Mosport: Team Cadillac preview

Team Cadillac to Begin SPEED GT Championship Run in Mosport

Pilgrim and Fellows Are Back in the Game at Fast Canadian Circuit Following Competition Adjustments

BOWMANVILLE, Ont. - With three races remaining in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series, Team Cadillac is focused on perfection. The team goes into the eighth round of the SPEED GT series at Mosport International Raceway on Sept. 2 in third place in the manufacturers and drivers championships. Competition adjustments recently announced by SCCA officials promise to put Team Cadillac back in the game.

"I feel we've got a chance," said Team Cadillac program manager Dave Spitzer. "We have a big hill to climb, and we have to be as close to perfect as any racing organization can be. That's what winning a championship is all about."

The Cadillac CTS-V race cars will be lighter and more powerful at Mosport than they were in preceding races. Their base weight has been reduced 50 pounds (from 3200 to 3150 pounds) and the size of the engine intake air restrictor has been increased 10 percent.

"The SCCA made adjustments that were necessary to return the Cadillac CTS-V race cars to the front of the pack," Spitzer noted. "Our drivers have struggled with gaining speed on the straights and being in position to make passes. With some additional horsepower from a slightly larger restrictor and a little less weight, we should now be in position to compete for race wins. We look forward to putting on a great show for the fans."

Cadillac, the reigning SPEED GT manufacturer champion, trails Porsche by 10 points and Dodge by five points in the standings. Defending champion Andy Pilgrim is third in the drivers' standings, 11 points behind the leader.

"Team Cadillac has come back from adversity in the past," Spitzer recalled. "In 2004 we were down by nine points to Audi with two races to go, yet we were tied going into the season finale. In 2005 we were seven points behind Porsche with two races remaining, and we won the title. While we'd much rather be leading the points, we know that we can still achieve our goals from this position."

Cadillac has been in the Mosport winner's circle in the last two SPEED GT races contested on the 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course. Ron Fellows won in 2004 and 2005 with Team Cadillac, and Pilgrim finished fourth in both events.

"We've got a streak to keep alive," Fellows said. "We had a tough race at Road America, but at least I'll lose the REWARDS weight we got for winning in Long Beach. It's a long climb up the hill from Turn 5 to Turn 8, so a little less weight and a little more power should help us to be competitive."

"As we began creating the first TV spots for our new marketing campaign, I knew I wanted to create a spot focusing on Cadillac's racing success for a few reasons," recalled Cadillac global marketing director Liz Vanzura. "I wanted to capture the performance credibility our CTS-V race cars earn every SPEED GT race weekend, I wanted the spot to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of Team Cadillac in winning both championships last season, and I wanted to tell the very real story of the technology transfer from our racing CTS-Vs to our CTS-V and CTS Cadillac sport sedans for the street."

-credit: tc/gm racing