Team Cadillac Closes Out ALMS Season - Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta
Endurance Classic
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Team Cadillac Closes Out ALMS Season - Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta Endurance Classic
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga., Oct.1, 2001 - The final race of the 2001 American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Oct. 6, at the 10 hour/1000 kilometer Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta will also mark the last appearance of the transition design Cadillac Northstar LMP 01 in the prototype class.
Team Cadillac is completing the second of a three-phase plan to place the Cadillac brand in the winner's circle at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans road race. The year 2002 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Cadillac brand and the endurance program has been selected as a platform to revitalize the brand image with performance and design equal to the world's premier brands.
"The first year of our program was a bench mark year," said Program Manager Jeff Kettman, "and we used the vast amount of data we gathered to produce a transition design for the second season. Meanwhile we were able to marshal all our efforts in designing what we believe will be a cutting edge design for 2002."
"Although we have not achieved a win," said Kettman, "our team reached the first step on the podium with a 3rd place finish at Mosport. The transition LMP 01s have shown continuous improvement in speed, handling and reliability over the previous season rewarding our entire team with a 3rd place podium and four Top 5 finishes."
The purpose built Cadillac sports racing
car utilized a highly modified version of the Northstar engine system that
kicked off the era of the new Cadillac. The racing version produces in
excess of 600 horsepower from the addition of twin-turbochargers. The
combination has demonstrated solid reliability by completing a test
session and three endurance races without faltering, losing power or
performance.
Cadillac's endurance racing program is a vital part of the brand's
aggressive strategy to grow its business globally and to accelerate
Cadillac's inclusion into the elite group of premier brands, with its
unique values of technology, design and performance.
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