Here's Where Cadillac Raced Before F1

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Once Cadillac sewage nan greenish emblem to subordinate Formula 1 successful 2024, it became nan first American constructor successful F1 history. Yet it was besides conscionable nan latest motorsports move for a marque that's been intimately progressive successful racing for years. In fact, Cadillac was moreover connected nan starting grid successful 1949 erstwhile NASCAR launched its Strictly Stock Division, which would yet go today's Cup Series.

Two Cadillac Series 61 cars past raced astatine Le Mans conscionable a twelvemonth later, including a modified, rebodied type that was called "Le Monstre." With a streamlined, futuristic assemblage created by a Grumman technologist and fine-tuned successful a upwind tunnel, and mostly banal mechanicals, Le Monstre had a apical velocity of 130 mph. That was astir 15 mph faster than nan stock-bodied Le Mans Cadillac. The 2 Cadillacs vanished 10th and 11th wide successful nan race, pinch Le Monstre falling down its coupe counterpart owed to an earlier crash.

The institution stepped backmost from racing successful nan years aft that to attraction much connected its ain unsocial marque of luxury, though nan occasional Cadillac still made motorsports news. In 1971, for example, a Cadillac Sedan de Ville completed nan inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash pinch nan highest mean velocity during existent driving. The cross-country Cadillac didn't decorativeness first because it had to make much substance stops than nan winning Ferrari Daytona. That said, Cadillac has spent plentifulness of clip successful nan winner's circle since then, particularly successful nan 21st century.

The early 2000s saw Cadillac moving successful a much European, driver-oriented direction, pinch cars for illustration nan CTS-V, and racing would beryllium a measurement to beforehand nan change. As Jeff Kettman, who helped get nan programme disconnected nan ground, told DailySportsCar.com, "The full logic that Cadillac sewage progressive successful motorsports was to displacement nan nationalist position of Cadillac to much of a sporty vehicle." It decidedly worked for nan longroof editions, arsenic we discovered erstwhile looking astatine why nan CTS-V wagons are still truthful expensive. 

A item was expected to beryllium Cadillac's caller endurance-racing programme for some Le Mans and nan American Le Mans Series. Unfortunately, Cadillac underestimated some nan fund needed to triumph astatine that level and nan expertise of its Northstar V8 to get nan occupation done. The champion decorativeness for this era's Northstar LMP title cars, which ran from 2000 to 2002, was ninth successful Cadillac's last twelvemonth of competition.

It was a harsh learning acquisition that paid disconnected erstwhile Cadillac began racing nan CTS-V connected a smaller stage: nan Sports Car Club of America's World Challenge GT Championship. In 4 years of racing that began successful 2004, Cadillac notched 12 wins, 1 driver's title, and 2 shaper championships. The winning speeded up moreover further aft Pirelli began sponsoring nan GT Challenge. From 2012 to 2017, nan CTS-V.R and ATS-V.R were responsible for 5 much driver's championships and helped Cadillac people 3 much manufacturer's crowns.

Cadillac shifted gears connected its racing efforts again successful 2017 by moving up to nan IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, wherever it fielded cars successful nan Daytona Prototype world class. The alleged DPi.V.R machines racked up different 7 championships and 27 further wins successful endurance racing, led by 4 consecutive victories astatine nan Rolex 24 astatine Daytona.

This nary uncertainty helped person Cadillac to trial its mettle astatine nan highest level of endurance racing starting successful 2023, nan World Endurance Championship (WEC) overseen by nan aforesaid statement — nan FIA — that's successful complaint of Formula 1. (Cadillac still competes successful nan IMSA WeatherTech series, too.)

Things person gone a spot amended this clip astir for Cadillac's Le Mans aspirations, arsenic nan marque vanished 3rd and 4th astatine nan 2023 race, and it locked retired nan beforehand statement successful qualifying this twelvemonth — contempt coming successful 5th and eighth successful nan existent race.

It seemed to beryllium a insignificant bump connected nan way for Cadillac, however. In nan very adjacent arena connected nan WEC calendar, nan Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, Cadillac became nan first U.S. shaper to notch a 1-2 decorativeness successful nan top-level Hypercar class. It's nary wonderment folks are now truthful hyped astir Cadillac's introduction into Formula 1.