Cadillac Racing

[Bruce Nunnally]

In case you have not been keeping up, the Cadillac CTS-Vs are running in the Speed GT series this year, but under the auspices of Team Remington Cadillac. They have been having mixed luck so far this year.

That's Remington as in Remington grooming products. Also apparently famous for the Remington Girls.

Background reading on the racing CTS-V.

Although this is not a direct Cadillac factory effort, I think the factory is certainly involved and supportive.

Drivers for 2008 are Andy Pilgrim, Michael McCann. Here's a press release back from the season start:

TEAM REMINGTON CADILLAC ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSORSHIP

MADISON, Wis. (Feb.1, 2008) - Remington Shaving & Grooming is proud to announce its first-ever sponsorship of a race team competing in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge. The brand will be the primary sponsor of two Cadillac CTS-V race cars being campaigned in the 2008 SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series.

Team Remington Cadillac will feature two champions on its roster in pursuit of the SPEED World Challenge GT Manufacturers Championship.

The 2005 season Drivers Champion, Andy Pilgrim, will pilot the #8 Cadillac CTS-V for his fifth season.

“I’m really looking forward to this season,” said Pilgrim. “It’ll be my 10th year with GM Racing, and I was very excited when they asked me to work with Team Remington Cadillac for 2008. We will have a lot of challenges this year for sure - with a new team, and especially with the new Toyo tire, but we’ll be ready.”

The #16 Cadillac CTS-V will be driven by the 2006 Sebring race winner Michael McCann. This will be his first experience in the Cadillac. McCann has driven a Viper for the last four seasons.

“Cadillac, since its debut, has always been the class of the SCCA World Challenge GT field,” said McCann. “I am very excited about racing the CTS-V this season. Most importantly I would like to thank Remington and Cadillac for making this possible.”

“We couldn’t be happier than to be aligned with Cadillac for our inaugural season in the SPEED World Challenge GT series,” said Kent Hussey, CEO, Spectrum Brands. “Just like Cadillac, Remington is an all-American, iconic brand that always delivers on superior quality, performance, style and innovation. With Andy and Michael behind the wheel of our two CTS-V race cars, we’re confident that this partnership is going to translate into a successful 2008 season on the track.”

As a full factory race effort the last four years, the CTS-V race cars campaigned by Team Cadillac won 12 out of 41 races and captured the Manufacturers Championship in 2005 and 2007.

“Our Cadillac team is very proud of the success the CTS-V race cars and Team Cadillac achieved racing against some of the world’s finest sports cars in the SPEED World Challenge GT series the last four years,” said Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor. “We’re thrilled that through Remington’s sponsorship these CTS-V race cars will continue campaigning in the 2008 season and we’re anxious to see continued racing success under the new Team Remington Cadillac livery.”

Team Remington Cadillac will make its racing debut at Sebring International Raceway on Friday, March 14, for round one of the 2008 SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series.

[Cadillac Jim]

I was disappointed in seeing Cadillac drop factory sponsorship of its team after winning the manufacturer's championship of the Trans Am series last year. And, I don't know of any GM or Cadillac advertising that points out this major achievement of the CTS-V in a category that does not have a sedan class, and where they ran against Vipers, Corvettes, and Porsches. This is an exciting development, and gives us something to cheer for this year.

[Bruce Nunnally]

From paddocktalk.com:

Saturday’s race makes its standing start at 6:30 p.m. (EDT). It will be broadcast Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. (EDT) on SPEED.

of the CTS-V in a category that does not have a sedan class, and where they ran against Vipers, Corvettes, and Porsches.

I agree. These are fun races to watch when I can catch them on Speed TV. They are definitely SPRINT races though -- one hour or so of intense racing. This Saturday they are at Mosport.

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario - Combined practice results for Saturday's SPEED GT Presented by Toyo Tires Round Seven race at Mosport International Raceway, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, (30), Eric Curran, East Hampton, Mass., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:23.305, 106.265.

2, (8), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 1:23.765, 105.681.

3, (13), Tommy Archer, Duluth, Minn., Dodge Viper, 1:23.945, 105.454.

4, (12), Brian Kubinski, Shorewood, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:24.129, 105.224.

5, (1), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:24.150, 105.197.

6, (16), Michael McCann, Canton, Ohio, Cadillac CTS-V, 1:24.150, 105.197.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Paddocktalk.com covers Speed World Challenge Racing:

DETROIT, Mich. - Results from the first practice session for Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Round Eight race, part of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, (1), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:33.528, 79.676.

2, (8), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 1:34.718, 78.675.

3, (16), Michael McCann, Canton, Ohio, Cadillac CTS-V, 1:34.873, 78.547.

4, (23), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Porsche 911 GT3, 1:35.337, 78.164.

5, (5), Jason Daskalos, Albuquerque, N.M., Dodge Viper, 1:35.532, 78.005.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Some new photos from GM of the 'privateer' Remington Team:

Team Remington Cadillac Racing, Speed World Challenge GT, Detroit, Michigan, August 31, 2008, CTS-V #8 driven by Andy Pilgrim to second, CTS-V #16 driven by Michael McCann to fourth (Richard Prince/GM Racing photo).

Team Remington Cadillac Racing, Speed World Challenge GT, Detroit, Michigan, August 31, 2008, Brandon Davis finished third, Randy Pobst finished first, and CTS-V #8 driver Andy Pilgrim finished second (Richard Prince/GM Racing photo).

[Bruce Nunnally]

and yes, for those of you wanting a close-up of the drivers and the Speed World Challenge Ladies...

No, Caddyinfo.com is not really a Speed World Challenge sponsor; I added that in as a watermark for the zoomed photo.

Photo courtesy of Cadillac, GM, and Richard Prince.

[Bruce Nunnally]

The SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship’s on the streets of Belle Isle airs Friday, Sept. 12, on the SPEED channel.

[Bruce Nunnally]

From Motorsport.com

MILLVILLE, N.J. (Sept. 27, 2008) -- Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., and James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., each topped a damp practice session at Thunderbolt Raceway for Round Nine of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship.

Currently second in the Drivers' Championship, Pilgrim was pleasantly surprised with the way his No. 8 Remington Shaving Cadillac CTS-V handled during the two 25-minute practice sessions that experienced showers on and off.

"It was very slippery," Pilgrim said. "The Remington Cadillac team has done a great job working on a rain setup. We'd never practiced this car in the rain. When it was the [factory] Cadillac team we didn't go out in the rain period, because most of the races were in the dry. Now we've actually done some rain setup on the car and it seems to be quite good."

Pilgrim set the fastest lap time in the morning session and of the day with a 1:36.039 (84.340 mph) around the brand new 14-turn, 2.25-mile road course.