No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R ‘shows potential to be on the podium’ in every race
DETROIT (Oct. 30, 2023) – It has been a whirlwind 16 months since Earl Bamber drove the hybrid Cadillac prototype in its initial on-track outing.
Data collection, systems validation and development, performance optimization and basically learning the capabilities of the Cadillac V-Series.R has followed – along with strong results: multiple IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) championships, victories and Cadillac’s first-ever podium finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This weekend, Cadillac Racing looks for a strong finish to its maiden trip through the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“It’s been an amazing time with simulation and then bringing the car online in July 2022, Daytona the first-ever race, Le Mans and now, all of a sudden, the season is nearly finished,” Bamber said of the Nov. 4 finale.
Bamber will share the seat of the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R with recently crowned European Le Mans Series LMP2 champion Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the 8 Hours of Bahrain on the 5.412-kilometer (3.36-mile), 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit. The LMDh entry received a 7-kilogram dry weight reduction (from 1037 at Fuji) for the race.
Cadillac Racing started the season with three successive top-five finishes and then made a resounding return to Le Mans after a 21-year absence with the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R earning third place and the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R finishing fourth in the centenary race.
“The first year of the program has been fantastic,” team manager Stephen Mitas said. “When you look at the results, particularly at Le Mans, we could only be happy with it. There have been some challenges along the way and some lessons learned, but we are targeting to finish strong in Bahrain. The beginning of next year is all about taking our lessons learned and turning that into positive action for the team and on-track with the car.”
The 8 Hours of Bahrain is scheduled for 2 p.m. Arabian Standard Time / 7 a.m. ET Saturday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of the race plus Friday’s final practice and qualifying.
Still in development
At the heart of the racecar built to IMSA and the ACO’s LMDh regulations is the purpose-built 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan, which is paired with the LMDh spec hybrid system. The cross-plane crankshaft produces the signature sound that has made the car a fan favorite at every event.
“This is a new engine for this car, but leaning heavily on the experience and architecture of V8 engines that we have across the portfolio,” GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said.
It’s the only LMDh entry without turbochargers and has displayed reliability and pace in both the WEC and IMSA. The championship-winning No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R and No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R both won an IMSA race, and they combined to earn two pole starts and record the fastest lap in five of the nine races.
“Combustion efficiency on naturally aspirated engines has gotten to a point now where it’s worth it to go with a naturally aspirated motor to save the weight of a turbo and intercooler,” said Adam Trojanek, Cadillac Racing lead propulsion engineer for the WEC and IMSA programs. “You look at what’s the best way to make that power reliably with the fewest objects to possibly break. It’s been rock solid this year.”
Celebrating 20 years
The Cadillac V-Series.R is Cadillac’s third-generation prototype racecar and represents the fifth generation of the brand’s storied V-Series production vehicle lineup that is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The first-generation Cadillac CTS-V entered competition before it entered production and was immediately successful. Overall, Cadillac Racing has produced 68 victories, 222 podium finishes and nine manufacturer championships in all series since 2004.
“Setting the expectation, what is V-Series,” CTS-V program engineering manager Ken Morris said about incorporating on-track learning into the production vehicle. “From day one, the integration of the vehicle to be sophisticated and how does it handle, brakes, how does it set itself apart when you have that kind of power.”
Added Brandon Vivian, executive chief engineer: “The bimodality of having to be a luxury car and a performance car is one of the hallmarks of V-Series DNA that we’ve carried through each generation.”
What they’re saying
Earl Bamber: “I’m looking forward to the race in Bahrain. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs. The highlight of the year, so far, has been the third place at Le Mans, though we’ve shown at every race this year that we have the potential to be on the podium. Now looking to Bahrain, I think our Cadillac LMDh will really suit the circuit and we shoot for the podium like we always do. It’s been an amazing 18 months with simulation and then bringing the car online in July of 2022, Daytona the first-ever race, Le Mans and now, all of a sudden, the season is nearly finished. It was great to see the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac win the GTP championship and Cadillac win the manufacturer championship. It is an awesome achievement for the whole project.”
Alex Lynn: “It’s the season finale for us in the WEC and Bahrain is also a great event. I’m looking forward to getting back to racing in our Cadillac. I think we have a good result in us to finish this season and I’m just excited to driving in the World Endurance Championship again in our Cadillac. The car has come such a long way in 16 months and we’re looking to have a strong result to bounce into 2024. It’s been an exciting first season for the Cadillac team in the WEC, with the highlight being the podium finish at Le Mans. We’ll look to finish on a high.”
Richard Westbrook: “I’m really looking forward to Bahrain. It’s a track that I know well; where I kind of started my international sports car career in the Porsche Super Cup with a win, so I have good memories. It’s going to be a grueling race in the heat as we all know from Formula One recently racing in the region. It’s going to be the same for closed cockpit racing in the WEC. It’s always difficult to know whether your car is going to suit a particular track because every track we’ve been on this year has been new for our car. But I really do feel Bahrain will be good for the Cadillac. It’s lots of slow speed corners which require good traction. That’s a strong point of the car. It’s very hard on the tires, which is a strong point with how kind the Cadillac is on the Michelin tires. There is reason to be optimistic. We’ve had an up and down year – probably more up than down – but the last couple of results have been tough. We’re looking to get back on track to where we were at the beginning of the year and come away with a strong finish like we did at Le Mans.”
