Buoyed by the best result of its second FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season, Cadillac Racing enters the home stretch of the schedule with renewed confidence and direction.
Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber drove the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R to fourth place September 1 in the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas, battling the Texas heat/humidity and 17 Hypercar competitors for 183 laps on the 3.426-mile, 20-turn course.
The team’s previous top points result was seventh in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mid-June. A fourth-place finish in the opener in Qatar was vacated after FIA stewards ruled on a post-race technical infraction.
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“It was our first race where we could really work on the detail and dig into when we’re fighting for one-tenth every single lap what do I need in the car. Just a solid day,” Lynn said after congratulating team members at COTA.
A day earlier, Lynn was congratulated for qualifying third in the 10-minute Hyperpole session for an unrivaled fourth consecutive race in the top four.
Now the team’s attention turns to the Six Hours of Fuji on Sept. 15 at Fuji Speedway, where the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fifth of 12 Hypercars in the six-hour race in 2023. Tire degradation on the 2.835-mile, 12-turn circuit, two drive-thru penalties for infractions and a lengthy garage visit for repairs countered the positive start and the team finished 10th.
Data and experience gleaned from the event are important aspects in developing the hybrid racecar and assisting the drivers for the race against 17 Hypercar entries.
“I believe Fuji last year was the event where we learned the most. The trajectory that we’ve been with the car all started with Fuji,” added Lynn, who went on to qualify third in the 12-car Hypercar field at the final in Bahrain. “I’m excited to get back there and see what we’ve done as improvements.”
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Alex Lynn: “I think Fuji last year was the event where we learned the most. That’s the most important thing we took out of the race. The trajectory that we’ve been with the car all started with Fuji. It was one of our toughest weekends and we’ve learned a helluva lot. I’m excited to get back there and see what we’ve done as improvements. It’s a special place. I love going there. From Austin to Tokyo to Fuji, I’m looking forward to it.”
Earl Bamber: “Fuji was challenging for us last year and we’ve put quite a bit of effort in the simulator to try to understand where we went wrong. I think in the second year of the program we’re understanding the areas where our strengths and shortcomings are and working on the deficiencies. I think we’ve managed to make it into a better window this year with the car always in the top five when the race goes right. We’re looking to show our progress in these last two races. I love Japan. The fans are incredible and last year we had a lot of support for Cadillac, so I’m looking forward to going back.”
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