Cadillac Clinches First Win of the Season at IMSA Race
Indianapolis, IN – Cadillac secured its first victory of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, with the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R driven by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti crossing the finish line first. This marks a significant achievement for Action Express Racing, as it is their first win since the 2023 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The race commenced with an early lead from the No. 31 Cadillac, which was momentarily interrupted due to multiple yellow flags and strategic pit stops. A crucial full-course yellow for debris with one hour remaining set up a high-pressure scenario, where Aitken had to fend off challenges from BMW M Team RLL’s Sheldon van der Linde while managing fuel consumption as the race neared its conclusion.
When ORECA LMP2 drivers Ben Hanley and Toby Sowery collided, leading to Sowery’s car hitting the Turn 12 wall, the race concluded with a two-lap sprint. Aitken managed to maintain his lead, culminating in a thrilling finish just milliseconds ahead of his teammate, the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R of Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, who finished second.
Completing the podium was the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, piloted by Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, who demonstrated resilience by recovering from a drive-through penalty early in the race. The No. 24 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8 and the No. 93 MSR Acura rounded out the top five, with significant struggles affecting other competitors, including Porsche Penske Motorsports’ No. 6 and No. 7 entries.
In LMP2, TDS Racing achieved their third consecutive class victory with the No. 11 ORECA 07-Gibson, driven by Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen, and Hunter McElrea. The duo of Jeremy Clarke, Tom Dillmann, and Bijoy Garg from Inter Europol Competition finished second, while Riley Motorsports came third with their No. 74 entry.
The GTD PRO category saw the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Mustang GT3 clinch victory through a decisive pass by Sebastian Priaulx over Laurin Heinrich of AO Racing. The No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari and the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW secured the second and third spots, respectively.
In GTD, Inception Racing delivered a remarkable performance, with Brendon Iribe, Frederik Schandorff, and Ollie Millroy taking the top honors amidst late-race drama involving penalties and competition strategy.
As the season approaches its conclusion, drivers and teams now set their sights on the upcoming Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, scheduled for October 11th. The championship race is intensifying, with several key battles anticipated.
Key Results:
- Overall Winner: No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R
- Class Winners:
- LMP2: No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA 07-Gibson
- GTD PRO: No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3
- GTD: No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari
The championship landscape remains highly competitive as teams prepare for the critical season finale next month.
