Racing Colors Revealed – Three Cadillac V-LMDh Daytona Cars

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Cadillac today revealed the racing colors for the three new electrified V-LMDh race cars that will make their competition debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this month. The three designs represent the teams running the Cadillacs, each with a different color from the Cadillac V-Series emblem. Cadillac says each car uses one of the “primary colors” of the V-Series logo – No. 01 in gold, No. 2 in blue, red on the No. 31. (pace Newton, we know Gold isn’t a primary color in the classic sense, but with light sent through a marketing prism it is.)

Cadillac Racing will be competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the No. 01 Cadillac Racing and No. 31 Whelen Engineering V-LMDh cars and in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-LMDh. WEC means that Cadillac will return to the 24 Hours of LeMans for the first time in 21 years. 

Read autoinformed.com on:

• IMSA LMDh: Cadillac and Porsche Testing Together;
• Penske Motorsport Heads List of Porsche 963 WEC and IMSA Contenders During 2023. A New Golden Age of Racing?;
• GM, Andretti Global to Seek Formula One Cadillac Entry;
• Wayne Taylor Racing, Andretti Autosport Ink 2023 IMSA Deal

“Cadillac is ready to compete against the very best in North America and internationally — including one of the world’s toughest races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “As Cadillac builds toward an all-electric future, the all-new V-LMDh furthers our dedication to exploring new advanced performance technologies.”

The V-LMDh is powered by Cadillac’s new LMC55R 5.5-liter DOHC V8 that’s paired with the LMDh common hybrid system that the rules dictate in a futile attempt to hold racing costs down. Developed in-house, the naturally aspirated racing engine is rated up to 670 horsepower, per series specifications, and is linked to a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

Co-developed by Cadillac Racing, Cadillac Design and Dallara, the final Cadillac V-LMDh design was and outgrowth of  the Project GTP Hypercar that debuted last summer. It uses Cadillac design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades. (autoinformed.com: Cadillac Project GTP Race Car Debuts This Summer)

The Teams

Each Cadillac Racing driver contributed to the V-LMDh’s development:

• Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook will co-drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-LMDh in FIA WEC competition, including the centenary Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Rolex 24 At Daytona, where the car will compete as No. 02. The No. 2 is in homage to the first Cadillac entry at Le Mans in 1950, Briggs Cunningham’s “Le Monstre.”
• Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande will drive the No. 01 Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. They will be joined by six-time IndyCar champion and four-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Scott Dixon for the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
• Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims will drive the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Throughout the season they will be joined by Jack Aitken.