BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) GTD team ended the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season on a high note as the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 took its best finish of the season in an endurance race after finishing an impressive sixth in the 10-hour MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

Danny Formal started the race after his strong qualifying performance saw the black and red team starting in fifth at the historic Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Formal was quick to find his rhythm as he began to make progress through the field in his opening stint, running in the podium positions before handing the controls over to Graham Doyle in the first pit stop under caution.

Doyle immediately showed his progress as he took over for his fifth-career IWSC event with his first stint as one of his best throughout the season. A poorly timed caution and a drive-through penalty after contact saw the No. 45 fall off the lead lap, but Doyle kept the car within touching distance of the leaders throughout the remainder of his stint.

Kyle Marcelli took over for his first stint of the race and began making progress over the course of a grueling stint. Marcelli matched pace with leaders as he took on the traffic and the challenging turns of Road Atlanta before giving control back to Doyle.

Doyle completed his last stint of the 2024 IWSC season in impressive fashion, helping to close the gap to the cars on the lead lap, allowing the No. 45 car to stay competitive, despite being a lap down for multiple hours.

In the closing stages of the race, Marcelli and Formal traded turns in their effort to climb back through the field. Both drivers put in monster efforts to claw back in positions as the closing hours ran on. A late-race caution in the last hour allowed the team to regain the lead lap with 20 minutes remaining. Formal came to pit lane and the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini crew had a stellar pit stop, pushing the No. 45 into seventh. With under 30 minutes remaining, Formal battled hard and was able grab the sixth-place position to end an impressive and intense MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

“I’m really proud of the GTD program this weekend,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal of WTRAndretti. “Obviously, Petit Le Mans, a ten-hour race, is a very hard race. The team worked so well. All the drivers did a great job. Graham Doyle really sent the message that he’s meant to be in GTD now. I do think overall the relationship between WTRAndretti and Lamborghini is starting to gel, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team in their inaugural GTD campaign accomplished pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and two top five results on the season.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers:
Kyle Marcelli: “It was a great day for the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. We finished sixth after ten hours and on the lead lap. Everybody executed flawlessly today! What a grueling race this was, almost caution free for what seemed like six hours. Every one of my stints was green flagged, so it just takes a lot of focus to run laps repetitively for three hours. Huge thanks to Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti and the whole No. 45 crew. It was a very hard-working season. We’ve constantly been putting pressure on ourselves to get better. We had a lot of speed today and I think we’re all pleased with that. Everybody on the box and the car did a great job, and it was an honor to be a part of it.”

Danny Formal: “What a race! I think our best race of the season. The team, the pit stops and all three drivers just drove phenomenally. Definitely Graham Doyle’s revelation; he did so, so well. Kyle with some crazy laps in the middle of the race. We passed a lot of cars, and the race pace was just incredible. The guys at WTRAndretti gave us a very fast Lamborghini tonight, and we finished sixth and on the lead lap. We were one lap down for nine hours in that race and got lucky with a yellow at the end and we just started passing cars. I got up to sixth place with two laps to go at the end. The car was phenomenal. So proud of the team, in our first season in GTD to finish Petit Le Mans, one of the hardest races in the world, in the top six. I’m so grateful to DEX Imaging, WTRAndretti and all the crew. “

Graham Doyle: “Sixth place at the end of the ten hours. Awesome drive by Danny there at the end and an awesome drive and effort by the whole team. It’s just been an amazing season, start to finish. It’s really great to end it on a high note like this and we can’t wait for next year. It means everything to finish on the lead lap for the second endurance race in a row. It just goes to show how amazing our team is. The strategy and everything that goes into this, all the hard work that these No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini guys put in. The results are really all because of them. I’m happy to see my progression from start to finish. Looking at the Rolex 24 then to the drive from today, it just shows that with hard work and everything the team is putting in, we can make a lot of progress. I’m looking forward to continuing my progress.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) Acura ARX-06 GTP teams saw checkered flag fly on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with Saturday’s MOTUL Petit Le Mans. With ten hours of action-packed endurance racing, the team closed the chapter on their manufacturer partnership with Acura and Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC). WTRAndretti’s success with Acura and HRC was highlighted by their 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona win, a Twelve Hours of Sebring victory in 2024 and seven additional impressive wins.

For the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, Filipe Albuquerque handled the opening stint driving duties after qualifying in fifth position. An influx of cautions throughout the first hour and half of the ten hours, Albuquerque kept his nose clean and navigated in lap traffic to pit and give co-driver Ricky Taylor a solid top five running position. Taylor took control of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and with a stretch of green flag running, the blue and black team found themselves in the lead trio of GTPs. At the six-hour to go mark, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) co-driver, Brendon Hartley, climbed inside the No. 10 for his triple stint into the evening hours. Hartley pulled off an impressive stint staying within the leader as the halfway mark was reached. Hartley then made a masterful pass in Turn 10a to take the lead just shy of four hours remaining. Albuquerque took over for Hartley after his stout stint and continued to lead for nearly all his second on-track stint.

Now with nightfall, it was back to Taylor as the clock was under two hours remaining. Jockeying throughout lapped traffic, Taylor kept his distance to the leader within three seconds and a stellar pit stop by the No. 10 crew propelled the No. 10 back into the lead with a little over an hour remaining. Unfortunately, with under an hour remaining, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 made contact with a GT car stopped on track in Turn 5 and damage from the contact ended the strong run for the blue and black team, finishing in ninth.

In the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06, Jordan Taylor tackled the start, from the seventh spot on the grid, for the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. As the first yellow flag flew, the No. 40 team made the decision to stay out while much of the GTP filed pitted – creating an alternate strategy early and cycling to lead. Taylor held steady for a double stint and handed over the No. 40 to his full-season co-driver, Louis Delétraz, for his first laps on race day. Delétraz ran within the front half of the GTP field, holding strong on the team’s alternate strategy. Just before the halfway point, IndyCar Vice Champion for Andretti Global and IMEC co-driver, Colton Herta, hopped into the No. 40 for his first MOTUL Petit Le Mans laps since 2020.

With the second half of the ten hours of racing on the horizon, Herta managed a triple stint and maintained to stay on the lead lap of the GTP field until a cut tire forced the team to pit. From that point, it was focusing on progressing forward once again while balancing traffic. With about two hours to go, Taylor hopped back into the car through the checkered flag. Attrition ahead of the No. 40 team placed the Taylor into the top five, but a penalty from the final caution of the race resulted in a stop-and-hold, sliding the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 back to seventh to finish.

Although the season didn’t end as expected, the WTRAndretti team boasted two victories with the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Streets of Detroit, along with two pole positions and two podiums in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “This is the first year we’ve come into the final race not being in a position to win the championship and we could just go for the win. But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. All the drivers in the No. 10 car did an outstanding job. It was very unfortunate what happened. Ricky had just taken the lead with 30 minutes to go, but literally as he took the lead, another car was stopped on the track and he had nowhere to go but straight into the stopped car. The No. 40 car were working their way back but unfortunately had a penalty in the closing hour. All three of them did fantastic in the No. 40 car as well. I think they all led for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but thank you to everyone on the WTRAndretti and Acura and HRC.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor: “First of all, I’m super proud of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team. For the fourth year straight, they put us in a position to fight for the win. I think we were so much looking forward to ending the relationship with Acura and HRC on a high note. For me, since 2018, and for the team since 2021, we have so many good memories. It was a great partnership to work with, to combine such talented groups. I think this just proves how hard the sport is and how ruthless it can be. I think we can still look back on it and feel lucky we were able to work together for such a long time. And as a team we move on to next year and try this one again in twelve months. Maybe the sixth time’s the charm.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “There aren’t really words to describe this race. Brendon did an amazing job. We were leading. Ricky just took the lead in Turn 5, doing a great job, and there was just a car in front of him, so he crashed. It was impossible to avoid. Our competitors seem to have good luck in this race while we do not. For so many years, we leave here crying because of losing in heartbreaking ways. We were doing everything right and we need to be proud of that. But it’s just tiring and exhausting to come up completely empty, knowing that we did everything right. There is nothing to learn from this. It’s just a matter of going again. I feel sorry as well because it was our last race with Acura and HRC. They did great and the car felt amazing; we were fighting with the championship leaders. This race reflects our last three years in GTP: we do everything correctly, but the results seem to slip through our fingers. I just feel sorry for how we ended the last race with Acura and HRC, but I think it reflects our last three years well.”

Brendon Hartley: “I loved being back with Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti at Petit Le Mans. I had a good feeling this weekend that we had a shot at the win. I think we had a pretty faultless race up until that one-hour-to-go mark. Mechanics, engineers and drivers, I think we were all on it. We were fighting in the first two positions for the whole race. Ricky was just coming back on the Porsche, and we had the tire advantage. I think we had a really good shot at this win, and then Ricky was just completely unlucky. There was nothing he could do there; there was a car stopped in the middle of the road and he couldn’t see it. It’s kind of heart breaking. I’m still really desperate for the first win with WTRAndretti. I feel like we’ve come close so many times. This year in Sebring, second at Daytona last year and then Petit Le Mans a couple years ago. It just wasn’t meant to be. Today felt like what could’ve been. But big thanks to everyone. I really enjoyed it. I loved working with Ricky and Filipe again, the crew and the No. 40 drivers. It’s such a good atmosphere. Just disappointed we couldn’t end up with a win.”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “I think it was a crazy race. We’ve been fighting for six hours to stay on the lead lap after the first caution, where we were surprised to have no final wave-by and ended up over a minute behind the leaders. We came back; Colton and Jordan did a fantastic job. But a (tire) puncture put us right back to fighting for that lap. We almost made it, but in the end we did not. We tried everything to get our lap back. Today was either winning or seventh, and it was seventh. A huge thank you to HRC and Acura for the season. We all wish it could have been better, but I enjoyed meeting and working with all the talented people. I’m sure there will be a lot of success in the future.”

Jordan Taylor: “I think we had some promise today. Early on, we led a lot of laps, and the No. 10 car led a lot of laps. They just had a super unlucky event to take them out of the race, and we just had an unlucky puncture that took us out of contention. Kind of the name of our year. There was some hope here and there, but no results. Sebring was a great one to think back on, but I think we’re all looking forward to 2025.”

Colton Herta: “I always enjoy coming to this race and racing these endurance races. It’s something different from my main IndyCar schedule, and it’s fun to do with HRC and the Acura ARX-06. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed my time with the WTRAndretti team. You know, I hope I can come back in the future and win this great race.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

AWA heads to Le Mans; Chevy wins GTD PRO Endurance Cup Manufacturers title

BRASELTON, Ga. (October 12, 2024) – Corvette Racing’s three Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs teams encountered mixed fortunes in the 10-hour Petit Le Mans on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but Chevrolet claimed a key long-distance championship and the No. 13 AWA team punched its ticket to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

AWA driver Orey Fidani clinched the season-long Bob Akin Award with the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the end of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season finale. The award goes to the top points-scoring, Bronze-rated GTD driver at each race and for the season with the additional prize of an automatic entry into the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for the year-long winner.

Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern finished 12th in GTD and fourth among Akin-eligible cars Saturday night. For the season, Fidani and Bell were the highest-finishing Akin pairing in three races.

“Congratulations to Orey Fidani and all of AWA on securing the Bob Akin Award and an automatic entry into the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager. “To see their hard work and effort lead to this accomplishment is something in which they and everyone at Corvette Racing can take a high level of pride. We’re excited for AWA’s future and can’t wait to welcome them to Le Mans next summer.”

That wasn’t the only season-long award for the Corvette program after Saturday. For the fourth time since 2015 – and first in GTD PRO – Chevrolet won the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship. The Endurance Cup is a collection of the five IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, including Petit Le Mans.

“It is very gratifying for Chevrolet to win our fourth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship,” said Mark Stielow, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “We are very proud and pleased as a company to achieve this in the first year of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA’s premier long-distance races.”

Those accomplishments offset a tough race for the two GTD PRO Corvettes from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. The No. 3 Z06 GT3.R of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella placed fifth in class after a frantic 10 hours that saw the trio lead three times but also suffer brake issues that required two extra pit stops in the race.

That the No. 3 team made the race was an achievement. The Corvette suffered right-rear chassis damage in a crash during Thursday’s night practice, and mechanics worked into early Friday morning to patch and weld the damaged portion back together. Garcia qualified the No. 3 Corvette fourth in class and remained in contention through the end.

The result was good enough to clinch third place in the GTD PRO Drivers and Teams standings for Garcia and Sims, and the No. 3 Corvette team, respectively.

The No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber showed strong form early from its second-place starting position. Milner was at the wheel when he was hit by an LMP2 car with the impact damaging the front and rear suspension on the right side of the car. The No. 4 crew worked quickly to repair it and get it back in the race, albeit more than 50 laps down. The trio finished 12th in class.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R program will return to IMSA competition at January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Petit Le Mans is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12. The first three hours will air live on NBC starting at noon followed by USA’s coverage from 6-10:30 p.m. Live streaming starts at noon ET on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Thursday’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It looked really good from the start until we had our first brake issue that put us a lap down. We kind of kept it there and with the lack of yellows that’s all we could do… just carry on and stay there. It was a gut-check race the whole way. With two hours to go, the last issue more or less put us out of it. We did fight our way back but needed some more yellows and action on track to get something good to happen. The guys did an amazing job. It was a difficult season with some challenges for all of us. I think we deserved a few more wins this year, but that’s the way it is. I’m proud of how the team worked and responded even in hard times – just like Thursday night and trying to repair the whole car just in time for qualifying. It’s a hard job for them but it was nice to fight for the win for them.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a typical Petit Le Mans. All sorts of things happened in the race, unfortunately probably one too many things for us. We had issues with the brakes early in the race with the caliper. We’re not entirely sure what happened when I went out toward the end. Immediately the brake pedal was really long… potentially a lack of fluid from the previous issues. We’ll diagnose and understand that better for the future. It put us one or two laps down. Although we finally got back on the lead lap, there were so many cars between myself and the leader that I couldn’t really make my way through enough. But I had fun. I had a really eventful last stint carving through a lot of GTD cars. I’d say the second half of the race was pretty clean. There were very few yellows and not too much mayhem. There was probably a lot less carnage than people expected. It was a joy to drive the Corvette as always. The whole Pratt Miller team did a great job to give us all a great, fast, consistent racecar after Thursday. I can’t thank them enough. Unfortunately we had those two issues that put us back too much.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The incident earlier is kind of what I thought happened. I got caught up in someone else’s accident. That was unfortunate, for sure. On the whole, not a bad year. There were some ups and downs for sure with some frustrating races but also some good moments as well. I think generally because the car was quite competitive at several rounds, expectations were really high. In reality, it was the first year for our Corvette customer program and the Z06 GT3.R. There’s a lot to learn – good and bad – and a lot to apply toward the whole program. We’ll use all that for next year and into the future to improve the car and our team. We’ll go for it again next year.”

AWA POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I couldn’t be happier or more proud right now. This is the goal we set for ourselves at the very beginning of this program coming together, and we worked tirelessly to see it through. No matter what happened throughout this season, we were always focused on the Bob Akin Championship and getting a 24 Hours of Le Mans entry, and we never lost sight of the big picture. I can’t thank Andrew and the entire AWA crew enough for all they’ve done. I love everybody on this team from the bottom of my heart. I’m so excited and I can’t wait to show what we can do in France!”

About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R comes back from early race issues to win Petit Le Mans

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Perseverance was the word of the day – and night – for the pink No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R team during the 27th Motul Petit Le Mans.

“Remember, we have a long way to go; we’ll get ‘em,” race strategist Mike O’Gara for the Chip Ganassi Racing-run racecar said after the team’s third on-track setback with 7 hours, 30 minutes left in the 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

O’Gara and the rest of the team know the truth in that encouragement, especially in the ebb and flow of the endurance race on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn course. Indeed, with good pace, solid strategy and steering clear of further incident, drivers Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon combined to get back on the lead lap and in position to challenge for a podium spot.

And, under a bright half moon, the team reaped the rewards of their perseverance with a dramatic victory to the delight of a record crowd for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale.

It was the fifth Petit Le Mans victory for Cadillac Racing, which has recorded a first or second in every 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. Van der Zande has three victories (2018, 2020, 2024) and a pair of second-place finishes (2019, 2023) with Cadillac Racing.

“Congratulations to Cadillac Racing team and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R on their victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans. Every member of the team can be proud of their efforts in preparing the racecar for success along with the skillful driving of Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “The podium demonstrates the incredible technology and durability of the V-Series.R, and the remarkable capabilities, expertise and determination of the Cadillac Racing team.”

Season highlights for Cadillac Racing include:

• Six poles in the nine races, plus a seventh race with a front-row start.
• 30th earned pole in IMSA prototype competition when Aitken reset the GTP track record Friday with a lap of 1:09.639.
• Three front-row qualifying sweeps.
• 31st victory in IMSA prototype competition.
• Two victories by the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Victory and second place at Long Beach.
• Three runner-up finishes for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Two runner-up finishes for the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R.
• Eight top-three finishes.
• Fastest lap in four races.
• Second in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championship. Cadillac has earned five IMEC Manufacturer Championships since 2017 and finished second the other years.

Both the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R and No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Serries.R overcame two drive-thru penalties, and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R was levied a mechanical black flag by IMSA to satisfy a scrutineering system requirement while running fourth in the 18th minute. Translation: a sensor was not broadcasting information. The crew resolved the issue on the second service stop under a full course yellow, though it rejoined the race a lap down.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R remained in contact with the leaders through an uncharacteristically long period of green flag racing and was running fourth when the final full-course caution was called with 57 minutes left. After pitting for fuel 48 minutes left, van der Zande prepped for his most important restart of the season. He was running second to the No. 6 Porsche Penske 963 when the green flag waved with 35 minutes left and waited for the prime opportunity in traffic to make his decisive move.

That came with 15 minutes left in Turn 1 and van der Zande, who earned his 21st IMSA victory and 11th with Cadillac, held off the Porsche to win by 2.948 seconds.

Post-race quotes

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Renger van der Zande: “Super happy to finish this off with a bang. It’s the last race for Chip Ganassi with Cadillac. It’s my last race with Cadillac. I’ve been with Cadillac for seven years now, which makes me very proud, but also sad to leave. Nice things come to an end, and this is the right way, with Cadillac. In the last four years (with Chip Ganassi Racing). Chip has been so nice to me, Mike Hull, Mike O’Gara, the team. I think this year, we had such a good team, and everyone was working in the same direction. This win was really good.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I don’t even know where to begin. Last year, we were winning until the final 30 minutes. This year we weren’t leading until right at the end. We had a torque sensor issue which affected the beginning of the race, so we had to do 100 laps on a set of tires. It looked like a lost race but the guys managed to fix it, and get us back to contending for the win at the end. I’m super happy to be able to finish on a high like this. It was frustrating last year to lose it, so we’ll definitely take it. I’m super happy for everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing, Cadillac, and my two awesome teammates. It couldn’t be a better send-off.”

Scott Dixon: “I’m so happy for the team. What a day. I’ve never been a part of anything like that. It’s so cool. As everybody saw the way it started we had a tricky day. We had a sensor issue, and kudos to everybody on the team side and Cadillac engineering for working through that and working with IMSA to enable that. Everybody had tremendous stints. I’m just so happy for everybody on the team and Cadillac.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “Sadly, the race is probably a quite good summary of our season. We didn’t get the breaks when new needed them and I think a couple of costly mistakes in a row put us on the back foot and we couldn’t recover. It’s a shame. I think we weren’t really the quickest tonight, but it would have been nice to be up there in the fight. We had a relatively clean race, came home in the top five and on to next season.”

Pipo Derani: “Unfortunately, there were no yellows to bring us back to the lead lap and fight. Nonetheless, I’m really happy with how I finished my stint with the team. I had two amazing stints in the middle of the race and was having so much fun, so I’ll take those great memories. It was a difficult year, but nonetheless Cadillac won the last race. Great day at the office despite being a little short on fighting for the win. I’ll take the great friendships I made with the team and I had fun on my last day on the job.”

Tom Blomqvist: “It was eventful for us early on. We were a lap down since after two hours and just never had an opportunity to get it back. It ruined our race and disappointing way to end our season. I’ve enjoyed my time with the team. It’s just a shame we didn’t get any victories.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.