Cadillac Planning Two Tests Per Month With LMDh Car

Photo: Richard Prince/Cadillac

Cadillac is planning to undertake two tests per month with its LMDh car in the buildup to its debut in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona according to GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser, who said the initial feedback has been “super positive.”

The yet-to-be-named prototype broke cover last month with an initial shakedown at Putnam Park prior to a five-day test at Sebring International Raceway, where four of Chip Ganassi Racing’s drivers turned laps in the Dallara-built contender.

The testing schedule since then has been unknown at this point, although Klauser told Sportscar365 that Cadillac has been making continual strides in the car’s development.

“All the drivers that have been in the car had great things to say and really good constructive feedback too,” she said. “I’m so proud of everyone on the team.

“Our first on track outings were real tests where we managed to run a decent amount of laps and work on various systems. They were way more intense than a traditional shakedown.

“Cadillac and Dallara put a lot of effort into the ‘indoor testing’ at various dynos before we hit the ground and the work paid off.”

When asked what the manufacturer’s testing schedule looks like, Klauser said they’re planning “as many as tests as we can schedule” to “keep improving the integration of everything” on the car.

“The target is two tests a month,” she said. “We are sharing tests with the other OEs.

“It’s hard to find time available at tracks and we are all sharing the support of Bosch, Williams, Michelin and Xtrac. It’s great to find efficiency where we can.

Klauser added: “Our to-do list is very long and it covers the full range of the car.

“We have a lot of durability work to do – which is putting as many miles on the car as possible.

“We also have a lot of integration work with the engine, hybrid, and electronic braking system. Plus understanding the tires and making sure the driver experience is great so they feel confident pushing the car to it’s limits in the races.”

Klauser said the biggest challenge so far has been overcoming supply chain-related issues, which is understood to have impacted Cadillac and other manufacturer’s testing schedules.

“The complexity of the LMDh far surpasses the DPi,” she said.

“Everything on the car is connected and we’re constantly finding new interactions requiring attention that we never had to worry about in the past.

“Mix in all the supply chain delays post-COVID and the ability to create, keep, and get the most out of a testing schedule has been a much bigger challenged than DPi.”

Driver Lineups Yet to Be Announced; Le Mans Entry Prospects

While remaining tight-lipped on driver lineups for next year, all four of CGR’s full-season drivers Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande are expected to be part of the effort, alongside Action Express Racing’s Pipo Derani.

Klauser said the possibility of utilizing a three-driver lineup for its single car, CGR-run FIA World Endurance Championship program will be “addressed” in the driver announcement.

At least one car will be on the grid at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans through its full season WEC Hypercar class entry, although Klauser wouldn’t be drawn on the number of entry requests the luxury automaker will be submitting to the ACO.

“We’re hoping Cadillac is well represented at Le Mans,” she said.

“It’s looking like the 100th running of Le Mans is going to be very popular so we are very anxious to know how many invitations will be available to us.”

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