Four Cadillac DPi entries to tackle the challenging road course for first time since 2019
DETROIT (June 29, 2022) – Cadillac Racing is looking forward to returning to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park for the first time since 2019 to compete July 3 in the Chevrolet Grand Prix.
NBC will telecast the 2-hour, 40-minute race live at 3 p.m. ET. Four Cadillac Racing DPi entries will race on the fast 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course, with practice sessions scheduled for July 1 — Canada Day — and qualifications July 2.
Renger van der Zande, co-driver with Sebastien Bourdais of the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, was runner-up in a Cadillac DPi in 2018 at the racetrack near Toronto that opened in 1961.
The 2020 and ’21 races were not contested because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s one of the most amazing tracks in North America. Racing is not about bravery, but here in North America some of those tracks it is about bravery and this one is,” said van der Zande, who co-drove with Bourdais to third place June 26 in the six-hour race on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International road course.
Reigning IMSA DPi champion Pipo Derani raced to a fourth-place finish in 2019 in his lone DPi outing at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
“It’s a track that’s very fast. Shorter than Watkins Glen, but for a driver it’s a pleasure to drive it. It’s one that requires big commitment, so I’m looking forward to heading back to that track, which we haven’t been to in a few years,” said Derani, who will share driving duties with Olivier Pla in the No 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“I think it produces good racing, especially with traffic. It’s very narrow and fast and decisions need to be made within a split second. Apparently, there are a few parts of the track that have been resurfaced, so it will be even quicker than it was before.”
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R won the 2017 race at CTMP in the first year of the prototype class.
Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will drive the No 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, which is third in the DPi championship standings with three IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races remaining. Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook will drive the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R.
In addition to the race airing air live on NBC, Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage in the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com, with the race also broadcast on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.
Cadillac DPi roster for Chevrolet Grand Prix
No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)
Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais
Van der Zande and Bourdais co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the victory on the Belle Isle street circuit June 4 and the streets of Long Beach on April 9 – starting from the pole both times. … Belle Isle was the 17th IMSA victory for van der Zande and ninth for Bourdais. … Bourdais set the qualifying lap record time in both events. He also set the lap record time in earning the pole for the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and for the May 15 Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. … Bourdais is a four-time INDYCAR champion. … Bourdais and van der Zande competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this month. … They co-drove to third place June 26 in the six-hour race at Watkins Glen International.
Car chief-Phil Binks
Lead engineer-John Hennek
Race strategist-Peter Baron
No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn
First-year entry in expanded Cadillac Racing DPi program. … Bamber and Lynn co-drove to a runner-up finish on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting second. They placed third June 4 on the Belle Isle street circuit… They, along with Neel Jani, co-drove to victory March 19 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bamber salutes his home country with a silver fern design on the sides of his helmet — a quasi-national emblem used for various official New Zealand symbols. … Lynn competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this month.
Car chief-Jamie Coates
Lead engineer-Danielle Shephard
Race strategist-Michael Harvey
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)
Pipo Derani, Olivier Pla, Mike Conway
Pla made his debut in the No. 31 Cadillac on June 4 at Detroit. … Derani and Tristan Nunez co-drove to third place on the Laguna Seca road course after starting sixth. They followed with a third-place finish May 15 at Mid-Ohio. … Derani and Nunez, joined by Mike Conway, started second and finished third in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … The three-driver team started seventh and finished fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were the 2021 IMSA DPi Driver Champions and Whelen Engineering/Action Express Racing was the Team Champion. … Derani and Pla were teammates for the second consecutive year for the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this month.
Car chief-Bill Keuler
Technical director/lead engineer-Iain Watt
Race strategist-Tim Keene
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)
Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval
Vautier and Westbrook co-drove to third place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fifth. Vautier and Westbrook, joined by Loic Duval, drove to second place in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and opened the ’22 season by starting second and finishing third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. … Westbrook is a London-trained chef. … Vautier and Westbrook competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this month, with Westbrook earning a podium finish.
Car chief-Josh Kerrigan
Lead engineer-Rick Cameron
Race strategist-John Church
Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Canadian Tire Motorsports Park results 2021-2017
2021: No race
2020: No race
2019: Fourth (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr
Sixth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor
Eighth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Stephen Simpson, Simon Trummer
Ninth (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth – Tristan Vautier, Misha Goikhberg
11th (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa
32nd (No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Will Owen, Victor Franzoni2018: Second (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor
Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 11th – Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr
Fourth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th -- Felipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipaldi2017: First (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Dane Cameron, Eric Curran
Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa
Seventh (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Ricky Taylor, Jordan TaylorHow high will it go?
A Cadillac Escalade-V – VIN #001 – will be auctioned July 1 at Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas, with 100% of the hammer price to benefit the Detroit chapter of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, an HBCU.
The 2023 Escalade-V — the industry’s most powerful full-size SUV that goes on sale late this summer – expands the V-Series lineup. Now in its fourth generation, Cadillac’s V-Series represents ultimate performance, the epitome of Cadillac’s engineering capability, with unrivaled sophistication and comfort for everyday driving. In adding Escalade-V to the lineup, the V-Series family continues to expand, while consistently combining power, luxury, thoughtful technology and athletic refinement for the discerning enthusiast.
About Cadillac
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