V-Performance Academy Cadillac Finishes Second at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Whelen Engineering Cadillac third

2021-09-12

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The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R finished second in today’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Kevin Magnussen started No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R from the second row and had a drama free run. Handing over to teammate Renger van der Zande he proceeded to pursue the cars in front of him. With just two minutes to go he got to the back of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac driven by Felipe Nasr in second place. He was able to get a good launch off the final turn to get up close enough to make a move. Van der Zande made side-to-side contact coming out of Turn Three and into Turn Four and passed Nasr for position.

“It was hairy at the end with Felipe Nasr,” van der Zande said. “I’ve had great fights with him and this one was very much on the limit. We touched two times. I had to go for it. I was behind him and felt I was faster. I didn’t make a move like that the whole race. I wanted to make it happen but not in a difficult way. It was late in the race and I felt it was the right time to do it. We had a really good car from the Chip Ganassi Racing team today. The Acura cars were really strong, so I think this was the maximum today.”

Pipo Derani started the two-hour-and-forty-minute race from fourth place thanks to the Mazda being given a post qualifying penalty. He was able to navigate the races only caution period, two minutes into the event, and drive his way up to third prior to handing off to teammate Felipe Nasr. The Brazilian ran a strong closing stint trying, along with the Action Express Team, to catch the leading Acura cars and was able to get up to second until being passed in the late stages of the race settling for a third-place.

“It was a difficult race for us in terms of sheer pace,” Nasr said. “We were struggling for rear grip. We were trying to minimize the points loss to the No. 10 car when we realized we couldn’t win. We made some good strategy moves and got up to second place. Everything was looking good to hold on for second until we got taken out by the No. 01 car in a way, I feel, you shouldn’t overtake other cars by bumping them and pushing them off the track.”

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R was started by Tristan Vautier. The Frenchman ran some fast lap times but when he entered pit lane to hand the car off to Loic Duval he had a lazy spin at pit entrance. The time it took to get the car turned and back underway combined with the pit stop sent the team down a lap resulting in a sixth-place finish.

“We were off the pace,” Vautier said. “We had great one lap pace then our tires were shot after five or ten laps. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac was using the tires at an incredible amount, and we couldn’t keep the pace. We will do some homework and be ready for Long Beach in two weeks.”

Cadillac WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Results:

2. No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen

3. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani

6. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval

The IMSA WeatherTech Championship will travel south for the Long Beach Grand Prix to run, Sept. 24-25.

Image credit: Cadillac/Richard Prince

Cadillac DPi-V.R racing history, 2021, Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins at Road America. Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins the WeatherTech 240 at The Glen. Chip Ganassi Racing won their first race with Cadillac at the Detroit Grand Prix. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R won the Sebring 12 hours. In the season opener Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Ally Cadillac team placed second with NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

The 2020 season saw the Konica Minolta Cadillac team win the season opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and post a win at Petit Le Mans. The Whelen Engineering team won Sebring in July. The Konica Minolta Cadillac team won the IMSA Endurance Cup championship.

In 2019 Konica Minolta Cadillac took the win at the season opening Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona, the Whelen Engineering Cadillac squad followed that up by winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The Mustang Sampling Cadillac team also posted a win at Long Beach on the year.

The 2018 season saw the Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona; Cadillac won the IMSA Prototype Manufacturer Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win IMSA Prototype Drivers' Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins the IMSA Prototype Team Championship; Cadillac wins Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup (TPNAEC) Manufacturer Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac drivers Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr win TPNAEC Drivers' Championship; Whelen Engineering Cadillac wins TPNAEC team championship.

In 2017 Cadillac teams won every title in the inaugural season of the IMSA DPi formula including: Cadillac wins DPi manufacturer championship; Cadillac wins TPNAEC (Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup) manufacturer title; Jordan and Ricky Taylor 2017 IMSA WeatherTech DPi driver champions; Konica Minolta Cadillac team champions; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque won the TPNAEC DPi driver championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac won the TPNAEC DPi team championship; Whelen Engineering drivers Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finish second in the driver's championship; Mustang Sampling Cadillac drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi finish third in the driver's championship; Cadillac teams combine to win seven races in 2017: Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Circuit of the Americas, Detroit, Watkins Glen, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. 

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