2007 Cadillac CTS-V Racer

Team Cadillac to Field Two Champions in 2007

Aschenbach Joins 2005 Champion Andy Pilgrim on New-Look Cadillac Team

Team Cadillac will have two champions on its roster in its pursuit of the 2007 SCCA SPEED World Challenge manufacturers championship. Lawson Aschenbach, the 2006 SPEED GT champion, will join 2005 SPEED GT champion Andy Pilgrim as full-season drivers on the Cadillac factory road racing team. They will wheel a pair of Cadillac CTS-V race cars sporting fresh new graphics.

'Team Cadillac is proud that we will have the last two SPEED GT champions in our stable this year,' said Team Cadillac program manager Dave Spitzer. 'Lawson showed last season that he has the speed and the racecraft that wins championships. He's an articulate and intelligent young American driver, and we think he is going to be a great fit with Team Cadillac.'

Aschenbach, 23, scored one win and finished in the top 10 in every race last year en route to the SPEED GT drivers championship. He'll be paired with Pilgrim, who finished third in the championship standings with one victory and four podium finishes.

'I've done two tests with Team Cadillac so far, and they went really, really well,' said Aschenbach. 'That was the first time I've driven a front-engined race car - all of my previous racing experience has been in open-wheel and rear-engined cars. It was an unbelievable ride in the Cadillac CTS-V on the first couple of laps. I really enjoyed the handling and the horsepower, I think the Cadillac is going to suit my driving style.

'Our goal as a team is to win the manufacturers championship for Cadillac in 2007,' Aschenbach added. 'Working with Andy is a great experience; he's helping me to understand the data and teaching me how to get the best out of the car. He's a first-class person, totally unselfish, and I couldn't ask for a better teammate.'

Pilgrim has been with Team Cadillac since its inception, and 2007 will mark his fourth season in the black Cadillac race cars.

'Lawson is young, but he's already very experienced in racing and obviously has a lot of talent,' said Pilgrim. 'I'm looking forward to having him as a teammate. Our first goal is win the manufacturers championship. I'd like to win the sixth drivers championship of my career, but you can't plan to win a championship. I'll prepare for every race the best that I can, and the championship will take care of itself.'

Team Cadillac will unveil its new look for 2007 at the Cadillac / Mobil 1 Super Bowl Celebrity Grand Prix go-kart race in Miami, Florida on Saturday, February 3, 2007. The new graphics package retains the team's hallmark black and red colors of previous years, and adds the famous Cadillac script.

'We wanted to connect the look of our Team Cadillac CTS-V race cars more closely with our Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit. marketing campaign,' said Cadillac global marketing director Liz Vanzura. 'Our campaign utilizes very prominent and bold placement of the iconic Cadillac script logo, so we've developed the new look of our CTS-V race cars to incorporate the Cadillac script. After all, our team's efforts on the race track are the racing manifestation of our Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit. (of championships) campaign.'



'Fans of the SCCA SPEED GT know that Team Cadillac has brought in great drivers and done some surprising things with the third car in the past,' said Spitzer. 'We intend to continue that tradition in 2007.'

The 2007 SPEED World Challenge GT series will kick off at Sebring on Friday, March 16, 2007.

Source - GM

NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson to Drive Cadillac CTS-V in Charlotte SPEED GT Race

Johnson to Join Team Cadillac for Fourth Round of SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT at Lowe's Motor Speedway

Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will drive Team Cadillac's No. 16 CTS-V in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT race at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Thursday night, May 24, 2007. The 50-minute race, the fourth round of the 10-race SPEED GT series, will take place on the track's 1.5-mile banked oval with modifications to introduce road racing elements to the course. The SPEED GT race will follow NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600.

'I've driven thousands of laps at Lowe's Motor Speedway and enjoyed success there, but it's going to be a new experience for me to turn right as well as left when I race in the SPEED GT event in Charlotte,' said Johnson. 'I've always enjoyed driving different kinds of vehicles, so I'm looking forward to racing against sports cars with the Cadillac CTS-V sedan. (concept carz)

'When I tested with Team Cadillac on the Sebring road course in February, I discovered that the Cadillac CTS-V race car's handling and braking are similar to the setups we use in NASCAR Nextel Cup road races,' Johnson continued. 'I'm hoping that my experience at Lowe's Motor Speedway will benefit the team because we only have one day to practice, qualify and race. I really enjoyed working with the Team Cadillac crew and my teammates Andy Pilgrim and Lawson Aschenbach during the test, and I think we'll be able to get our CTS-V race cars up to speed quickly on both the oval and the road course sections at Lowe's Motor Speedway.'

Johnson is one of America's most versatile racers. He's raced motorcycles, off-road trucks, ASA stock cars, and Daytona Prototypes. Johnson is scheduled to participate in a one-day SCCA Pro Racing test at Lowe's Motor Speedway on March 19 before making his SPEED GT debut in May.

'As we've been reinventing and rebuilding the Cadillac brand over the past several years, we've made the conscious strategic decision to align Cadillac with the best of the best in everything we do,' said Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor. 'We'll have the past two SPEED GT champions, Andy and Lawson, for the full 2007 season, and we're absolutely thrilled to have 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson drive our third CTS-V in the upcoming Charlotte race.'

The Cadillac CTS-V race cars that compete in the SPEED GT championship are based on the production Cadillac CTS-V performance luxury sedan. (concept carz) The Cadillac CTS-V race cars have a base weight of 3100 pounds and are powered by 6.0-liter fuel-injected GM small-block V-8s that produce 500 horsepower with a series-mandated intake restrictor. All cars in the SPEED GT race on shaved Toyo street tires.

'We're proud to have Jimmie as a member of the GM family, and we appreciate the cooperation between Chevrolet, Cadillac, GM Racing and Hendrick Motorsports that made this program possible,' said Steve Wesoloski, GM Road Racing Group manager. 'This is a great opportunity to have the defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion compete in one of our GM road racing programs, and it will certainly put the SPEED World Challenge Series in the spotlight.'

Since entering the SPEED GT series in 2004, Team Cadillac has won nine races and seven poles, and swept the manufacturers and drivers championships in 2005. The 2007 SPEED World Challenge GT series will kick off at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on March 16, 2007.

Source - GM

Aschenbach and Cadillac Eager to Begin World Challenge Championship Quest in Sebring

Team Cadillac Returns to SPEED GT with New Driver and New Look

It's said that the past is a mirror that reflects the future. If that adage is true, then the future looks bright for Team Cadillac in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT championship. The Cadillac factory road racing team will return to action with the 2005 and 2006 SPEED GT champions – Andy Pilgrim and Lawson Aschenbach, respectively – on its roster. They'll begin the season at Sebring International Raceway on March 16, the track where Team Cadillac scored a 1-2 finish in its competition debut in March 2004. If history repeats itself, Team Cadillac could make a fast start in its run for the 2007 SPEED GT championships.

While Pilgrim has been with Team Cadillac since its inception, Aschenbach is the new kid in town. The 23-year-old brings impressive racing credentials and the No. 1 that signifies the reigning SPEED GT titleholder. After an 11-year racing career in karts, open-wheel formula cars and rear-engine sports cars, he'll make his first start in a front-engine race car at Sebring.

'I had a three-day test with the team at Sebring in February, and by the end of the third day I was feeling really comfortable in the Cadillac CTS-V,' said Aschenbach. 'My engineer made a series of changes so that I could experience how the adjustments affected the car. Then on the final day we put on all of the things that I had liked, and the car felt perfect.

'The conditions during race week in Sebring will be much different than they were in the test session,' Aschenbach explained. 'With hotter temperatures and different kinds of rubber on the track, we'll certainly have to change the setup, but now we have a good idea of where we want to go with it.

'I learned that I can really hustle the car through the fast corners at Turn 1 and Turn 17, and it's good in the tight and twisty sections as well,' he reported. 'The CTS-V race car takes the bumps very well, and that's important on a rough track like Sebring. The Cadillac also fits my driving style – I try to be smooth and consistent with the steering wheel, and the car responds to that.'

Much has changed since Team Cadillac made its competition debut in March 2004. Racing against two-seat sports cars, Cadillac's potent CTS-V performance luxury sedans have won nine races, captured seven poles, posted 30 podium finishes and swept the 2005 manufacturers and drivers championships. The two-car Cadillac team will have a new look in its fourth season in the SPEED GT series with a graphics package that combines the famous Cadillac script with the team's familiar red and black colors. But beneath their wings and flared fenders, the race cars still retain close ties to the production CTS-Vs that travel city streets and highways.

'During the off-season, the team focused on updates to improve reliability over the long run,' said Steve Wesoloski, GM Road Racing Group manager. 'These are the same chassis that raced in 2006, with the addition of some new race-proven components and a slightly smaller intake restrictor that's required by SCCA.

'With Andy and Lawson on board, we have two of the best racers in the paddock in the Cadillac camp,' he continued. 'Lawson has already clicked with the team, and with an engineering degree from Vanderbilt Úniversity, he speaks the language of racing. Andy is a great mentor, and Lawson is willing to learn – and because they live only a few miles away from each other in Florida, they stay in close contact away from the track as well.'

The season-opening 50-minute SPEED GT race at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled to start at 4:45 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16. The race will be televised tape-delayed on Sunday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET on the SPEED Channel.

Source - GM

Aschenbach Takes Second for Cadillac in Sebring

Reigning SPEED GT Champion Scores Podium Finish in Team Cadillac Debut

For the fourth straight year, Team Cadillac was on the podium in the season-opening round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series at Sebring International Raceway. After three consecutive runner-up finishes by Andy Pilgrim, this year it was Lawson Aschenbach who claimed runner-up honors in his first race with Team Cadillac.

'We had a great run today and my Cadillac CTS-V race car was flawless,' Aschenbach declared. 'This is a great way to start the season with a podium finish. We'll see if we can get to the top step at the next race in Long Beach.'

Aschenbach combined solid race strategy with savvy driving to begin Team Cadillac's pursuit of the SPEED GT manufacturers championship in style. The race began with standing water on portions of the track following a thunderstorm of biblical proportions, but the racing line was drying rapidly when the field took the green flag in a single-file rolling start.

Aschenbach, the 2006 SPEED GT champion, started his No. 1 Cadillac CTS-V fifth in the queue, one spot behind his teammate Pilgrim. The twin Cadillacs steadily gained positions in the opening laps and were running third (Pilgrim) and fifth (Aschenbach) after five circuits. After the second-place Corvette suffered an apparent mechanical problem on the ninth lap, the Cadillac drivers moved up to second and third.

A restart following a full-course caution from lap 11 to lap 13 proved decisive. Aschenbach put the hammer down when racing resumed and moved to second, while Pilgrim was having problems with his gearbox and fell to sixth. Aschenbach pursued Eric Curran's Corvette relentlessly to the end of the 18-lap race, finishing 1.429 seconds behind Curran's red Corvette. Pilgrim was sixth across the stripe after a spirited duel with a pair of Porsches in the closing laps.

'We really wanted to win this race, but the Corvettes are tough to pass,' Aschenbach reported. 'They're 125 pounds lighter than us and use the same engine as our Cadillac CTS-V race cars. I can't say enough about Andy. He had a bout of bad luck this weekend, and he deserves to be up here along with me. I'm sure he'll be back.'

Pilgrim saw his streak of podium finishes at Sebring end at three. 'Únfortunately I had a gearbox problem so I was nursing the car,' he explained. 'I couldn't shift gears if there was any lateral load on the car. I figured out what was happening, but I couldn't race like that, so I just tried to stay out of trouble. It's disappointing, but sixth is better than seventh.'

Cadillac is now second in the manufacturers championship and Aschenbach is second in the drivers' standings.

'Today's race was a fantastic start to the season,' said Steve Wesoloksi, GM Road Racing Group manager. 'Lawson made us proud and proved that he has the skills of a champion. If Andy hadn't had a mechanical problem, I think we could have had two Cadillac drivers on the podium.'

Source - GM

Fellows Looks for More Magic in Long Beach SPEED GT

Canadian Star Returns to the Scene of Memorable Last-Lap Pass for Victory

One year later, fans of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series still talk about The Pass – Ron Fellows' last-lap outside move around the race-leading Viper that sealed the victory for Team Cadillac on the streets of Long Beach. When the Canadian road racing ace returns to the Southern California street circuit on April 15 for the second round of the SPEED GT championship, he'll be aiming to score a second straight win for Team Cadillac in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

'My goal is to pick up where we left off last year,' said Fellows, who will drive the No. 16 Cadillac CTS-V in a special appearance alongside teammates Andy Pilgrim and Lawson Aschenbach. 'I think the outside line in Turn 9 is going to be more popular this time, so a last-lap pass there probably won't work again.'

What will work for Fellows is a technique for racing on street courses that he honed as a driver in the SCCA Trans-Am series.

'Racing on street courses is something I had to learn how to do,' Fellows explained. 'The ideal line is not necessarily the fastest way around on a street circuit because of the bumps, the crown of the track, the manhole covers, and changes in the track surface. My teammate Dorsey Schroeder was terrific on street courses, and he taught me to focus on learning where the car wants to be instead of looking for the ideal line.'

The Long Beach race will be Fellows' first appearance in the SPEED GT series in 2007. He's started in nine SPEED GT races since 2004, winning three times and taking two poles.

'This will be my first race with the Cadillac CTS-V since last season, and based on what I saw in the first round in Sebring, it's going to be another battle in Long Beach,' he predicted. 'With the performance handicaps, some of the other cars will have more straight-line speed on Shoreline Drive, but the CTS-V race cars have great brakes and handling. I'm going to work with the Team Cadillac engineers on getting a good balance in the tight sections of the track and consistent grip with the front and rear tires.

'We have very little track time to get it right, but that's typical for a street race with a lot of events on the schedule.'

Source - GM

Team Cadillac Sweeps Front Row in Long Beach SPEED GT Qualifying

Fellows and Pilgrim Take Top Two Spots on Streets of Long Beach

Ron Fellows continued his mastery of the Long Beach street circuit, winning the pole for today's second round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge series with a track-record time of 1:25.086 (83.266 mph) in the No. 16 Cadillac CTS-V. Fellows will start alongside his teammate Andy Pilgrim, who claimed the outside front row starting spot with a 1:25.291 (83.066 mph) qualifying lap in the No. 8 Cadillac CTS-V.

Reigning SPEED GT champion Lawson Aschenbach will start his No. 1 Cadillac CTS-V from the eighth spot on the grid. All three Team Cadillac entries bettered the previous track record set in 2006 at 1:26.346 by a Dodge Viper.

'It's awesome to have two Cadillacs starting on the front row,' said Fellows, who won last year's Long Beach race with a last-lap pass. 'Long Beach is a big deal, and this is an important event for any manufacturer because it's such a great showcase.

'Qualifying was an adventure for sure – the first lap was run under the yellow flag to allow everyone to spread out, but it ended up with everyone stacked up,' Fellows explained. 'At the end of my first flying lap there were about 10 cars all coming to a stop before the hairpin. It was all I could do to avoid it and start over again.'

Pilgrim ran his fast lap in the final minutes of the 20-minute qualifying session after an extended pit stop to allow the traffic jam to clear.

'It was exciting – with five minutes left they sent me back out to try for a clean piece of track and give it a shot,' Pilgrim reported. 'I was held up by traffic in the beginning, but I knew there was a little bit left even though the tires had gone off. I gained a couple of tenths and moved from third to second, and that was really good with old tires.

'My Cadillac CTS-V was good everywhere – it's great on braking and going through the turns,' he added. 'This is a great track for Ron, he's always rocket fast here. I use him as the benchmark, and I'm very happy to be within a couple of tenths of him.'

Aschenbach also made two qualifying runs, but encountered traffic on both sprints.

'I was stuck in traffic on my first two laps, which would have been the good ones,' said Aschenbach. 'I caught the back of the field and was fighting for space. There was no point in staying out, so I came in and the crew bled down the tire pressures.

Source - GM

Pilgrim Takes Second for Team Cadillac on the Streets of Long Beach

Fellows Sidelined by Electrical Gremlin, Aschenbach Recovers from First-Lap Hit

Andy Pilgrim survived rush hour on the mean streets of Long Beach to finish as runner-up in his Cadillac CTS-V in the second round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series. Ron Fellows led the middle third of the 28-lap race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach before he was sidelined by an electrical problem. Lawson Aschenbach finished 12th after he was hit in the first turn and then battled back from rear of the pack.

Corvettes finished first and third in the hands of Eric Curran and Lou Gigliotti respectively. Pilgrim challenged Curran for the win on the final green-flag lap after the race's second full-course caution, but couldn't pull off the pass on the bayside circuit's long straights. His runner-up finished moved him to second in the drivers championship, and Cadillac is second in the manufacturers' standings.

'I ran Eric as hard as I could,' Pilgrim reported. 'It's disappointing not to win, but second place is a good finish. I didn't have the fastest car today, but I had a great handling car in the tight sections of the track.'

Pilgrim had a front-row seat for an extended dice between Fellows' race-leading Cadillac CTS-V and Curran's Corvette. Fellows passed Curran for the lead on the seventh lap, and held the point until the 21st circuit when Curran passed him coming out of the Turn 11 hairpin. Two laps later, a full-course caution began after two Vipers tangled in Turn 1, and Fellows car suddenly lost power due to an apparent electrical problem.

'I didn't realize until the engine stalled under caution what was going on,' Fellows explained. 'The battery alarm was flashing, and the engine was cutting out coming off the hairpin when I was racing with Curran. I'm not an electronic genius, but it didn't make sense that the engine lost power at low rpm but it would run up high.'

Fellows was primed to reprise his victory in last year's SPEED GT race in Long Beach after setting fast times in practice and winning the pole.

'It's disappointing for Cadillac and for the entire team because we came here to win this race,' said the Canadian ace. 'We were fast in every session, and this is a great place to race. But we'll learn from this experience, and I can't wait for my next race with Team Cadillac.'

Aschenbach was caught in a first-turn melee when his Cadillac CTS-V was hit from behind.

'I was punted in Turn 1,' reported the reigning SPEED GT champion. 'I had a good start, and was trying to go outside of Lou Gigliotti and just hold my position. I turned left and then boom! I got spun around pretty hard, and then watched everyone go by.

Source - GM

Aschenbach Races for Redemption in Salt Lake City

Reigning SPEED GT Champion Aims to Return to the Top with Team Cadillac

Lawson Aschenbach is a man on a mission. Since entering the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series in 2005, the reigning champion had never finished outside of the top 10 – until his streak abruptly ended on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., on April 15. Hit from behind and spun out in the first turn, Aschenbach watched in frustration as the entire field drove by. Living up to his 'Awesome Lawson' nickname, he used a heavy right foot and the horsepower and handling of his Cadillac CTS-V race car to charge through the field to a 12th-place finish.

But 12th is not where a champion wants to be. That's why Aschenbach will be racing for redemption in the third round of the 10-race series at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City on May 19.

'I want to rebound from Long Beach with a great finish and get back closer to the top in the championship,' said the 23-year-old racer from West Palm Beach, Fla. 'I'm really fired up and ready to get back on track.'

The track that Aschenbach and his championship-winning teammate Andy Pilgrim will race on is the sprawling 4.5-mile, 24-turn Miller Motorsports Park circuit – the longest road course in America. Last year Pilgrim and Ron Fellows finished third and fourth respectively for Team Cadillac in the SPEED GT series' inaugural event in Útah, while Aschenbach was ninth with his previous team.

'I love the race track, and I really enjoyed racing there last year,' said Pilgrim. 'It's long, it's technical, and I just like the whole idea of it.'

Aschenbach agreed: 'It's a neat track because it's such a long lap,' he reported. 'There are not a lot of reference points on the track because it's so flat, so at first it's hard to figure out your turn-in points. I tested there last year before the race, and that definitely helped me to learn the course.'

The track's 4,923-foot elevation and the heat of the high desert will make demands on the race cars and drivers. The thin air will cut horsepower by approximately 14 percent compared to sea level, and will also affect aerodynamic downforce and cooling. Team Cadillac will also have to cope with the SCCA regulations that give the Corvettes that have won the series' first two rounds a 125-pound weight advantage over the Cadillac sedans.

The Team Cadillac engineers and crew can make adjustments to the CTS-V race cars to prepare them for the conditions they'll encounter at Miller Motorsports Park, but the drivers will have little time to acclimate to the high-altitude environment.

'I train six days a week because I know that being in good shape is an advantage during a race,' Aschenbach explained. 'Lifting, running and biking is good preparation for any track. And living in Florida, I'm used to heat. If I can go for a four-mile run in 97 degrees wearing a sweatshirt, it shouldn't be a problem to race for 50 minutes in Salt Lake City.'

Source - GM

Team Cadillac Qualifies Seventh and Eighth for Mid-Ohio SPEED GT

Aschenbach and Pilgrim Beat Track Record on Classic Road Course

Team Cadillac drivers Lawson Aschenbach and Andy Pilgrim qualified seventh and eighth respectively for Sunday's seventh round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Both drivers' qualifying times were quicker than the existing track record, but the 2.25-mile, 13-turn track ultimately favored Team Cadillac's rivals.

Eric Curran won the pole in a Corvette with a record-setting lap of 1:25.624 (94.936 mph), followed by Tommy Archer in a Dodge Viper, Randy Pobst and Michael Galati in Porsche 911 GT-3s, and Doug Peterson and Lou Gigliotti in Corvettes. Aschenbach turned his fastest lap at 1:26.408 (94.074 mph) to take the seventh spot on the starting grid, and Pilgrim ran 1:26.489 (93.986 mph) for eighth. Both Cadillac drivers were under the 1:26.820 track record set by Wolf Henzler in 2005.


The Team Cadillac crew made multiple adjustments to the race cars in pursuit of quicker lap times. Aschenbach returned to the pits after his first quick lap for a tire pressure change, but was stymied by traffic in the remainder of qualifying.

'The track was a little dirty in the beginning, but as it cleaned up my car was better in the second run,' Aschenbach reported. 'Únfortunately when I went out for a second run, I was in traffic every lap. It's tough on a track as tight as this one when a guy's going slow on the racing line, but what can you do?

'I don't think we had a shot at the pole today, but I think we had a little better qualifying time in it,' he continued. 'This track seems to favor the Porsches and Corvettes, but we've definitely got a good car for the race.'

Pilgrim's crew made three adjustments to his car's chassis setup during the timed 20-minute session.

'I'm happy with the car and happy with the way I drove,' said Pilgrim. 'We tried our best and got some good laps, but unfortunately it wasn't quite good enough. I duplicated the times I ran in the final practice session yesterday when the track conditions were a little better, so I'm happy with that – but I'm a little disappointed with our qualifying position.'

Source - GM

Team Cadillac Finishes Fourth and Fifth in Mid-Ohio SPEED GT

Aschenbach and Pilgrim Keep Cool in Hot Championship Race

On a perfect day for road racing, the manicured Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosted the seventh round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series. Despite the scenic setting, the 29-lap race was no romp in the park for Team Cadillac as drivers Lawson Aschenbach and Andy Pilgrim finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The victory went to Eric Curran, who led every lap in his Corvette. Tommy Archer was second in a Dodge Viper and points-leader Randy Pobst third in a Porsche 911 GT-3.


Aschenbach and Pilgrim gained two positions before the start of the race when the qualifying times of Doug Peterson and Lou Gigliotti were disallowed following post-qualifying inspection. Consequently the Cadillacs moved up to fifth and sixth on the starting grid after qualifying seventh and eighth on Saturday.

Pilgrim had to take evasive action at the start to avoid hitting the stalled Porsche of Michael Galati. Aschenbach was on the inside and moved into fourth position as Pilgrim slotted in behind him.

'That was a close call,' Pilgrim reported. 'I had to make a violent left turn to miss the guy. He was no more than a car length in front of me, and I'm going full bore at the start. You've got to ease off the throttle but not lift completely because then you'll be passed by everyone.'

The three frontrunners steadily pulled away from the two Cadillacs in the opening laps. Pilgrim was being pursued by James Sofronas' Porsche, but Sofronas was passed by Brian Kubinski's Corvette and Michael Galati's Porsche on the 10th circuit. Galati then got around Kubinski on the 11th lap and began to close on Pilgrim. The margin narrowed to less than one second in the closing laps.

'That was a lot of pressure,' Pilgrim said 'This series produces that kind of great competition, when you have a serious battle for fifth place. Michael was probably frustrated because of his problem at the start of the race, and I was just happy to hold him off at the finish.

'I knew he was coming, but my car was loose from the get-go,' he explained. 'It was pitch-and-catch throughout the race – every time I turned in, the back end would let go, and that's no way to drive Mid-Ohio. I got into big slides four or five times, but fortunately I caught it.'

While Pilgrim was fending off Galati, Aschenbach had a relatively uneventful day. With the leaders out of sight and a four-second margin over his teammate, Aschenbach drove a steady race.




Team Cadillac now leads the manufacturers championship by two points after seven of 10 rounds. Chevrolet moved to second in the standings, two points ahead of Porsche. Pilgrim is now 18 points behind Pobst in the drivers championship, and Aschenbach is third, 12 points behind Pilgrim.

'The Team Cadillac drivers and crew did a great job today on a track that doesn't favor the Cadillac CTS-V,' said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. 'Both drivers ran a clean race, and Andy did an awesome job to get around the stalled car at the start and then hold off Galati's Porsche at the end. Cadillac continues to lead the manufacturers championship, and we're looking forward to the next race in Mosport.'

Source - GM

Cadillac Wins SPEED GT Manufacturers Championship in Season Finale

Pilgrim Clinches Title for Team Cadillac with Victory in Laguna Seca

Andy Pilgrim propelled Cadillac to the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT manufacturers championship with a victory today in the series' season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Pilgrim drove his race-prepared Cadillac CTS-V to a 1.883-second margin of victory over Randy Pobst's Porsche to capture Cadillac's second manufacturers' title in three years.

Cadillac won the championship with 71 points to Porsche's 60, followed by Chevrolet (50) and Dodge (24). Pilgrim finished second in the drivers championship, 16 points behind Pobst (303-287). Team Cadillac driver Lawson Aschenbach finished sixth in the race and third in the final standings with 280 points.


Pilgrim qualified second and started the 28-lap race on the outside front row alongside Pobst. Pilgrim slotted in behind his rival at the start, but the pace was soon slowed for a full-course yellow after a multi-car accident in Turn 4. When racing resumed after six laps under caution, Pilgrim patiently stalked Pobst. On the 21st circuit, Pilgrim made his move in the hairpin at the end of the front straight.

'I knew Randy would challenge me if I attempted a pass, but I also knew he had the drivers championship on the line,' Pilgrim §äid. 'Even though that wasn't my best corner, I stuck it in there and that was it. He tried to go around the outside, but he knew he was done.'

Pilgrim then fended off Pobst's late-race charge, and increased his margin in the closing laps.

'I was going deeper and deeper into the corners, using the rear tires harder and harder,' Pilgrim reported. 'I nearly lost the rear end three times in the last five laps going through Turn 9, and I told myself, 'Don't spin it now!' I was really just holding on for the last six or seven laps, but Randy was sliding around as well.'

While Pilgrim controlled the race at the front, his teammate Aschenbach was in a pitched four-car battle with a Porsche and a pair of Vipers. Aschenbach had moved from eighth on the starting grid to sixth with an outside move in the first turn, and he moved up to fifth on the lap 7 restart. But the 120 pounds of success ballast that Aschenbach was carrying eventually took its toll, and he lost two positions on lap 24. When the fourth-place Porsche of James Sofronas went off on the next-to-last lap, Aschenbach took sixth.

'I tried as hard as I could to get by Safronas, but he was defending his line into Turn 1 and that was about the only spot I could catch him,' Aschenbach explained. 'It was a tough race carrying so much REWARDS weight. Team Cadillac did a great job as always, and it was a dream come true to race with them this year.'

Ron Fellows brought his Cadillac CTS-V home in seventh today. He dropped back at the restart, and then protected Aschenbach's position in the closing laps to ensure that Cadillac would have a car among the top-six finishers to win the manufacturers championship.




Team Cadillac concluded the 2007 season with three victories (Charlotte, Atlanta and Laguna Seca) and a total of 12 wins since the team's debut in 2004. Cadillac has won two manufacturers championship (2005, 2007) and Pilgrim captured the drivers championship in 2005.

'This is an outstanding moment for Cadillac,' said Team Cadillac technical director Lynn Bishop. 'To win the most races in the series over the last four years, and to win two manufacturers championships, we couldn't be happier. The team of drivers we have is the best, and Andy Pilgrim is the consummate professional. He showed what he could do today with class and style.'

'We have made a concerted effort to align Cadillac with the best of the best in everything we do,' commented Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor. 'In racing, aligning Team Cadillac with the best technical partners and the best drivers has proven the value of this strategy again by winning the SPEED GT manufacturers championship. We congratulate Andy Pilgrim on his victory today, and congratulate the entire team on another outstanding season.

'Cadillac has enjoyed great success in the four years we have competed in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge with the first-generation Cadillac CTS-V race cars,' Taylor continued. 'We've demonstrated the performance of the new line of Cadillac vehicles and we've changed the way that enthusiasts view Cadillac. With the second-generation CTS-V still a year away from its introduction, we'll close this chapter of Cadillac in racing and explore future opportunities to showcase the performance of the Cadillac portfolio.'


The season-ending Laguna Seca SPEED GT race will be televised tape-delayed on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. ET on the SPEED Channel.

Source - GM