Cadillac returns to racing

[lkjohnson1950]

Cadillac has announced a 3 car effort in the 2017 IMSA series. The cars conform to WEC P2 rules and should be eligible for Le Mans, though nothing has been said about entering the 24.

http://autoweek.com/article/imsa/first-photos-cadillac-unveils-prototype-entry-imsa-weathertech-sportscar-championship?utm_source=RacingDaily20161130&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=image-center&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awracingdaily

[lkjohnson1950]

They made a pretty good start, 1-2 at the Rolex 24, though not without controversy.

[John S]

I watched the last 5 hours of the Rolex 24, it sure got exciting in the last half hour with the fight between the No 5 and No 10 Caddys, the move to me looked as though both drivers were pushing their luck so no action seems the right call. Earlier Max Angelelli in the 10 was able to put a good pass on the No 5 car and his car looked the better ride for most of the time I was watching so I reckon Taylor would have got in front somewhere else anyways.   

Great action from Daytona though, right up to the finish in some classes. 

[cosworth151]

It's pretty much a GM corporate rebadging of the old Corvette Daytona Prototype team of the past few seasons.

I watched a good bit of the race. It was a good one. It showed that endurance races can be exciting right up til the end.

The controversy started early on for the #10 Caddy when Jeff Gordon used it to kamikaze one of the Mazda prototypes in the first couple of hours.

Caddy isn't new to endurance racing. Briggs Cunningham ran two of them in the 1950 Le Mans. One, the #3, was a pretty much stock 1950 Cad Series 61 sedan. It was nicknamed "The Clumsy Pup." The other, #2, was what we would now call a prototype. Back then, they called it "The Monster." The stock bodied Caddy finished 10th, The Monster placed 11th.

[lkjohnson1950]

I actually saw Le Monstre at the Cunningham Museum many, many years ago. They hoped reducing the frontal area would make it quicker, but it didn'y work as well as they planned.