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2005 Cadillac Racing
In its first year of competition in the SPEED World Challenge GT Series, Cadillac broke through with a victory in its debut race at Sebring International Raceway. At the conclusion of the 10-race series, Cadillac drivers had scored three victories, five podium finishes and won four poles. Cadillac finished as runner-up in the manufacturers championship, and drivers Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim finished third and fifth, respectively, in the drivers championship. “These are outstanding results for a first season and have helped improve the perception of Cadillac among performance car buyers,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “We are racing to help sell cars and change the image of Cadillac. Our success has built enthusiasm for Cadillac among our dealers, employees and customers.” Continuing to demonstrate its capabilities and high-performance credentials, Cadillac is competing in the 2005 SCCA Speed World Challenge with a race-prepared version of the CTS-V sport sedan, taking on competitors from around the world in the hotly contested GT class. “The CTS-V race car is further evidence of the dramatic changes taking place at Cadillac,” said Taylor. “Racing demonstrates that we are confident in our innovative technology. It shows that Cadillac is serious about competing in the global arena.” GM Racing and GM Performance Division: a powerful partnership The CTS-V that competes in the SCCA Speed World Challenge is the first race car developed by GM Racing in conjunction with GM Performance Division, an in-house center designed to explore potential enthusiast-oriented versions of production models. The CTS-V, introduced in late 2003 as a 2004 model, signaled Cadillac’s entry into the high-performance luxury car niche, and was the first vehicle to wear the division’s high-performance V-series badge. “The CTS-V race car starts from a great set of blueprints,” said GM Racing Director Mark Kent. “The outstanding performance characteristics of the rear-drive Sigma-based CTS and CTS-V lend perfectly to a race car application. We were able to maintain a significant amount of shared parts, technologies and processes in developing the CTS-V race car.” The race-prepared CTS-V is powered by a GM small-block V-8 engine. The production CTS-V and CTS-V race car share common technology – in the form of the all-aluminum V-8 engine, front and rear suspensions, steering system, differential and half-shafts – and talent, as the engineers who conceived the CTS-V for street use were directly involved in creating the race car. “The CTS-V race car has significant connections to the production CTS-V in three categories: parts, people and facilities,” explained GM Racing program manager Dave Spitzer. “The CTS-V race car began life at the GM Lansing Grand River assembly plant. By weight, 73 percent of the race car is stock or derived from production parts, including the engine, gearbox, differential, suspension and many other components. “As for the people behind the race car, individuals from throughout GM brought their expertise to the program,” Spitzer continued. “Tony Roma, who manages GM Powertrain’s high-performance production V-8s, also manages the CTS-V race car engine program. Jim LaFontaine, a GM Powertrain engineer who works on all transmission programs for HPVO, implemented the race car’s transmission development program. Mike McCann, from the Advanced Vehicle Integration Group, designed the race car’s rear suspension. Kip Wasenko, who is responsible for design for HPVO products, also designed the CTS-V body modifications for the race car. People from many different GM departments and disciplines participated in this project. “We also used GM facilities extensively in the design and construction of the CTS-V race car,” Spitzer noted. “These included the GM Aerodynamics Laboratory and seven-post chassis rig at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Mich., and the Vehicle Handling Facility at the GM Proving Ground in Milford, Mich. We employed a range of advanced tools such as FEA (finite element analysis), modal analysis and CAD (computer-aided design) in the project.” Cadillac inovation Many features that are now taken for granted were hailed as technological breakthroughs when Cadillac introduced them on production vehicles, including the first self-starter, the first independent front suspension and the first synchronized transmission. Cadillac set the world standard in powertrains with magnificent V-12 and V-16 engines, and offered the first modern overhead-valve V-8 engine. Innovation is a hallmark of Cadillac’s heritage, and breakthrough design and technology made Cadillac the standard of the world. Like the production CTS and CTS-V, which were refined and validated at Germany’s famed Nürburgring, the ground-breaking CTS-V race car is proving itself on the most challenging racing circuits in North America.Where Cadillac Races: 2005 Motorsports Programs
SCCA Speed World Challenge Vehicle: Cadillac CTS-V Class: GT Engine:GM small-block V-8 Events: 11 road races in the U.S. and Canada Specs: The CTS-V race car that competes in the GT class is based on the production CTS-V, prepared in accordance with SCCA regulations. Major components such as the small-block V-8 engine, front and rear suspension, steering system, differential and half-shafts are based on production parts. The body was built on a GM assembly line and subsequently equipped with a roll cage and required safety equipment. Highlights: Cadillac had a successful debut in the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge, capturing four pole positions, five podium finishes and three wins in 10 races. Cadillac’s racing history dates back to 1909 when a Cadillac won the first race held in the United States National Championship series. Cadillac cars and engines have raced in NASCAR, NHRA and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. # # # |
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