Cadillac DPi-V.R tops time chart in all three sessions in advance of qualifying
BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Five Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R entries combined for 758 laps on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta course in three practice sessions in advance of qualifications for the 25th Motul Petit Le Mans.
Qualifying for the DPi class is scheduled for 4:30p.m. ET Friday. The 10-hour race is scheduled to take the green flag at 12:10 p.m. ET Saturday.
Sebastien Bourdais, who is co-driving the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with Renger van der Zande and six-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon, registered the quickest lap on the day of 1 minute, 9.040 seconds (132.444 mph) in the 90-minute afternoon session.
“It was a solid lap; the balance is pretty good and very consistent. The boys at Cadillac Racing have done a good job. We’ll keep working on it and see where we stand. Hopefully, we can put the Cadillac on pole for the last event of the DPi era and go and win the race,” said Bourdais, who has recorded four Motul Pole Awards in the nine races.
Earl Bamber, co-driving the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R with Alex Lynn and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, recorded a lap of 1:09.583 to top the 90-minute morning session in which drivers battled wind gusts of 35 mph.
“That was a great start to the weekend,” Bamber said. “We came down here and did a test three weeks ago. I think we did our homework and the 02 Cadillac rolled off the truck great.”
Bamber was also behind the wheel to set the pace in the 90-minute evening session with a lap of 1:09.880.
In March, Bamber teamed with Lynn and Neel Janie to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring to lead a Cadillac sweep of the podium finishers.
“We want to try to win another of the big endurance races,” Bamber said.
“We definitely have the car speed to do it, we’ve got the team to do it and we’ve got the engine to do it, so we just have to execute.”
Tight at the top
Cadillac is aiming for its fifth IMSA Michelin Manufacturer Endurance Championship in the DPi era, while the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R is in the running to deliver the third team and fifth endurance championships for Cadillac Racing.
“We are in the chase for the Endurance Cup, and to get it we’ll have to replicate the performance we had in Daytona and Sebring, which I know we can achieve as a team,” said Tristan Vautier, co-driver with Richard Westbrook and Loic Duval in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“Petit Le Mans is one of our toughest races on the calendar. The track is really fast, tight and the lap is short, which altogether makes things really tough with traffic. We need to survive the first 7-8 hours and to have a car that is at its best at night but is good enough to stay in contention throughout the day.”
The JDC-Miller MotorSports team started the season with a third place in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, recorded a runner-up finish to the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R in the Twelve Hours of Sebring and placed seventh at Watkins Glen International.
How the Manufacturer Endurance Championship shapes up:
Total points through three races: Acura 41, Cadillac 40
Points in race: 5 for running first, 4 for next highest manufacturer. Awarded at 4 hours, 8 hours and finish
How the team and driver Endurance Cup shapes up:
Total points through three races: No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing (30), No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing (29), No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports (28)
Points in race: 5, 4, 3, 2 points for running order awarded at 4 hours, 8 hours and finish
Cadillac has earned the manufacturer endurance title in 2020, 2019, 2018 and the inaugural DPi season in 2017). Cadillac Racing teams have won endurance titles in 2018 and ’17 and endurance driver titles in 2020, 2019, 2018 and ’17.
Johnson impressed with Cadillac DPi-V.R
Seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller will wrap up their two-year endurance race schedule co-driving the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“In last year’s race I was really impressed with how the Ally Cadillac handled and raced,” said Johnson, who co-drove to fourth place. “It was a very exciting and compelling race on the track, and I was happy to see our teammates in the 31 Cadillac win the championship with their second-place finish.”
For the fans
Spectators can view the latest Cadillac road vehicles, including the Escalade-V and CT5-V Blackwing, at the Cadillac display in the fan zone. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday.
A Cadillac V-LMDh, which will participate in an IMSA-sanctioned test at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta next week, will be on display at the rear of the grid during the fan walk prior to the start of the race. The all-new hybrid race car will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023.
Peacock will have flag-to-flag streaming coverage of the race starting at noon ET Saturday, Oct. 1. NBC will telecast the race from noon-3 p.m. ET, while USA will pick up coverage from 7-10:30 p.m.
About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com.
