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Cadillac said today it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with three of the newly named Cadillac V-Series.R entries to compete for the overall win in the Hypercar class. During 2023, Cadillac will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Cadillac V-Series.R was developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and Dallara.
The engineering challenge – of course – is to bring the old success of Cadillac’s DPi V.R, which won two titles and four consecutive Rolex 24s in its six years in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship – to the new car. Notably, this marks the brand’s return to Le Mans after 22 years.
The three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars made their competition debut Jan. 28-29 in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R earning a podium finish (autoinformed.com: IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona Thrills Largest Crowd in History) The No. 02 Cadillac V-Series.R placed fourth and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R finished fifth. ( see also autoinformed.com on: IMSA Petit Le Mans Sees Cadillac, Corvette, Win Season Titles)
They will join other competitors in the Hypercar class with revised car numbers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and contest for the overall win.
- The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R received an automatic entry based on its full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook are the drivers.
- The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant, where it races as the No. 01. Sébastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon will be the drivers.
- The No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant, where it races as the No. 31. Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken will be the drivers.
“Cadillac is excited to build on its racing legacy by competing against the very best internationally and at one of the world’s toughest races,” said GM sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. “We’re proud to be representing the United States and the Cadillac V-Series.R is a great continuation of our racing heritage.”
Cadillac at Le Mans
The first Cadillacs raced at Le Mans were entered by privateers Briggs Cunningham and Miles and Sam Collier in 1950. Both Series 61 coupes were powered by the Cadillac 5.4-liter OHV V8 engine.
Miles and Sam Collier co-drove the No. 3 “Petit Pataud” (little lumpish or little clumsy? – KZ) to a 10th-place overall finish. Briggs Cunningham shared the wheel of the No. 2 “Le Monstre” with Phil Walters and finished 11th overall despite an early off-course incident.
That same year, Sydney Allard and Tom Cole Jr. finished third overall in the Cadillac-powered Allard J2.
Most recently, Cadillac competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8-powered Northstar LMP.
In 2000, Franck Lagorce, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace drove Team Cadillac No. 1 Cadillac Northstar LMP to a 21st-place overall finish,Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and Eric van de Poele finished 22nd in the No. 2 sister car.
In 2001, Taylor, Angelelli and Christophe Tinseau co-drove the Cadillac Northstar LMP01 to a 15th-place finish. A second LMP01, co-driven by Eric Bernard, Emmanuel Collard and Marc Goossens, retired from the race with a mechanical issue.
In 2002, two Cadillac LMP02 cars were entered. Angelelli, Tinseau and Taylor co-drove to a ninth-place overall finish. A second Cadillac LMP02, co-driven by Bernard, Collard and JJ Lehto, finished 12th.
Cadillac to Run the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Three Entries
Click for more information.
Cadillac said today it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with three of the newly named Cadillac V-Series.R entries to compete for the overall win in the Hypercar class. During 2023, Cadillac will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Cadillac V-Series.R was developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and Dallara.
The engineering challenge – of course – is to bring the old success of Cadillac’s DPi V.R, which won two titles and four consecutive Rolex 24s in its six years in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship – to the new car. Notably, this marks the brand’s return to Le Mans after 22 years.
The three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars made their competition debut Jan. 28-29 in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R earning a podium finish (autoinformed.com: IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona Thrills Largest Crowd in History) The No. 02 Cadillac V-Series.R placed fourth and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R finished fifth. ( see also autoinformed.com on: IMSA Petit Le Mans Sees Cadillac, Corvette, Win Season Titles)
They will join other competitors in the Hypercar class with revised car numbers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and contest for the overall win.
“Cadillac is excited to build on its racing legacy by competing against the very best internationally and at one of the world’s toughest races,” said GM sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. “We’re proud to be representing the United States and the Cadillac V-Series.R is a great continuation of our racing heritage.”
Cadillac at Le Mans
The first Cadillacs raced at Le Mans were entered by privateers Briggs Cunningham and Miles and Sam Collier in 1950. Both Series 61 coupes were powered by the Cadillac 5.4-liter OHV V8 engine.
Miles and Sam Collier co-drove the No. 3 “Petit Pataud” (little lumpish or little clumsy? – KZ) to a 10th-place overall finish. Briggs Cunningham shared the wheel of the No. 2 “Le Monstre” with Phil Walters and finished 11th overall despite an early off-course incident.
That same year, Sydney Allard and Tom Cole Jr. finished third overall in the Cadillac-powered Allard J2.
Most recently, Cadillac competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8-powered Northstar LMP.
In 2000, Franck Lagorce, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace drove Team Cadillac No. 1 Cadillac Northstar LMP to a 21st-place overall finish,Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and Eric van de Poele finished 22nd in the No. 2 sister car.
In 2001, Taylor, Angelelli and Christophe Tinseau co-drove the Cadillac Northstar LMP01 to a 15th-place finish. A second LMP01, co-driven by Eric Bernard, Emmanuel Collard and Marc Goossens, retired from the race with a mechanical issue.
In 2002, two Cadillac LMP02 cars were entered. Angelelli, Tinseau and Taylor co-drove to a ninth-place overall finish. A second Cadillac LMP02, co-driven by Bernard, Collard and JJ Lehto, finished 12th.