No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R gives brand third pole in a row

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2023) — Cadillac Racing will have an initial advantage as it seeks to successfully defend its Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring victory, sweeping the front row for the 71st edition of the classic U.S. endurance race.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Pipo Derani claimed the pole – Cadillac’s third in a row at Sebring International Raceway – with a best lap of 1 minute, 45.836 seconds on the 3.741-mile, 17-turn course.

The sister No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Sebastien Bourdais recorded a best lap of 1:45.923 in the scheduled 20-minute session cut short because of a red flag with 5 minutes left. Bourdais started from the pole in the 2022 race with a qualifying lap-record time of 1:45.166 in the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R.

Cadillac has won the past two 12-hour races at Sebring and four of the six in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi era, including 2022 and ’21 from pole. Last year, Cadillac swept the podium.

Derani, who will share the wheel of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R with Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken, is among five drivers (and youngest) with three wins in the Twelve Hours of Sebring (2016, 2018, 2019), joining the likes of Phil Hill and Mario Andretti.

Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring pit notes

“I think we’ve been having a fantastic weekend since the beginning. It seems we rolled out onto the track with a very competitive car, so the changes have been very small from practice to practice and therefore we keep improving with better lap times,” said Derani, who posted his eighth IMSA pole and second at Sebring (2021).

“I wanted to say thank you to the whole Action Express Whelen Engineering team and Cadillac for its continued support, the relentless work and hours behind closed doors to try to make this program the best it can be.”

Both entries in the Grand Touring Prototype class tested on the bumpy circuit last month following the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, and completed a successful 24-hour test at the track in November in the continuing development of the hybrid racecar.

A day earlier, the No 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fifth in the Hypercar class for its FIA World Endurance Championship debut in the 1000 Miles of Sebring.

A Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will be the pace car/safety car for the race. The race weekend marks the kickoff of the 20th anniversary of the Cadillac V-Series performance vehicle lineup. The CT5-V Blackwing is a Car and Driver 10Best again for 2023: “…the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the greatest sports sedan on sale today, if not of all time.”

Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage of the race starting at 10:05 a.m. ET Saturday. USA will telecast the track action from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with Sirius 216, XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon

Bourdais drove in the 20-minute qualifying session (1 minute, 45.923 seconds): “Obviously, a great day for Cadillac. I had just a tiny bit of understeer, but I think it was pretty close with lap times and everything. I guess last year’s pole didn’t really serve us so well. Maybe it’s a good omen. I think we have a solid racecar and looking forward to the grueling 12 hours ahead. It’s going to be a lot of keeping your nose clean and make sure that you execute and don’t run into any trouble.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani, Alexader Sims, Jack Aitken

Derani drove in the 20-minute qualifying session (1 minute, 45.836 seconds):

What made the difference for your team this morning?

“I think we’ve been having a fantastic weekend since the beginning. It seems we rolled out onto the track with a very competitive car, so the changes have been very small from practice to practice and therefore we keep improving with better lap times. It was a very competitive qualifying session. I think we came in from Daytona a little behind some of our competitors, but it shows we’ve been able to work well together between Action Express and Ganassi to continue to develop the Cadillac. And I think it’s a strong track normally for the Cadillac but with the new regulations you never know how that’s going to translate. It’s still a strong track for our car. We’ve evolved and worked really hard, and it shows we are a little bit more competitive than we were at Daytona. And to be able to extract that in qualifying and have a Cadillac on pole it shows were able to achieve what we’ve been looking for. In general, it’s always good to be back at Sebring. It’s a place that I really enjoy. Being on pole here doesn’t mean much for the race, but for us as a team coming from a difficult ’22 it means a lot to be able to get back on track and show the potential we have as a team. I wanted to say thank you to the whole Action Express Whelen Engineering team and Cadillac for its continued support, the relentless work and hours behind closed doors to try to make this program the best it can be. On a personal note, it’s always nice to have the first Cadillac LMDh pole at a place that I really like to drive. A fantastic beginning to our weekend. Hoping we can have a clean race. I think we’re in a strong position this weekend.”

What do you expect this race to look like, how do you think it will shape up?

“Sebring being Sebring, it’s a really difficult track on man and machine. Despite having done a 24-hour race at Daytona, I think this is really demanding on the car to the point we might experience new things throughout the race just because of the nature of the track. We’re expecting that we’ll continue to learn about our cars; they are so very new and there are things we are constantly developing. It’s going to be one of those races where you find yourself in the middle thinking, ‘Oh, I didn’t think about this. We could have used this tool or that tool.’ The cars are technologically advanced to the point where sometimes you have five tools to fix the same problem. Those are the learning curves we’re having and this is the second race for these cars. On the competitive side, it’s such a difficult race. When it hits man in terms of fatigue, you can see things starting to go on. We’ll try to stay cool and this race is still like a long practice sessions for us for future races.”

Are you more focused on getting your car figured out as opposed to the competition?

“Those two things mix with each other. You always want to win the race, and you want to check the boxes you have to make and then you start thinking about the race. We are learning, improving the team and improving the car. Up until about hour 10 of the race, you’re trying to get those learning curves out of the way and then you start thinking about winning the race. For sure, the competition so far has bene really close. It’s fantastic for the new regulations and the future of the sport.”

GAFFNEY, SC – JD Motorsports and new printing partner Walton Press are set to take on Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 18.

JD Motorsports proudly announced today their partnership with Walton Press, a full-service traditional and digital printing company based in Monroe, GA. Walton Press will sponsor Brennan Poole’s No. 6 Chevrolet entry in the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During the 2023 season, Walton Press will be the exclusive print partner for JD Motorsports and will handle the printing of their driver hero cards.

“I’m excited to be behind the wheel of the No. 6 Walton Press Chevy,” said Poole. “It is great to be able to represent a Georgia-based company that is approaching its 125 year anniversary. I know the team at Walton Press have a customer-first focus, which is something I truly respect.”

“This partnership with JD Motorsports represents our first foray into NASCAR, and my wonderful team at Walton Press is very excited to be partnering with the team at JD Motorsports this season,” said Stuart Christian, president of Walton Press. “The Walton Press family, and also our customers, will be cheering loudly for Brennan on Saturday.”

RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway is live on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) on Saturday, March 18 at 5 p.m. EST.

About Walton Press

Walton Press, Inc. opened its doors in 1900 in the small town of Monroe, GA. It was started in conjunction with the local newspaper, The Walton Tribune. It was originally owned and operated by the Camp family. In 1997, Walton Press was acquired by the Hughes Family and remains a family owned business.

Throughout the century Walton Press gained other opportunities, beginning with publishers with local county ties and extended its’ service into the growing Atlanta area and the southeast. Walton Press evolved over the century, replacing older technologies and processes with the latest and most efficient

available and continued to gain more customers. Walton Press’ capabilities include: high-quality gloss and uncoated offset printing, perfect binding and saddle-stitching, digital printing, wide format printing and they can also provide many add-on services such as mailing and digital magazine production.

Walton Press has a variety of clients in its portfolio and has a long standing relationships with many notable publications, in some cases those relationships stretch beyond 35 years. Walton Press, located 50 miles East of Atlanta, is a Top 10 employer in Monroe, GA, a top 10 manufacturing employer in Walton County.

JD Motorsports

Team Owner Johnny Davis first began fielding a team in what is now the Xfinity Series in 1983 with Joe Henry Thurman as the driver. From 1983-1985, Davis and Thurman competed in 41 races and put the JD Motorsports name on the map. Although JDM has seen a sharp rise in on-track performance in the past few years, success is nothing new to this team. Years of good drivers and excellent runs have paved the way for what JDM is today. www.teamjdmotorsports.com

A.E. Engine

A.E. Engine is a full-service sports sales, marketing and content creation company. Founded in 2005 by sports publishing and marketing executives, A.E. Engine has earned a reputation for concepting, creating and delivering high-quality, premium content and programming for passionate fans. www.ae-engine.com

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2023) – In defense of its class victory from a year ago, Antonio Garcia and Corvette Racing will start from pole position in GT Daytona (GTD) PRO for Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Garcia, in the No. 1 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, set a best time of 1:59.315 (112.843 mph) just before a red-flag period ended Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He and teammates Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner will look to give the Corvette Racing program its 13th victory in the Florida endurance classic and second in a row.

Garcia’s qualifying effort continued a strong pre-race program for Corvette Racing, which posted the fastest GTD PRO times in the final two of Thursday’s three practice sessions around the 3.74-mile, 17-turn circuit. Pre-event work – including significant work in Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop simulator – helped establish an early baseline with the results validating the virtual efforts.

Garcia, Taylor and Milner finished second in GTD PRO to open the season at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. They have combined for eight class wins in the 12 Hours – nine when adding a sprint-race victory for Milner and then-teammate Oliver Gavin in the 2020 season.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday. The race will air on USA Network from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock at 10:05 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will stream the race at IMSA.com with radio coverage also on SiriusXM 392, SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “The car felt really good. A good thumbs-up for the team. We were not here for the (IMSA February) test but so far things have been really good through practice. Even warmup just before qualifying felt really, really good so we just went for it and it was enough. Luckily enough I was just across the line before the red flag because I just messed up the previous laps. I’m very happy for Corvette Racing. I’ve had a few pole positions here and I love this race and love this track.”

More on pole position: “Things felt really good. I have to say that after Practice One, we were not where we wanted. But from Practice Two onward, everyone seemed to be faster… Tommy, Jordan… so we have a good package, for sure. Last night felt good. We tested in the little warmup before qualifying and the car felt good. I had in the back of my mind that this Corvette was good and I would have a chance be on pole.”

His Sebring success: “That is true. In GTLM, I was on pole the last two times and now today. The car really suits this racetrack and I think there is more to come because we love racing here. I’m looking forward to the rest of the race. I wouldn’t mind to race in an hour! So it’s a long wait until we start. There are a lot of things to think about, but obviously the car is good so maybe we should just clean it and put it in the truck!”

Outlook for the race from pole: “It’s confidence. We have confidence that we have a good Corvette. We knew from practice last night that the car was good, but we didn’t know where it was for a quick, quick lap but we were up there. Tomorrow is a long one but I’m already looking forward to those last two hours of the race.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

TeamSLR Owner Credits Quick, Decisive Action for His Ability To Beat Cancer; Partners with American Gastroenterological Association To Promote Screening

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (March 17, 2023) – Scott Lagasse Jr., has competed for some of the most high-profile teams in North American stock car racing over his last two decades as a racecar driver. But there’s one team he says he never signed up for that makes him incredibly proud to be a part of – cancer survivor.

Lagasse, who with his father Scott co-owns and runs TeamSLR in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, credits his quick and decisive action back in early 2015 for his ability to beat colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the second deadliest form of cancer in the U.S., with one in 24 people receiving a positive diagnosis in his or her lifetime.

Ironically, Lagasse’s diagnosis came just weeks after his 34th birthday when he felt in the best shape of his life. He had just finished third in the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for owner Bob Newberry’s NTS Motorsports team. He was also in the midst of training for his first triathlon, feverishly working out 15 hours a week in the pool, on his bike, and running the roads.

“I’m feeling invincible, nothing can touch me, I thought – except for this little pressure down low, in my stomach,” Lagasse said. “After taking a couple of days off over a couple of weeks, the frustration finally got to me. You’re not going to win races sitting on the couch, taking days off. So I consulted my personal doctor. He himself is a triathlete and understands me well. We have a great relationship, and he knows how stubborn I am. So it took a great sales pitch, but he convinced me to go see a gastrointestinal doctor, who convinced me to have a colonoscopy. I’m in my early 30s and I had no interest in doing that, but I’m glad I did.”

The procedure revealed Lagasse had colon cancer, and immediately he feared the worst. How would his wife Kelley, who was six months pregnant with their first child, carry on without him? What would happen to his employees who depended on him for their livelihood? And the potential grief his parents would have to deal with?

“That’s when the racer inside me took over – I decided I’m going to beat this thing,” Lagasse said. “One of the neat things about my life, my job, my career, is that I’ve met all kinds of people in all kinds of different fields. I started calling the smartest people I could find. I didn’t need to know how or why I had what I had, I just needed to know how to fix it, not just for me, but for all the people who depended on me. The answer was simple – surgery – and I needed surgery quickly.”

Within two weeks of his original diagnosis, Lagasse was in the operating room, his medical team executing the procedure successfully and sending him onto the road to recovery. It was a relatively short one as, just six weeks later, he was back behind the wheel of the NTS Motorsports racetruck at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where he drove to an eighth-place finish.

“If cancer can catch me at 200 mph, it can catch anybody,” Lagasse said. “I was lucky. I listened to my body. Most people don’t. Excuses, they’ve never helped me win a race. Excuses have never helped me with anything in my life, for that matter. Too busy running our business, our employees, racing all over the country? It took just two days out of my life to save my life. Fear? Heck yeah I was scared. In my career, you’re supposed to be invincible. But no matter who you are, know the warning signs – a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, aches or cramps that don’t go away, unexplainable weight loss – and if you’re 45 years old or older, just go and get checked. It’s not that big of a deal. If I didn’t go get screened, I may not be here today, I don’t know – it’s not worth knowing.”

With March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, TeamSLR and its partner, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), have stepped up their year-round campaign promoting CRC screenings and other preventative measures.

Lagasse’s ability to beat cancer prompted him to establish ScreenYourMachine.org, designed to educate people on getting age-appropriate screenings for all types of cancer. ScreenYourMachine.org ensures the most important machine – YOU – runs at peak performance, no matter the mileage. It’s the kind of advocacy championed by this collaboration between TeamSLR and AGA, the trusted voice of the gastroenterology community for 125 years. AGA’s vision is a world free of digestive diseases, including colorectal cancer.

CRC screening is safe and effective, and most people have options, including at-home tests. It’s why Lagasse advocates for screening via his non-profit organization and his race team, encouraging those of average risk to begin their colorectal cancer screenings at age 45. However, those who have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, offspring) with colorectal cancer have two to three times the risk of developing the disease. They should speak to a doctor about getting screened earlier than normal.

“For me, it’s simple – when people get screened, lives are saved,” Lagasse said. “This knowledge is powerful and life-changing. I didn’t realize how important CRC screening was, but now that I know, I spread the word and try to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s what I’m about. I wouldn’t be racing today if I didn’t catch my cancer early.”

About the AGA Institute:

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. For more information, please visit www.gastro.org.

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About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr. The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

No. 33 Corvette C8.R to start second in GTE Am debut at Sebring 1,000 Miles

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2023) – In his first qualifying session as part of Corvette Racing, Ben Keating qualified second in a stacked GTE Am category Thursday ahead of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1,000 Miles of Sebring.

Piloting the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, Keating posted a best lap of 1:59.345 (112.841 mph). He will team in Friday’s season-opening race with Corvette Racing veteran Nicky Catsburg and fellow newcomer Nico Varrone.

Only 0.784 seconds separated the four fastest cars in qualifying. Keating was never lower than second and swapped provisional pole position multiple times in the 15-minute session.

The Corvette program is easily the most experienced team in the WEC paddock at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway circuit. It has 25 years of racing experience at the historic track, which sits on the site of an Army airbase from World War II.

In addition to two previous starts in GTE Pro at the Sebring WEC round – including a runner-up finish last year for Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy – Corvette Racing has 13 victories at the track with 12 coming in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

On the driver front, both Catsburg and Keating have previous starts in the Sebring WEC round. Catsburg finished second in GTE Pro in 2019 while Keating placed third a year ago in GTE Am on his way to the class championship. Meanwhile, Varrone will make his first full-season start as a WEC competitor in the 1,000 Miles.

The 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for noon ET on Friday, March 17. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both level television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage the race.

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTE AM: “It was really interesting. We did mock qualifying this morning, but I had much more grip in the car. I don’t know if our tires don’t like the Carrera Cup tires or what, but I had a lot more grip this afternoon. It was much of a handful than I expected in qualifying. I was really wheeling the car around there. With less grip, it was more work. I thought I may be able to compete with the time that Sarah did to be on the pole. I did three laps that were almost exactly the same. I think she got ahead of me by four-thousandths and then I got ahead of her. It was fun to go back and forth. We’re starting on the front row for our home race. I know that the Porsche is really different when it gets full of fuel. So qualifying is one thing and racing is another. I’m excited to go out there and race with her. We’ve been on the front row most of last season together, so it’s not unfamiliar territory. We’ll be OK.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.