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09/18/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/18/2021 14:50

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Cadillac Racing Teams Head West to Monterey

Whelen Engineering Cadillac looking for three in a row

2021-09-07


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Cadillac Racing is headed west to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for this weekend's IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Hyundai Sports Car Championship event to run Sept. 10-12.

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is located on the Monterey Peninsula and measures 2.2-miles with 11-turns, highlighted by the world-famous Corkscrew turn. Cadillac competition history at the track, located two hours south of San Francisco, has been challenging with a best finish of second in 2017 by the Whelen Engineering Cadillac team.

Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani are coming off of wins at the last two events at Road America and Watkins Glen in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. The duo are just 41 points out of the IMSA DPi Championship lead in driver points.

'I'm excited to be returning to Laguna Seca,' Nasr said. 'It's an iconic track on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule. It's a very technical one [track]. We're coming off two wins in a row. We certainly want to add a third straight win. I feel like the team has done a great job over the past few events. We're building up the momentum and getting the most out of our No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. The whole package has been working pretty well.

'We'll take each day as it comes at Laguna. That place is very technical and quite tricky to set up the car for one lap, with regards to qualifying pace. The race will dictate a lot. But, track position is important, so qualifying will be crucial. Again, we'll do what it takes to keep the fight alive all the way until the end. Laguna Seca has been good to us in the past in terms of consistency. We were on the podium there the last two years. We definitely want to be two steps higher [on the podium] if we can. It would be great to grab a win at Laguna. I haven't ticked that box yet, so it would be awesome to get a win in California.'

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca holds a special place for No. 01 V Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R driver Renger van der Zande. It was the site of his first race in America and his first win here as well. Teammate Kevin Magnussen will be seeing the undulating California road course for the first time in practice on Friday.

'I think WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca kind of fits our V Performance Academy Cadillac pretty well,' said van der Zande. 'We've always been competitive there in the past. The track is very low grip, and the tire wear is pretty massive. The Cadillac DPi-V.R is a well-balanced car and we can manage our tire wear. I hope to be fighting for the win at the end of the race. I really like the track personally. It was my first race in America and my first win in this country as well in 2017. This will be the first time for the team with the Cadillac at the track. I am confident we can be competitive. IMSA has the cars running close together with their balance of performance, so should be good racing.'

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R comes to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca looking to sharpen its competitive edge. Tristan Vautier and Loic Duval are seeking to close out the last three IMSA races of the season strong starting with this weekend in California.

'I am really looking forward to racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend,' Vautier said. 'It's one of the more iconic tracks on the IMSA schedule. We have been competitive on every track we have been to this year. That is a credit to IMSA, they have kept the cars very close. As a team we have had a tough couple of races at Watkins Glen and Road America. We are hungry to get back to the competitive form we had early in the season when we won Sebring. Last year at this race we had a fast car but had some bad tire degradation in the race. So, we know what to work on for this weekend. We are in the last stretch of the season with Laguna, Long Beach, and Petit Le Mans. We are head down and hope to finish it out strong.'

Cadillac Racing WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Line-up and Championship Points:

2. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani (second in IMSA DPi points, 2,239, -41 to leaders)

4. No. 01 V Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen (fourth, 2,179, -203)

6. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, (sixth, 2,057, -323)

1. Cadillac leads the DPi Manufacturer Championship by 90 points

The IMSA WeatherTech Championship Hyundai Sports Car Championship from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be broadcast live on NBCSN Sunday, Sept. 12 starting at 4 p.m. ET. Flag-to-flag coverage is also live on TrackPass and the NBC Sports App with the radio broadcast available on RadioLeMans.com.

Image credit: Cadillac/Richard Prince

Cadillac DPi-V.R racing history, 2021, Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins at Road America. Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins the WeatherTech 240 at The Glen. Chip Ganassi Racing won their first race with Cadillac at the Detroit Grand Prix. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R won the Sebring 12 hours. In the season opener Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Ally Cadillac team placed second with NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

The 2020 season saw the Konica Minolta Cadillac team win the season opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and post a win at Petit Le Mans. The Whelen Engineering team won Sebring in July. The Konica Minolta Cadillac team won the IMSA Endurance Cup championship.

In 2019 Konica Minolta Cadillac took the win at the season opening Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona, the Whelen Engineering Cadillac squad followed that up by winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac team also posted a win at Long Beach on the year.

The 2018 season saw the Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona; Cadillac won the IMSA Prototype Manufacturer Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win IMSA Prototype Drivers' Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins the IMSA Prototype Team Championship; Cadillac wins Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC) Manufacturer Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win TPNAEC Drivers' Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins TPNAEC team championship.

In 2017 Cadillac teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

A leading luxury auto brand since 1902,Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

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