Category: IMSA

The PT Autosport driver powers from sixth to second at the finish in a “hard, clean, smart” Porsche Carrera Cup North America finale

AUSTIN, Texas (October 23, 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing’s Alex Sedgwick posted one of the most impressive drives of his young career last weekend, driving from sixth to second in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season finale at Circuit of the Americas.

Unfortunately for Sedgwick and the team, several mechanical gremlins – and a technical inspection penalty that sent him from second to the back of the field – meant that the 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native went from second to fourth in the final championship standings. But as one observer put it, Sedgwick drove a “hard, clean, smart” race behind the wheel of the No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car, one that he hopes earns him the notice of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams after delivering impressive results in his two-year stint in the highly competitive global Porsche championship.

Sedgwick took the green flag for the lone practice session on Friday afternoon and immediately found his rhythm, posting the second-quickest opening timed lap. Determined to do one better, Sedgwick’s second timed lap hoisted him to the top of the speed charts by half a second. But a mechanical issue midway through the session slowed Sedgwick, who was grateful to hold the fourth-quickest time at the checkered flag despite the loss of critical track time.

Unfortunately, mechanical concerns surfaced once again at the worst possible moment–in Saturday morning qualifying. Shortly after heading to the top of the speed charts, Sedgwick began experiencing radiator issues that sent him to pit lane – after only three laps. Forced to sit on pit lane for the remainder of the session, Sedgwick’s time was still good enough for sixth on the starting grid, though with third and fourth in the points chase ahead of him.

On the outside of row three, Sedgwick placed himself perfectly in the opening corners of race one, ready to make a move – until contact with a competitor put Sedgwick off track in Turn 9, returning back in 11th position. Before he could recommence the fight, an incident further back sent a car into the barriers and brought out a yellow flag, followed almost immediately by a second yellow.

Returning to green with 10 minutes remaining, Sedgwick was a man on a mission. Amidst plenty of wheel-to-wheel action, Sedgwick managed to capture fifth position, just as two back markers collided and stopped on track, meaning the race ended under caution.

Going into the season finale tied for second, Sedgwick was determined to move forward from his sixth place starting position. In the Turn 1 scrum, Sedgwick slid to the middle of the track and grabbed fifth, then focused on the car ahead, the championship leader. It took much of the race – to the 17-minute mark – but Sedgwick made the inside pass in Turn 11 to take fourth.

With 11 minutes remaining, Sedgwick slid into third position and aimed for the two leaders, knowing that time was rapidly running out. After making up an over two second deficit, Alex was engaged in a side by side, tooth and nail battle for two laps, Sedgwick made a bold move in Turn 18 and captured second position. But the battle meant that Sedgwick was now more than three seconds behind the leader, and as the checkered flag fell, he felt as though he had earned one of the most impressive podium finishes of his young career.

The champagne had hardly dried before Sedgwick learned that the car was out of specification after a suspension part suffered damage, negating his significant effort as the post-race results saw him come home fourth in the overall championship.

This, after having given up his dream of racing professionally until a chance meeting that saw his never give up attitude meet with the opportunity that PT Autosport aspires to deliver, as the young Englishman entered an extremely competitive championship, proved himself a winner, and will now look forward to what comes next.

Sedgwick was understandably disappointed with the outcome but in the end, he knows that the last two years of impressive drives in Carrera Cup have given his racing career new life, as he makes plans for 2025 and beyond.

“Things haven’t always gone to plan this season, with the racing gods throwing out a few weekends of bad luck along the way, and this past weekend might have been the most difficult to date,” said Sedgwick. “I put in the two races of my life to try and recover from our issues in qualifying, making it back to the podium in race two, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

“We don’t have the results on paper to show just how competitive the No. 98 PT Autosport with JDX Racing car was all year long, but to start 2023 at the back end of the top ten, to consistently fighting for poles and wins in the most competitive single-make series in North America is not bad going. I can’t thank Jeremy (Dale), Harrison (Brix), Ryan (Neff), Cody (Wollenslegel) and everyone else in the team enough. Every single one of them has contributed to my development over the past two years. And I would never have been here without PT Autosport. Their support and their decision to partner with JDX have made this all possible, I will never be able to repay Jeph and Jason for their belief in me and the opportunity to now, be looking at making the next jump in my career as a result of the last two years of hard work. 2024 has been hard, but it’s been an awesome year.”

As focus turns to 2025, PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers knows that the phone will be ringing this week, as teams review the drives Sedgwick laid down in difficult circumstances.

“What a weekend of ups and downs at COTA,” said Myers. “While the outcome for the season-long championship wasn’t what we had hoped for, the drives that Alex put down both Saturday and Sunday were nothing short of epic. We know there are a number of teams watching his performances and while the champion gets his name on a trophy, the real reward is where you go as a driver – yes, it’s about your driving skills, but it’s also about your networking and relationship-building, your tenacity and persistence, that really pay off in the end. Can’t give any details yet, but the possibilities in the pipeline are impressive. Stay tuned!”

PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.

About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.

PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the 2024 Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA.

PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.

A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.

PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.

PT Autosport social media

Instagram: @pt_autosport
TikTok: @ptautosport
Twitter: @PtAutosport
Facebook: PT Autosport
YouTube: PT Autosport

Experienced, championship-winning roster to lead three-car GTP factory program

DETROIT (Oct. 23, 2024) – Cadillac Racing’s driver roster for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season includes a lineup of experienced and championship-winning drivers.

Is 2025, Cadillac Racing expands its factory program from two to three cars for the third year of Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) competition that starts January 25-26 with the Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway. Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing will run two cars, while Action Express Racing will run one car as Cadillac Whelen.

Drivers who will contest all nine rounds of the IMSA GTP schedule in Cadillac V-Series.Rs — powered by the purpose-built Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V8 engine — and endurance race drivers:

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)

• Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque (full season; photo)
• Will Stevens (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)
• Brendon Hartley (Daytona)

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)

• Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz (full season; photo)
• Alex Lynn (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta)
• Kamui Kobayashi (Daytona)

Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)

• Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken (full season; photo)
• Frederik Vesti (endurance races)

The lineup represents seven FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1/Hypercar championships, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona overall victories (six with Cadillac Racing) and 11 24 Hours of Le Mans overall/class victories among other significant accomplishments.

The Nos. 10 and 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing full-time roster is unchanged from the 2024 season in which the team posted two victories and two other podium finishes with another manufacturer. Deletraz and Jordan Taylor teamed for victory in the 12-hour race at Sebring while Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor won the 100-minute sprint on the streets of Detroit.

By the numbers:

’25 roster notables

• WEC LMP1/Hypercar championships: 7
• WEC LMP2 championships: 2
• Grand-Am Rolex/IMSA prototype championships: 3
• Rolex 24 At Daytona overall victories: 8 (6 with Cadillac)
• Twelve Hours of Sebring overall victories: 6 (4 with Cadillac)
• Motul Petit Le Mans overall victories: 4
• 24 Hours of Le Mans overall/class victories: 11

FIA WEC 2024 full-season Hypercar drivers Bamber, Lynn, Hartley, Stevens and Kobayashi will compete in the season finale November 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit. Kobayashi returns to Cadillac Racing for the Daytona season opener after a two-year absence.

Aitken returns for his second full season and third overall in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing, which recorded four pole starts and three runner-up finishes this past season. Bamber, who has driven the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R the past two seasons in the WEC, is no stranger to IMSA competition. The 2019 IMSA GTLM champion co-drove a Cadillac DPi-V.R to victory in 2022 at Sebring and this past season drove a Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD Pro class endurance races.

Vesti, the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship vice-champion, will make his IMSA GTP debut at Daytona.

Cadillac, which closed the 2024 IMSA season with an overall victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans, has earned nine Manufacturer Championships in sports car racing since 2005 and five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championships since 2017.

The Cadillac V-Series.R marks the third generation Cadillac prototype racecar and first with an electric motor component. The car – co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara – incorporates key Cadillac V-Series production car design elements, such as vertical lighting and floating blades.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Full Season, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and Rolex 24 at DAYTONA Drivers Confirmed for 2025

BROWNSBURG, Indiana (October 23, 2024) – Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) and Cadillac Racing announced today their complete driver lineup for the two-car Grand Tour Prototype (GTP) factory program set to take the green flag at the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the kickoff of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

In the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R GTP, series veterans Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will continue as the team’s full season drivers. Former WTR teammate, Will Stevens, will reunite with Taylor and Albuquerque for the three 2025 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship events: Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. Brendon Hartley returns to WTR for a fourth year to round out the driver lineup in Daytona as the team looks to make history during this iconic 24-hour endurance battle of wits, stamina and strategy.

“I’m excited for the No. 10 lineup in 2025,” expressed Team Principal, Wayne Taylor. “Three of the four drivers have been with us at least four years and working together. Adding in Will Stevens for the endurance races will be a big advantage as well. All four drivers understand the setups and are used to working closely together – a necessity for winning in Daytona and for being on top in this incredibly close championship.”

Competing alongside the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R machine, teammates Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz will once again take the helm, now of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, for the full season. Cadillac stalwart, Alex Lynn, will join the duo as the team’s co-driver at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the MOTUL Petit Le Mans for the 2025 IMEC Championship races. International sportscar superstar, Kamui Kobayashi, will join the trio for the Rolex 24 with the intent to add to his Rolex 24 watch collection, having taken the top step with WTR in both 2019 and 2020.

“The No. 40 car is an exciting driver line up as well,” continued Taylor. “Louis and Jordan are back together again, and Alex Lynn will be helping with the endurance races. Alex has worked with us before, helping us win the Twelve Hours of Sebring back in 2017. Kamui Kobayashi’s abilities speak for themselves, having run with us before and won the Rolex 24 twice, once with Jordan. Everyone in this group works to get the job done, no egos – it is what wins races, especially the Rolex 24.”

Wayne Taylor’s history with GM Motorsports dates to 1990 when the South African native turned his first laps in the U.S. as a General Motors factory driver in a Chevrolet-powered GTP race car. Since Taylor founded the team in 2007, Wayne Taylor Racing has asserted itself as a perennial leading force in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup Champions have won three IMSA Driver Championships and nine IMSA Manufacturer Titles since their formation. In the team’s 18 seasons, they have seized four Rolex 24 at DAYTONA titles, two Twelve Hours of Sebring victories and two Petit Le Mans wins. In 2017, the team set an unprecedented five-race win streak with the Cadillac DPi and went on to win the IMSA WeatherTech Driver and Manufacturer’s Championships.

The newly formed Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R GTP team will make their debut at the upcoming IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway on November 15-16, 2024. Action for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend will begin with the first on-track session at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, January 17th, concluding with qualifying on Sunday, January 19th. Green flag for the 63rd Running of the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA will fly on Saturday, January 25th.

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R GTP Driver Quotes

Ricky Taylor, full-season driver
“It is exciting to be rejoining Cadillac Racing, I am looking forward to learning about what has made them so competitive over the past two GTP seasons as well as working with a new group to work together to win races and championships. I think we will be curious to learn what has made them strong over the first two years, but also to bring our own experience to the program. I think the team has something special in how the two cars and four full-time drivers work together to push each other on and off the track in a healthy way that supports both cars succeeding. The relationship with GM goes back as long as the Taylor family has been in America. My dad came to America to drive the Chevy Spice for Pratt and Miller. GM and WTR have had so much success together, but the relationship between each of the Taylors and GM have highlighted our careers.”

Filipe Albuquerque, full-season driver
“It’s fantastic to return to driving for GM/Cadillac. Since I started racing in America in the overall class, it was with the Chevy DP in 2016, then I did another four years with Cadillac DPi and now to be back is amazing. I am really looking forward to returning ‘back home’. My first overall Daytona win was with Cadillac, so for sure I want to be back to those winning feelings. I remember very well fighting hard WTR in a Cadillac, they were a big stone in my shoe, this is a very Portuguese expression to not say something else, but I remember as well that I won some of them too, but now being all together, me, Ricky, WTR and Cadillac, I think we have the dream together.”

Will Stevens, 2025 IMEC co-driver
“I am very much looking forward to being back with Wayne Taylor Racing and starting this new venture with Cadillac Racing. It’s going to be an exciting partnership and one that has all the ingredients to be a huge success. It’s a brand that I have always admired from the outside and now get the chance to be a part of is a very exciting opportunity and can’t wait to get started. We need to form a strong team bond between everyone in the team to give us the best chance of achieving great things together. I think it’s a vital part of the way WTR goes about racing and why it has been so successful over so many years. We will all be pushing each other along and very much looking forward to that challenge.”

Brendon Hartley, Rolex 24 at DAYTONA co-driver
“I’m very happy to be joining WTR for Daytona again! I feel part of the WTR family but a win at Daytona is something I haven’t been able to put my name too, yet. WTR always have a competitive car and line up and we will be heading to Daytona with one goal in mind. Running a two-car program is relatively new to WTR but I was so impressed with the atmosphere and team spirit we had in 2024, no doubt it will be the same heading into 2025. I think it also speaks volumes for Wayne and the team he has around him, and also for their choices in drivers. The team has really made us feel part of the WTR family and feel part of something bigger. It’s a team of racers who win and lose together.”

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R GTP Driver Quotes
Jordan Taylor, full-season driver
“I can’t wait to start 2025 with Cadillac Racing. I spent 12 years of my career racing GM cars, so it feels like I am coming back home to see lots of familiar faces. The Cadillacs have obviously been extremely strong in GTP the last two years, so I can’t wait to see what the car is like from the inside. WTR always does an amazing job at putting together strong lineups. Not just strong on track, but guys that are able to work well together off the track with the teammates, team members, and sponsors. I think putting together all the drivers that we have is bringing an amazing amount of experience that can push us all in the right direction.”

“GM is what brought my mom and dad to America back in the early 90’s, giving my dad his first drive in the States. It was also where my career began and where Ricky has had so much success in the past as well. We have kept in touch with all those people that we’ve dealt with in the past, and there’s no doubt that it will be a seamless transition coming back together.”

Louis Delétraz, full-season driver
“I am really excited to join Cadillac Racing. Cadillac and GM have achieved so much in motorsport, I can’t wait to start working together. I look forward to understanding how they work and make such fast cars. Since I joined IMSA, Cadillac Racing has always been extremely competitive and hard to beat. I’m happy to have them on our side and not against us now. I think together we can win many races and championships in the future.”

“There is a lot of history between Cadillac, GM and WTR. That was before I joined the team, but I can feel the excitement at WTR since the news has been released. A lot of good memories, championships and trophies at the WTR workshop proves the success of this alliance. I can’t wait to drive the car for the first time and see what made Cadillac so strong.”

Alex Lynn, 2025 IMEC co-driver
“I’m super excited to be joining WTR for the IMSA Endurance Cup races in 2025. It’s a team I have such fond memories of and now, we will be in a car I’ve become very familiar with over the last few years. WTR has always been a team that sets the standard in North American sportscar racing and are always there to win in the big moments. I’m also very excited to be back working with Ricky and Jordan as well as Filipe and Louis, all four world class drivers and ready to win the big races. I can’t wait to get started.”

Kamui Kobayashi, Rolex 24 at DAYTONA co-driver
“I am thrilled to announce that I will be racing for Wayne and his wonderful WTR teams for 2025 Daytona 24 hours. I had such an amazing and fun memory for racing with his team and also with Cadillac Racing. I am really appreciative not only to WTR and Cadillac to give me another opportunity to race for them, but also Morizo-san and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for allowing me to compete in this historic event in the United States. It just feels like a home coming for me. The competition in IMSA has been very intense and I am looking forward to race to bring the best result as possible to WTR and Cadillac.”

ABOUT WAYNE TAYLOR RACING (WTR)
Wayne Taylor Racing’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 18-year history, WTR has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR currently has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

• Kyle Washington Secures Season-Best Second-Place Masters Class Finish in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on Saturday
• James Sofronas Joins Washington in Saturday’s Victory Lane Celebration with a P2 Pro-Am Finish in the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

AUSTIN, Texas (October 21, 2024) – GMG Racing closed out its 2024 national competition season nearly the same way it started over seventh months ago with a pair of podium finishes in the final IMSA Carrera Cup North America race weekend of the year at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The Saturday and Sunday doubleheader was the third and last Carrera Cup event of the year featuring North America’s premier single-make Porsche racing series on a Formula 1 race weekend.

Longtime GMG Racing team driver Kyle Washington stepped up for his best race finish of the year Saturday with a Masters Class second-place result in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The P2 finish topped a third-place showing in the Carrera Cup support race at the Canadian Grand Prix Formula 1 race in June and Washington’s first third-place run of 2024 in the season-opening Carrera Cup race weekend last March in Sebring.

The mid-March race weekend in Sebring was also the site of a race-winning podium appearance for GMG Racing team owner and driver James Sofronas, who won in the Pro-Am class in the first race of the season in the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. That win was the third-straight Carrera Cup victory for Sofronas after sweeping the 2023 doubleheader finale at COTA.

Sofronas returned to the Austin F1 circuit looking for a repeat of last year’s twin victories and his fourth Pro-Am win of 2024. In addition to Sebring, Sofronas scored wins this year in the Carrera Cup support races at Montreal and at Road America in August.

Both Washington and Sofronas had Porsches capable of carrying them to their respective class wins Saturday, but the caution-filled race never gave either a chance to mount bids for victory. Only 12 green flag laps were completed in the 35-minute race that was slowed by a trio of yellow flags, including lengthy caution delays at the start and finish.

“Saturday’s race was so full of yellows, and my car never really came in until the end,” Washington said. “Then it was spot on for the final four green flag laps or so we had at the end. It was really good, but before that the tires weren’t up to temperature, it was a real animal to drive, but I am glad we ended up where we did. It was super cool to be on the podium with James to close out the year, it is amazing, but sometimes its cool to end it with an ice bag and a cocktail too!”

Sofronas was delighted to return to victory lane with Washington for the third time in GMG’s five Carrera Cup race weekends this year. The team ran a select schedule of Carrera Cup events that included Sebring, Road America and the trio of F1 support races at Miami, Montreal and COTA.

“When a great friend and great client like Kyle has success, it only sweetens the weekend that much more,” said Sofronas, GMG Racing Principal and Founder. “He has been putting in the work and it shows. His pace and his race craft keep getting better. To get on the podium with him again in our respective classes was a great way to finish the season.”

Sunday’s season finale Carrera Cup sprint, which set the stage for that afternoon’s F1 United States Grand Prix, saw Washington pick up right where he left off Saturday with an on-the-pace Porsche. He took the green flag just a few spots behind Sofronas, who sustained a hard hit on his No. 14 in the frenzied first few corners of the opening race lap.

“After catching the competitors at the front, and even passing the championship leader, I just ran out of time on Saturday,” Sofronas said. “I knew Sunday was going to be a tough race, and I got hit hard in turn three. It knocked my steering alignment and toe out right from lap one. My car wasn’t 100%, but it was good enough to fight. Kyle got around me and then, with my race out of reach, I went into protection mode. In a somewhat calculated move, I repassed Kyle and chased down his class leader. I passed him and Kyle then got around him on the subsequent lap. He was on his way to his first victory until that same competitor decided to make a low percentage move and took Kyle out on the last corner of the last lap. Our planned worked out perfect, except for the end.”

Although the driver that knocked Washington from the lead – and what would have been his first career Carrera Cup victory – with the checkered flag in sight was assessed a 10 second penalty for incident responsibility, it did nothing to change the final results or recover Washington’s lost ground.

Despite the huge disappointment, Washington was typically enthusiastic over what was otherwise a great race.

“Sunday was a great race,” Washington said. “It was mean everywhere, the track was dirty, and it was literally holding on for dear life. And everyone else was doing the same thing, it was an amazing race and all green. I didn’t like how it ended. He has a habit of hitting me in the bigger races, including Carrera Cup at Rennsport Reunion last year, but we raced to the end and gave it our all.”

Noteworthy: While COTA Carrera Cup closed the curtain on GMG Racing’s national racing series competition this year, the racing continues immediately next weekend with one of the first “Winter Series” race weekends at GMG’s new home at The Thermal Club. Sofronas and the team are in the final stages of opening up GMG Racing’s new and state-of-the-art headquarters facility at Thermal, with a VIP Grand Opening this weekend followed by the complete move-in and final setup through this month and into early November.

“With the Grand Opening event for our new headquarters facility at The Thermal Club this weekend, there is obviously no rest for us,” Sofronas said. “There is also a Thermal GT Winter Series race next weekend that we will be competing in and bringing in some new clients for testing and evaluation opportunities. We are excited for that and Thermal being our new home. We are anxious to get settled in and enjoying all of the beautiful amenities that The Thermal Club has to offer. There really is no off-season for us, but there is really no better place to be than The Thermal Club in the winter.”

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

BATAVIA, Ohio. (October 14, 2024) – Fresh off the high of securing the Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship title and winning the Indianapolis 8 Hour, Wright Motorsports entered Petit Le Mans with high expectations for a strong finish to the season. Unfortunately, their hopes of celebrating on the podium at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta were shattered in the final hour. An incident with less than one hour remaining in the ten-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race sidelined the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R with terminal damage. The contact ended an impressive first season in the championship for drivers Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer.

“We came into Petit Le Mans with a lot of momentum and optimism, but racing can be cruel sometimes,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The crew put in a phenomenal effort, and our drivers were at their best. It’s hard to end the season like this, but I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved this year. The potential we showed today and throughout the season only makes us hungrier for next year.”

Adelson began the final race of the year from 13th on the grid, determined to replicate the team’s stellar performance from the Indianapolis 8 Hour just weeks ago. A quick, efficient first pit stop by the crew vaulted the Porsche two spots to 11th, bringing them within reach of the top ten. Adelson continued his charge forward, closing out the first hour in eighth place.

Jan Heylen, the No. 120’s endurance race specialist, then took over driving duties, maintaining the team’s momentum by climbing four more spots to fourth early into his first run. He completed his opening stint in second place, setting the stage for a strong run to the checkered flag. Skeer took over next, expertly bringing the Porsche to the lead during the second quarter of the ten-hour endurance finale.

Throughout the remaining hours, the Wright Motorsports trio rotated through driving duties with flawless execution in the pits, keeping the No. 120 Porsche in the fight for a podium finish. However, with just under 52 minutes remaining and while running in the top five, the Wright Porsche was involved in contact with a stopped car on the track. The heavy damage forced an early end to what had been a promising day.

Despite the disappointing finish, the team’s performance at Petit Le Mans capped off a remarkable rookie season for Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer. The duo secured two podium finishes at Sebring International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and earned a dominant victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wright Motorsports will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025, with further details to be announced in the coming months.

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.

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) GTD team ended the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season on a high note as the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 took its best finish of the season in an endurance race after finishing an impressive sixth in the 10-hour MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

Danny Formal started the race after his strong qualifying performance saw the black and red team starting in fifth at the historic Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Formal was quick to find his rhythm as he began to make progress through the field in his opening stint, running in the podium positions before handing the controls over to Graham Doyle in the first pit stop under caution.

Doyle immediately showed his progress as he took over for his fifth-career IWSC event with his first stint as one of his best throughout the season. A poorly timed caution and a drive-through penalty after contact saw the No. 45 fall off the lead lap, but Doyle kept the car within touching distance of the leaders throughout the remainder of his stint.

Kyle Marcelli took over for his first stint of the race and began making progress over the course of a grueling stint. Marcelli matched pace with leaders as he took on the traffic and the challenging turns of Road Atlanta before giving control back to Doyle.

Doyle completed his last stint of the 2024 IWSC season in impressive fashion, helping to close the gap to the cars on the lead lap, allowing the No. 45 car to stay competitive, despite being a lap down for multiple hours.

In the closing stages of the race, Marcelli and Formal traded turns in their effort to climb back through the field. Both drivers put in monster efforts to claw back in positions as the closing hours ran on. A late-race caution in the last hour allowed the team to regain the lead lap with 20 minutes remaining. Formal came to pit lane and the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini crew had a stellar pit stop, pushing the No. 45 into seventh. With under 30 minutes remaining, Formal battled hard and was able grab the sixth-place position to end an impressive and intense MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

“I’m really proud of the GTD program this weekend,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal of WTRAndretti. “Obviously, Petit Le Mans, a ten-hour race, is a very hard race. The team worked so well. All the drivers did a great job. Graham Doyle really sent the message that he’s meant to be in GTD now. I do think overall the relationship between WTRAndretti and Lamborghini is starting to gel, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team in their inaugural GTD campaign accomplished pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and two top five results on the season.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers:
Kyle Marcelli: “It was a great day for the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. We finished sixth after ten hours and on the lead lap. Everybody executed flawlessly today! What a grueling race this was, almost caution free for what seemed like six hours. Every one of my stints was green flagged, so it just takes a lot of focus to run laps repetitively for three hours. Huge thanks to Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti and the whole No. 45 crew. It was a very hard-working season. We’ve constantly been putting pressure on ourselves to get better. We had a lot of speed today and I think we’re all pleased with that. Everybody on the box and the car did a great job, and it was an honor to be a part of it.”

Danny Formal: “What a race! I think our best race of the season. The team, the pit stops and all three drivers just drove phenomenally. Definitely Graham Doyle’s revelation; he did so, so well. Kyle with some crazy laps in the middle of the race. We passed a lot of cars, and the race pace was just incredible. The guys at WTRAndretti gave us a very fast Lamborghini tonight, and we finished sixth and on the lead lap. We were one lap down for nine hours in that race and got lucky with a yellow at the end and we just started passing cars. I got up to sixth place with two laps to go at the end. The car was phenomenal. So proud of the team, in our first season in GTD to finish Petit Le Mans, one of the hardest races in the world, in the top six. I’m so grateful to DEX Imaging, WTRAndretti and all the crew. “

Graham Doyle: “Sixth place at the end of the ten hours. Awesome drive by Danny there at the end and an awesome drive and effort by the whole team. It’s just been an amazing season, start to finish. It’s really great to end it on a high note like this and we can’t wait for next year. It means everything to finish on the lead lap for the second endurance race in a row. It just goes to show how amazing our team is. The strategy and everything that goes into this, all the hard work that these No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini guys put in. The results are really all because of them. I’m happy to see my progression from start to finish. Looking at the Rolex 24 then to the drive from today, it just shows that with hard work and everything the team is putting in, we can make a lot of progress. I’m looking forward to continuing my progress.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) Acura ARX-06 GTP teams saw checkered flag fly on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with Saturday’s MOTUL Petit Le Mans. With ten hours of action-packed endurance racing, the team closed the chapter on their manufacturer partnership with Acura and Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC). WTRAndretti’s success with Acura and HRC was highlighted by their 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona win, a Twelve Hours of Sebring victory in 2024 and seven additional impressive wins.

For the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, Filipe Albuquerque handled the opening stint driving duties after qualifying in fifth position. An influx of cautions throughout the first hour and half of the ten hours, Albuquerque kept his nose clean and navigated in lap traffic to pit and give co-driver Ricky Taylor a solid top five running position. Taylor took control of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and with a stretch of green flag running, the blue and black team found themselves in the lead trio of GTPs. At the six-hour to go mark, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) co-driver, Brendon Hartley, climbed inside the No. 10 for his triple stint into the evening hours. Hartley pulled off an impressive stint staying within the leader as the halfway mark was reached. Hartley then made a masterful pass in Turn 10a to take the lead just shy of four hours remaining. Albuquerque took over for Hartley after his stout stint and continued to lead for nearly all his second on-track stint.

Now with nightfall, it was back to Taylor as the clock was under two hours remaining. Jockeying throughout lapped traffic, Taylor kept his distance to the leader within three seconds and a stellar pit stop by the No. 10 crew propelled the No. 10 back into the lead with a little over an hour remaining. Unfortunately, with under an hour remaining, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 made contact with a GT car stopped on track in Turn 5 and damage from the contact ended the strong run for the blue and black team, finishing in ninth.

In the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06, Jordan Taylor tackled the start, from the seventh spot on the grid, for the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. As the first yellow flag flew, the No. 40 team made the decision to stay out while much of the GTP filed pitted – creating an alternate strategy early and cycling to lead. Taylor held steady for a double stint and handed over the No. 40 to his full-season co-driver, Louis Delétraz, for his first laps on race day. Delétraz ran within the front half of the GTP field, holding strong on the team’s alternate strategy. Just before the halfway point, IndyCar Vice Champion for Andretti Global and IMEC co-driver, Colton Herta, hopped into the No. 40 for his first MOTUL Petit Le Mans laps since 2020.

With the second half of the ten hours of racing on the horizon, Herta managed a triple stint and maintained to stay on the lead lap of the GTP field until a cut tire forced the team to pit. From that point, it was focusing on progressing forward once again while balancing traffic. With about two hours to go, Taylor hopped back into the car through the checkered flag. Attrition ahead of the No. 40 team placed the Taylor into the top five, but a penalty from the final caution of the race resulted in a stop-and-hold, sliding the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 back to seventh to finish.

Although the season didn’t end as expected, the WTRAndretti team boasted two victories with the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Streets of Detroit, along with two pole positions and two podiums in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “This is the first year we’ve come into the final race not being in a position to win the championship and we could just go for the win. But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. All the drivers in the No. 10 car did an outstanding job. It was very unfortunate what happened. Ricky had just taken the lead with 30 minutes to go, but literally as he took the lead, another car was stopped on the track and he had nowhere to go but straight into the stopped car. The No. 40 car were working their way back but unfortunately had a penalty in the closing hour. All three of them did fantastic in the No. 40 car as well. I think they all led for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but thank you to everyone on the WTRAndretti and Acura and HRC.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor: “First of all, I’m super proud of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team. For the fourth year straight, they put us in a position to fight for the win. I think we were so much looking forward to ending the relationship with Acura and HRC on a high note. For me, since 2018, and for the team since 2021, we have so many good memories. It was a great partnership to work with, to combine such talented groups. I think this just proves how hard the sport is and how ruthless it can be. I think we can still look back on it and feel lucky we were able to work together for such a long time. And as a team we move on to next year and try this one again in twelve months. Maybe the sixth time’s the charm.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “There aren’t really words to describe this race. Brendon did an amazing job. We were leading. Ricky just took the lead in Turn 5, doing a great job, and there was just a car in front of him, so he crashed. It was impossible to avoid. Our competitors seem to have good luck in this race while we do not. For so many years, we leave here crying because of losing in heartbreaking ways. We were doing everything right and we need to be proud of that. But it’s just tiring and exhausting to come up completely empty, knowing that we did everything right. There is nothing to learn from this. It’s just a matter of going again. I feel sorry as well because it was our last race with Acura and HRC. They did great and the car felt amazing; we were fighting with the championship leaders. This race reflects our last three years in GTP: we do everything correctly, but the results seem to slip through our fingers. I just feel sorry for how we ended the last race with Acura and HRC, but I think it reflects our last three years well.”

Brendon Hartley: “I loved being back with Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti at Petit Le Mans. I had a good feeling this weekend that we had a shot at the win. I think we had a pretty faultless race up until that one-hour-to-go mark. Mechanics, engineers and drivers, I think we were all on it. We were fighting in the first two positions for the whole race. Ricky was just coming back on the Porsche, and we had the tire advantage. I think we had a really good shot at this win, and then Ricky was just completely unlucky. There was nothing he could do there; there was a car stopped in the middle of the road and he couldn’t see it. It’s kind of heart breaking. I’m still really desperate for the first win with WTRAndretti. I feel like we’ve come close so many times. This year in Sebring, second at Daytona last year and then Petit Le Mans a couple years ago. It just wasn’t meant to be. Today felt like what could’ve been. But big thanks to everyone. I really enjoyed it. I loved working with Ricky and Filipe again, the crew and the No. 40 drivers. It’s such a good atmosphere. Just disappointed we couldn’t end up with a win.”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “I think it was a crazy race. We’ve been fighting for six hours to stay on the lead lap after the first caution, where we were surprised to have no final wave-by and ended up over a minute behind the leaders. We came back; Colton and Jordan did a fantastic job. But a (tire) puncture put us right back to fighting for that lap. We almost made it, but in the end we did not. We tried everything to get our lap back. Today was either winning or seventh, and it was seventh. A huge thank you to HRC and Acura for the season. We all wish it could have been better, but I enjoyed meeting and working with all the talented people. I’m sure there will be a lot of success in the future.”

Jordan Taylor: “I think we had some promise today. Early on, we led a lot of laps, and the No. 10 car led a lot of laps. They just had a super unlucky event to take them out of the race, and we just had an unlucky puncture that took us out of contention. Kind of the name of our year. There was some hope here and there, but no results. Sebring was a great one to think back on, but I think we’re all looking forward to 2025.”

Colton Herta: “I always enjoy coming to this race and racing these endurance races. It’s something different from my main IndyCar schedule, and it’s fun to do with HRC and the Acura ARX-06. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed my time with the WTRAndretti team. You know, I hope I can come back in the future and win this great race.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

AWA heads to Le Mans; Chevy wins GTD PRO Endurance Cup Manufacturers title

BRASELTON, Ga. (October 12, 2024) – Corvette Racing’s three Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs teams encountered mixed fortunes in the 10-hour Petit Le Mans on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but Chevrolet claimed a key long-distance championship and the No. 13 AWA team punched its ticket to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

AWA driver Orey Fidani clinched the season-long Bob Akin Award with the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the end of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season finale. The award goes to the top points-scoring, Bronze-rated GTD driver at each race and for the season with the additional prize of an automatic entry into the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for the year-long winner.

Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern finished 12th in GTD and fourth among Akin-eligible cars Saturday night. For the season, Fidani and Bell were the highest-finishing Akin pairing in three races.

“Congratulations to Orey Fidani and all of AWA on securing the Bob Akin Award and an automatic entry into the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager. “To see their hard work and effort lead to this accomplishment is something in which they and everyone at Corvette Racing can take a high level of pride. We’re excited for AWA’s future and can’t wait to welcome them to Le Mans next summer.”

That wasn’t the only season-long award for the Corvette program after Saturday. For the fourth time since 2015 – and first in GTD PRO – Chevrolet won the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship. The Endurance Cup is a collection of the five IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, including Petit Le Mans.

“It is very gratifying for Chevrolet to win our fourth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship,” said Mark Stielow, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “We are very proud and pleased as a company to achieve this in the first year of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA’s premier long-distance races.”

Those accomplishments offset a tough race for the two GTD PRO Corvettes from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. The No. 3 Z06 GT3.R of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella placed fifth in class after a frantic 10 hours that saw the trio lead three times but also suffer brake issues that required two extra pit stops in the race.

That the No. 3 team made the race was an achievement. The Corvette suffered right-rear chassis damage in a crash during Thursday’s night practice, and mechanics worked into early Friday morning to patch and weld the damaged portion back together. Garcia qualified the No. 3 Corvette fourth in class and remained in contention through the end.

The result was good enough to clinch third place in the GTD PRO Drivers and Teams standings for Garcia and Sims, and the No. 3 Corvette team, respectively.

The No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber showed strong form early from its second-place starting position. Milner was at the wheel when he was hit by an LMP2 car with the impact damaging the front and rear suspension on the right side of the car. The No. 4 crew worked quickly to repair it and get it back in the race, albeit more than 50 laps down. The trio finished 12th in class.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R program will return to IMSA competition at January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Petit Le Mans is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12. The first three hours will air live on NBC starting at noon followed by USA’s coverage from 6-10:30 p.m. Live streaming starts at noon ET on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Thursday’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It looked really good from the start until we had our first brake issue that put us a lap down. We kind of kept it there and with the lack of yellows that’s all we could do… just carry on and stay there. It was a gut-check race the whole way. With two hours to go, the last issue more or less put us out of it. We did fight our way back but needed some more yellows and action on track to get something good to happen. The guys did an amazing job. It was a difficult season with some challenges for all of us. I think we deserved a few more wins this year, but that’s the way it is. I’m proud of how the team worked and responded even in hard times – just like Thursday night and trying to repair the whole car just in time for qualifying. It’s a hard job for them but it was nice to fight for the win for them.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a typical Petit Le Mans. All sorts of things happened in the race, unfortunately probably one too many things for us. We had issues with the brakes early in the race with the caliper. We’re not entirely sure what happened when I went out toward the end. Immediately the brake pedal was really long… potentially a lack of fluid from the previous issues. We’ll diagnose and understand that better for the future. It put us one or two laps down. Although we finally got back on the lead lap, there were so many cars between myself and the leader that I couldn’t really make my way through enough. But I had fun. I had a really eventful last stint carving through a lot of GTD cars. I’d say the second half of the race was pretty clean. There were very few yellows and not too much mayhem. There was probably a lot less carnage than people expected. It was a joy to drive the Corvette as always. The whole Pratt Miller team did a great job to give us all a great, fast, consistent racecar after Thursday. I can’t thank them enough. Unfortunately we had those two issues that put us back too much.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The incident earlier is kind of what I thought happened. I got caught up in someone else’s accident. That was unfortunate, for sure. On the whole, not a bad year. There were some ups and downs for sure with some frustrating races but also some good moments as well. I think generally because the car was quite competitive at several rounds, expectations were really high. In reality, it was the first year for our Corvette customer program and the Z06 GT3.R. There’s a lot to learn – good and bad – and a lot to apply toward the whole program. We’ll use all that for next year and into the future to improve the car and our team. We’ll go for it again next year.”

AWA POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I couldn’t be happier or more proud right now. This is the goal we set for ourselves at the very beginning of this program coming together, and we worked tirelessly to see it through. No matter what happened throughout this season, we were always focused on the Bob Akin Championship and getting a 24 Hours of Le Mans entry, and we never lost sight of the big picture. I can’t thank Andrew and the entire AWA crew enough for all they’ve done. I love everybody on this team from the bottom of my heart. I’m so excited and I can’t wait to show what we can do in France!”

About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R comes back from early race issues to win Petit Le Mans

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Perseverance was the word of the day – and night – for the pink No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R team during the 27th Motul Petit Le Mans.

“Remember, we have a long way to go; we’ll get ‘em,” race strategist Mike O’Gara for the Chip Ganassi Racing-run racecar said after the team’s third on-track setback with 7 hours, 30 minutes left in the 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

O’Gara and the rest of the team know the truth in that encouragement, especially in the ebb and flow of the endurance race on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn course. Indeed, with good pace, solid strategy and steering clear of further incident, drivers Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon combined to get back on the lead lap and in position to challenge for a podium spot.

And, under a bright half moon, the team reaped the rewards of their perseverance with a dramatic victory to the delight of a record crowd for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale.

It was the fifth Petit Le Mans victory for Cadillac Racing, which has recorded a first or second in every 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. Van der Zande has three victories (2018, 2020, 2024) and a pair of second-place finishes (2019, 2023) with Cadillac Racing.

“Congratulations to Cadillac Racing team and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R on their victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans. Every member of the team can be proud of their efforts in preparing the racecar for success along with the skillful driving of Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “The podium demonstrates the incredible technology and durability of the V-Series.R, and the remarkable capabilities, expertise and determination of the Cadillac Racing team.”

Season highlights for Cadillac Racing include:

• Six poles in the nine races, plus a seventh race with a front-row start.
• 30th earned pole in IMSA prototype competition when Aitken reset the GTP track record Friday with a lap of 1:09.639.
• Three front-row qualifying sweeps.
• 31st victory in IMSA prototype competition.
• Two victories by the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Victory and second place at Long Beach.
• Three runner-up finishes for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Two runner-up finishes for the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Eight top-three finishes.
• Fastest lap in four races.
• Second in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championship. Cadillac has earned five IMEC Manufacturer Championships since 2017 and finished second the other years.

Both the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R and No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Serries.R overcame two drive-thru penalties, and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R was levied a mechanical black flag by IMSA to satisfy a scrutineering system requirement while running fourth in the 18th minute. Translation: a sensor was not broadcasting information. The crew resolved the issue on the second service stop under a full course yellow, though it rejoined the race a lap down.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R remained in contact with the leaders through an uncharacteristically long period of green flag racing and was running fourth when the final full-course caution was called with 57 minutes left. After pitting for fuel 48 minutes left, van der Zande prepped for his most important restart of the season. He was running second to the No. 6 Porsche Penske 963 when the green flag waved with 35 minutes left and waited for the prime opportunity in traffic to make his decisive move.

That came with 15 minutes left in Turn 1 and van der Zande, who earned his 21st IMSA victory and 11th with Cadillac, held off the Porsche to win by 2.948 seconds.

Post-race quotes

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Renger van der Zande: “Super happy to finish this off with a bang. It’s the last race for Chip Ganassi with Cadillac. It’s my last race with Cadillac. I’ve been with Cadillac for seven years now, which makes me very proud, but also sad to leave. Nice things come to an end, and this is the right way, with Cadillac. In the last four years (with Chip Ganassi Racing). Chip has been so nice to me, Mike Hull, Mike O’Gara, the team. I think this year, we had such a good team, and everyone was working in the same direction. This win was really good.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I don’t even know where to begin. Last year, we were winning until the final 30 minutes. This year we weren’t leading until right at the end. We had a torque sensor issue which affected the beginning of the race, so we had to do 100 laps on a set of tires. It looked like a lost race but the guys managed to fix it, and get us back to contending for the win at the end. I’m super happy to be able to finish on a high like this. It was frustrating last year to lose it, so we’ll definitely take it. I’m super happy for everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing, Cadillac, and my two awesome teammates. It couldn’t be a better send-off.”

Scott Dixon: “I’m so happy for the team. What a day. I’ve never been a part of anything like that. It’s so cool. As everybody saw the way it started we had a tricky day. We had a sensor issue, and kudos to everybody on the team side and Cadillac engineering for working through that and working with IMSA to enable that. Everybody had tremendous stints. I’m just so happy for everybody on the team and Cadillac.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “Sadly, the race is probably a quite good summary of our season. We didn’t get the breaks when new needed them and I think a couple of costly mistakes in a row put us on the back foot and we couldn’t recover. It’s a shame. I think we weren’t really the quickest tonight, but it would have been nice to be up there in the fight. We had a relatively clean race, came home in the top five and on to next season.”

Pipo Derani: “Unfortunately, there were no yellows to bring us back to the lead lap and fight. Nonetheless, I’m really happy with how I finished my stint with the team. I had two amazing stints in the middle of the race and was having so much fun, so I’ll take those great memories. It was a difficult year, but nonetheless Cadillac won the last race. Great day at the office despite being a little short on fighting for the win. I’ll take the great friendships I made with the team and I had fun on my last day on the job.”

Tom Blomqvist: “It was eventful for us early on. We were a lap down since after two hours and just never had an opportunity to get it back. It ruined our race and disappointing way to end our season. I’ve enjoyed my time with the team. It’s just a shame we didn’t get any victories.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.