Cadillac Racing aims a seventh win at Long Beach

IMSA

Apr 10

After winning last year race on the Pacific coast, Cadillac Racing goes to the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix of Long Beach with the firm resolution to renew the streak of five consecutive victories won between 2017 and 2022

First of a potential new streak of 5 consecutive victories

Last year, Cadillac Racing finished 1-2, with the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R edging the pole-sitting #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R by 0.564 of a second. Opting not to change Michelin tires during the lone service stop and mandatory driver change, the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R drove to the front of the field and led the final 34 laps.

The 2024 1-2 finish was the third for Cadillac Racing’s prototype program at Long Beach after 2021 and 2022.

📷© Luc Warnotte at Daytona 2024. #01 Cadillac V-Series.R and #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Current drivers took part of 2017-2022 streak of five

Brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor won the 2017 IMSA race from the pole – one in the streak of five consecutive victories to start the season that culminated in the manufacturer and drivers’ championships -- in Cadillac Racing's first year of prototype competition. Current teammate Filipe Albuquerque co-drove to victory in the 2018 and 2019 races in the Cadillac DPi-V.R.

#01 Cadillac V-Series.R in 2022 at Sebring — 📷© Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2022. #01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Overall Cadillac Racing prototype victories

2022 -- #01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R; start first – Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais

2021 -- #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R; start first – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr

2020 -- There was no race in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 -- #5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R; start fourth – Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa

2018 -- #5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R; start fifth -- Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa

2017 -- #10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R; start first – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylo

Three Cadillac V-Series.R for a second win in a row

The same cars who did participate to the two first rounds totaling 36 hours of endurance racing (24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring) will participate to the 100-minute sprint – the third race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Here is what the Cadillac Racing drivers say ahead of Long Beach.

#10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Felipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor are currently 5th in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP Drivers after a P5 at Daytona and a P7 at Sebring.

Ricky Taylor: “It is always exciting to get into the sprint race part of the season where we can really get back into the rhythm of IMSA racing. It’s always a bit of a shock to the system to transition to every lap really counting, but I think all of our drivers really enjoy that. We really have to be on our game and make every session count. We have been learning a lot about this car, and this will be the first race weekend we’ve gone into without any prior testing, so we will be working hard to make the little track time we get count. Relying on the sister car will be so important, with the short time to get the race cars where we want them for qualifying, we must trust each other’s feedback and work to create two strong cars for the race.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “Long Beach, it’s always nice to go to California. Cadillac had an amazing race there last year; they qualified on pole and drove really well. The motivation is high. We are still learning about the car, but we are closing down to what we need to know. Let’s hope we can get our first podium with the Cadillac in Long Beach. There’s no better place to start with sprint races and street courses are always nice, so let’s bring it on and I can’t wait to go for it.” Source: Cadillac Racing

#31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber are currently 6th in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP Drivers after a P9 at Daytona and P4 at Sebring.

Jack Aitken: “Missing out on a podium at Sebring is tough to take but taking the positives of coming from the back of the field to lead all those laps and be in contention for the win. Now we go to a totally different place. I'm looking forward to it. You know, we've had two of the longest races of the year. Long Beach has always a cool place to go to. We had a 1-2 finish there last year, started from the front, so it's got good memories and it's a happy hunting ground.”

Earl Bamber: “(At Sebring) we showed great pace through the whole race, led a ton of laps. The car was good. Sort of bittersweet that we didn't get a podium. But we just have to roll into Long Beach. I think the car really suits there, which it showed last year. I’m looking forward to returning to Long Beach and going for the win." Source: Cadillac Racing

#40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor are currently 11th in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP Drivers after a P11 at Daytona and a P12 at Sebring.

Jordan Taylor: “I think we’re all very ready to get to Long Beach after a rough start to our year. Our championship run is pretty hard to imagine at this point, so our goal from here on out is basically to race for wins. There is no reason to be settling for anything less. It will be our first street course and first sprint race with our Cadillac V-Series.R. Last year they were very strong, so we’re hoping to pick up where they left off. We have done a lot of prep heading into the event, and with the limited time on track, I feel like we’re as prepared as we can be to hit the ground running.”

Louis Delétraz: “Long Beach is always a fun event. We’ve had a rough start of the year on No. 40, so we’re really motivated to have a good weekend. It’s the first sprint race of the year, and the Cadillac V-Series.R GTP is always fast on street courses. The track evolution is huge between FP1 and the race. Every lap will matter for car setup, but also for driver confidence. It’s such a special feeling to drive between the walls with those cars.”