The Cadillac DPi racing program was forced to settle for a best result of fifth place at the IMSA Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen over the weekend, with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R of Jordan Taylor and Renger Van Der Zande claiming the honors. Just behind that car were the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac (Filipe Albuquerque, Gabby Chaves, Christian Fittipaldi) in sixth, and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac (Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran, Mike Conway) in seventh, while the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Cadillac (Tristan Vautier, Matthew McMurry) finished a distant eleventh.
Outside of a crash had by the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona car in the opening moments, things were looking up for the other three Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars through most of the race. By Hour 4, the No. 10 Konica Minolta car drove up to second place, followed closely by the No. 5 Mustang Sampling team. A late-in-the-race restart with just over half-an-hour left on the clock saw the No. 10 take the lead, until the Konica Minolta DPi was passed by the by the No. 6 Acura and the No. 99 Oreca, dropping back to third, with the No. 5 and No. 31 Cadillac DPi cars in fourth and fifth respectively.
All three Cadillacs lost another two places by the race’s end, largely due to Balance of Performance not working in their favor; the Cadillac DPi-V.Rs were some 6 mph down on the main straight compared to the fastest Prototype race cars.
Despite not making the podium, Jordan Taylor maintained a positive attitude after the race was finished.
“I think it was a good day, considering everything,” he said. “We were the best of the rest so, points-wise, we made up ground a little bit on the guys we needed to make up ground against. For the pace we had, we finished better than expected. I think it was down to strategy and staying out of trouble, and attrition wasn’t an issue. All in all, not the best day but, all things considered, I think we can leave here pretty happy.”
The next race on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar is the Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario, July 8th.
Comments
Time to remove the BOP anchor that had crushed the Cadillac pe4rformance. Even the P2 cars were faster on the straights.
Good,maybe they will start getting smart and put their money and efforts into building vehicles that make sense.
Something to beat the F series trucks and a real Vans(people mover)like the sprinter and transit.
How does Cadillac benefit from this racing program? When their cars win, the luxury-car public is generally unaware of this, and these cars are not available to the public anyway. And when they lose, it’s a negative, to the extent the public is aware of it. Where’s the upside? Fun for the executives?
It’s about so much more than public impact. It’s about what is generally referred to in the industry as track to street transfer.
You race and you learn, and you transfer this technology to the development and production of the cars you sell, thereby resulting in a better product. Moreoever, the track to street transfer doesn’t have to be relegated to racing or go-fast items, either. It can be related to any component of an automobile, including aerodynamics, safety, efficiency, cabin ergonomics, tire engineering and compounding, and so much more.
The upcoming mid-engine Corvette will likely be influenced heavily by these Cadillac prototypes, as are many other future GM and Cadillac products.
Some specific examples of track to street
GM does not need to race their cars in order to develop their technology. Entering a race is about marketing or about executive indulgence. This is clearly a wasteful by-product of the Johan de Nysschen years. Cadillac should focus more on luxury than on sport performance anyway.
While no automaker “needs” to race their cars to develop technology, racing certainly helps make the production cars better… especially when the car being raced is based on a production model.
Other than that…
1. Are you suggesting that entering this racing series was JdN’s decision?
2. Are you suggesting that a successful business strategy for Cadillac is to provide luxury cars without sporting characteristics?
Well, racing this car helps Dallara to improve their proven P217 chassis. But what is the advantage for GM in this?
Just because this car is driven by a GM engine?
All advertising is good advertising. GM engineers continually learn about how to deal with efficiency, durability, electronics (there is some Cadillac tech is in the car like the mirror).
This class is pure marketing there is little transfer of anything here.
The engine is a restricted Chevy Race engine with more in common with NASCAR. They are even built by a NASCAR team.
The cars are built by Dallara and based on their past chassis with Cadillac styling cues. Nothing production there.
In the prototype class it is more about engine technology promotion and while they have denied it I expect the Cadillac V8 to move to this car in the future at some point.
They also do much marketing to younger buyers with this. I have seen some large marketing promotions at the track and each time came away with a shirt of hat. They collect a lot of info with the giveaways and send printed and internet info.
Now the Corvette is pretty much bases on the production car as a starting point. The race cars are heavily modified but some thing do transfer to a point. It at least is easier to market as that since it does retain a stock look.
The mid engine Vette will be more a new platform based on the production car and developed into a racer by Pratt and Miller. They are premier race car builder as well as a race team.
Now the prototypes in Europe are more geared for technology promotion. LeMans likes to try to be advanced hence the Hybrids that are running now. Next they want to challange the MFGs to use fuel cells for hydrogen powered prototypes.
The MFG participate there to promote and showcase their technology. It is very expensive and it can be very limited as often the organizers can move on with the rules rendering the cars they have been working on useless.
I have been a long time IMSA fan and prototype racing fan. It is much different racing than most.
The most stock is GTD class. I got to spend time with one of the past champion Audi teams a month ago. These teams are meant to be more entry level but are still very expensive. The cars are production cars but specially built in limited numbers for the track.
The driver teams are to be one pro and one beginner or less experienced driver. It sounds good but generally both drivers are top shelf.
This is the class MFGs get the most learning from but even then it is limited as these are still race cars. As for promotion it is limited as the are the lower class that gets the least attention but IMSA has been working to give them better exposure.
As for road racing no one races and makes money. Most have factory support and or sponsors that pay the bills. Most joke about road racing that if you want to win a million dollars you start with 10 million.
This Cadillac race car would fit in Le Mans P2 class. The chassis used is one of the ones allowed by LMP2. But the LMP2 rules prescribe only one specific engine.
I believe the rules will change for 2020 so why invest in a series that will change.
Everything is changing all the time.
The only constancy is permanent change.
Let’s cut through the crap and tell it like it is… what I just read above is far off from racing and marketing strategy. That appeals to the media that must speak of fair amoung manufacturers to keep them participating. How many commercials were played alluding that Acura has a race production engine. Geez, the sheeple eat that crap like media and magazines. My chevy 2.0 turbo on test and tune nights eats foreign 2.0 turbos either from east or west… No BOP at the track.
Let’s peel it back, material tested from these races DO go into production cars.
BOP kills equal or the efforts from the engineers that asked to perform.
These races are becoming predictable to the point you already know which manufacturer or team is slated to win.
I quit watching 20 minutes into the race when I see a lesser motor pass a better motor due to BOP.
Let’s get back to the reality.
No BOP = No MFGs, no MFGs no money = no cars = no races.
The cost of road racing is astronomical and if the door is opened the cost would rival F1 if anyone would stick around. F1 per team is excess of 100 million dollars per car not just team.
Nearly all racing is restricted in four ways.
1 spec like cars such as NASCAR, Indy.
2 BOP such as IMSA,
3 Handicap Times as is with most NHRA classes.
4 a spec series where everyone races the same car.
The reality is close competition keeps MFGs involved. Colors competition controls cost that keeps teams and MFGs involved. Close Competition keeps the stats filled and people and networks involved.
Time and time again we have seen road race series come and go because of the lack of mfg involvement mostly due to uncontrolled cost and lack of compettion.
The racinging you are involved in us cheap compared to the big leagues and if you are racing with no dial in you are in a rare series or just a local night race.
The truth is BOP makes it harder on the engineers as they have to find speed, grip and HP other ways.
The restrictor plate engines in NASCAR are very tough to build over any other.
Do your home work and just look us any race series that has gone unregulated and see how it has failed.
Can Am, Trans Am, IMSA, Workd Of Outlaws, Indy all have failed or declined do to cost and non competitive series some more than once. These are only a few examples and I can give more.
BOP is far from perfect but it is all that keeps the money, teams and mfgs involved. If left unrestricted time series would be gone in 5 years or less. History has shown that time and time again. The only alternative is a spec series and no one even the MFGs want that.