Category: IMSA

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R just misses podium finish in 1000 Miles of Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2023) — On the 11th anniversary of the first FIA World Endurance Championship race – on the Sebring International Raceway course – Cadillac Racing made an impressive debut in the Hypercar class.

The No. 2 Cadillac-V-Series.R co-driven by Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook battled cockpit heat during afternoon temperatures that reach 84 degrees Fahrenheit, an international field of 11 Hypercars and the usual unpredictable 3.741-mile, 17-turn racecourse to place fourth in the 1000 Miles of Sebring.

Bamber, closing out the eight-hour race, finished 10.127 seconds out of the final podium spot. The No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing entry, which is comprised of three former Cadillac Racing drivers from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi era, won the race.

Like its run in the IMSA season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January, the reliability and overall speed of the hybrid Cadillac racecar stood out.

“In 2022, the development of this car, the testing schedule, everything that we went through was so tough on the team, but we are seeing the results and we are so proud of all that work and effort that we put in. It was worth it,” said GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. “We have a solid car and we can’t wait to get to the rest of the WEC season and the IMSA season and show the world how great it is.

“Every time we turn the car on we learn something. Whether if we move it or even if it sits still, we learn something and the racing is the best way possible to learn. So we can only grow and get better.”

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R ran as high as third on multiple occasions to the twin Toyota LMH entries. Bamber led the way with 3 hours, 36 minutes (118 of the 237 laps) behind the wheel.

“No doubt it’s a strong and positive day for Cadillac Racing,” said Lynn, who drove to the fifth-place starting spot Thursday. “We started our WEC campaign with a fourth place and I think we would have taken that at the start of the weekend. This is the first time everyone has worked together on a brand new program, and to come 10 seconds within a podium with a team as strong as Ferrari is just a fantastic start with so much more to improve on.”

The six-hour race April 16 in Portimao, Portugal, is next on the WEC schedule. The hybrid Cadillac racecar will soon travel to its European base in Wedlingen, Germany, and be prepared for the second of seven rounds.

“The car was great. The pace was better than we expected, and we took advantage at the end of one of the Ferraris misfortune, but we’re racing for the podium and we gave it all we got,” said team manager and strategist Stephen Mitas. “We’ll keep giving it the same effort we’ve given it so far and try to build on this good result.”

Earlier in the day, the sister Cadillac V-Series.Rs swept the front row for the 71st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Pipo Derani, seeking his fourth overall victory in the race, qualified on pole with a lap of 1 minute, 45.836 seconds in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R. Sebastien Bourdais drove the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R to second with a lap of 1:45.923. Cadillac has won the past two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races at Sebring and four of the past six.

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R

Alex Lynn: “No doubt it’s a strong and positive day for Cadillac Racing. We started our WEC campaign with a fourth place and I think we would have taken that at the start of the weekend. This is the first time everyone has worked together on a brand new program, and to come 10 seconds within a podium with a team as strong as Ferrari is just a fantastic start with so much more to improve on. We’re a team that wants to achieve good things, so whilst we respect it as a good result we come away feeling like we wanted more.”

Earl Bamber: “That was a tough one. We were fighting for a podium with the Ferrari and a little bit unlucky with a full-course yellow at the end. We were sort of best of the rest, so we’re going to push on. The team did a fantastic job first time in LMDh and it’s on to Portimao for the next race.”

Richard Westbrook: “I think we executed brilliantly. Obviously, it’s a new format for everyone, a new team since Daytona and to come very close to a podium on our WEC debut is awesome for this whole Cadillac program. I’m just very proud of everyone. We stayed out of trouble and on another day we could have gotten third. We’re only going to go forward now. We got so much data now to go through. It’s just so invaluable. It beats any eight-hour test.”

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R impresses on Sebring circuit; IMSA GTP cars show speed

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2023) — The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will start on the inside of the third row in the 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday in Cadillac’s debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class.

Alex Lynn covered the 3.741-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway course in 1 minute, 46.082 seconds on his fourth of five laps in the 15-minute qualifying session. The No. 50 Ferrari AF Corse earned the first pole of the WEC season with a best lap of 1:45.067.

Lynn will co-drive the hybrid Cadillac V-Series.R with Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook.

Its sister racecars – the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R – will compete for the pole Friday morning in qualifying for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday in the second race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Both cars were near the top of the time sheet in three free practice sessions.

Cadillac will aim for its third consecutive victory in the endurance race and fifth in the past seven years. Last March, Sebastien Bourdais set the qualifying lap record of 1:45.060 in the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R. Lynn and Earl Bamber teamed with Neel Jani to lead a Cadillac sweep of the podium in the 2022 race.

Lynn is a two-time overall winner (2017, 2022) of the 12-hour race at Sebring in a Cadillac DPi-V.R and Bamber has an overall and class win. Teammate Richard Westbrook co-drove a Cadillac DPI-V.R to the runner-up finish last March.

The 1000 Miles of Sebring is scheduled for noon ET/5 p.m. CET. The race will air live on MotorTrend in the U.S. with streaming coverage on the MotorTrend app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R

Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook

Alex Lynn drove in the qualifying session (qualified fifth; 1 minute, 46.082 seconds on five laps): “It felt really good and that’s why I was a little bit disappointed to be only P5, but I think all credit has to go to Cadillac Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing because I think we’ve come into WEC and made a strong impression so I’m really proud of this team. I think we’re in a good spot. (about the race) It’s only just begun really. We’re in a strong place, we have a fast racecar and I think we just need to run the eight hours really clean and really hard. But I think we’re in a stronger place in the race potentially with how we are with our tires because I think we know that the Hypercars can boost up their power quite a lot, so we need to work out where we can improve and go again tomorrow.”

What the IMSA GTP drivers are saying

Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R: “The car feels good and I think we’ve made good steps forward even from the test we had here last month. Rather than trying to dial in the car exactly for the conditions we have at the time, we’re trying to get an idea of how the track is evolving and target the end of the race to have the car on point for those conditions. That’s going to be the crunch time. If we can manage that evolution of the track through the race, then that’s even better.”

Scott Dixon, No.01 Cadillac V-Series.R: “It’s been good. As always here at Sebring, tracing the track in the morning to the high temperature in the day and kind of cool in the night it definitely makes it fun because it’s never the same. Traffic seems to be a little more demanding than normal, which is interesting as well. I think everybody on the team has done a great job making improvements and making progress.”

In a weekend Magnus Racing has titled “This Sebring Life,” we’ll be piloting our No. 44 Flex-Box Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. There’s no “Mr. Jones” here, but Mr. Potter, Mr. Pumpelly, and Mr. Lally, along with their band of groupies head to Sebring International Raceway for the Twelve Hours of Sebring, a true paved paradise. We’re excited to be “Round Here” in Sebring, the race known for having the best party of all the IMSA WeatherTech races. Falling “Accidently in Love” with Sebring is no accident, as this place brings out the best and most entertaining fans.

Since our second-place finish at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, it took so long and the days went drifting away as we anxiously waited to resume racing. This weekend for the 71st Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, our three drivers will race the grey, blue, and orange car that shimmers and drives, down the length of the evening, for twelve hours straight. Ready to face the notoriously bumpy surface that is Sebring International Raceway, we are prepared to race in the 53-car field, with 19 entries with us in the GTD class. We currently have rain predicted on race day, but with “Rain King” Andy Lally in the No. 44 Aston Martin, we know we will be singing “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” in pit lane.

You can watch the entire race live on Peacock beginning on Saturday, March 18 at 10:10 AM Eastern, or tune in for the final six hours of the broadcast from 4:30 PM to 10:30 PM on USA Network. Our friends at imsaradio.com will be broadcasting all sessions, and you can find the full event schedule at imsa.com. Fans at the event are encouraged to attend the autograph session on Friday for help to demystify the musical references in this release, don’t be disappointed when there isn’t a concert.

(Sebring, Fla.) March 14, 2023 — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 with Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti) makes a return to Florida, this time for the 71st Running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.

As the second race in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the WTRAndretti blue and black outfit will be led by Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, and Louis Deletraz at the 12-hour event. WTRAndretti enters the weekend on past success around Sebring International Raceway boasting seven top-five finishes since 2014, including five podiums and one win. Despite high success at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the current IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship leaders are on the hunt for their first pole position around the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway circuit.

Ricky Taylor has one win and two podiums at the Mobil 1 Twelve hours of Sebring, both with WTRAndretti. Filipe Albuquerque will be on the lookout for his first victory in Sebring, the Portuguese pilot has three top-three finishes at the infamous twelve-hour event. After joining the WTRAndretti driver lineup at the Rolex 24, Louis Deletraz will make his second attempt at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and fifth IMSA event of his racing career.

“Sebring is always an epic battle, but the track and the race itself stand out on the schedule as the most grueling and toughest to win,” stated Ricky Taylor, winner of the 2017 Twelve Hours of Sebring. “Our No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 proved to be up to the challenge in Daytona and Sebring will put us to an even tougher test. But everyone at WTRAndretti have prepped for it and feel we have a great shot to win.”

“We have been testing at Sebring since the beginning of the Acura ARX-06,” mentioned Filipe Albuquerque. “We have covered a lot to make sure we have a very competitive car, especially coming from the DPi era where we would struggle at Sebring. In my CV, I don’t have a win at Sebring, so a win would come at the right time with the LMDh. I’m looking forward to it. We were the quickest at the official test which shows level of competitiveness of the car and we will give it our all as always.”

“I’m looking forward to the Sebring 12 hour. We have been working hard between the Rolex 24 and now to be even stronger,” said Louis Deletraz. “Sebring is a totally different track to Daytona and a lot of new challenges ahead of us. I’m looking forward to being reunited with my team and teammates in the Acura ARX-06. We are leading the championship and the goal is to extend that!”

“Everybody from WTRAndretti is excited about the Twelve Hours of Sebring,” noted Wayne Taylor. “It’s the one of races that we haven’t won since 2017 and now that we are leading the championship, it would make it that much sweeter to win here as well. We have also been awarded with the pit out which is always a good advantage as the first car on the grid. This usually indicates that you won the last race or are leading the championship. Louis (Deletraz) shook the car down in south Florida this weekend and he said the car is good. HPD have come up with a new engine and software, there has been new BoP, but until we get to the track we don’t know how it’ll affect us. We’re pretty positive going in and we have the three best drivers in the paddock. Filipe (Albuquerque) and Louis are also doing the WEC race on Friday, so they will have plenty of time to get acclimated the track and Ricky (Taylor) will do the bulk of the practice to prepare for qualifying. As for the weather, it’s so weird that we have had no rain in Florida, yet on race day it looks like there is a 99% chance of rain. But we’re all in the same boat and it’s really the driver’s problem. It’s been a tough long break since the Rolex 24, so I’m very excited for the weekend and I can’t wait to see all our sponsors at the track.”

Practice for the Twelve Hours of Sebring begins on March 16th and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship field will see the green flag fly at 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 18th. Peacock will serve host to coverage of all 12 hours for the 71st Running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring beginning at 10:05 a.m. ET while USA Network broadcast will be live at 4:30 p.m. ET for the second half of the race.

ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fifteen consecutive years, and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2021 America’s Best-in-State employers list. The company received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. The company recognizes 150 years in global business in 2023. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting Company, Acura Motorsports, Honda Performance Development and Hammer Nutrition .

IMSA preview: Cadillac aims for three-peat at Sebring
Two Cadillac V-Series.Rs to contest 12-hour endurance race in second event of season

SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2023) – Cadillac will seek its third consecutive victory and fifth in the past seven years with two Cadillac V-Series.R racecars contesting the 71st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon, and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R with Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken sharing driving duties will make their second start in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.

Their sister car, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, will make its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar class debut March 17 in the 1000 Miles of Sebring.

Bamber and Lynn teamed with Neel Jani in a Cadillac DPi-V.R to lead a Cadillac sweep of the podium in the 12-hour race in 2022. Cadillac also won in 2021, 2019 and 2017 during the IMSA DPi era, including twice from the pole.

Last March, Bourdais set the qualifying lap record of 1 minute, 45.166 seconds (128.025 mph) in earning the pole.

Both entries in the GTP class tested on the bumpy 3.741-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway circuit last month following a podium finish for the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“Cadillac Racing had a successful and insightful two days of testing at Sebring,” said Cadillac Racing controls specialist Aaron Pfeifer. “After the successful debut race of the Cadillac V-Series.R at Daytona, all groups were excited to get back to the track to continue development and improving. The day and night sessions were a beneficial step forward in preparation for the race weekend.”

Added Derani: “Excited to be going back to Sebring after two positive days of testing in February. The cars are still new but showing strong potential, especially on reliability like we saw at Daytona. It’s still early days and Sebring is another fantastic opportunity for us to continue to learn more about our racecar.”

Derani is among five drivers with three wins (and youngest) in the Twelve Hours of Sebring (2016, 2018, 2019), joining the likes of Phil Hill and Mario Andretti.

A Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will be the pace car/safety car. The race weekend marks the kickoff of the 20th anniversary of the Cadillac V-Series performance vehicle lineup. The CT5-V Blackwing is a Car and Driver 10Best again for 2023: “…the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the greatest sports sedan on sale today, if not of all time.”

Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage of the race starting at 10:05 a.m. ET Saturday. USA will telecast the track action from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with Sirius 216, XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.

See the exciting Cadillac V-Series lineup

Spectators can view the Cadillac V-Series performance vehicle portfolio at the Cadillac display in the midway, including the Escalade-V, CT5-V Blackwing and the CT4-V Blackwing. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

Additionally, the 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Sebring IMSA Track Edition, with a special matte black paint in honor of the 12-hour race and a symbol of racing in the dark — along with other features — will be on display in the Cadillac Corral.

Spectators will also have the opportunity to participate in a Cadillac ride and drive program Thursday-Saturday with the exciting performance vehicle lineup at the track.

What the Cadillac V-Series.R drivers are saying

Sebastien Bourdais, No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R: “Sebring is a huge event on the calendar and an important race for everybody, and particularly for Cadillac. We definitely didn’t have a dream start to the season in Daytona, but a far better start than we had last year and a competitive car. I think there’s definitely room for improvement. It’s going to be a grueling Sebring 12 hours and it’s a track that I very much like. I’ve won there a couple of times and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do that again. Looking forward to take the GTP Cadillac on the track and correct what happened last year after being on pole and then not being able to contend. We had a good test, so hopefully we’re in good shape and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Renger van der Zande, No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R: “Sebring is a big one for me, personally, as I think it’s some of the best racing you can find with how competitive it is, and how much of a battle it is to stay in the race, as well. With the bumpy track, it can really wear the car down. We’ve had a good start to the season and we’re still hoping that the car is reliable, as it was in Daytona, and we can find our way to Victory Lane.”

Scott Dixon, No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R: “I’m looking forward to Sebring, where Cadillac has had quite a bit of success. It’s a race that I haven’t won; have come close a few times. With how Daytona went, I think the big surprise was how well all the GTP cars went. I think it will be an interesting weekend from a manufacturers’ standpoint to have both WEC and IMSA to see the performances and give us an idea of maybe where Le Mans will go as well. Always a fun race, a tough race especially with the bumps of the track and reliability, and then the craziness of when it gets dark. There always seems to be a yellow or two within the last hour and a half that kind of determines the outcome of the race. I think the team is doing a great job, especially at the last test, and we’re going there for the win.”

Pipo Derani, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R: “Excited to be going back to Sebring after two positive days of testing in February. The cars are still new but showing strong potential, especially on reliability like we saw at Daytona. It’s still early days and Sebring is another fantastic opportunity for us to continue to learn more about our racecar and, as usual, with Sebring being a very difficult race on man and machine, it will be another great challenge for us to go through before Le Mans. On a personal note, of course I would love to win my fourth Sebring but a race win at the 12 Hours is never an easy thing to achieve. Hard work and resilience will be key to get to the end with a chance of victory.”

Alexander Sims, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R: “We enjoyed a productive two-day test where we learned more about some aspects of the car’s performance. We are learning so much every time we are out on track, so I hope we can use the test sessions to get tuned in to the conditions on the race weekend which, with the WEC cars and other support races present, might be different again. The team is doing a great job as always and working very hard to keep improving things. The work has not stopped for them since Daytona and I’m grateful for all the hours that they’re putting in. Being able to drive with Pipo and Jack, it gives me great confidence that we can have a strong race and focus on being in the fight at the end. It’ll be an exciting race I’m sure and a great weekend of racing for all.”

Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R: “The two-day test we had last month gave us the opportunity to keep dialing in our processes and, of course, the car itself. It’s a unique track because of how bumpy it is, but I loved it on my first time around. It has a nice flow and really forces the driver to be super precise. I think we made a huge amount of progress in the test and have even more improvements in the pipeline for the race itself, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring results 2022-2017

Overall wins

2022 (Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani)

2021 (Sebastien Bourdais, Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval)

2019 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran)

2017 (Alex Lynn, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor)

Overall results by year

2022: Overall winner (No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani

     Second overall (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Richard Westbrook

     Third overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start second – Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway

     Sixth overall (No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller, Jose Maria Lopez

     35th overall (No. 01 Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Chip Ganassi Racing) start first – Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay * pole

2021: Overall winner (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais

    Fifth overall (No. 01 Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Chip Ganassi Racing) start third – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen, Scott Dixon

    27th overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Mike Conway * pole

    28th overall (No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller

2020: Fourth overall (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Scott Andrews, Matheus Leist, Stephen Simpson

    Fifth overall (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) – start fourth -- Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais

    Sixth overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) – start sixth -- Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Gabby Chaves

    Seventh overall (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start second – Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon,, Renger van der Zande

2019: Overall winner (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran

    Second overall (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Matthieu Vaxiviere

    Third overall (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Felipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Joao Barbosa

    Seventh overall (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth – Juan Piedrahita, Misha Goikhberg, Tristan Vautier

    Eighth overall (No. 84 JDC-Miller Motorsports) start eighth – Simon Trummer, Chris Miller, Stephen Simpson

    33rd overall (No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Will Owen, Rene Binder, Agustin Canapino

2018: Second overall (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay

    Third overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran Mike Conway

    16th overall (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth -- Christian Fittipaldi, Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa

    35th overall (No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Eddie Cheever III, Matt McMurry, Tristan Vautier * pole

2017: Overall winner (No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Alex Lynn

    Second overall (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing) start second – Christian Fittipaldi, Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa

   Third overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Dane Cameron, Eric Curran, Mike Conway

Sebring, Fla. (13 March 2023) – Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing will head to Sebring International Raceway for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to kick off its 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign this weekend. The visit to the Florida track marks the second of two back-to-back IMSA event weekends for the Charlotte-based squad.

Piloting the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 will be Jr III Racing regulars Ari Balogh and Garett Grist; Dakota Dickerson will complete the lineup for the second consecutive year.

The 2022 season marked Jr III Racing’s first IMSA WeatherTech championship campaign, and the team and drivers showed that they were well prepared for the challenge. Jr III Racing ended the season with four podium finishes, helping pave the path to finishing third in the championship point standings. Jr III Racing started its IMSA program in Prototype Challenge in 2019, growing its competitive presence in that paddock and then building on that program with a WeatherTech effort starting in 2022.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours weekend will mark Jr III Racing’s second WeatherTech start at the former Florida airfield. Last season, the trio of Balogh, Grist, and Dickerson teamed up to score a runner-up finish.

“We had a great race last year at Sebring, and I think we can do it again this year,” said Dickerson. “I enjoy racing with Ari (Balogh) and Garett (Grist) and honestly the whole Jr III Racing crew. This team is a family, and it’s great to be a part of it. Sebring can be a tough track, but I don’t doubt that we can get back on the podium.”

The Sebring event weekend will include the World Endurance Championship 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, followed by the marquee event on Saturday, March 18th, with IMSA’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“We are ready to be back at the track,” said Grist. “We have been lucky to have some time testing at Sebring before the Twelve Hour. It seems like it has been such a long off-season since we didn’t compete in Daytona for the 24 Hour, but I think that time has been used to our advantage because we’ve had more time to prepare for the season ahead. We’ve made many improvements during the offseason, and I can’t wait to see how the season plays out.”

Catch live coverage of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Peacock TV starting at 10 am ET on Saturday, March 18th. Continuing coverage of all twelve hours will be on Peacock, with the final six hours also being covered on USA Network starting at 4:30 pm ET.

Garg breaks through for double-win VPRC weekend in Sebring

Sebring, Fla. (13 March 2023) – Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing scored its first IMSA win on Sunday morning and then repeated the feat in the afternoon to claim a double-win weekend in Sebring. Jr III Racing driver Bijoy Garg had a breakout event on board the No. 3 S2 Cyber Ligier JS P320, earning his first-ever IMSA’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (VPRC) victory on Sunday after claiming pole position in qualifying earlier in the weekend.

The winning weekend marked another positive benchmark for Jr III Racing, which made its first-ever IMSA start in 2019 and has continued to build its customer programs at the professional level. The VPRC outing was held as part of the prologue weekend to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with the two 45-minute sprint races featuring some 30 entries between the LMP3 prototypes and the GTX-class GT4 machines.

Race One

Starting the race in pole position, Garg had a smooth start to hold onto the lead going into the high-speed first corner. He quickly built a gap of over four seconds as his lap times continued to improve with each circuit of the 3.74-mile track.

As the race progressed Garg continued to lay down fast lap times improving in each sector of the track. Around the halfway mark, Garg had caught up to GSX traffic before a full course caution for debris on the back straightaway slowed the field.

The track went back green with just under five minutes remaining. Garg restarted from first and was able to once again quickly place a gap between him and the rest of the field. The rookie sports car driver took the checkered with a 3.479-second lead.

Race Two

In VPRC, the starting lineup of the second race is determined by the driver’s fastest lap in qualifying and second fastest lap in race one, because Garg had the fastest lap in both qualifying and race one he started from pole position for race two.

On lap one an incident between two LMP3 cars caused a full course caution right away. There were 35 minutes remaining in the 45 minute race when the track went green once again. Garg fell to second place early on, but stayed on the bumper of the leader, Dan Goldburg.

Just past the halfway mark, Garg made a decisive move under braking to take the lead in turn seven. Garg was able to build a bit of a gap between himself and the rest of the field while setting the fastest lap of the race – 1:57.903 seconds on his way to a second win in as many outings.

“It feels great to go back-to-back this weekend,” said Garg. “It has given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year. Today was special though because not only did I get my first sports car win, but we also scored Jr III Racing’s first IMSA win! The team brought a great car for me and I really appreciate all their hard work. We had two different types of wins today, the first win was all about pace and the second win was about passing. Overall we had a really good weekend and I’m really happy about having the fastest car all weekend.”

Since starting IMSA competition in 2019, Jr III Racing had earned three IMSA Prototype Challenge podium finishes before growing to compete in IMSA WeatherTech competition in 2022 and taking four podiums on the season.

“The team has earned the wins we had today,” said Billy Glavin, owner of Jr III Racing. “Bijoy scored us our first IMSA win, and had an amazing drive in both races. In race one he had a great late race restart that put him in a position to take the checkered. Then in race two Bijoy had a great pass in turn seven that got him the lead. He kept his head down and hit his marks. A big congratulations to everyone on the team!”

The next VPRC event for Jr III Racing will take place July 22 and 23rd at Lime Rock Park. This will be the first race for LMP3 cars at the famed Connecticut track as the all-new VPRC series is added to the traditional July event.

Team turns GT3 R into Rexy, the GT3 “Rawr”

SAINT CHARLES, ILL. (March 13, 2023) – As Samuel L. Jackson’s character Ray Arnold said in 1993’s Jurassic Park, hold on to your butts. After racing under a special one-off livery at Daytona International Speedway, honoring the 1983 Rolex 24 At Daytona race winners, AO Racing has retired their Swap Shop livery in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for their full season livery. The No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R has transformed into the GT3 Rawr, ferociously dominating the competition as a Rexy Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The inspiration came from Team Principal and Driver PJ Hyett, in honor of his children. Hyett proudly sports a T-Rex for his son and a unicorn for his daughter on his helmet, taking his family with him as he races.

With a grill full of sharp teeth, Rexy the GT3 Rawr looks fierce, hungry to take down the competition of the 54-car field that will compete at next week’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Despite her short arms, her strong legs will carry the strength to race up front, fighting for a result improved from January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

In preparation for March 18th’s endurance event in Sebring, Florida, the team has conducted additional testing, hoping for an improvement on the sanctioning body’s Balance of Performance (BoP) settings. The BoP has been the topic of conversation following the first race of the season, with fans and competitors eagerly awaiting to see what the regulations for evening out the playing field will be in the GTD class. Hyett will once again be joined by his full-season co-driver Sebastian Priaulx, with Gunnar Jeannette again fulfilling his driving duties as the endurance round addition.

The 71st Twelve Hours of Sebring will include all five classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. AO Racing is poised to be one of 54 cars competing in the event, with 20 entries racing in the GTD class. The race will begin on Saturday, March 18 at 10:10 AM ET, airing live from start to finish on Peacock, and with the last six hours beginning at 4:30 PM on the USA Network.

Partnering with Project-1 in the World Endurance Championship, the team will also compete in the 1000 miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17, beginning at 11:55 AM ET.

Sebastian Priaulx

I’m really looking forward to working with AO Racing again for another race weekend. It’s my first Twelve Hours of Sebring, which is pretty special for me. It’s a race that my dad has won, and one I’d like to win as well. It’s a great event. It’s one of the best ones out there. I’m looking forward to driving the Porsche and giving it all we’ve got. I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead and working with PJ and Gunnar and getting the job done.

Gunnar Jeannette

I’m thrilled to be one of the guys that will drive the GT3-Rawr. Hopefully, Rexy goes as fast as it looks and we can come home with a good result after our disappointing Daytona. We really want to give the fans something to cheer for as Rexy makes it’s mark both on & off track.

BATAVIA, Ohio. (March 7, 2023) – Next week a new season is set to begin at Sebring International Raceway for the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America. Wright Motorsports will contest a pair of full-season entries with the return of Varun Choksey and John Goetz to the single-make series.

“Wright Motorsports has a strong history in the Carrera Cup series, and it’s great to be back for another season,” said Team Owner John Wright. “Both Varun and John showed considerable progress over the course of last season, and we’re looking forward to being in the fight for the championship again this year.”

After a consistent season of development last year in his rookie season, Varun Choksey earned two overall top-five finishes on the streets of Toronto. He’ll return to the series for a sophomore season in the Pro class, racing the No. 13 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car.

A longstanding driver with Wright Motorsports John Goetz is back for another season, looking to build on last year’s success of one pole position, 13 podiums and race wins at the Long Beach Grand Prix and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. With a decade of club racing experience in the GT Club of America and Trophy East series, Goetz is set to be an Am class championship contender in the No. 57 Porsche Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will run in support of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship beginning with next week’s Twelve Hours of Sebring event. The 2023 season will also see the series share race weekends with Formula 1, NASCAR, and IndyCar. Each Carrera Cup race weekend will feature two 40-minute races. Every entry will race the newest generation of Porsche 911 Gt3 Cup car, and all the drivers will compete at the same time while divided into one of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Am.

For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com

DRIVER QUOTES

Varun Choksey // No. 13 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

I’m looking forward to building on a strong first season in Porsche Carrera Cup last year. There were plenty of highs and lows, but we made good progress through the year and learned a lot of valuable lessons. The 2023 season is approaching quickly, but I’ve spent the offseason preparing and making sure I’ll be straight up to speed when we get to the first weekend. I can’t wait for Sebring to get be back with the team and to get back on the racetrack.

John Goetz // No. 57 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

I’m looking forward to the third Carrera Cup North America season with Wright Motorsports. I’m expecting some serious fun driving with Varun again and working with the whole team to deliver great results. Hopefully I can continue to bring improvement to my craft and contribute to the Wright reputation. Driving a 992 Cup is my happy place.

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

Sebring, Fla. (6 March 2023) – Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing heads to Sebring International Raceway for the first of two back-to-back IMSA event weekends. March 11th will mark the second round in IMSA’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (VPRC), followed by IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18th.

Bijoy Garg will be back behind the wheel of the No. 3 S2 Cyber Ligier JS P320 after making his first sports car start at Daytona International Speedway in January. Daytona saw Jr III Racing and Garg rebound from an incident in the final practice session before qualifying. The Jr III Racing crew was able to quickly replace the entire rear end of the car within a six hour window to have the car ready for qualifying the next day. The rookie sports car driver then went on to qualify for his first pole award. Garg finished third and fifth in the two 45-minute sprint races on Saturday and Sunday.

Garg most recently competed in the Asian Le Mans series in February. Looking to get more time in the seat of a Ligier JS P320, he did just that. The first round of races was at the Dubai Autodrome, where Garg had a pair of tenth-place finishes. Garg ran the second half of the races in Abu Dhabi, which saw Garg finish eleventh and twelfth.

“I’m feeling reasonably confident going into Sebring this weekend,” said Garg. “We had the fastest car in Daytona, and my time competing in the Asian Le Mans Series helped me learn even more about the LMP3 car. Between my recent seat time and having the chance to learn Sebring during test sessions over the winter, I think we will have an opportunity for a podium.”

Jr III Racing had three starts in the now defunct Prototype Challenge at Sebring, with a highest finish of fifth in 2020. However, in 2022, Jr III Racing made its Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring debut, placing second in the LMP3 class. The Charlotte-based team most recently competed in the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) SpeedTour weekend February 23-26 at the 3.74-mile Florida track.

“We are excited to have Bijoy back in the car for Sebring,” said Billy Glavin, owner of Jr III Racing. “He showed a lot of potential at Daytona, his first time out qualifying in a sports car, and he ended up on pole! Bijoy has gained more seat time in the Ligier while racing in the Asian Le Mans series, so between that and his start at Daytona, I think we will build on the great momentum we had at Daytona.”

The VPRC Sebring weekend will host two 45-minute races on Sunday, March 12th, starting at 8:00 am ET, followed by the second race at 1:30 pm ET.