IMSA WeatherTech Championship: Cadillac Triumphs at Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Cadillac achieved its first victory of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, piloted by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti, winning the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The #31 Cadillac maintained the lead throughout most of the race, temporarily ceding position during a series of early yellow flags and staggered pit stops. Aitken, contesting intense pressure from BMW M Team RLL’s Sheldon van der Linde in the closing stages, successfully navigated a late-race fuel-saving strategy. Following a final full-course yellow with one hour remaining, the race concluded with a two-lap sprint after ORECA LMP2 drivers Ben Hanley and Toby Sowery collided.
This victory marked the first for Action Express Racing (competing as Cadillac Whelen) since the 2025 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Cadillac secured a 1-2 finish, with the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R of Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque finishing a mere one second behind. The #60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, driven by Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, rounded out the podium after starting from the back and recovering from a drive-through penalty.
Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell finished seventh in their #6 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963, maintaining their championship lead ahead of the season finale at Motul Petit Le Mans on October 11.
In LMP2, TDS Racing achieved its third consecutive victory at Indianapolis as Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen, and Hunter McElrea secured their first win of the season in the #11 ORECA 07-Gibson. They outpaced Inter Europol Competition’s Jeremy Clarke, Tom Dillmann, and Bijoy Garg, who finished second after starting sixth.
The GTD PRO class saw the #64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 clinch victory with Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx, while the #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 took second place. This sets the stage for a potential championship showdown between Corvette Racing’s Antonio García and Alexander Sims.
In GTD, the #70 Inception Racing Ferrari claimed its inaugural IMSA GTD victory, despite the chaotic late stages. The #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche finished second, with the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari securing third.
Race Summary:
- Overall Winner: #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R
- GTD PRO Winner: #64 Ford Mustang GT3
- GTD Winner: #70 Inception Racing Ferrari
- Next Event: Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 11.
This race demonstrated a compelling mix of strategy, skill, and resilience, setting the tone for a thrilling championship finale.
