FIA WEC & IMSA: Cadillac Preps for GTP with First Testing Laps, Porsche set to join them at Sebring
Updated: Jul 13, 2022
At Putnam Park, Indianna. Cadillac Racing put the LMDh prototype through its paces in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The car features an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter, dual-overhead cam V-8 engine developed by GM's Performance and Racing propulsion team and paired with the LMDh common hybrid system. The 680-horsepower race car will be Cadillac's first hybrid prototype, equipped with a spec energy recovery system.
In 2023, Cadillac will join Acura, BMW, and Porsche in the WeatherTech Championship's new top-tier prototype class, Grand Touring Prototype (GTP). In 2024, Lamborghini is scheduled to join. Before the series-mandated testing at the end of the 2022 season, each manufacturer is diligently working on its own testing programs.
“It’s exciting to see the hard work and ingenuity of the whole team pay off,” said Kalvin Parker, Cadillac Racing assistant program manager. “The 2023 season promises to be one of the most competitive ever, so we’re looking forward to developing the race car with further testing on track, driver feedback and in the wind tunnel.”
“This was a monumental event thanks to a complete group effort between Cadillac, Chip
Ganassi Racing and Dallara,” said Earl Bamber, co-driver with Alex Lynn of the No. 02 Cadillac
Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R this season in IMSA competition. “It was an exhilarating feeling to jump in the car for the first time and get a sense of what the future will look like. So much work has gone into the 2023 race car, and I can’t wait to see it take flight next season.”
Sebring International Raceway is set to make history this week when two LMDh cars are set to run side by side in a manufacturer-to-manufacturer group test.
In a multi-day test at the historic Florida circuit, Porsche's 963 and Cadillac's yet-to-be-named contender will be put to the test for the first time on U.S. soil.
Following the Motul Petit Le Mans, additional group testing will take place in the coming months leading up to the first of two IMSA-sanctioned LMDh tests in October at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
For LMDh manufacturers looking to qualify for the Rolex 24, Daytona International Speedway will host a second IMSA-sanctioned test Dec. 6-7.
