SRO America

Sebring: Team Cadillac preview

Cadillac Reunites Winning Team for Sebring Pilgrim and Angelelli to Drive Cadillac CTS-Vs in SCCA World Challenge Season-Opener SEBRING, Fla. - Two years ago, drivers Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim raced to a 1-2 finish in Team Cadillac's first ...

Edited: Mar 14, 2006, 2:09 AM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Cadillac Reunites Winning Team for Sebring
Pilgrim and Angelelli to Drive Cadillac CTS-Vs in SCCA World Challenge Season-Opener

SEBRING, Fla. - Two years ago, drivers Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim raced to a 1-2 finish in Team Cadillac's first race in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT at Sebring International Raceway. This year's season-opening round of the 10-race World Challenge series will again see Angelelli and Pilgrim driving a pair of black CTS-Vs as Team Cadillac opens its defense of the drivers and manufacturers championships it won in 2005.

Much has changed since Team Cadillac's competition debut in March 2004. Racing against two-seat sports cars, Cadillac's potent CTS-V performance luxury sedans have won seven races, captured six poles, posted 21 podium finishes and swept the 2005 drivers' and manufacturers' titles. But beneath their glistening black paint, the race cars still retain close ties to the production CTS-Vs on city streets and highways.

"We're excited to have Max and Andy driving for us again in Sebring, and the entire team is eager to get back on the track," said Team Cadillac program manager Dave Spitzer. "We've been refreshing the cars and equipment in preparation for the start of the new season, and we're absolutely fired up to go racing again.

"Team Cadillac set the bar high in 2005, and our goal for 2006 is to continue to deliver results both on and off the track," Spitzer continued. "We're aiming for consistent finishes while generating positive exposure for Cadillac and doing exciting promotions with Cadillac dealers to capitalize on the success of the Team Cadillac motorsports program."

Every Team Cadillac driver is a proven champion. Pilgrim, the reigning World Challenge GT champion, will drive the No. 1 CTS-V throughout the entire season. An all-star roster will share the No. 16 CTS-V, with Angelelli, Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell splitting the driving duties.

"We're excited about having an all-star lineup of drivers from the GM Racing family racing with Team Cadillac," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing road racing group manager. "With new cars, new manufacturers and new drivers coming into the World Challenge series, the competition will be intense. We've seen the capabilities of the Porsche 997 and Aston Martin DBR9 in other series. Team Cadillac spent the winter making everything fresh for the 2006 season, and we're definitely ready to go racing again."

Pilgrim relishes the start of his third season with Team Cadillac: "Coming back as the GT champion doesn't change anything for me," said the racer from Boca Raton, Fla. "I'll give it 100 percent, just as I always do. Our focus will be on winning another manufacturers championship for Cadillac.

"My new teammates are actually my old teammates because I've raced alongside these guys for years," Pilgrim added. "I'm really looking forward to the new venues on the World Challenge schedule this year. The new Salt Lake City track looks like it will be great fun, and the last time I raced at Long Beach was in 1993 on the old circuit. Running at Infineon Raceway with the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams will be awesome, and I hope to spend some time there with my friend Dale Earnhardt Jr."

The World Challenge GT series is off to a fast start in 2006 with three races in the next four weeks. Following the season-opening Sebring round, Team Cadillac will race on the streets of St. Petersburg on April 1. Then eight days and a cross-country haul later, the twin CTS-Vs will be back in action in the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 9.

"This year the season is front-loaded so it ends up being a three-race stretch," Spitzer explained. "When we think about getting ready for Sebring, we're really thinking about getting through the first three races with solid finishes."

-gm racing

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Las Vegas: Joe Nemechek race report

Next article Laguna Seca: Team Malaysia Saturday report

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Mercedes out of performance window at Mexico GP - George Russell

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

1 h

Mercedes out of performance window at Mexico GP - George Russell

Haas drops Esteban Ocon for F1 Mexico GP

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

2 h

Haas drops Esteban Ocon for F1 Mexico GP

Ferrari downplays expectations for F1 Mexico GP despite blistering Friday

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

2 h

Ferrari downplays expectations for F1 Mexico GP despite blistering Friday

Ai Ogura explains Marc Marquez battle in Malaysia sprint, denies Aprilia team orders

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Malaysian GP

3 h

Ai Ogura explains Marc Marquez battle in Malaysia sprint, denies Aprilia team orders

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts