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Cadillac won the IMSA Prototype Manufacturer Championship today at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Petit Le Mans. The championship comes on the strength of the run by the Whelen Engineering Cadillac team which won the drivers' and team championship with their eighth-place performance in today's season finale at Road Atlanta. The Konica Minolta Cadillac team won the 10-hour race, their first of the season.


2018 Cadillac Season Ending Honors:
Cadillac wins IMSA Prototype Manufacturer Championship
Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win IMSA Prototype Drivers' Championship
Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins the IMSA Prototype Team Championship
Cadillac wins Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC) Manufacturer Championship
Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win TPNAEC Drivers' Championship
Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins TPNAEC team championship
At the drop of the green the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R in the hands of Felipe Nasr began to make its way to the front of the pack from the ninth-place qualifying position. Two hours into the race Eric Curran took the lead in the red Cadillac DPi-V.R with the help from a fortunate pit stop just when a full course yellow was slowing the action. He exited the pits and when the race restarted he was the leader. With the team constantly preaching to not risk the car in the Road Atlanta race traffic, Nasr, Curran and third driver Gabby Chaves were able to do just enough, finish within one place of the No. 54 Core Oreca in eighth to win the IMSA Prototype Championship.


"This is unbelievable," Curran said. "Talk about down to the wire, it just doesn't get closer than that in racing. We didn't think we could make it on fuel, we kept backing Felipe up to hit the number running four or five seconds off the pace at the end. The 54 Core car had to stop and that made the difference. The Whelen Cadillac was great all day. We led a lot of the race. The engineers on the box, the pit stops were all spot on. What a great day! It feels great to win two of these championships in a two-year window. I am unbelievably happy!"


"I have no words at all," Nasr said. "It was an exhausting last stint, to be honest, three plus hours in the car. Somehow, we lost power halfway through the stint so the only chance we had was to hit the fuel target. I still can't believe it, it was impossible but somehow, we made it! I want to thank Eric, Gabby, and Mike (Conway) - even though he's not here this weekend, he's been a great part of the team. And thank you to the Action Express guys who made all the calls, all our sponsors - the Whelan car has won two championships! This is my first year in the series and I couldn't ask for a better way for the season to go. It's been a great year, I just need time for it all to sink in."


"I had a great time out there today," Chaves said. "The Whelen Cadillac was great to drive here at Road Atlanta. I was able to lead a few laps. When I was in the car we were a little off pit sequence with the other cars so we were hanging around the top five. My job this weekend was to keep a good pace going and keep the car clean. Eric and Felipe did the hard work like they have been doing all year. They deserve the championship."


By winning the first segment of the race, the Whelen Engineering Cadillac team won the TPNAEC team championship. For Action Express it is their fifth TPNAEC team championship. The strong performance of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac team and the No. 10 Konica Minolta team also contributed valuable points to the endurance championship today.


Cadillac takes the IMSA Prototype Championship Manufacturer trophy for the second consecutive year. All three teams posted wins on the season to help the brand capture top manufacturer honors once again in 2018.


"It was a great night at Petit Le Mans with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R winning the championship," Steve Carlisle, General Motors senior vice president and president, Cadillac said. "Cadillac, for the second year in a row, is the IMSA Prototype driver and manufacturer champions! That is a testament to the Wayne Taylor, Action Express and Spirit of Daytona teams all performing to a very high standard all season. The drivers' and manufacturers trophies are shared by everyone at Cadillac, our teams, suppliers and customers. We have proven that V-Performance is once again the standard of power in IMSA Prototype competition."


"Congratulations to Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr on winning Cadillac's second consecutive IMSA Prototype drivers' championship," Mark Reuss, GM Executive Vice President and President Global Product Group and Cadillac said. "The No. 31 Action Express Cadillac DPi-V.R team took the momentum from their victory at the Detroit Grand Prix through the season to take the title. Cadillac V-Performance power, combined with strong team work, proved to be a winning combination. Also, thanks to all of the Cadillac DPi teams for delivering valuable points to earn Cadillac's second consecutive manufacturer championship."


 
Hunter-Reay, left, Van Der Zande, Taylor win Petit.
The No. 10 Konica-Minolta Cadillac team was driving without reservation all race. The trio of Jordan Taylor, Renger Van Der Zande and Ryan Hunter-Reay were not in a championship points position and drove for the win. The team led briefly into the early evening. In the last half hour of the race, Van Der Zande was using all of the Cadillac DPi-V.R to chase down the leading No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac was conserving fuel and stumbled heading into the second to last turn allowing Van Der Zande to pass for the win within 200 yards of the finish line.


"It was pretty crazy," Taylor said. "It was a never-give-up strategy today. It was 10 hours and one of the toughest Petit Le Mans races there's been in a long time, especially in the Prototype class. It was a tough year not having a win until now, and it would've been very disappointing to leave this season without a win. But our guys were unbelievable - the whole Konica Minolta crew. We were making up positions on every pit stops, which kept us up front for track position. And for the last two hours, Renger was saving fuel. If we wouldn't have stuck to that strategy like we did, we would've ended up like the 5 car. We were pushing him every lap to save fuel and hit his numbers, and he was still able to keep the pressure on and it worked, passing for the win with two corners to go. To go through 10 hours of racing is unbelievable. Wayne Taylor Racing has won at least one race for all 15 years of its existence, so it's a great way to end the way and a great way to lead into 2019."


"Took nine races to get my first win with the team," Van Der Zande said. "We finally got it done. I'm super happy and super proud of the team and I think this was a real team effort. We kept it on the black stuff, we gave it our all at the right time, but mainly on the fuel mileage and hitting the numbers they gave me was a big calculation at the end and the team got it done. We knew we were going to struggle during the day when it was hot. When I got in for Ryan on my second-to-last stint, it was starting to cool down and that's when I started to feel like we do have a good car because it felt horrible before that. It was steering in, it was braking, it was doing everything I wanted. The closer we got to the end of the race, the better the car was getting, I could attack everywhere. At the end, it was a very calculation kind of game on track because you want to get position but you want to save fuel, as well. That's the game that we played and we played it very nice. I'm very happy. We have a baby coming any time now so I have to head home now. I'll be very anxious until it happens but this is a very nice thing to happen to end the season."


The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac team with Filipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipaldi and Tristan Vautier suffered through early race contact and a penalty to come back and take the race lead. With one lap to go, Albuquerque was behind the wheel and leading when he took the white flag. Being very close on fuel the car stumbled into Turn 10 and the Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R passed him within site of the finish line. He was able to get the car down the hill and across to the checker in fourth.


"When Filipe came out of Turn 7, I thought we had it," Fittipaldi said. "I thought that was it, we only had the straightaways and it would be okay. But then he started having a misfire down the straight and unfortunately, not only the 10 but all the other cars went by and we didn't even finish on the podium. Congratulations to the Whelen guys for winning the championship, it was an awesome run. It was an awesome run for us this season, but we just were unfortunate a few times, and today was one of those times. But this is a solid group of guys, we'll turn the page to a new chapter and try and win Daytona again to start the new season."


"We really have had bad luck in the second half of the season, it was very frustrating," Albuquerque said. "We had problems early in the race with the offset, recovered and came back to lead. The car was just brilliant from lap one, so I hated to have to race to the fuel at the end. We thought we had it, but apparently, we couldn't catch it. One corner, that's all it was, and to not even get a podium is very hard. Everyone did great, and Tristen did an amazing job, jumping in and helping us. I guess it was just not meant to be."


"We were so close to winning Petit," Vautier said. "It was very tense, those last moments. Filipe drove an amazing race, getting into the lead, and then driving to those fuel numbers. We were going for broke and were that close, two corners from winning Petit Le Mans. Just an amazing experience with the team, I'm very grateful they gave me the call to come and jump in. It's a shame we couldn't bring it back in a podium position but thank you to the team for an amazing job. It's an incredible organization. Thank you to Filipe, Christian and Joao and the entire team for being so welcoming, I'm very grateful. I'm happy for the team as a whole, because the 31 won the championship and that was the main mission today. I'm disappointed, but very grateful."


The teams will celebrate the wins and collect their trophies at the IMSA WeatherTech Night o of Champions tomorrow and then look to January for the Roar Before the 24 test in just three months to kick-off the 2019 season. Cadillac will have seven DPi-V.R cars on the grid for the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona to run January 24-27.


Cadillac DPi-V.R 2018 Results
Track Drivers Qualify Finish Points
Daytona Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 3 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 7 2 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1 15 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 5 20 
Sebring Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 8 10 3 (56)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 5 3 1 (62)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 10 2 7 (48) 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 1 12 11 (30)
Long Beach Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 5 1 35 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 2 7 32 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 6 3 16 (4)
Mid-Ohio Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 6 4 119
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 8 109
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 5 104
Detroit Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 4 6 144
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 6 1 144
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 7 5 130
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 13 48
Watkins Glen Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Gabby Chaves 14 6 169 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 11 7 168 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 8 5 156 (4)
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 11 68 (24)
CTMP Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi 11 4 197
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 2 188
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 3 198
(1)
Road America Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 7 7 221
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 4 216
(4)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 3 228
(1)
Laguna Seca Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 11 DNS 221 (6)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 1 12 235
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 5 254
(1)
Petit Le Mans Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Tristan Vautier 6 4 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 12 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Gabby Chaves 9 8 


Photo credits, Cadillac/Richard Prince.



Eric Curran, left, and Felipe Nasr.










The Cadillac DPi-V.R teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Additional information can be viewed at Cadillac.com, GM.com, media.gm.com; Twitter @Cadillac; Facebook, GM, Cadillac.

The Cadillac Racing media guide can be viewed at media.cadillac.com.  For additional information please contact Kyle Chura, kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/cadillac-wins-imsa-prototype-championship-whelen-engineering-cadillac-wins-driv/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/whelen-engineering-cadillac-primed-for-championship-run-at-petit/ Thu, 11 Oct 2018 07:31:31 +0000

The Whelen Engineering Cadillac team leads the IMSA DPi points heading into the season finale IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta this weekend, October 11-13.
Whelen Engineering leads DPi points
Cadillac leads DPi manufacturer standings
Cadillac teams lead TPNAEC standings
Vautier for Barbosa in Mustang Sampling Cadillac
Konica Minolta Cadillac looking for first win of 2018
Seven Cadillac DPi-V.R cars set for 2019
Championships on the line this weekend at the 2.5-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta track located 40 minutes north of Atlanta. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac team is pulling out all of the stops as they go for the IMSA DPi championship. The team has a four-point lead over second place, so a strong run in Saturday's 10-hour race is a must. Cadillac has a 38-point lead in the IMSA DPi manufacturer standings. The Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC) points have Cadillac teams in the top two positions. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers lead with 31 points, followed by the Mustang Sampling Cadillac team with 25.


Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr and Gabby Chaves will be looking to run a calculated race in No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R this weekend. The team leads the championship points and have put in the hours of preparation and testing necessary to run well this weekend.


"We'd love to win the race, but first we've got to make sure we do what we have to do for the championship," Curran said. "It will come down to executing as a team and not putting ourselves at risk. You have to be there at the end, and Road Atlanta is not a very forgiving place. It is a real driver's track with how much speed you carry into the corners, but it is also a really challenging race. It is ten hours, and anything can happen in a race like Petit Le Mans.


"If we can execute on everything, hopefully we will be in a position to take the IMSA championship and the Tequila Patron Endurance Cup, which we've never done with the Whelen car, and go out with a win. What a way that would be to close out 2018."


"Final race of the year already? - how quickly the season goes by!" Nasr said. "I'm heading to Petit Le Mans fully prepared. We had the opportunity to test at the circuit a few weeks ago with the Whelen Engineering Cadillac and we were able to get ourselves ready for the final race. It's a really fun track, with fast flowing corners, but it's also very tricky for clearing traffic. It has all the ingredients to make it an exciting 10-hour race.


"I know we have the best team behind us in the paddock when it comes to endurance racing. Petit is very demanding and also physically challenging for us drivers. As a team, our goal remains the same - expect to win!"


Filipe Albuquerque and Christian Fittipaldi will be joined by Tristan Vautier at Petit this weekend. Vautier is sitting in for the recovering Joao Barbosa for the weekend. The trio are prepared to run for the win in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R as well as support their Whelen Engineering Cadillac teammates.


"The crash in Laguna was very frustrating because there was nothing Joao could do," Albuquerque said. "It was a domino effect created when the pole car did not accelerate normally. As each driver on the inside row behind him began to accelerate, then had to hit their brakes, a gentleman driver hit us from behind. It changes my approach completely heading to Petit Le Mans. Now I will not think about the championship because there is nothing to fight for. I will just go full attack mode to win the race. Second place is not an option. I really want to secure the win. For me, Petit Le Mans is one of those races that I have on my bucket list to win. I consider it a very prestigious event and we are totally motivated to win it."


Jordan Taylor, Renger Van Der Zande and Ryan Hunter-Reay will be running for the win in the No. 10 Cadillac DPi-V.R. The team that won five races in a row in 2017 is still looking for their top step podium finish in 2018. With nothing to lose as they are out of contention for the championship the trio is planning to go for it on Saturday


"We have nothing to lose this year heading into Petit, so we are just going for the win," Taylor said. "Unfortunately our championship fight ended at Laguna, but we have been battling for the win at every race in the second half of the season, which gives us confidence heading into Atlanta. We don't have to focus on racing for the TPNAEC points or anything else, it's just about the overall win. With no points pressure, it allows us to take as much risk as we want to. We don't have to worry about any of the TPNAEC stages or anything like that, so we can put all our focus on the end of the race."


In 2019, the Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona will see seven Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars on the grid starting with the Roar Before the 24 test weekend in just three months. The Action Express team returns with two cars, Wayne Taylor Racing with their entry, Spirit of Daytona with their blue Cadillac, JDC-Miller with two new cars and Juncos Racing with their new Cadillac will compete in 2019.


Motul Petit Le Mans will be televised live Saturday, October 13 starting on FS1 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. then transitioning to FS2 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT.


Cadillac DPi-V.R 2018 Results
Track Drivers Qualify Finish Points
Daytona Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 3 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 7 2 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1 15 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 5 20 
Sebring Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 8 10 3 (56)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 5 3 1 (62)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 10 2 7 (48) 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 1 12 11 (30)
Long Beach Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 5 1 35 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 2 7 32 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 6 3 16 (4)
Mid-Ohio Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 6 4 119
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 8 109
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 5 104
Detroit Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 4 6 144
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 6 1 144
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 7 5 130
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 13 48
Watkins Glen Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Gabby Chaves 14 6 169 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 11 7 168 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 8 5 156 (4)
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 11 68 (24)
CTMP Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi 11 4 197
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 2 188
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 3 198
(1)
Road America Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 7 7 221
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 4 216
(4)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 3 228
(1)
Laguna Seca Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 11 DNS 221 (6)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 1 12 235
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 5 254
(1)


Photo credits, Cadillac/Richard Prince.












The Cadillac DPi-V.R teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Additional information can be viewed at Cadillac.com, GM.com, media.gm.com; Twitter @Cadillac; Facebook, GM, Cadillac.

The Cadillac Racing media guide can be viewed at media.cadillac.com.  For additional information please contact Kyle Chura, kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/whelen-engineering-cadillac-primed-for-championship-run-at-petit/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/cadillac-racing-teams-head-to-weathertech-raceway-laguna-seca/ Wed, 05 Sep 2018 17:12:20 +0000

New York, September 4, 2018


Cadillac Racing Teams Head to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca


Cadillac V-Performance Racing teams are heading west to California's WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix featuring America's Tire 250 this weekend, September 7-9.   
Whelen Engineering Cadillac leads prototype driver and team points
Mustang Sampling Cadillac second in points
Cadillac leads manufacturer points
Three new Cadillac entries coming for 2019
With the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round being the second to last race on the 2018 IMSA Championship schedule the teams are focused on championship points. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac team leads the prototype drivers points championship with 228, followed closely by the Mustang Sampling Cadillac team with 221. The Konica Minolta Cadillac is in fourth with 216. Cadillac leads the manufacturer race with 35.


Since the last race at Road America one month ago, new team announcements have dominated the IMSA news cycle. JDC Racing will be campaigning two new Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars in 2019 along with new comer to the IMSA Championship, Juncos Racing who enter the series with a long pedigree in open-wheel racing making it six Cadillac DPi-V.R prototypes on the roster for next year.


Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R are looking to add to their win at Detroit and four podium finishes this weekend at the 2.2-mile, 11 turn undulating road course best known for its Corkscrew turn this weekend. They also lead the battle for the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC).


"We will have the same approach that we've had all year, to avoid mistakes and just race for as strong of a result as we can on Sunday," Curran said. "We always want to win-Detroit was awesome! But when you don't win, coming home on that podium is of course the next best thing for the points. We just want to keep the wheels rolling and make the most of the weekend. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is challenging, no matter what car you are driving. It has a low grip surface and that can change from lap to lap with all the dirt and dust that gets on the track. So the car can move around a lot, and it is a tricky place to get the car set-up and working well but it is the same challenge for everyone!"


Filipe Albuquerque and Joao Barbosa have the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R second in driver points with two wins. The duo are just seven points behind their teammates for the drivers championship and six points behind in the TPNAEC.


"WeatherTech Raceway is a beautiful race track, with one of the most iconic corners in the country with the Corkscrew," Barbosa said. "We've not had the best of racing luck there, so it is one of those tracks that we know we have to keep working on to be strong. We are heading in the right direction with the Cadillac DPi-V.R and have learned so much with the car since we were there last, so hopefully we can keep that progress going this weekend."


Jordan Taylor and Renger Van Der Zande are looking for their first win of the season in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. The defending prototype champions from last year are still focused on the season ending top prize.


"We have had a strong second half of the season, battling for wins in the past few races, so I'm looking forward to Laguna," Taylor said. "We had a really strong car there last year and have learned some new things about the car over the course of this season that we can put to good use when we get there. We definitely still have a shot to win the championship. Since Daytona, we've been in the top-five every race. With how many prototypes we have in the class this year, it just takes one bad race for someone to lose a large amount of points. If we just keep doing what we're doing, there's no reason we shouldn't be going to Petit (Le Mans) with a shot."


The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix featuring America's Tire 250 will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday.


Cadillac DPi-V.R 2018 Results
Track Drivers Qualify Finish Points
Daytona Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 3 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 7 2 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1 15 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 5 20 
Sebring Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 8 10 3 (56)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 5 3 1 (62)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 10 2 7 (48) 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 1 12 11 (30)
Long Beach Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 5 1 35 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 2 7 32 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 6 3 16 (4)
Mid-Ohio Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 6 4 119
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 8 109
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 5 104
Detroit Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 4 6 144
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 6 1 144
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 7 5 130
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 13 48
Watkins Glen Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Gabby Chaves 14 6 169 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 11 7 168 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 8 5 156 (4)
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 11 68 (24)
CTMP Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi 11 4 197
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 2 188
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 3 198
(1)
Road America Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 7 7 221
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 4 216
(4)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 3 228
(1)


The Cadillac DPi-V.R teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Additional information can be viewed at Cadillac.com, GM.com, media.gm.com; Twitter @Cadillac; Facebook, GM, Cadillac.

The Cadillac Racing media guide can be viewed at media.cadillac.com.  For additional information please contact Kyle Chura, kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/cadillac-racing-teams-head-to-weathertech-raceway-laguna-seca/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/bryan-herta-autosport-wins-tcr-team-championship/ Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:39:07 +0000
Hyundai Scores PWC TCR Manufacturers’ Title Sunday



Lewis, Wilkins Place 2nd and 3rd in TCR Drivers’ Points in 2018



WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Sept. 2, 2018) – It was Championship Sunday at Watkins Glen International in the final TCR race of the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge road racing series, and, at the end of the Round 12 40-minute sprint race, it was Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian scoring the TCR Team title and Hyundai taking the TCR Manufacturers’ championship.



After 12 races in the 2018 TCR campaign, the BHA squad secured the top spot in the Team Standings with a 12-point margin (284-272) with drivers Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins leading the way in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR and No. 99 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR cars, respectively.



In the TCR Manufacturers’ battle, Hyundai came home with the championship with a 115-103 victory over Honda.



Both Lewis and Wilkins entered Sunday’s TCR finale with chances for the Drivers’ Championship with Lewis starting from the pole position and Wilkins starting fourth. However, both BHA competitors were hampered in the final race with mechanical issues.



Lewis had to pit early for repairs and came back to finish fifth at the Sunday’s TCR checkered flag. In addition, Lewis set the race’s fastest lap with a one minute, 58.058 seconds for an average speed of 102.82 miles per hour.  Meanwhile, Wilkins’ Hyundai i30 N TCR battled for second early in the 18-lap feature, but Mark had to retire his mount after 13 laps.



“I got a great start and the car was running well,” said Lewis, a four-time race winner. “But we lost power and I had to pit. The Bryan Herta Autosport guys got to the problem quickly and I was able get back out on the track without losing a lap. I fought my way back up to fifth and collected some points. Overall, I’m very proud to be part of a championship effort like BHA in winning the team title as well as taking Hyundai to the Manufacturers’ championship. It was a super season.”



Wilkins was a three-time race winner this year and placed third in the final drivers points behind TCR champion Ryan Eversley and Lewis.



“Despite not finishing the race today, I still feel very excited to bring home the TCR Manufacturers’ title for Hyundai as well as the Team championship for Bryan Herta Autosport,” said Wilkins. “The team won seven races of the 12-event series in the first year in the Pirelli World Challenge TCR tour. There were a lot of great moments this year and taking two championships home was the crowning achievement.”



In the final Drivers’ points, Eversley finished with 276 followed by Lewis at 259 and Wilkins at 229.



All of the Pirelli World Challenge champions will be honored on December 5 in Indianapolis.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/bryan-herta-autosport-wins-tcr-team-championship/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/michael-lewis-just-misses-out-on-win-saturday-at-the-glen/ Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:38:30 +0000
Mark Wilkins Takes Fourth in TCR Round 11 Event for BHA



Wild show in Saturday’s TCR Race with Lewis taking second by just 0.221 seconds



WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Sept. 1, 2018) – Michael Lewis did all he could Saturday afternoon at Watkins Glen International in the Pirelli World Challenge 40-minute TCR race, but the driver of the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR driver had to settle for second at the checkered flag.



But it was close. How about 0.221 of a second for the young California racer?



Starting third in the Round 11 lineup, Lewis applied pressure to pole sitter Ryan Eversley the entire 18 laps before having to take the runner-up finish at the historic 3.4-mile, 11-turn road circuit.



Running special decals for Hyundai Hope On Wheels and their friend ‘Reese the Beast,” Lewis’ No. 98 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR machine looked to be in position to make the important move to the lead with just a few laps remaining Saturday. Michael worked the low line and the high line and actually pulled ahead briefly of Eversley in his attempt to grab the lead. However, Eversley was able to hold off Lewis at the finish line for the victory.



Lewis did set the fastest race lap Saturday and will start from the pole in Sunday’s event scheduled for 3:25 p.m. EDT. The race will be shown live on www.world-challenge.com and the World Challenge YouTube channel.



Lewis’s BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR teammate Mark Wilkins took fourth in Saturday’s TCR feature in his No. 99 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR car.



Lewis entered the penultimate race of the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge road racing series just seven points from the TCR point lead.  Now, Michael goes into Sunday’s final event with a nine-point deficit to Eversley in the TCR Drivers’ championship.



In the Team points, Bryan Herta Autosport holds a 20-point advantage over RealTime Racing, 267-247, while Hyundai tops the Manufacturers’ standings, 109-93, entering Sunday’s contest.



“That was a fun race,” said Lewis. “It was a really good time to race that way against Ryan (Eversley) and have that level of trust between us, especially going into some brake zones. So congratulations to him and his team. For us, the Bryan Herta Autosport team was definitely working hard during practice to get the car set up well. Mark (Wilkins) was also chiming in to help get the setup right for the race. We had the first objective to get one point for fastest lap and we did that. The next item on the list was to try to win the race.



“That was a little bit harder and I did have the car to do it.  But I just couldn't make it happen. There was some overlap from Ryan's lines to mine and I tried to use that to my advantage. Ryan is great in the first few turns, but then it starts to go my way the other half of the track. That's where I would try to set up a run for three or four laps in a row. I had a few opportunities and one was really good one, where I was actually in front for a couple of seconds. But I just couldn't hold it on the outside. It was a very fair race. Good points day, fun race, and good to get the fast lap point to start on pole for Sunday’s race.”



Sunday’s TCR race will feature a standing start.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/michael-lewis-just-misses-out-on-win-saturday-at-the-glen/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/bryan-herta-autosport-scores-another-1-2-sunday-in-tcr/ Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:29:56 +0000
Michael Lewis Claims 4th 2018 Race Win in Hyundai i30 N



Mark Wilkins records another 2nd in Round 10 TCR Competition



GRANTSVILLE, Utah (August 12, 2018) – Sunday’s TCR 40-minute sprint race featured the popular and unique “standing start” at Utah Motorsports Campus and Michael Lewis timed it to perfection in the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR race car on his way to a fourth TCR victory of the year in the Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Utah.



The young Californian enjoyed a perfect weekend in Utah with two TCR race wins and two pole positions as he makes a run for the coveted inaugural TCR Drivers’ championship with just two races remaining in the 12-event tour. Lewis now sits second in the TCR points, just seven markers back for point leader Ryan Eversley.



The final TCR doubleheader of the season will be held on Sept. 1-2 at the famed Watkins Glen International road course in New York state.



On Sunday, Lewis repeated his dominant performance from Saturday with a superb launch from the standing pole position and beat his BHA teammate Mark Wilkins to the first turn of the 3.048-mile, 14-corner road circuit southwest of Salt Lake City.



Wilkins, a three-time race winner this year, pressured his teammate throughout the 20-lap feature event in a hot Sunday afternoon sun. The driver of the No. 99 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR hung just a few lengths off of Lewis’ car’s rear bumper before settling for the runner-up spot for the second straight day, just 1.065 seconds behind.



Today’s BHA 1-2 finish was the team’s sixth top-two performance in the first ten races of the year. The 1-2 showing also extended the BHA point lead in the TCR Team standings (177-140) and Hyundai’s advantage in the TCR Manufacturers’ championship.



“The standing starts are a little more intense,” said Lewis. “You have a few more things to do than when you have a rolling start. But our Hyundai's have a really good launch and a real handbrake to help with the launch. We were going hard for a while and then, all of a sudden, it felt weird as if I had a flat tire or had come in contact with some oil or something. It made me go really wide in the esses. It was definitely intense out there but I'm glad we got back some of the grip there in the end.”



Wilkins, currently third in the TCR standings, made sure that Eversley never really got close to Lewis, even after a late race yellow flag. And the Canadian racer is still in the point fight enter the Watkins Glen finale weekend.



“The i30 was great,” said Wilkins. “We had some BoP adjustments last night which added some weight which we definitely felt, but we had a great start anyway. Both Michael and I got off the line dead even and the cars ran flawless for us again today, albeit sliding around a little bit more today so we had to be a little bit more careful with the tires, but another 1-2 for Bryan Herta Autosport.



“This is a great track, we had a lot of fun. The surface was a little bit different today for sure. It was pretty good for a few laps there but there were a few laps where both Michael and I felt like there was just no grip. There are always a few variables to deal with on a late restart, but our cars are able to handle it.”



The Utah TCR doubleheader races will be shown on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, August 26, at 4 p.m. EDT. The Watkins Glen TCR races on Sept. 1-2 will have live streaming on www.world-challenge.com and the World Challenge channel on YouTube.



#  #  #



About Pirelli World Challenge (PWC): The Pirelli World Challenge is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by WC Vision since 2008, and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club since 2017. The series consists of seven driver classifications and several classes of vehicles, including: Grand Touring, GT Cup, GTS, TCR, TC and TCA. The series frequently races alongside the IndyCar Series on race event weekends.  Each Pirelli World Challenge Touring TCR season consists of six event weekends with doubleheader races for a total of 12 rounds. Each weekend has one standing start as well as one rounding start. Each TCR race has a maximum 40-minute time limit.



About Bryan Herta Autosport

Co-Founded by Bryan Herta in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single-car Indy Lights team into a world-renowned auto-racing franchise. The team made its first foray into IndyCar action in 2010 with an entry in the Indianapolis 500 while continuing to run a full-time multi-car Indy Lights program. The 2011 Indianapolis 500 was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also known as “The Most Important Race in History,” the 100th anniversary of the inaugural 1911 race was the second IndyCar race in which Herta Racing competed.



Five years later, Bryan Herta Autosport, while partnered with Andretti Autosport, defied the odds again and won their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2015, Bryan Herta Rallysport made its debut in the exciting Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship.



Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide, with the majority sold in the U.S. built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/bryan-herta-autosport-scores-another-1-2-sunday-in-tcr/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/michael-lewis-takes-wire-to-wire-victory-saturday-in-utah/ Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:20:39 +0000
Bryan Herta Autosport Dominates TCR Action



Another Hyundai i30 N TCR 1-2 finish for Lewis & Wilkins in 100-degree heat



GRANTSVILLE, Utah (August 11, 2018) – Michael Lewis hit the throttle at the green flag Saturday in the Pirelli World Challenge Round 9 TCR event and never looked back in his No.  98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR race car.



The personable Californian drove from his pole position in the 40-minute sprint road racing event at Utah Motorsports Campus and led wire-to-wire in the 20-lap feature at the 3.048-mile, 14-turn outer track inside the large Utah racing facility in near 100-degree heat.



Saturday’s TCR race for the first for the racing category at the Utah race plant and Lewis put his name in the records with a dominating run. It was Michael’s third TCR win in 2018 and sixth for the BHA team and Hyundai.



Only Lewis’ BHA Hyundai teammate, Canadian Mark Wilkins, could stay close to Michael in the first half of the race as the two veteran racers pulled away from the rest of the TCR field Saturday. At the checkered flag, Lewis defeated Wilkins by 2.613 seconds in the impressive 1-2 finish for the team’s fifth 1-2 finish of the 2018 TCR campaign for the BHA Hyundai boys.



“Big thank you to all the Hyundai service managers and all these other corporate members being here,” said Lewis. “It's cool to get the win and see them cheering us on. We're trying to get points for Drivers’ championship and Team championship. But, first and foremost, this win helps us as we're working hard for the Manufacturer championship for Hyundai.”



Lewis and Wilkins currently rank second and third behind point leader Ryan Eversley in the TCR Drivers’ standings, but Bryan Herta Autosport tops the Team points by 18 and Hyundai leads the Manufacturers standings by 15.



“A great day for Hyundai, another 1-2,” said WIlkins. “Congrats to Michael. He did a great job in qualifying and took it all home to win the race. Overall everything was functioning as normal, the car’s balance was still good and we just tried our best to stay out of trouble. It's a great day for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai and all the support they've brought here today, so it feels so good to win 1-2. Hyundai has given us a great baseline car to work with. All in all, we made a few tweaks but it's just a great platform to begin with. The track is technical, there's a lot of variety, there are a lot of high-speeds and brake zones and the track lets you test all the aspects of the car.”



Lewis also set the fastest race lap Saturday at 1:59.212 for a 92.04 miles per hour average. With that new track record, Michael will start from the pole position again in Sunday’s Round 10 event with the unique standing start. Wilkins will start alongside on the front row in the 40-minute set to start at 1:00 p.m. MDT.



Sunday’s TCR race at Utah Motorsports Campus will have live streaming on www.world-challenge.com and the World Challenge channel on YouTube.



#  #  #



About Pirelli World Challenge (PWC): The Pirelli World Challenge is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by WC Vision since 2008, and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club since 2017. The series consists of seven driver classifications and several classes of vehicles, including: Grand Touring, GT Cup, GTS, TCR, TC and TCA. The series frequently races alongside the IndyCar Series on race event weekends.  Each Pirelli World Challenge Touring TCR season consists of six event weekends with doubleheader races for a total of 12 rounds. Each weekend has one standing start as well as one rounding start. Each TCR race has a maximum 40-minute time limit.



About Bryan Herta Autosport

Co-Founded by Bryan Herta in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single-car Indy Lights team into a world-renowned auto-racing franchise. The team made its first foray into IndyCar action in 2010 with an entry in the Indianapolis 500 while continuing to run a full-time multi-car Indy Lights program. The 2011 Indianapolis 500 was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also known as “The Most Important Race in History,” the 100th anniversary of the inaugural 1911 race was the second IndyCar race in which Herta Racing competed.



Five years later, Bryan Herta Autosport, while partnered with Andretti Autosport, defied the odds again and won their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2015, Bryan Herta Rallysport made its debut in the exciting Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship.



Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide, with the majority sold in the U.S. built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/michael-lewis-takes-wire-to-wire-victory-saturday-in-utah/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/lewis-wilkins-go-1-2-in-pirelli-world-challenge-practice-friday-in-tcr-action/ Sat, 11 Aug 2018 01:27:47 +0000
Friday in TCR Action at Utah Motorsports Campus



Hyundai i30 N TCR cars roll off the trailer with good setup at PWC Grand Prix of Utah



GRANTSVILLE, Utah (August 10, 2018) – A racing driver always wants their race car to roll off the trailer and feel good in the first practice runs. That was the case Friday for Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins in TCR action in the Pirelli World Challenge opening day at the Utah Motorsports Campus.



Both of the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai i30 N TCR racers had a good feeling at the 3.048-mile, 14-turn road course southwest of Salt Lake City after the first few laps in the Friday morning practice round.



“You are always a little nervous going into the first practice session at any track,” said Lewis, the California driver in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR car. “You are not really sure what you have to work with in the initial track surface. But I think Mark and I both could tell pretty quickly that our Hyundai i30 N machines were good. We have to thank our engineer John Ward for setting up strong cars this morning. The crew has worked hard to get the cars prepared since last month at Portland.”



Lewis, currently second in the TCR point standings, turned in an impressive lap of one minute, 59.352 seconds for a speed of 91.93 miles per hour in the TCR class debut at the fast Utah racing plant. That quick lap time gave Lewis the No. 1 position for Friday practice, as qualifying and the Round 9 40-minute sprint race is scheduled for Saturday.



Wilkins, the three-time 2018 race winner in the No. 99 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR machine, recorded the second quickest TCR lap of the day Friday with a 1:59.413 for a 91.88 m.p.h., just a tick behind his teammate. The veteran Canadian driver is no stranger to the Utah circuit, having scored Pirelli World Challenge feature win in GTS (2015) and GT SprintX (2017).



“Both Michael and I have won races here in the past and our experience helps coming into the PWC weekend,” said Wilkins. “We have worked together all year with the crew and John (Ward) on the proper setups at the various tracks. We felt we had a good start for the morning practice and the results proved that out. In the afternoon, the heat was really up, right at a 100 degrees. So, we learned how the track surface can change. It helped us get ready for Saturday and Sunday’s races.”



In the Friday runs, Lewis and Wilkins were second and third, respectively, in the TCR practice, trailing only young Mason Filippi.



The equally-prepared Hyundai i30 N TCR cars will now be prepped for Saturday’s qualifying at 9:45 am. MDT as well as Round 9 40-minute sprint race (a rolling start) will begin at 2:30 p.m. MDT.



Sunday’s Round 10 event (a standing start) will start at 1:00 p.m. MDT.



All TCR races at Utah Motorsports Campus will have live streaming on www.world-challenge.com and the World Challenge channel on YouTube.



#  #  #



About Pirelli World Challenge (PWC): The Pirelli World Challenge is a North American auto racing series launched in 1990 by the Sports Car Club of America. It has been managed by WC Vision since 2008, and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club since 2017. The series consists of seven driver classifications and several classes of vehicles, including: Grand Touring, GT Cup, GTS, TCR, TC and TCA. The series frequently races alongside the IndyCar Series on race event weekends.  Each Pirelli World Challenge Touring TCR season consists of six event weekends with doubleheader races for a total of 12 rounds. Each weekend has one standing start as well as one rounding start. Each TCR race has a maximum 40-minute time limit.



About Bryan Herta Autosport

Co-Founded by Bryan Herta in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single-car Indy Lights team into a world-renowned auto-racing franchise. The team made its first foray into IndyCar action in 2010 with an entry in the Indianapolis 500 while continuing to run a full-time multi-car Indy Lights program. The 2011 Indianapolis 500 was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also known as “The Most Important Race in History,” the 100th anniversary of the inaugural 1911 race was the second IndyCar race in which Herta Racing competed.



Five years later, Bryan Herta Autosport, while partnered with Andretti Autosport, defied the odds again and won their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2015, Bryan Herta Rallysport made its debut in the exciting Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship.



Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America is focused on delivering an outstanding customer experience grounded in design leadership, engineering excellence and exceptional value in every vehicle we sell. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to deliver peace of mind to our customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide, with the majority sold in the U.S. built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/lewis-wilkins-go-1-2-in-pirelli-world-challenge-practice-friday-in-tcr-action/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/cadillac-racing-team-konica-minolta-to-start-fourth-at-road-america/ Mon, 06 Aug 2018 17:27:55 +0000

Cadillac V-Performance Racing team Konica Minolta Cadillac will start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase from the second-row tomorrow. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac will start seventh with the Whelen Engineering Cadillac going away from the grid in ninth.


Renger Van Der Zande had the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 15-minute qualifying session around the 4-mile, 14-turn undulating Road America circuit. He was able to post a time of 1:52.430 that will have him and Jordan Taylor starting from the second row for the 2:30 p.m. ET green flag.


"Qualifying was OK - I gave everything and I think this was the maximum possible," Van Der Zande said. "I tried a few other things - like out braking myself here, brake a bit deeper there, go throttle earlier, change around a little bit of the style - which worked out really well at some points for lap two, and by lap three the tires were used up. So, I think it was a very short window as far as where we could do the lap time. We'll make it a nice race tomorrow."


Joao Barbosa is back in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R after recovering from a cycling accident. He put in a lap of 1:52.867 that will have he and Filipe Albuquerque starting seventh.


"It feels really good to be back and driving again," Barbosa said.
"The splint or my wrist isn't bothering me too much, so everything is going very well on that side. The qualifying run was really practice for the race since we did the best we could. We are learning a little bit every session. I think I got everything I could from the car during qualifying. We have a better race car than a qualifying car. We will have to explore the track, the set-up, tires, and the car to see if we can get it done."


In the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R Eric Curran drove to a lap time of 1:53.257 that will have him and teammate Felipe Nasr starting ninth.


"Overall, I think we have a really good Whelen Cadillac for the race tomorrow," Curran said. "This place is a tough race track and it's all about how your car is going to be on the long run during the race. I think we are in a really good place with the car for a long run. I just kept banging off the same laps for the entire 15-minutes so that is a good sign of what type of car we have tomorrow. We aren't the fastest, but we still have a fast Whelen Cadillac that you will be looking for at the end of the runs which is where we really need to be quick."


The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will be televised live on FS1 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Cadillac DPi-V.R 2018 Results
Track Drivers Qualify Finish Points
Daytona Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 3 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 7 2 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1 15 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 5 20 
Sebring Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 8 10 3 (56)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 5 3 1 (62)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 10 2 7 (48) 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 1 12 11 (30)
Long Beach Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 5 1 35 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 2 7 32 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 6 3 16 (4)
Mid-Ohio Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 6 4 119
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 8 109
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 5 104
Detroit Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 4 6 144
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 6 1 144
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 7 5 130
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 13 48
Watkins Glen Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Gabby Chaves 14 6 169 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 11 7 168 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 8 5 156 (4)
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 11 68 (24)
CTMP Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi 11 4 197
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 2 188
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 3 198
(1)
Road America Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 7   
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4   
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9 

 


Elkhart Lake, Wis., August 4, 2018


Cadillac Racing Team Konica Minolta to Start Fourth at Road America


Cadillac V-Performance Racing team Konica Minolta Cadillac will start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase from the second-row tomorrow. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac will start seventh with the Whelen Engineering Cadillac going away from the grid in ninth.


Renger Van Der Zande had the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 15-minute qualifying session around the 4-mile, 14-turn undulating Road America circuit. He was able to post a time of 1:52.430 that will have him and Jordan Taylor starting from the second row for the 2:30 p.m. ET green flag.


"Qualifying was OK - I gave everything and I think this was the maximum possible," Van Der Zande said. "I tried a few other things - like out braking myself here, brake a bit deeper there, go throttle earlier, change around a little bit of the style - which worked out really well at some points for lap two, and by lap three the tires were used up. So, I think it was a very short window as far as where we could do the lap time. We'll make it a nice race tomorrow."


Joao Barbosa is back in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R after recovering from a cycling accident. He put in a lap of 1:52.867 that will have he and Filipe Albuquerque starting seventh.


"It feels really good to be back and driving again," Barbosa said.
"The splint or my wrist isn't bothering me too much, so everything is going very well on that side. The qualifying run was really practice for the race since we did the best we could. We are learning a little bit every session. I think I got everything I could from the car during qualifying. We have a better race car than a qualifying car. We will have to explore the track, the set-up, tires, and the car to see if we can get it done."


In the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R Eric Curran drove to a lap time of 1:53.257 that will have him and teammate Felipe Nasr starting ninth.


"Overall, I think we have a really good Whelen Cadillac for the race tomorrow," Curran said. "This place is a tough race track and it's all about how your car is going to be on the long run during the race. I think we are in a really good place with the car for a long run. I just kept banging off the same laps for the entire 15-minutes so that is a good sign of what type of car we have tomorrow. We aren't the fastest, but we still have a fast Whelen Cadillac that you will be looking for at the end of the runs which is where we really need to be quick."


The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will be televised live on FS1 starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Cadillac DPi-V.R 2018 Results
Track Drivers Qualify Finish Points
Daytona Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 3 1 
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 7 2 
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 1 15 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 5 20 
Sebring Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi 8 10 3 (56)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 5 3 1 (62)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande
Ryan Hunter-Reay 10 2 7 (48) 
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier
Eddie Cheever III 1 12 11 (30)
Long Beach Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 5 1 35 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 2 7 32 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 6 3 16 (4)
Mid-Ohio Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 6 4 119
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 8 109
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 5 104
Detroit Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 4 6 144
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 6 1 144
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 7 5 130
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 13 48
Watkins Glen Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi
Gabby Chaves 14 6 169 (1)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr
Mike Conway 11 7 168 (2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 8 5 156 (4)
  Matt McMurry
Tristan Vautier 12 11 68 (24)
CTMP Filipe Albuquerque
Christian Fittipaldi 11 4 197
(2)
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4 2 188
(3)
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 12 3 198
(1)
Road America Filipe Albuquerque
Joao Barbosa 7   
  Jordan Taylor
Renger Van Der Zande 4   
  Eric Curran
Felipe Nasr 9   

 
Photo credits, Cadillac/Richard Prince.



Renger Van Der Zande, Jordan Taylor







Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr








Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa





The Cadillac DPi-V.R teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Additional information can be viewed at Cadillac.com, GM.com, media.gm.com; Twitter @Cadillac; Facebook, GM, Cadillac.

The Cadillac Racing media guide can be viewed at media.cadillac.com.  For additional information please contact Kyle Chura, kyle@kcapr.com or (248) 821-0468.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/cadillac-racing-team-konica-minolta-to-start-fourth-at-road-america/ https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/champion-buhl-sport-arx-team-fifth-at-cota/ Sun, 15 Jul 2018 11:32:27 +0000

Strong first weekend highlighted by qualifier win


DETROIT, (July 14, 2018) - The Champion®/Buhl Sport Detroit team finishes the Americas Rallycross (ARX) series Circuit of the Americas (COTA) round in fifth today.


Early highlights for the Champion/Buhl Sport team had driver Alex Keyes drive to a second-place finish in qualifying race two and went onto win the third qualifying race at COTA. "It feels good," said Keyes. "It was a good battle out there in the third qualifier. We have a small issue with the engine cutting out, so we will get that fixed for the fourth qualifier. It was a great battle. I made a mistake going into Turn 1, then on the last lap I let them push each other wide and I was there for the win."
 
Alex Keyes


With his strong qualifying race results, the team made it through to the six car ARX2 final. In the final, starting from the outside back row, Keyes drove a strong race to move up a position and finish in fifth place.


"It was a positive weekend all around as a first outing with the new team," continued Keyes. "It was hot in Austin, over 100°F all day and that started to affect our engine as the day went on, we developed a motor-mis. We were focused on the qualifying races and getting to the final which we did. In the final I started on the outside back row and had a good start. I was able to move up a position and close out our first weekend running together in fifth. The engine issue cost us, but we worked well as a team and we will be that much better heading to Canada next month for the next round."


"Everyone on the team worked hard to get us here to COTA for this race," Robbie Buhl, team owner said. "Champion and everyone involved have put in a lot a work over the past two months. Alex did a great job in the qualifying races and was able to win the third qualifier. In the final we just wanted to get to the checker and get this first race under our belt. Good job by everyone on the weekend."


The ARX Circuit of the Americas races will be televised on the CBS Sports Network, Wednesday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET. The next round of the ARX series will run at Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, August 4-5


For more information contact Kyle Chura, kyle@kcapr.com, (248) 821-0468.]]> Other US Racing CanadianRacingOnline https://canadianracingonline.com/community/other-us-racing/champion-buhl-sport-arx-team-fifth-at-cota/