News: Cadillac Returns To Racing With CTS-V Coupe

Rob · 12-13-2010, 10:46 AM

Cadillac Returns To Racing With CTS-V Coupe

Two teams set to compete in SCCA World Challenge GT Series

2010-12-13
GM Media

Racecar based on award-winning CTS-V Series line
Program designed to validate, enhance Cadillac performance
Andy Pilgrim, Johnny O’Connell signed as Cadillac drivers

DETROIT – Cadillac announced today it will return to racing in 2011 with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America’s top production-based racecar series.

The move returns Cadillac to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. Competing in the GT Class with the CTS-V Sport Sedan, Cadillac captured the Manufacturer’s Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver’s Championship in 2005.

Cadillac will field two teams in the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a racecar based on the CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V line, which also includes the CTS-V Sedan and CTS-V Wagon, was recently named to Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best list for 2011.

“Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. “The racecars in this series are production based, which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom.”

Cadillac is working with Pratt & Miller, a New Hudson, Mich., engineering firm which specializes in motorsports, to develop the CTS-V Coupe racecar. While some of the production CTS-V components will be modified due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series’ technical rules, every effort is taken to maintain as much production content as possible.

“The SCCA World Challenge lends itself well to a natural transfer of knowledge,” said Jim Campbell, GM vice president for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting-edge of performance.”

The first event in the SCCA World Challenge is March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Johnny O’Connell, a three-time GT1 champion in the America Le Mans Series, and Andy Pilgrim, who won the 2005 SCCA World Challenge GT class in a Cadillac, will be behind the wheel of the CTS-V racecars.

Introduced for the 2003 model year, the CTS-V has quickly earned a reputation among luxury sports car buyers. For the 2011 model year, Cadillac added the CTS-V Coupe and the CTS-V Sport Wagon to the CTS-V Sport Sedan, creating an impressive family of performance vehicles. The CTS-Vs feature Brembo brakes, a supercharged 6.2L V8 delivering 556 horsepower and a Magnetic Ride Control suspension system that can read and react to the road 1,000 times a second.

Started in 1944, the SCCA organizes and supports racing at all levels from amateur to professional. The World Challenge series is designed to provide teams, manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers a competitive production-based race series in which to prove their products. The races follow a 50-minute maximum time limit, with the number of laps and total distance determined by track configuration, lap times and race conditions.

About Cadillac

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and advanced technology. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Rob · 12-13-2010, 10:50 AM

Photo:

Cadillac Tech · 12-13-2010, 11:10 AM

That's great news!! We've been waiting to hear who would be driving the new cars. Andy & Johnny are great drivers, a lot of experience. Can't wait to see them on the track again.

12-13-2010, 03:51 PM

Fantastic GM has Cadillac back in the mix. You gotta love it.. That picture you posted is awsome.

"GET ERR DONE GM"

Speedway

GizmoQ · 12-13-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

Photo:

That's HOT!

Jetboy · 12-13-2010, 08:09 PM

Haven't been to an SCCA race in 7 years. That puts it back on my radar.

Cadillac Tech · 12-14-2010, 08:29 PM

Johnny O'Connell Makes Transition from Corvette Racing to Team Cadillac

Record-Setting Racer Reunited with Corvette Racing Teammate Andy Pilgrim in New Cadillac SCCA World Challenge GT Program

DETROIT, Dec. 14, 2010 – Johnny O'Connell will move from Corvette Racing to the new Team Cadillac motorsports program in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) World Challenge GT in 2011. After 10 successful seasons in Corvettes, O'Connell will join former Corvette Racing teammate Andy Pilgrim in a pair of Cadillac CTS-V Coupes as Cadillac returns to racing in the SCCA production-based series.

"Johnny O'Connell has made a tremendous contribution to the success of Corvette Racing both on and off the track," said GM Racing director Mark Kent. "Now as GM launches a new motorsports program with another iconic brand, Johnny was the unanimous choice for Team Cadillac. We are very pleased that Johnny will continue to be a valued member of the GM Racing family, and we believe that his proven speed, racecraft, and outgoing personality will be great assets for the Cadillac racing program."

O'Connell, 48, of Flowery Branch, Ga., joined Corvette Racing in 2001. He won 40 races with the team and captured three American Le Mans Series GTS/GT1 championships with co-drivers Ron Fellows (2003-04) and Jan Magnussen (2008). In 2009, O'Connell notched his record-setting eighth career win in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and became the first American to score four class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"After 10 amazing years with Corvette Racing as part of one of the best American sports car teams in history, I am extremely flattered that Cadillac selected me for this very important program," said O'Connell. "I'm very proud to have won more ALMS races in Corvettes than any other driver and to set records at Sebring and Le Mans. I've enjoyed fantastic relationships with the team, with great friends and co-drivers like Ron Fellows and Jan Magnussen, and with Corvette enthusiasts around the world. I look forward to building a similar fan base with Team Cadillac and representing Cadillac for many years to come."

Corvette Racing will announce its 2011 program plans and driver lineup at a later date. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway on March 19, 2011, the season-opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series.

12-14-2010, 10:07 PM

Bruce, this will be one awsome team cadillac. I love it.

Speedway

Cadillac Tech · 01-06-2011, 11:19 AM

http://media.gm.com/content/media/us...v_coupe_photos

01-06-2011, 04:18 PM

Thanks for the Post Bruce. This Coupe is awsome looking I wonder if you will be able to buy this version?

Speedway

Cadillac Tech · 01-09-2011, 08:40 AM

1/6/11 - On A Mission from Detroit

Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 5:00PM
Andy Pilgrim
Boca Raton, Fla. - “We’re Putting the Band Back Together.”

Those immortal words were spoken by Dan Aykroyd and the late, great John Belushi in the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers." I don’t use the phrase lightly, as I have great respect and reverence for that particular cinematic classic, but in this case I feel comfortable using them and they definitely apply.

Team Cadillac is back in professional motorsports.

Cadillac and GM Racing have commissioned Pratt & Miller Engineering to build all-new World Challenge Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race cars for the 2011 season.

There is more news my friends. The “Red Rocket” himself, Mr. Johnny O’Connell, will be joining Team Cadillac. This means Johnny continues his decade-long career with GM Racing by moving over to the new Cadillac team. Johnny brings his massively successful, multi-championship and race-winning ALMS career from Corvette Racing.

There is no doubt Johnny will add hugely to the talent level in World Challenge this year and I’m sure everyone will be working hard this winter to bring their “A” game starting at St. Pete for Rounds One and Two in March.

Another piece of news that I haven’t quite got over yet is that I will be Johnny’s teammate driving a second Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. I am SO excited about 2011, it’s great to be back with GM Racing and Cadillac.

The new race cars are in the process of being built and we hope to start testing later this month. The Pratt & Miller team is working ferociously to get the cars on the ground as soon as possible.

So, what about my Volvo team from the last two years? About three weeks ago I had a very difficult decision to make. I had offers from two fantastic race teams, K-Pax Racing and GM Racing. I made the choice to return to GM Racing with Team Cadillac.

For the last two seasons I have had a fantastic time with the K-Pax team and great teammate Randy Pobst. I consider them all as friends. I had several race wins, numerous podium finishes and helped win a Manufacturer’s Championship for Volvo in 2010.

I have great respect for the K-Pax team. I want to thank Jim Haughey, Bob Raub and the whole K-Pax/3R team for giving me the opportunity to work with them. I’m really looking forward to competing with them on the track and hanging out with them in the paddock in 2011.

So, now what?

There is a big difference between the Cadillac and the Volvo race cars, that’s for sure.

I’ll need to get myself ready for two-wheel-drive instead of all-wheel drive and a huge Cadillac V8 instead of a 2.5 liter turbo in the Volvo.

I will again find instant power on gas pedal application with the Cadillac instead of the Volvo’s small turbo, where it was “apply gas before the apex, be ready and then, bang, you swallow your fillings” (I’ll miss that part the most!).

I have to say a sincere thanks to all the race fans who have been sending me congratulations and good luck wishes, as of last count I have responded to over 250 e-mails, race fans are the best.

Oh yes, something else I should mention.

The switched-on people at Cadillac marketing have dragged me kicking and screaming into the 21st century. They have insisted on me having a Facebook page, so there I am, as of a few days ago. I am a bit Facebook challenged at the moment but will be studying hard over the coming weeks.

I think I heard someone else at Cadillac say Twitter the other day, but I’m hoping they were talking about small birds, we’ll see.

I have been asked by several fans as to how GM can justify racing when they just got out of bankruptcy.

The World Challenge racing series was the venue in 2004 that helped change the perception of the Cadillac brand. The change was from luxury car to luxury car combined with performance by use of the new “V” models as race cars.

It worked. I know it worked because I was there and saw the changes. Last year I was invited to a track day at Summit Point Raceway, held by Lindsay Cadillac in Alexandria, VA., where 50 V Series cars were ripping up the tarmac.

There are thousands of Cadillac buyers who now own a Cadillac and brag about it, just as the BMW M3 owner or Mercedes AMG owner does. I call them “performance-proud” owners.

From what we’ve seen, the marketing people at Cadillac did a brilliant job of leveraging a professional motor racing series and managed to change a legendary car brand’s identity. That sounds good right? Well, I heard it from another manufacturer’s PR guy who was singing the praises of the original Cadillac race program to me in 2007.

As a car company GM has to market themselves all over TV, magazines and the internet, otherwise they don’t sell as many cars.

Marketing costs money. Racing is marketing, no different than an ad on TV. I give Cadillac a lot of credit for having the nerve to go racing again in this economy. Not because it doesn’t work or cannot be cost effective, but because of peoples possible perceptions.

I’m proud to be part of the Cadillac race program again and look forward to helping solidify that performance label out there on the track once again.

I look forward to seeing all you race fans at a World Challenge race in 2011.

Yes, we’re putting the band back together!