Cadillac, AXR Beaming With “Pride” in Winning First GTP Title

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser has reflected on claiming a sweep of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP titles in the first year of the new top-class era.

While Cadillac notched the GTP manufacturers’ championship, Action Express Racing and drivers Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims not only picked up the teams’ and drivers’ titles but also claimed the Michelin Endurance Cup in Saturday’s season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans.

It made for a banner day for those involved with the program, which only kicked off 16 months ago when the Cadillac V-Series.R hit the track for the first time in testing.

“For me, the feeling right now is pride,” Wontrop Klauser said.

“I’m pretty sure it’s bursting out of my chest because the amount of work that went into this program, starting from Day 1 when the car was just a picture on the computer screen and how it grew into becoming something we were testing physically and finally hit ground back in July.

“The two championships we ran this year, bringing all three cars to Le Mans, having all three at Rolex and to walk away with the IMSA championship I think is just something where all those long hours, those nights, those lack of sleeps came down to being able to walk away with our heads held high and really feel proud of what we did.

“We were going to be proud no matter what happened today but to come off with the championship win for manufacturers’ and for the team with the 31 is just an experience that will obviously be with me for the rest of my life.”

While Derani, Sims and Endurance Cup driver Jack Aitken drove the Whelen Engineering-sponsored Cadillac to a sixth place finish to secure the season-long driver and teams’ titles, it was the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac, which finished second on Saturday, that secured the manufacturers’ title over Porsche.

Action Express’ director of race operations Chris Mitchum hailed Cadillac’s ‘one-team’ approach to this year’s endeavor.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been with the team for all of the championship run over many years,” Mitchum said. “But I think what makes this one special, is that this is the first championship that we’ve won when our family took on a different look this year.

“I have to say a huge thank you and congratulations to Chip Ganassi Racing and the 01 and 2 [cars] because truly they sacrificed and helped us as a team as much as we could have ever helped them.

“It truly was one unified team, which in the beginning was a little bit more challenging than I think we could on our own have recognized.

“I think competition is healthy and I think what GM saw in our team and what they saw in CGR, to bring together was incredibly special and we’ve proven it now.

“We learned a lot of lessons along the way. The pride is there.

“I know how hard everyone’s worked and I know the effort. But I also know the job ahead and there’s absolute commitment from this entire group to come back in ’24. This lights the fire for that for sure.”

Derani added: “It has been an amazing 16 months with so much work behind the scenes, obviously from every manufacturer but especially from us.

“We weren’t the first ones to get the car rolling and there has been so much work to get to this championship.

“A big thanks to everyone from Cadillac who spent hours and hours in simulators and development back at the factory. Countless hours where missing sleeps and so much effort from everyone.

“To be here after what I believe is most incredible season finale of the championship, with four manufacturers fighting for the championship, which shows how tough and how competitive the championship is, to be the one leaving with the first trophy as the champion is fantastic.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John