Issue 1267
October 2, 2024
 

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Sunday
Dec042022

DECEMBER 7, 2022

(IMSA)
Now that they’ve all run together in a proper, full-on test, the reviews are strong for the new IMSA GTP cars. And the drivers like what they see. Felipe Nasr summed it up best when he said, “They’re really bad-ass!” Nasr was among the drivers who participated in a two-day test at Daytona International Speedway featuring all four manufacturers that will compete in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023. Teams representing Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche ran day into night on the 3.56-mile road course, turning as many laps as possible and gathering reams of data in the final IMSA-sanctioned test of 2022. 
Nasr was among the Porsche Penske Motorsport drivers participating in the test. The 2021 champion in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class that makes way for GTP in ’23 is bullish on the new prototype class combining internal combustion engines with cutting-edge technology in an electrified support powertrain. “I’m most excited about the GTP class in 2023 because it is a prime time for sports car racing,” he said. The next time the four manufacturers will officially be on track together will be at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing from Jan. 20-22, just a week prior to the Rolex 24 At Daytona that opens the 2023 season and kicks off the GTP era. (Thank you to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)

(Brembo)
See Brembo's tribute to Sebastian Vettel here.

(Cadillac images)
Cadillac Racing’s all-new V-LMDh — the brand’s first electrified race car — "has passed crucial testing and development milestones ahead of its competition debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Jan. 28," according to Cadillac PR minions. Cadillac Racing has logged nearly 12,000 miles (19,000 km) in on-track testing since July 2022. That included a 24-hour test at Sebring International Raceway in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared car and a shorter prescribed endurance test with Action Express Racing. It was an ideal testing environment for the grueling 24-hour races at Daytona and Le Mans, according to Cadillac Racing Program Manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. Data collection from race-equivalent stints, including night running, and validating durability on the bumpy 3.741-mile (6.020 km), 17-turn circuit were among the objectives. The new Cadillac V-LMDh will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Both series’ schedules include dates at Sebring International Raceway, including the WEC season-opening 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17 and the IMSA Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18. A Cadillac has won overall in IMSA at Sebring for the past four years, including a podium sweep in 2022. Additional recent testing of the V-LMDh took place in October, immediately following the Petit Le Mans race at the 2.54-mile (4.09 km), 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. A final development test will occur on Dec. 6-7 on Daytona’s 3.56-mile (5.7 km), 12-turn road course, during IMSA-sanctioned mandatory tests for all manufacturers participating in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class for 2023. The final competition Cadillac V-LMDh race cars - including their liveries - will be revealed online at Cadillac.com and on the Cadillac V-Series Instagram account in mid-January 2023, ahead of the Roar Before The Rolex 24 at Daytona.



Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG


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