to teammate Loic Duval who brought it home in sixth.

    “Rough day, we were lacking pace,” Vautier said. “I managed to hang on for a little while, we were already struggling to keep the tires underneath us. We were lacking a bit of overall grip. It is disappointing. We tried to play the fuel and saw it wasn’t going to work. We are happy for the No. 31 Cadillac bringing it home for an amazing race. So that is great for them. We need to do our homework to be quicker next month.”

    Cadillac IMSA Road America Results:

    1. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani

    3. No. 01 V Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen

    6. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval

    The IMSA WeatherTech Championship Sportscar weekend at Road America television broadcast will air on NBCSN, tonight, August 8, at 8 p.m. ET. 

    The next round for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship will be at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 10-12.

    Image credit: Cadillac/Richard Prince


  • 06/14/2021 6:59 PM | Anonymous


    SOURCE: CADILLAC MEDIA PRESSROOM - KYLE CHURA

    Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the win in today’s running of the WeatherTech Sportscar Championship Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle Park. 

    At the drop of the green flag on the 100-minue IMSA WeatherTech race Magnussen had the measure of the field. The Dane was able to keep the 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R in the lead the entire race. Under hot conditions and running the bumpy island circuit he handed the car to Renger Van Der Zande who had to navigate a restart and bring the car home to the checker for the team’s first win with the brand.


    “I haven’t won a race since 2013 and it feels great,” Magnussen said. “The whole season we have been fast, but just not getting it to the end. We led a lot of laps this year and finally the right laps. Chip Ganassi Racing had an impressive weekend (referring to the win in IndyCar earlier in the day). I was happy to contribute to that with a win as well.

    “Coming here and knowing I was going to be able to fight for wins was a real privilege. To go racing with this awesome car at these awesome tracks with this team is a dream. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to do that. To come out of this weekend with the big trophy it’s pretty special. I am back in a winning situation and really enjoying it.”

    “Having a Brazilian behind you is never easy,” van der Zande said. “We controlled the race. Kevin did a mega job in qualifying to get us to the front. We just kept control of it. You have to be lucky at street tracks not having crazy yellows at the wrong time. I think IMSA did a good job giving everyone a chance controlling the yellows. The car was really nice. We had the Cadillac set-up really well. The team gives you a lot of confidence so I can do what I do and that’s drive cars fast. The win on the home soil of GM, very proud.”

    “Obviously a big day for the team,” Chip Ganassi, team owner, said. “I don’t think it is any secret that this team was put together at the last minute in the fall of 2020. It is really special to have an availability of talent, like the guys to my right, that want to come and drive for you. I couldn’t be prouder of these two and the work they put in over the winter. They are the kind of teammates you like to have and the kind of people you want to have in your organization. I think they have a great future in the sport.”

    Pipo Derani took the start in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R from third. He was able to drive to second place by the second turn after the green. He put pressure on Magnussen for the lead. Felipe Nasr took over with 47 minutes remaining and followed van der Zande out of the pits for the only stop of the race. He was able to keep the red Cadillac close, but never close enough to attempt a pass.

    “I feel like their car [No. 01 Cadillac] was always better on the restarts,” Nasr said. “You could see it on Pipo’s restart as well. They would make a gap. We seemed to have a better tire on longer stints. But I feel like they were pretty good on the restarts.

    “It was a fast-paced race. Although I hate to come in second as a driver, I’m happy for Cadillac because we got a 1-2 finish here in Detroit. We couldn’t be here last year. So, it was so great to see the fans and the fans are full of energy. I’m so glad we’re able to put it together. Thanks to IMSA and all the sponsors involved. It was awesome to be back here. I simply love this track. But hey, it was good for the points – looking ahead to the Championship. We got back-to-back podium finishes coming off the race at Mid-Ohio. It’s pretty satisfying, but at the same time we still have to work.”

    Tristan Vautier showed the speed of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R racing to third in the first few laps of the race. He was balked by a slower GT car that allowed the Mazda to overtake. Teammate Loic Duval was in a battle during his 47-minute stint to hold off the charging Acura for fifth place. 

    “It was good,” Vautier said. “After yesterday I pushed really hard at the start to shake things off and I was able to get up to P3 at the start. I struggled to keep with the pace of the leaders. The two lead cars were in a league of the their own. A GT car blocked me really bad and allowed the Mazda to get around me. We lost the third spot and that put us a bit on the back foot for the pit sequence. I think the four of us from P3 for P6 were kind of the same. We need to find the pace of the 01 and 31 for the next weekend.

    Cadillac IMSA Detroit Results:

    1. No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger van der Zande and Kevin Magnussen

    2. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani

    5. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier and Loic Duval

    The IMSA WeatherTech Championship will travel to upstate New York for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, June 24-27.

  • 05/16/2021 2:14 PM | Anonymous


    SOURCE: CADILLAC PRESSROOM - KYLE CHURA

    The Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr finished second in today’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Acura Sportscar Challenge Presented by the TLX Type S at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course.

    The Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course is known for being tight and favoring light weight cars. Today’s race was a lesson in fuel saving strategy and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R team showed their engineering prowess by finishing second today.


    The race witnessed only one full course caution period, which made for a torrid pace over the two-hour-and-forty-five-minute run time. Felipe Nasr was the closing driver in the red Whelen Engineering Cadillac and had to manage the fuel economy of the V8 powered car over the last stint. The Action Express Team was wearing out their calculators by constantly giving the Brazilian driver the necessary information to maintain a gap to third while still trying to go for the win. In the end, second was the result giving Nasr, Derani, and the team their best finish of the year.

    “That was the name of the game – saving fuel,” Nasr said. “I have to credit Whelen Engineering Racing. They did an awesome job on strategy – especially on getting clear track and having enough fuel to go to the end. But, I have to say it was a little too extreme. That made me lose that position. We wanted to win that race. It was hard to do everything at the same time – save fuel, keep temperature in the tires. We knew the Acuras had a little more in their two tanks. So, they had a margin to play [with]. Whereas we were on the extreme limit. I think I saved the most fuel I ever have in a race. I’m happy and sad at the same time because once you feel you can grab the win and then let it go. It’s hard. But, that’s racing. We made the most of what we had. We came away with a lot of points, which are needed in the Championship. We haven’t been up on the podium yet this year. It’s a nice way to get things moving again. Thank you to our sponsors Cadillac, Whelen Engineering and Lucas Oil.”

    The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Tristan Vautier and Loic Duval came to the checker in fourth. Like the 31, the JDC-Miller Motorsports managed team did not have to splash for fuel and made the most of the day with a fourth-place finish.

    “Our pace was ok, but we were struggling a little bit on starts and restarts on cold tires,” Vautier said. “It was a very fun first stint for me battling with the Wayne Taylor car. In the end it was all about who could make it to the finish line. We managed to salvage a decent result with good fuel saving by the team and Loic. We wanted better, but fourth place is good points and we made the most of the race in the end.”

    Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande drove to a fifth-place finish. The team had to overcome a start penalty when Magnussen pulled out of line before crossing the start stripe. As the race progressed the team was running strong in the top four. With just five-minutes remaining van der Zande was forced to pit for a splash of fuel sealing a top five finish. 

    “Basically, we went swimming across the river, made it halfway, and we had to go back [referring to the splash of fuel at the end],” van der Zande said. “The car was much better in the race than qualifying. The team did a great job getting the 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac good for the race. I made some cool moves getting by the Acura and the 5 Cadillac. We learned a lot about what the car needs on a low grip track and we will take the forward.”

    Cadillac IMSA Mid-Ohio results:

    2. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani

    4. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier and Loic Duval

    5. No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing DPi-V.R, Renger Van Der Zande and Kevin Magnussen

    The teams will travel to the Motor City and the temporary road course on Belle Isle for the Detroit Grand Prix, June 11-12.

  • 03/20/2021 8:30 AM | Anonymous


    SOURCE: CADILLAC MEDIA PRESSROOM - KYLE CHURA

    The Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R won today’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

    The race started with Pipo Derani taking the green from pole in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. Derani was soon passed by Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. Forty-minutes into the race, Derani was hungry to get the lead back and went to the inside of Turn 17 and got squeezed into the wall when the 01 was forced over by a GTD car. Derani had to pit the 31 for repairs sending them down four laps.


    As the race went on the top five DPi competitors exchanged the lead. When night fell, the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac in the hands of Scott Dixon took the lead on the 3.7-mile, 17-turn central Florida circuit. The cool temperatures of the early evening favored the set-up of the Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac. With just an hour left Dixon had contact while trying to make it to pit road taking them out of contention.

    From the darkness arose the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R with Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, and Sebastien Bourdais. The team found pace in the night after recovering from a slow start. The JDC-Miller Motorsports team drove to the front leading the race in the last hour. With just 36-minutes remaining the team made their last pit stop with Bourdais at the wheel. With 14-minutes left Bourdais radioed that the car was loose. The IndyCar champion and endurance veteran worked with the sway bar adjustments to make-up for the lack of downforce from a broken rear wing to bring the team their first win in IMSA DPi competition.

    “At the start of my last stint everything was under control,” Bourdais said. “We were super strong at the beginning, went from P6 to P1. Our sequence of pit stops was very strong. We kept jumping people. I thought from then it was going to be easy, the Mustang Sampling Cadillac was really good. Then the rear wing fell off with 10 laps to go. That was the hardest 10 laps of my life. The balance went way forward on the car. I compensated with the bars and brake balance. Still the car was unbelievably loose in the fast corners. I can’t believe we won it. Honestly, I could have crashed the car about 10 times. Especially before I figured out there was something seriously wrong. The rear tires started to degrade really bad. I was just hanging on. To stay in front of the field like this is one of my greatest achievements."

    After the pit in incident the Chip Ganassi Racing team made quick repairs returning van der Zande to the race who would cross the line fifth.

    “It’s pretty frustrating,” Dixon said. "I’m not sure how – I know I hit the BMW on entry. It was a very late call for the pits, so I was scrambling to get everything undone in time. I was trying to turn back to get to pit road and there was just a car there and so I hit them on the way in. That was definitely a tough one there. I feel bad for the team because everyone was doing a fantastic job and the car was fast. Credit to everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. It’s definitely unfortunate, but we had a good run there.”

    Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, and Mike Conway had an eventful race. Derani had the start from pole and was soon overtaken by the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Renger van der Zande. Forty-minutes into the race, Derani tried to retake the lead going into the inside of the entry of Turn 17 and was squeezed into the wall by van der Zande and a GTD car. The resulting damage and repairs cost the team four laps. The team had made up two laps until with just over four hours to go, Nasr had contact with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R causing another out of sequence stop. With just under two hours remaining, Conway lost drive and stopped out on the track in Turn 7 ending the day for the team.

    “The best way to put it is, it just wasn’t our day today,” Nasr said. “It’s hard to believe it all. We’ve got to be realistic. We had a fantastic car all weekend and we dug our own hole. We had to pay the consequences for our mistakes. It was a big setback for the team when Pipo brushed the wall. From there on, it was playing catch up. It was a bad day. I feel sorry for the whole team. We deserve to be up front. Our sponsors deserve to be up front. And, we just didn’t give them what they deserve. That’s all of us included. I hope we can get things straight and go after the next one.”

    The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R started by Jimmie Johnson was a factor for most of the race. Together with Simon Pagenaud and Kamui Kobayashi they were on the lead lap all race. Aside from a spin early by Johnson, the drivers kept the 48 Cadillac competitive all day. However, the team violated the drive time rule. The official drive time showed that Pagenaud exceeded his allowable drive time. IMSA rules state that one driver cannot drive more than four hours in a six-hour period. The overage was less than a minute. When this happened in the late afternoon the race turned into a test session as they were no longer being scored.

    “It was so intense out there all week," Johnson said. "I can't put into perspective what I experienced the last two days. I made plenty of mistakes that I need to clean up. I felt like I was in a position to really get aggressive and I just over-stepped a little. A lot of lessons learned and a good run for this Ally Cadillac team. The team really responded well after my spin and got us back into contention. Simon and Kamui put in great last stints. The drive time penalty negated all of the effort today, but we are a team. We will learn and come back even stronger for Watkins Glen in June."

     

    Cadillac Racing Sebring results:

    1.No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais

    5.No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, Kevin Magnussen, Renger Van Der Zande, Scott Dixon

    6.No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani, Mike Conway

    7.No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, Jimmy Johnson, Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi

    The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship take a near two month break with the next event being the Acura Sportscar Challenge to run at Mid-Ohio, May 14-16.

  • 04/06/2020 9:01 AM | Anonymous

    The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) received official notification from the organizers of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear that this year’s event, which was scheduled from May 29-30, has been canceled for 2020.


  • 01/27/2020 10:06 AM | Anonymous


    Source: WayneTaylorRacing.com


    2020 ROLEX 24 POST RACE REPORT

    The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team put on a dominant performance to win the 58th Rolex 24 at DAYTONA. The team won by one minute and five seconds over the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest entry, and shattered the previous 24-hour distance record at Daytona International Speedway, completing 833 laps for a total of 2,965.5 miles.

    2020 Rolex 24 Post Race Report

    The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team put on a dominant performance to win the 58th Rolex 24 at DAYTONA today. The team won by one minute and five seconds over the No. 77 Mazda Team Joest entry, and shattered the previous 24-hour distance record at Daytona International Speedway, completing 833 laps for a total of 2,965.5 miles.

    The win marks the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac Dpi V.R’s second victory in a row at the crown jewel event for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and It's third title of the iconic endurance classic in four years.

    Ryan Briscoe, who joined the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team ahead of the 2020 season, qualified fifth and took the green flag for the 2020 racing season under beautiful sunlight on Saturday afternoon. The team, including full-time drivers Briscoe, Renger van der Zande and endurance-race support drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Scott Dixon, made steady progress in the opening hours of the race, with Kobayashi eventually taking the lead in the third hour of the endurance-classic.

    As the race developed into the night, the Konica Minolta Cadillac team began to unveil its dominating pace. With perfect pit stop execution, decisive moves on track and colder temperatures that suited the black, blue and white Konica Minolta machine, the Indianapolis-based team led the majority of laps during the night.

    But challenges began to set in for the team in the early Sunday morning when Briscoe had to serve a stop and hold penalty in pit lane for exiting pit lane while red lights were displayed. The 60-second penalty caused the No. 10 machine to drop off the lead lap and to fourth place with just over 5 hours to go. Thanks in part to two full-course yellows and a stellar stop by the team that beat the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac out of the pits, Briscoe managed to worked his way back to the lead.

    Kobayashi completed the final two hours and 42 minutes of the race to seal the win for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team, crossing the line over a minute ahead of the nearest competition. The win marked Kobayashi and van der Zande’s second overall wins of the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, a first overall win for Briscoe and a fourth Rolex win for Dixon.

    “I feel on top of the world,” said team co-owner, Wayne Taylor. “No one single person wins this race, it’s a team event. Big thanks to Cadillac and especially Konica Minolta with Rick Taylor and Mike Mathe who have been so supportive of my family and I for so many years. We could also not win without the support of CIT Group and AMETEK| Powervar and ESP. To do what we do today is quite historic. I won here twice as a driver and now three times as a team owner. Five wins! It makes me want to win it every year, for the rest of my life.”

    “It feels fantastic to win for a second time in a row at Daytona,” commented Kobayashi, who amazed with a triple stint to seal the win for the team. “It feels much different to last year with the difficult conditions. This year the conditions were perfect and we were pushing, fighting all 24 hours of the race. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R was fantastic to drive and it was great to finish the race for everyone. Big thank you to the team, Konica Minolta and Wayne [Taylor] for all their support, everyone did a great job.”

    “Just a fantastic victory,” said Briscoe, who joined the team ahead of the 2020 season. “I just feel super privileged to be part of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team. Wayne [Taylor] has put together such a first-class program that always does well here at Daytona and this is the team’s third Rolex 24 at DAYTONA win in four years. It’s just incredible as far as statistics go and to be part of that is phenomenal. From engineers to mechanics and my co-drivers, everyone just did a great job.”

    “I’ve never had such a good car at Daytona, or anywhere for that matter,” enthused van der Zande, who scored his second win in a row at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA. “We took everything we learned from last year and made a huge step forward, which is very encouraging for the rest of the year. I’m just proud of the whole No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team. We had such a great collaboration between all the drivers and I’m just super happy.”

    “For me, the biggest part of the story was how we all came to be part of the team,” said Dixon, who joined the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team for the first time this year. “Being part of the reigning race-winning team is probably the hardest thing you can do, because you are trying to repeat. You have that in the back of your mind the whole time. We had times during the race with adversity, but the team was able to rebound with strategy and the driver line-up just worked through it in a calm manner, which is hard to do. I’ve been a part of many 24-hour races in my career, but to come back from the many deficits we had in this race showed the absolute commitment from the team. I’m really proud to be part of the team and I have to thank Chip [Ganassi] for letting me join Wayne [Taylor], Max [Angelelli] and everyone at Konica Minolta. We’re winners, that’s all that counts.”

    With the dominant win at the 58th Rolex 24 at DAYTONA today, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team leads the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship standings and the North American Endurance Championship as it heads to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, on March 21st, round two of the series.

  • 10/13/2019 8:09 AM | Anonymous

    Source: Sunday Group Management


    BRASELTON, GA (12 October 2019) – Whelen Engineering Racing went out a big winner in the final race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, scoring a dramatic victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans while giving Action Express Racing its sixth consecutive victory in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

    Pipo Derani grabbed the lead with 20 minutes remaining and drove home to victory in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R co-driven by Felipe Nasr and Eric Curran in the 10-hour classic at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

    “We finally got the win here, in my fourth try, it’s incredible,” said Derani, celebrating his 26th birthday. “I’m really happy and really proud to be part of this team, a big thank you to Whelen, to Action Express, to Cadillac, and for everyone who put this program together, and of course to the crew for making perfect pit stops. We are winners of Petit Le Mans!”

    Nasr broke the track record in qualifying, and took that pace into the event – breaking the Road Atlanta race lap record early on and quickly pulling away from the field with qualifying-quality laps. Nasr paced the opening 58 laps before turning the car over to Derani, who then led the next 78 circuits.

    “I’m happy with the final result, to get this victory,” said Nasr, who won the endurance classic at Sebring earlier in the year. “When I switched to prototype racing last year, we clinched the title and it was amazing. Before last year, I hadn’t done any of the American circuits other than Daytona, so when I came here, I thought Road Atlanta was the wildest place to drive and the hardest place to win. To have the car running well in the final stages is tricky. There isn’t a margin for error or mistakes, so I’m very pleased to add to my list with this victory.

    "Looking back at how the weekend started, from the time we hit the track, the work we did in every session, I just felt that the Action Express guys did a great job to get the car together in every kind of condition out there,” Nasr added. “This place gets pretty wild during the race. I had a pretty good start and was able to manage my pace, opening up a good lead. It was important to control the race, and everybody did their job – from pit stops to driver changes to keeping the wheels on. Eric did a great job as well, it was really a perfect day. My first pole position in IMSA and to get the win is very special.”

    Curran was in a new role this season as the team’s endurance specialist. While the No. 31 car came only five points shy of winning the IMSA season title for a second year, it repeated as champions of the Michelin Endurance Cup, giving Action Express Racing a perfect six consecutive triumphs in the four-race competition since sport car racing’s unification in 2014.

    “The Endurance Cup is a big deal championship to win, and Action Express just keeps winning one after another,” Curran said. “Road Atlanta has been good to me for years, but never a win. I’ve been trying to win this race for many years, and I’ve come in second a number of times. I’ve also won a few championships here as well. But to come up with a win at Petit Le Mans is pretty impressive.

    “The Whelan Cadillac was strong all weekend long, one of the best cars I’d ever driven,” added Curran. “I hadn’t been in the car for a while, not since Watkins Glen, so to come here and try to do a good job for these guys is a bit tricky. They’ve done an unbelievable job all season, second in points and winning the endurance championship. Felipe and Pipo have been strong all year long. They’re a great combo, great teammates. It’s been fun to come on board and support them, try to have some good stints, keep the car out of trouble and up front. That was my job for the day, and these guys make it easy.”

  • 10/13/2019 6:30 AM | Anonymous

    Source: Sunday Group Management


    BRASELTON, GA (12 October 2019) – Despite holding the lead of the ten hour Motul Petit Le Mans with less than 20 minutes to go, it was a third heartbreaking chapter for the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R at Road Atlanta on Saturday. 

    Filipe Albuquerque pulled away on the final restart with 25 minutes remaining in the 10-hour enduro and seemed headed to victory lane. Only five minutes later, though, a brake rotor failure resulted in a trip to the pits and a seventh-place finish for the car co-driven by Joao Barbosa and Mike Conway.

    Last year, Albuquerque ran out of fuel on the final lap while leading within sight of the checkered flag, having been called for a late race infraction in the 2017 edition of the event while fighting for the lead. 

    Saturday evening spoiled a flawless run that saw the No. 5 Cadillac leading 150 laps while running in the top two for much of the event marked by extended green-flag stretches of racing. The race ran at a record-setting pace in front of a reported record-setting crowd as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship closed out the 50th Anniversary season of IMSA on a very high note. 

    Unfortunately the closing moments of the race rewrote what was looking to be a picture-perfect ending for the team that has been a competitive force year in and year out. 

    “It’s unbelievable really,” Conway said of the late race misfortune. “We drove a good race and everyone was doing a mega job. We got lucky there with the yellow but I could see smoke coming off the car in some of the braking zones, but couldn’t tell what it was. It must have been the brakes wearing away and then it just blew up. It’s a bummer given there was just 20 minutes left, but happy to have left the race with our sister car in the lead.”

    The race was bittersweet for Barbosa, who has been a lead driver with the team since Mustang Sampling came on board Action Express Racing in 2015. Barbosa delivered another crisp performance under heavy pressure, managing tire wear, fuel consumption, and intense traffic to race the Mustang Sampling machine out front once again. 

    “The car ran fantastic, and it is the last time I will drive the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac,” Barbosa said. “A big thank you to everyone at Action Express Racing. Everything comes to an end, but hopefully today is not my end. We have had a fantastic run with championships and Rolex 24 Hour wins. This is racing, but today I had hoped to finish it off with a win. I am so proud of this team and being a part of this, it has been very special. I don’t know what is next but I hope for another great chapter in the future. ”

    While it will no longer be the primary sponsor for the No. 5 Cadillac, Mustang Sampling hopes to return to the sport in some capacity in the future.

  • 10/11/2019 8:34 AM | Anonymous

    SOURCE: Sunday Group Management

     BRASELTON, GA (11 October 2019) –  Whelen Engineering Racing driver Felipe Nasr captured his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole position in qualifying for the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Friday. The team has shown strong pace in the practice sessions leading up to the intense 15-minute session as Whelen Engineering Racing looks to make a winning close to the 2019 season. 

    Nasr turned a quick lap of 1:08.457-seconds on the 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R that he shares with Pipo Derani and Eric Curran.

    "I am very pleased with the lap and finally putting the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac on pole position,” said Nasr. “I feel like the car is alive and we are able to fight for a victory. Starting from pole gives us a great chance for the race. I want to dedicate this pole position to my Action Express Racing team. They have done an amazing job all year long and we finally are able to get the starting position we have been working for. I want to enjoy the race and work on maximizing our opportunity.” 

    Nasr and Derani enter the finale trailing in the season championship by 12 points. The duo – joined by Curran – are second in the quest for their second-consecutive IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC). They trail by only two points in a bid to make it a perfect six straight IMEC titles for Action Express Racing since 2014.

    “We want to win the Endurance Cup – it’s big,” Nasr said. “Our chances for the overall championship are quite slim, so we want to maximize every stage of the race tomorrow, and then go for the victory.”

    Nasr followed Derani as pole winner for the 10-hour classic. Derani led qualifying for a different team in 2018 – shortly after being announced as a new Whelen Engineering driver.

    “Pipo’s not happy that I took away his track record,” Nasr smiled after qualifying. “This is my first IMSA pole. I’ve been close a couple of times, but never got the job done. It’s great to have one for the final race of the year.”

    The No. 31 team has been strong all weekend, leading three of the four practices including Thursday evening’s 90-minute session.

    “Straight out of the box, from the truck itself, I felt like we had a decent car,” Nasr said. “We were just working on the details, getting the tire pressures right. In qualifying, it’s all about nailing that lap. I felt pretty confident going into qualifying because I knew the car I had on my hands. I worked with my engineer on the final details and I think it paid off. Finally, the car feels alive again after all those races and we are able to be in contention for victory. Tomorrow is a day that we have to look at every opportunity out there to maximize the results.”

    Saturday’s 22nd Motul Petit Le Mans takes the green flag at 12:05 p.m ET on NBC.