Category: IMSA

Aitken drives No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R to the top for 10-hour Petit Le Mans

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 11, 2024) – Cadillac Racing completed a Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) pole bookend to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Jack Aitken, in his first full season with Action Express Racing, delivered a blistering lap of 1 minute, 9.639 seconds in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta course to secure pole for Saturday’s season-concluding Motul Petit Le Mans. It is Aitken’s first career IMSA pole and fourth for the team, which also secured pole for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Along the way were four additional earned poles for Cadillac Racing. That’s six poles in nine races for the two-car contingent in the second season of GTP competition. Also, a Cadillac will start on the front row for the seventh time.

“Congratulations to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R team and driver Jack Aitken on securing pole position in qualifying for the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “We are excited to get back on the track and compete for the overall win Saturday.

Sebastien Bourdais, who topped the combined lap time chart through three practice sessions Thursday in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, qualified fourth with a best lap of 1:09.964 in the 15-minute late afternoon session. He missed starting on the inside of Row 2 by .035 of a second.

“Pipo (Derani) told me beforehand to enjoy it and put it in the gravel or put in on pole,” said Aitken, who teamed with Derani and Alexander Sims to win the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver/team championship in the 2023 race. “We got the right side of that and I’m over the moon. I think we’re in a good spot and quietly confident going into the race.”

Media resource for editorial use: Cadillac Racing Petit Le Mans photo gallery

Aitken, Derani and Tom Blomqvist, who won the race the past two years with another manufacturer, will challenge for another IMEC title as will Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon in the pink No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R.

Cadillac Racing is seeking its sixth IMEC championship since 2017 and second in a row. Cadillac is four points out of the top spot entering the fifth and final endurance race of the season. Points will be awarded on 5, 4, 3, 2 scale at 4, 8 and 10 hours of the race.

Similarly, the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R is four points arrears in the endurance team/driver standings, while the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is five points back.

Cadillac Racing 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 two victories (2018, 2020) and a pair of second-place finishes (2019, 2023) with Cadillac Racing.

Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage of the race at noon ET Saturday in the U.S., with international feed coverage on IMSA.TV and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial. NBC will telecast the race from noon-3 p.m.

IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM (XM 206, Web/App 996) will broadcast the race along with local radio 98.1 FM.

Qualifying quotes

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais (qualified fourth with best lap of 1:09.964 on lap 5 of 10): “It’s difficult to go into a qualifying where you don’t get any kind of rehearsal. With the traffic there is, we didn’t get any quali setup and so we went with what we finished with the day before. It was a bit chaotic on the build-up to the (push) lap, so I missed the window on the tire and couldn’t put a lap together after that. Disappointed, but it’s a 10-hour race and we’ll go racing tomorrow. Good job by the 31 and we’ll see if we can win one to close the season.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken (pole-winning lap of 1:09.639 on lap 8 of 9): “Honestly, we felt strong most of the weekend, but I’d say there were some tweaks needed to get it right and the team did an awesome job overnight to make those small, small adjustments to make the car feel awesome. It’s a real pleasure when you have the track to yourself after all the traffic we had in practice and a car that’s working well. I just threw everything at it. We’re not in the championship hunt, so we’re here to get on pole and win the race. Pipo (Derani) told me beforehand to enjoy it and put it in the gravel or put in on pole. We got the right side of that and I’m over the moon. This is one of my most favorite tracks and a privilege to get my first pole here. I think we’re in a good spot and quietly confident going into the race. It’s definitely going to be a challenge to keep the tires where you need them to be. I think we’re seeing higher degradation in tire wear than we’re used to with these tires. You know, again, the circuit is so hard and unrelenting in that sense that if you’re not taking care of them, you can fall afoul. We’re probably going to have to double-stint a little bit earlier in the race. We’re trying to keep one eye on that. The way you win these races is by having a sharp race car at the end of the race when it’s spread for the cautions at the end. You can’t cater too much for having a conservative car to save the tires early on in the heat of the day.”

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Lone Star Racing’s 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup GTD Entry with IMSA Confirmed

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 11, 2024) – Fast off a pair of races at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), Lone Star Racing arrives at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for yet another blockbuster endurance event with the team’s first running in the IMSA Motul Petit Le Mans.

Completing the fifth and final round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup is Lone Star Racing’s driving trio of Salih Yoluç, Rui Andrade and Scott Andrews in the No. 80 ACS Manufacturing/Sonangol/Visit Angola Mercedes-AMG GT3. All roads lead to Saturday, October 12th’s 10-hour race, with the green flag scheduled for 12:10 p.m. EDT. The race can be viewed in its entirety on the Peacock streaming network, with the opening three hours broadcast live on NBC, and the closing stint from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT on USA Network.

Lone Star most recently competed at Indy in IMSA’s Battle on the Bricks in September and last weekend’s SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour.

In the Indy 8 Hour, Lone Star rebounded for a third-place Pro-class finish despite never having a chance to fight for the victory. The team and drivers Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou persevered through electrical issues for the majority of the race but turned in a no-quit performance straight to the checkered flag in the No. 4 Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

That Indy 8 Hour weekend included a GT2-class win in Friday’s GT America race from Lone Star Racing team owner and driver Dan Knox. The Indy title gave Knox a three-for-three-win record in the GT2 configuration of the Mercedes-AMG, adding to a pair of wins at Long Beach in April. All three convincing victories were flag-to-flag triumphs from the pole in the No. 10 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2.

A one-off Michelin Pilot Challenge GS appearance with Knox and Andrews also earned Lone Star Racing a solid result during the IMSA Indy weekend with a fifth-place finish while closing fast to the leaders in the final stages of the race in the No. 79 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

“Dan achieved a clean sweep of the GT2 races he entered this year, and I’m really happy to see him having fun,” said Lone Star Racing Team Manager and Technical Director AJ Petersen. “Success follows that, and he’s relaxed when he is racing too. The fifth place in GS Dan and Scott had on the IMSA Indy weekend was punching above our weight class to be able to step in and do a one-off like that. We’ve got a great group of people, and when we’re all pulling in the same direction, it’s pretty magical.”

Lone Star Racing is searching for a season-best result this weekend at Road Atlanta after a challenging Endurance Cup campaign. In the Indy IMSA six-hour race, Yoluç, Andrade and Andrews battled through wet and treacherous conditions for nearly the first half of the race but soon found some pace and grip in the dry. The race seemed to be coming to Lone Star in the closing hours only for the team to literally be knocked from contention by a GTD competitor more than 20 laps down. The No. 80 returned to the race after being retrieved from a gravel trap but was then four laps down after the needless delay.

“I’m definitely hopeful that we get some good breaks in the Michelin Endurance Cup finale at Petit Le Mans,” Petersen said. “It’s a race that we haven’t campaigned as Lone Star Racing before, but we’re going into it with some experience in the event with different members of the crew. We always have a solid car, but honestly, I don’t know what to expect. We’re just going to give it our best and see what happens.”

The team is ready to turn that luck around in the IMSA WeatherTech Series finale this weekend, and its drivers have a blueprint to complete the process. Andrade is a 2022 Petit race winner, having captured the LMP2 class with Tower Motorsports. Andrews most recent Road Atlanta win came at the 2021 Motul Petit Le Mans in the LMP3 class.

Not only is Motul Petit Le Mans the final race of the Michelin Endurance Challenge, which included endurance races at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis, but serves as a springboard for Lone Star Racing for 2025. Lone Star Racing was among 21 teams announced by IMSA on Thursday confirmed and committed to the IMSA WeatherTech competition. Lone Star is set for a return to the Endurance Cup next year, with a GTD driver line-up to be announced in the near future.

The Motul Petit Le Mans weekend began with three practice sessions on Thursday, followed by Friday’s 3:25 p.m. EDT qualifying session. Racing begins at 12:10 p.m. EDT on Saturday afternoon.

About Lone Star Racing: Based at Motorsport Ranch within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, Lone Star Racing is competing in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing/ACS Manufacturing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in the GTD class. Lone Star Racing and its team members have won races across North America spanning sprint and endurance racing formats. The crew has worked together on many different teams and various types of cars, developing a strong bond and proven capability that gives them a competitive and winning advantage. Lone Star Racing competes with the support of primary partner ACS Manufacturing, Inc. (www.ACSManufacturing.com). Look for Lone Star Racing and team owner/driver Dan Knox on Facebook and follow the team on YouTube at Lone Star Racing, on Twitter and Instagram at @LSRTeam and on the official team web site at www.LoneStarRacingTeam.com.

Braselton, Georgia (Thursday, October 10, 2024) – Forte Racing enters the final race of the season with some great momentum, similar to last year when they won the WeatherTech GTD class with their No. 78 Lamborghini GT3. They are hoping to ride that momentum to a repeat performance of their 2023 win.

The team finished third at VIR and fourth at Indianapolis’ endurance race, and with two of last season’s winning drivers, Misha Goikhberg and Loris Spinelli, returning this year, the team is confident that they have a great chance of pulling off a repeat win.

Misha Goikhberg is looking forward to the challenge of the upcoming 10-hour race, while reflecting on last year’s win. “Amazing, how quickly a year goes by,” Goikhberg said. “We still remember vividly last year’s win. It’s a long hard race, with crazy traffic flow, questionable weather, and running in great unlit darkness. Excited to test our entire team again and see what we can do.

The unpredictability of endurance races is sure to make for an interesting 10 hours. Loris Spinelli considers last year’s win at Petit Le Mans a highlight of his career and feels that he and his teammates have what it takes to be competitive again this year. “Winning the race last year was one of the biggest thrills in my career”, Spinelli said, “and this year we will try to make it happen again. We are fast on the track and we are prepared to handle any situation. I am sure that with the team and my teammates we will be able to do a good job. I can’t wait to get going!”

Devlin DeFrancesco, the team’s new endurance driver for the 2024, is confident that the team can have a good result this weekend as they carry their momentum from the 6-hour race at Indianapolis into the final race of the season. “Looking forward to the last race of the 2024 season with Forte Lamborghini,” DeFrancesco said. “After our strong form in the Indy 6 hour, I really feel we can close out the season with a strong result!”

Team Principal Shane Seneviratne has high expectations going into the final race of the IMSA WeatherTech 2024 season this weekend at Road Atlanta. “The number one goal of this weekend would be to survive,” Seneviratne stated. “Last year we were fortunate enough to win this race and I know our expectations are high. To be grounded, I would like to first finish and retain our championship position of fourth place. It’s in all our minds to try and hone in and finish the race. I strongly believe we have the team and the driver lineup capable of accomplishing another race win. I believe it’s totally achievable by minimizing mistakes and penalties and avoiding any misfortunes.”

You can see some snippets of the team in action at the Indianapolis race on IMSA’s “Win The Weekend Presented by Michelin | S2:E7 | Battle on the Bricks at INDY”, but make sure to also tune in to watch the team live on Saturday, October 12th. Coverage of the IMSA Petit Le Mans at Michelin Road Atlanta will begin at noon ET on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will carry the entire race from start to finish, while NBC will have coverage of the race from noon-3 p.m. ET.

About Forte Racing (Formerly known as US RaceTronics)

Forte Racing is a Los-Angeles based Motorsport team supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse and competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series.

Founded in 2023 and operated by US RaceTronics, the Italian-American team’s GT Daytona title contender is a Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 GT3 driven by Pro driver Loris Spinelli and Misha Goikhberg. The ream finished the 2023 season with four top-five finishes in the last five races of the season and included a 2nd-place finish at Indianapolis and a win at the season-finale Petit LeMans. The team finished an impressive rookie season fifth in the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship.

The team line-up for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship includes the team’s 2023 Petit LeMans winning driver Goikhberg and Spinelli along with NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Devlin DeFrancesco for the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races.

US RaceTronics (USRT) was founded by Shane Seneviratne in 2005 to compete in the Atlantic Championship, a formula race car series. The team finished 5th in points its first year and continued its success during the succeeding years, ultimately amassing a total of 21 podiums, 7 poles, 5 race wins and finishing 3rd in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. USRT was put on hold after series officials announced the Atlantic Series was put on hiatus.

Seneviratne fully returned to racing in 2015 after receiving an invitation to manage the O’Gara Motorsport entries in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North American (LBSTNA) Series. The team won the Team Championship, Dealership Championship, Pro Championship and Amateur Championship that season.

The success of 2015 reignited Seneviratne’s passion for racing and he relaunched US RaceTronics to compete in the 2016 LBSTNA Series. The team has won multiple North American and World Championships and expects to add to their success as they enter their eighth season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Series. The team also competed in 2023 with one car each in the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship and the IMSA VP Challenge and will be expanding their entries in 2024.

For more information on how to become a driver with US RaceTronics, learn more about the Series, or attend a race, visit www.usracetronics.com.

About O’Gara Motorsport

O’Gara Motorsport was founded in 2014 by owner Tom O’Gara and celebrated winning the 2015 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver and team Championships. The team goal is to achieve victories in the Series as well as showcasing the brands of their sponsors both on and off the track. With a vertically integrated platform that starts at the dealership and accelerates to the top levels of professional sports car racing, everyone at O’Gara is dedicated to providing a comprehensive program for anyone, from the casually curious to the dedicated racer.

About Change Racing

Founded by Lamborghini Charlotte CEO and long time real estate developer, John E. Littlefield, Change Racing is the premier championship winning team. Claiming 18 titles in various classes; Change Racing has competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series since its inception in 2013.

Most recently claiming the 2021 Amateur World Championship in Misano, Italy. Change Racing also claimed all SIX 2020 North American Championships, including the Pro, Pro-Am, Am and LB Cup class championships as well as the Team and Owner championships.

BRASELTON, Ga., (October 10, 2024) – The season finale for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is Saturday, October 12 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, and Wright Motorsports sweeps into the weekend riding high with two recent back-to-back wins. The team comes into Petit Le Mans as the most recent GTD class race winners in the WeatherTech Championship, and also just secured a class victory and championship title in the Fanatec GT World Challenge series. This success has the team in high spirits as they prepare to conclude the season with the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, and Jan Heylen.

“It has been an incredible few weeks for our two race programs,” said Team Owner John Wright. “For Adam and Elliott to secure their first IMSA win and first championship together in two back-to-back events makes us more ready than ever to end the 2024 race season on a high note. Petit Le Mans is a challenging event but one we have done well at before. As a team, we are performing at a very high level and we will stay focused to close out the year the same way.”

With a well-established pedigree of racing Porsches for two decades, Wright Motorsports has proven time and time again their ability to run up front in both sprint and endurance races. The crew in pit lane becomes a vital part of the team’s success, especially in the longer races when so many pit stops are required throughout the course of the race.

This weekend’s Petit Le Mans is a fan-favorite and a perfect way to close out the IMSA WeatherTech season. On Saturday, October 12, the season will conclude with ten hours of racing, beginning at 12:10 PM ET. Adelson, Skeer, and Heylen will rotate the driving duties of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, while the championship-winning pit crew will focus on keeping the car in top racing form over the course of the ten hours.

Cooler temperatures will play well into the hands of the Porsche, a machine known to perform exceptionally in cooler and even wet conditions. With lows reaching into the 40s Fahrenheit, and highs only in the 70s, Wright Motorsports has a strong package heading into the final event.

The season-finale endurance event is not only a part of the full-season championship, but it also marks the conclusion of the six-race endurance championship. Following their win at Indianapolis, Wright is mathematically in the hunt for the Michelin Endurance Cup title, for which points will be awarded based on running position in the four-, eight-, and ten-hour marks. Currently, six points separate the Porsche team from the class leaders, with a maximum of 15 to be awarded.

Fans within the United States will be able to watch the first three hours of the Motul Petit Le Mans on NBC starting Saturday at 12:00 PM ET. Subscribers to Peacock can watch from start to finish, and comprehensive audio coverage of the race will be offered at imsaradio.com. For event information, visit imsa.com.

DRIVER QUOTES

Adam Adelson

What an absolutely insane year it’s been. In my second year of GT3 racing, we’ve had multiple IMSA podiums, an IMSA race win, and a championship with SRO. I’m still pinching myself to see if I’m dreaming. Regardless, the job isn’t done quite yet, as our IMSA Endurance Cup championship hopes were fully revived by our amazing result at Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis. After a season filled with so many ups and downs and so many amazing achievements, it seems only fitting that our biggest test is how we wrap it up. Petit Le Mans is one of the most intense races in the world on one of the most challenging tracks, and it’s going to take all of our skill and effort to perform well. I know we have the best team and I have the best co-drivers. Even though I always try to manage expectations, I know the sky’s the limit for us.

Elliott Skeer

It’s bittersweet feeling on wrapping up my first IMSA season at Petit. I’ve loved every second of it, and don’t want it to end. Adam, Jan, and I have exceeded our own expectations for the season. We want to end it with a similar feeling! Petit Le Mans is not the most forgiving race in the world, but we will put everything we have learned together for a strong 10 hours.

Jan Heylen

I hope we can keep the good momentum going after our win at Indy. Petit is one of my favorite races on the calendar. I hope that we can finally get on the top step of the podium here. We’ve come close so many times, but I feel good about our chances with the Wright Motorsports team, Porsche, and with Adam and Elliott behind the wheel.

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.

Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 No. 62:

Davide Rigon (ITA)
Daniel Serra (BRA)
Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA)

(Houston, Texas, October 9, 2024) … The final round of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Championship Series and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship head to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the 27th annual Motul Petit Le Mans. This popular 10-hour race will be held October 9-12 at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Braselton, Georgia road course.

Risi Competizione, the fan-favorite Houston, Texas-based Ferrari team will bring their No. 62 Ferrari 296 GT3 GTD Pro class car to close out the season. The driver line up includes Ferrari factory drivers Italian Davide Rigon and Brazilian Daniel Serra, who have competed with Risi in the IMEC series for the previous four rounds, plus Alessandro Pier Guidi, who was a co-driver in the team’s victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this past January. Pier Guidi also paired with the duo of Rigon and Serra last year at Petit Le Mans, where they finished third on the podium.

This year’s IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Series finale will feature 54 entries, including 13 in the GTD Pro class in which Risi Competizione competes. Another Ferrari 296 GT3 team is entered in the GTD Pro class, with former Risi driver Toni Vilander at the wheel. Additionally, five Ferraris are entered in the GTD class. All four classes – Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) will compete together.

The Risi Competizione team won the inaugural IMEC championship in 2022 and continues to chase their second title this year.

The team’s race record in the IMEC series this year includes a class victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, a second-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, 11th place at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and ninth at the 6 Hours of Indianapolis.

Risi Competizione boasts a storied history at Road Atlanta, having won the inaugural Petit Le Mans in 1998 with a Ferrari 333 SP. The team has since collected additional victories at the scenic North Georgia road course in 2008 and 2009 with the Ferrari 430 GT, as well as in 2016 and 2019 with the Ferrari 488 GTE.

Quotes:

Davide Rigon, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“I’m very happy to be back at Petit. It’s a very nice track and I really like it. It will be very busy with the traffic and as we’ve seen at Indianapolis and other races this year, the strategy will be very, very important. With all the cars there is likely to be many yellows (flags) so the strategy will be very important. Last year we had a good car to be fast. Let’s see, we are ready, have a super team and we’ll work for the best outcome. I think we will try to defend the championship but first of all try to do the best and then we’ll see about the championship.”

Daniel Serra, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“It’s great to be back at Petit Le Mans. It’s one of my favorite tracks. We have a good history there with some victories and some podiums. It will be nice to end the season with Risi again. We still have a chance in the endurance championship (IMEC) and our focus is to fight for it until the last lap. I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Alessandro Pier Guidi driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“It’s always a pleasure to be here in the U.S. with Risi. After winning Daytona, I’m back for Petit. We won three years ago, and we were on the podium last year so we will try again. There is still a hope to win the IMEC championship for the guys so we will push hard to try to make it. For sure to win Petit again, which is an amazing race, would be the best closing of the year, starting with the victory in Daytona and closing victory at Petit. We never give up and we try strong and try to win this race.”

The race is set to start at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12, with live television coverage on NBC beginning at 12:00 noon for three hours. Fans can also enjoy flag-to-flag streaming on Peacock, which will carry the full 10-hour race starting at noon. Additionally, IMSA’s YouTube channel will provide a live international feed outside the U.S., while IMSA Radio will cover select sessions live at IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com.

Qualifying for the GTD Pro class will take place on Friday, October 11, at 3:25 p.m. ET for a duration of 15 minutes. This session will be available for viewing on Peacock and IMSA.com. All times are Eastern.

Sponsors for the 2024 season for Risi Competizione include Pennzoil, Ferrari of Houston, OMP Racing and DEA.

For more information and social media about the team, please see www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione and Twitter @RisiComp and on Instagram/RisiComp.

Corvette teams aim for first Petit Le Mans win since ’10, Endurance Cup and Akin Award

DETROIT (October 8, 2024) – Corvette Racing and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R teams are set to close the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar season with the annual 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in a highly anticipated finale.

Three of the first-year Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will race in the series for a final time in 2024 – the No. 3 and No. 4 from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO along with the No. 13 GTD entry from AWA, each sporting talented lineups for the day-to-night race around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta circuit:

• Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella in the No. 3 Corvette
• Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber in the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R
• Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern in the AWA Corvette

There is plenty at stake at this year’s Petit Le Mans. For starters, Corvette Racing entries haven’t tasted victory in the event since 2010, the longest drought at any venue in the program’s 26-year history.

Of the nine Corvette drivers in this year’s race, only Sims (2018 GTLM), Bell (2014 GTD) and Juncadella (2023 GTD PRO) have won Petit Le Mans. Among those that haven’t are Corvette Racing veteran stalwarts Garcia and Milner.

Nevertheless, hopes and confidence is high going into this year’s running. A victory in GTD PRO would go a long way toward securing the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers championship, which Chevrolet leads by two points going into Road Atlanta.

The Pratt Miller Corvettes have displayed strong performance at each of the four previous endurance rounds this season – Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis. For Petit Le Mans, points will be awarded at the four-, eight- and 10-hour marks.

One of the biggest prizes at the end of Petit Le Mans may await AWA. Going into Saturday, full-season driver Fidani leads the standings for the Bob Akin Award, which goes to the highest-finishing, Bronze-rated driver at the end of each race and at the end of the season. Fidani, Bell and Kern scored maximum points in the last round at Indianapolis, and the No. 13 Corvette did the same in the race before that at VIR.

Should AWA retain its hold on the lead position following Petit Le Mans, Fidani and AWA will earn an automatic invitation to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class.

DXDT RACING ADDS TO CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R LINEUP IN 2025 IMSA GTD

Fresh off ending its GT World Challenge America season with 10 victories and second place in Pro points, DXDT Racing will enter a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the full 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the GTD class.

It adds a fourth Corvette GT3 to the grid with Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports (GTD PRO) and AWA (GTD) already confirmed.

“We are thrilled to see multiple Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in IMSA’s GTD class for 2025,” said Mark Stielow, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “DXDT Racing proved itself this year in GT World Challenge with double-digit victories across the Pro and Pro-Am classes in the first year with our Corvette GT3. We’re proud to support David Askew and DXDT Racing as they continue pursuing their goals in becoming a well-established and successful team across multiple series in sports car racing.”

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 PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is going to be really crazy with the traffic but good for the show! I’m looking forward to it. I think we are coming into it in strong shape. It’s nice to have Dani back so Alex and I can have a little bit of a rest in the race! Let’s see how it comes out. I’ve been racing a Corvette at Road Atlanta since 2009 and haven’t won this one yet. It’s time to make it up and fix that!”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “With the number of GTP cars and the pace differences they have on the straights and not so much in the corners – plus the P2s – it’s going to be interesting among the different classes or cars, but the GTD PRO field is stacked in itself. It’s going to be super-hard from a driver point of view. There’s always mayhem. It’s the last race of the year and everyone is out to try to win championships or get the best positions they can. The racing is always pretty hard and fraught, but I love it. It’s an awesome place and really good fun with the undulation and nice, long backstraight for some overtaking opportunities.”

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s pretty crazy that I have not been back in IMSA since Sebring. It’s good because I feel like I am way more prepared ahead of Petit Le Mans with my experience in WEC with Corvette. It goes without saying that I want to defend my title there from last year, and it was an amazing experience. Being back in the car with Antonio, who is such a successful Spanish driver in the U.S., but hasn’t won Petit Le Mans, I hope I can be part of that success that he deserves after so many years racing there. That’s the goal and dream for that weekend. It should be an exciting weekend because of the race, the track, the atmosphere… everything that involves Petit Le Mans has always been exciting to me. So I’m really excited to get back and race again with the Pratt Miller guys in our Corvette.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s exciting to go to Petit Le Mans. We had a strong car in the IMSA race at Indianapolis. Road Atlanta is a track that I really enjoy and a place where the Corvette has gone well. We just don’t seem to have Lady Luck on our side there. I’d say we haven’t had a lot of luck this season in IMSA, so maybe we’re saving all of that for this race. We’ll have to work for it, that’s for sure. We’ve seen that all year long and know what it’s like in this championship. I haven’t won there, Antonio hasn’t won there, and Corvette Racing hasn’t won there in 2010. I can promise you without having to be asked the question that every man and woman at Corvette Racing is eager to have a good result there. We’ll put our absolute best effort forward to make that happen.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Petit Le Mans is a race that everyone looks forward to but also a race that not many of us in the team haven’t won before. So everyone badly wants to win but unfortunately for us so does the rest of the field. This race is similar to Sebring where things at the end of the race get slightly crazy. Hopefully things will be a little bit calmer than they have been. We need to focus on executing everything, not making mistakes and not getting any damage early on in the race. It’s always a bit crazy in terms of traffic, so I think we need to focus on being there for the end. It’s nice to have Earl as he is a very experienced driver and someone who fits in very well with our team. Hopefully we can finally get that well-earned win in the No. 4 Corvette this year! To do it at Petit Le Mans would be unbelievable.”

EARL BAMBER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I can’t wait. I did some simulator work a few weeks ago for the Corvette guys. It was really good to be back with the Corvette Racing guys back at the shop. I love the Z06 GT3.R and am looking forward to rounding out the year in it. The car has been quick. We had the pace and potential to podium earlier this year. It’s certainly quick. I hope we can achieve something cool at Petit Le Mans.”

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I love the Petit Le Mans event. It really is one of the hardest sports car races in the world. It’s a super intense race with one of the most packed fields of the season, but I always relish that challenge. It’s what makes it such an amazing event. We are coming here after an extremely competitive performance in the Battle On The Bricks, and our focus remains firmly centered on securing the Bob Akin Award and booking some plane tickets to France next year!”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We’re ready to give one final push this year. Petit Le Mans is such a great race, the track is fast and technical, and it really puts you to the test as a driver. We know we can do well here, we finished on the podium in last year’s event and we had a successful couple of days of testing here recently. The car feels good, and I think we’re all extremely motivated and hungry for another great result to finish off the year and accomplish the goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Petit Le Mans is one of the best IMSA events of the year, and obviously we want to end the season on a high. We had a great test at Road Atlanta and we feel well prepared for what will be a pretty busy 10-hour race. Our Corvette showed great reliability and performance at Indianapolis, so I’m confident for what’s up next. The team started the year being new to the Corvette itself and to the GTD class as a whole. You can only imagine how difficult and intense this route has been, but we’ve built such an amazing, talented group within AWA. It’s an absolute pleasure being a part of this team and I have great confidence for 2025. Here’s to hoping we can cut out the ‘Petit’ for one of the 2025 races.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

1. Laurin Heinrich – 2887
2. Ross Gunn – 2788
3. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2668
4. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2659
5. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2646
6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 2452

GTD PRO Teams Standings

1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2887
2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2788
3. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2668
4. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2659
5. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2646
6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2452

GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

1. Porsche – 2950
2. Aston Martin – 2828
3. Chevrolet – 2761
4. Lexus – 2730
5. Ford – 2681

GTD Drivers Standings

1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 3006
2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2784
3. Mikael Grenier – 2513
4. Parker Thompson – 2213
5. Loris Spinelli/Misha Goikhberg – 2213
6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 2088

GTD Teams Standings

1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 3006
2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2784
3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 2513
4. No. 78 Forte Racing – 2213
5. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 2204
6. No. 13 AWA – 2088

GTD Manufacturers Standings

1. Mercedes-AMG – 3217
2. BMW – 2646
3. Lamborghini – 2608
4. Porsche – 2607
5. Aston Martin – 2518
6. Chevrolet – 2360

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: By the Numbers

• 1: As in one program, one manufacturer and one car model for 26 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 26 years: Sebring International Raceway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and as of this weekend Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
• 5: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road Atlanta since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (1999-04) Corvette C6.R (2005-2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019), Corvette C8.R (2020-2023) and now the eighth-generation Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which made its Road Atlanta debut at September’s six-hour IMSA race in 2020
• 10: Number of Road Atlanta victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2000 – eight of those at Petit Le Mans
• 10: Petit Le Mans wins for Chevrolet – eight in GT and two in Prototype. That ranks third among manufacturers in event history
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 28: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Barber Motorsports Park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 53: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Patrick Liddy and Blake McDonald joined the list at Indianapolis in GT World Challenge America
• 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 138: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and 10 in GT World Challenge America
• 307: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
• 42,306.48: Racing miles by Corvette Racing entries at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta since 1999. That represents 16,879 laps and more than 661 trips around Atlanta’s Interstate 285.
• 394,354.20: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

CORVETTE RACING AT MICHELIN RACEWAY ROAD ATLANTA (wins in bold)

1999 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 5th in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Scott Sharp – 4th in GTS

2000 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 3rd in GTS (Fellows pole)

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS

2001- No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Scott Pruett – 9th in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS (Pilgrim pole)

2002 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap)

2003* – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 1st in GTS

2003 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 5th in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GTS

2004 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2005* – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1 (O’Connell pole, fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1

2005 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 6th in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (Beretta pole, Gavin fastest race lap)

2006 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 4th in GT1 (O’Connell pole)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2007 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2008 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (O’Connell pole, Magnussen fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1

2009 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT2

2010 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Emmanuel Collard – 1st in GT (Magnussen fastest race lap)

2011 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 17th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GT

2012 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 12th in GT

2013 – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 6th in GT (Garcia/Magnussen ALMS GT title)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 10th in GT

2014 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 8th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Ryan Briscoe – 4th in GTLM

2015 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Ryan Briscoe – 3rd in GTLM

2016 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 3rd in GTLM (Gavin/Milner clinch GTLM title)

2017 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia/Magnussen clinch GTLM title)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM

2018 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM (Garcia/Magnussen clinch GTLM title)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 2nd in GTLM

2019 – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 7th in GTLM

2020** – No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2020 – No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM

2021 – No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 4th in GTLM (Sims fastest race lap)

2022 – No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 5th in GTD PRO

2023 – No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTD PRO

• Two-hour, 45 minute races

** Six-hour race

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.

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 8, 2024) – One final event remains on the schedule for the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) pair of Acura ARX-06 GTP teams as they head to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The iconic 10-hour endurance classic – MOTUL Petit Le Mans – will mark the end of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. MOTUL Petit Le Mans will also mark the end of the four-year manufacturer partnership between WTRAndretti and Acura in the prototype category. Together, WTRAndretti and Acura tallied a Rolex 24 at Daytona victory, eight additional wins, 19 podiums and ten pole positions across the four years leading into this weekend.

Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will be joined by their IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup co-driver and 2017 Petit Le Mans winner, Brendon Hartley, to tackle all ten hours of racing action. In 2023, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 showed impressive speed around the 2.54-mile road course as the team started from pole position. Although the blue and black team are not in contention for the championship, the team can be proud to boost a win on the streets of Detroit as well as podium and pole position as highlights of their 2024 season.

For Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz, their trio will be complete with the return of 2024 IndyCar Vice Champion for Andretti Global, Colton Herta, to the lineup of the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 for the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. Both Delétraz and Taylor have their own success at Road Atlanta with Delétraz earning pole position in 2023 as the IMEC co-driver in the sister No. 10 car while Taylor is a two-time MOTUL Petit Le Mans winner (2014, 2018). Like their teammates, the No. 40 crew is unfortunately out of reach of the championship title, but they have their impressive win at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and podium at the Rolex 24 at Daytona as accolades on the team’s inaugural GTP campaign.

Preparations from Road Atlanta for the WTRAndretti team will begin with three practice sessions on Thursday, October 10. Qualifying for the GTP field is set for 4:215 p.m. ET on Friday, October 11 on Peacock. The MOTUL Petit Le Mans will begin the 10-hour countdown at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12. NBC will open the broadcast from 12 p.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET while USA Network will go on air at 6 p.m. ET. Peacock will serve host to full event coverage for all 10 hours.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “This one of the first years we’ve gone to Petit Le Mans without a chance to win the championship overall. This is also our last race with Acura and HRC, so our focus is going to be to try and win the race – I think we’ve won it three times before. We’ve got nothing to lose in terms of championship. We can just go and push as hard as we can to try to get a 1-2 finish for Acura and HRC and that will be a good way to close the season out.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor: “We have always had a strong car at Petit Le Mans. I feel like without the pressure of the championship on the line we can focus on purely a race win and not look at anyone else which will be refreshing for us to enjoy the race again. It is one of the more historic races of the season. The track is very high commitment, but the race is one of the most intense towards the end with all teams and drivers generally putting everything on the line to win the race/championship.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “Petit Le Mans is one of the coolest races in the world. The race, the characteristics of the track is unique for racing with all the classes. It’s super wild because everyone is fighting for the championship, for the race win, so no one is holding back anything. It just makes it so unique. I’ve never won this race before, I’ve led the last hour, last 30 minutes many, many times but never concluded with winning. I know we will be competitive again with the No. 10 team. The question is if we are going to win it or not, so we’re going to give it our best again. We have nothing to lose. We’re not fighting for the championship; the championship contenders will have to manage while we’re all in. That’s our approach. We are not holding back, and second place is not enough for us.”

Brendon Hartley: “Petit Le Mans is one of the endurance classics and a race I always try to put on the calendar if there is an opportunity. The track has old school small run off vibes and good flow. You can expect everything. WTRAndretti have been quick all year, but things have not fallen our way, full focus on the win and finishing on a high.”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “Petit Le Mans is one of my favorite races of the year; the track, the fans, the atmosphere, everything is amazing. We tested at the track few weeks ago and we were competitive last year. Everyone has worked hard so the objective is clear: go win the race and finish the year on a high! Colton is back with us in the 40 and last time out as a trio was pretty good, so hopefully we can repeat that. I already can’t wait to be back on track with WTRAndretti and the Acura ARX-06.”

Jordan Taylor: “I think our team is really suited to these big, classic endurance events. When you look at the team’s history, they have a lot of success in the big key races like Petit Le Mans. We won Sebring this year, so it would be amazing to close off the year with another big win. Petit Le Mans has always been an iconic race ever since it started back in 1998. I think as a team it’s especially important since my dad won the inaugural event. It is also usually a very stressful event because the championship is often on the line. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the year that we have wanted, but at the same time that opens up our race strategy to purely race for the win.”

Colton Herta: “I’m really excited to be back with WTRAndretti in the No. 40 Acura ARX-06. Petit Le Mans is a huge bucket list race for me to win and I’m excited to able to go for that win with this amazing group.”

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.

Endurance championships on the line in Motul Petit Le Mans season finale

DETROIT (Oct. 8, 2024) – In the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale, Tom Blomqvist sought to blunt Cadillac Racing’s ascendency to the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer title while driving for another manufacturer.

This weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, he’ll seek to lift Cadillac Racing to its sixth IMEC championship since 2017 and second in a row while sharing the wheel of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R with Jack Aitken and Pipo Derani in the Motul Petit Le Mans.

Cadillac Racing is four points out of the top spot entering the fifth and final endurance race of the season. Points will be awarded on 5, 4, 3, 2 scale at 4, 8 and 10 hours of the race.

Similarly, the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon, is four points arrears in the endurance team/driver standings. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, which corralled the overall and endurance team/driver titles last year, is five points back as Cadillac Racing aims for its sixth driver and fourth team endurance championship.

Last October, the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified second and Bourdais established the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) race record lap time of 1 minute, 10.917 seconds as the team finished runner-up by .452 of a second at the completion of 397 laps to the racecar co-driven by Blomqvist.

Media resources

• Cadillac event notes, driver bios, results, more
• Cadillac in Petit Le Mans
• IMEC GTP standings
• Cadillac season stats
• Cadillac titles, victories
• About the V-8 engine
• Driver headshots
• Driver candid photos

Cadillac Racing 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 two victories (2018, 2020) and a pair of second-place finishes (2019, 2023) with Cadillac Racing.

With a 54-car grid, including 11 GTP entries, across four classes, steering clear of incident and debris over 10 hours on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn course will be part of a winning strategy.

“It’s a tough track and a really difficult race because with the traffic density even higher than Indianapolis it’s survival, survival, survival for about eight hours,” said Bourdais, who earned the pole Sept. 21 for the six-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Last year we had enough pace that even playing the survival game we were running at the front, which made it comfortable. Who knows what’s going to happen this year. Hopefully, when we get there, we’ll still be in the championship hunt and have something to play for.”

Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage at noon ET Saturday in the U.S., with the international feed on YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial and IMSA.tv. NBC will telecast the race from noon-3 p.m.

Qualifications will be streamed on Peacock (in U.S.) and IMSA.TV (outside U.S.) at 3:20 p.m. ET Friday. IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com will broadcast the race and qualifying, with SiriusXM (XM 206, Web/App 996) and local radio 98.1 FM broadcasting the race.

What they’re saying

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: “We had an amazing car last year and the car to beat all race long, so we hope we have that kind of pace again. It’s a tough track and a really difficult race because with the traffic density even higher than Indianapolis it’s survival, survival, survival for about eight hours. Last year we had enough pace that even playing the survival game we were running at the front, which made it comfortable. Who knows what’s going to happen this year. Hopefully, when we get there we’ll still be in the championship hunt and have something to play for.”

Renger van der Zande: “I think Petit Le Mans is an amazing event. If you want to feel motorsports at its purest, I think that’s the race you have to visit. I think the track is amazing. It’s tricky, it’s multi-class racing and the atmosphere is amazing. I’ve always been able to fight for victories there, which makes it even more fun and good memories. It’s the last race for Ganassi with Cadillac and I hope we can go out with a bang and win that race.”

Scott Dixon: “As all endurance races are, you kind of ride a rollercoaster. For me, what I’ve learned is that we’ve had great speed, the team has done a superb job, and we’ve probably been just a little bit unlucky. It would be fantastic to go out at the end of the season with a win at one of the toughest races we have on the calendar with Petit. I’m definitely looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get there and get Cadillac what it deserves in the final race of the season with a big W.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani: “We’ll look to maximize our chances for the endurance championship. We’ve always had a strong car at Road Atlanta and a lot of success the last few years there with wining the first GTP championships last year. I won that race once and have always been in contention. It’s a challenging track and challenging race in which anything can happen. It’s a track that’s very tight for the number of cars IMSA has, so it brings a lot of nuances to the race – you start during the day and finish at night like Sebring. I’m looking forward to closing this chapter of my career with this team that has been a very successful six years together on a high, and a race win would be fantastic.”

Jack Aitken: “Road Atlanta is definitely a place that holds good memories from last year. We know that we can be quick there, and recently having done a test there it’s familiar it will help us remain positive for the final round of the year. We’ll be doing what we can to get a win to sign off the year in a nice way and support the other Caddy where we can. There will be the usual challenges of endurance rounds. Traffic is going to be a big problem. As we saw in Indianapolis, it can really shape the race, so we’ll be working hard to keep our nose clean. Looking forward to going back there and challenging for the win.”

Tom Blomqvist: “As we approach Petit Le Mans, I’m really excited about our prospects with the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. After winning the race the past two years with Acura, it would be amazing to make it three in a row, this time with Cadillac and help them to secure endurance championship repeats for both the brand and our team. Our recent test at the track was very positive, and I feel the car is in excellent shape for the season finale. The circuit is a lot of fun to drive, featuring a mix of fast straights, technical corners, and elevation changes. It’s one of my favorites. Managing traffic can be tricky here, and it often determines the outcome of the race. I have complete confidence in our team and the preparations we’ve put in, and I can’t wait to hit the track and give it our all.”

ST. CHARLES, Ill., (October 2, 2024) – AO Racing is proud to announce the return of the fan-favorite characters of Spike to the LMP2 class and Rexy to the GTD PRO class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Further details are pending and will be announced at a later date, but the team’s future looks bright as they head into the final race of the season with next year’s plans confirmed.

“It’s a little bit surreal to think that the 2024 season is almost over and that we head into Petit Le Mans leading the GTD Pro Championship,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “The team has had a lot of growth this year, and it’s been a massive effort from everyone involved to get to where we are. We are looking forward to building on all of that work and rolling out at Daytona in 2025 with two cars that are capable of winning their class.”

The team’s sophomore season in the IMSA WeatherTech series has shown the team’s hard work producing strong results, with Spike the Oreca LMP2 earning four pole positions and one podium with drivers PJ Hyett and Paul Loup Chatin. Rexy, the Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr has celebrated two pole positions and three wins, leading the championship points for a majority of the season.

In addition to the on-track success, the team has built a strong fan following of all ages, bringing a new style of fun and fan engagement to the paddock. The fan-first mentality combined with the fun characters has created many unique opportunities for the team and series to continue to grow.

“The fans have really embraced Spike, Rexy, and Roxy this year for which we are extremely grateful,” concluded Jeannette. “It’s so much fun to see families and young children get so enthusiastic about both the cars and characters. We can’t wait to build more on that support nationwide across the IMSA calendar.”

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will conclude at Petit Le Mans in Braselton, Georgia. The 10-hour endurance race will air in its entirety on Peacock beginning Saturday, October 12 at 12:00 PM ET.

About AO Racing

Founded in 2022 by PJ Hyett and Gunnar Jeannette, AO Racing has swiftly risen to prominence in the world of professional sports car racing. With an unwavering commitment to on-track excellence and fan engagement, AO Racing commands attention with its fun liveries and fan-friendly presence, becoming a dynamic force in the sport. Central to AO Racing’s success is its unique blend of performance and personality. The iconic liveries of “Rexy” and “Roxy,” the T-Rex Porsche 911 GT3 Rawrs and “Spike” the LMP2 Dragon have captivated fans worldwide, earning AO Racing a dedicated following. With a focus on making racing accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts of all ages, AO Racing has become a beloved favorite among motorsport lovers. The team has a global footprint, with strong efforts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. With passion, precision, and a touch of flair, AO Racing is writing the next chapter in the annals of motorsport history.