Team Cadillac Ready for Home Game on Detroit's Belle Isle

[Bruce Nunnally]

Team Cadillac drivers Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O'Connell are ready for the Cadillac Racing home game at the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac V-Series Challenge on Detroit's Belle Isle, May 31-June 2.

O'Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) hopes to repeat his results from 2012 when he drove his No. 3 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racer to victory in both rounds of the Pirelli World Challenge GT Series, proving critical to his championship run. Teammate Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) drove his No. 8 CTS-V to third and fourth place finishes. Pilgrim comes into the event second in points with O'Connell sitting in third.

Read more: http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-223758.html

[Bruce Nunnally]

http://www.world-challengetv.com/

45 min to race time

[Bruce Nunnally]

Pre-Race is live now

[Bruce Nunnally]

Here was the play by play for today's race, which unfortunately in my time zone was during worship:

 

Time	Lap #	Lap Note
10:52:30 AM		Welcome back to Detroit as we count down to the start of Round Seven of the Pirelli World Challenge. Following the completion of this race, half of the 14 scheduled races for 2013 will be done. Currently James Sofronas, the GT Drivers' Championship leader is the pole sitter for this race. In GTS, the drivers' point leader, Jack Baldwin, starts the race in second behind Andy Lee.
10:56:54 AM		Cars are on the grid. Pre-race festivities are being wrapped up as drivers get in their cars. We are at 71 degrees under mostly cloudy skies, with a 15 mph wind from the west.
10:57:54 AM		We are set to take the lights in this standing start format at 12:05 p.m. (EDT).
10:58:35 AM		Two minutes until we get the command to start engines.
11:00:30 AM		Jim Vurpillat of Cadillac gives the command for the field to start engines.
11:03:25 AM		The field is making its way thought the Turn Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven complex.
11:04:18 AM		The GT field is set.
11:04:48 AM		GTS field is set.
11:04:59 AM		Five seconds.
11:05:06 AM		GREEN!
11:06:22 AM		Pobst (GT) gets the jump through Turn One. Pappas (GT) stalled on the grid but was able to get back underway without contact.
11:07:17 AM	2	Aschenbach (GTS) is on point in class.
11:08:54 AM	3	Drissi (GT) had a great start getting to third from seventh on the grid.
11:09:39 AM	3	Kleeman (GTs) spins and continues between Turn 12 and 13.
11:10:32 AM	4	Lee (GTS) has been shuffled back to third behind Baldwin and Aschenbach.
11:11:38 AM	4	O'Connell (GT) has made up some serious track position and is starting to take the fight to Pobst for the overall lead.
11:12:25 AM	5	The top two have pulled out over a four-second gap.
11:13:40 AM	5	Lee (GTS) made contact with the wall in Turn Five. He has come to a rest after Turn Six.
11:14:08 AM	6	Race control will leave Lee (GTS) there, keeping the course green.
11:15:11 AM	6	Baldwin (GTS) is starting to push Aschenbach hard, trying to outbrake each other.
11:16:03 AM	7	Kleeman (GTS)has retired as race control is observing O'Connell (GT) for smoke coming from the car.
11:16:45 AM	7	Skeen (GT), has hit the wall in Turn Seven.
11:17:38 AM	8	Sofronas (GT) has caught up to the rear bumper of O'Connell in second.
11:18:50 AM		Martin (GTS) gets around Wilkins and Cunningham for fourth.
11:20:14 AM	10	Sofronas (GT) is taking a peek around O'Connell where ever he can.
11:21:38 AM	10	O'Connell (GT) and Gaples (GTS) make contact in Turn Six. Gaples hits the tire wall and the YELLOW has come out.
11:23:16 AM	11	Behind the Safety Car GT leaders: Pobst, O'Connell, Sofronas. GTS leaders: Aschenbach, Baldwin, Udell.
11:27:15 AM	12	The track workers and Pirelli World Challenge safety crew are working to clear the incident so we can get back to green-flag racing.
11:28:51 AM	13	Bushey (GTS) is slow on the straight between Turn Six and Seven. The green flag will be displayed next time by the flag stand.
11:29:36 AM	13	Bushey's car is in a safe place on the course so we can continue to green flag racing.
11:31:31 AM	14	We will be returning to green this lap. This should be an exciting restart.
11:32:03 AM	15	GREEN!
11:32:37 AM	15	Moxlow (GTS) is hard into the outside of Turn One.
11:34:15 AM	15	Golinello (GTS), Esayian (GTS), Curtin (GTS) are a few of the cars involved.
11:34:51 AM	15	The field will be directed through pt lane to bypass the debris.
11:35:48 AM	16	Capaldi (GTS) is the other driver involved.
11:37:53 AM	16	Again the track crew is working to get the track cleared. We have just over 17 minutes left in the race.
11:39:57 AM	17	We are working our seventh lap under caution following the collision that occurred following the green flag.
11:43:35 AM	18	GT leaders under yellow: Pobst, O'Connell, Sofronas. GTS leaders Aschenbach, Baldwin, Udell.
11:47:21 AM	19	Cunningham (GTS) is being watched by officials for a dragging piece.
11:48:38 AM	20	We are approaching five minutes remaining in the race.
11:49:57 AM	20	Lights out atop the pace car.
11:50:05 AM	21	GREEN!
11:51:17 AM	22	Pilgrim (GT) goes side by side with Sofronas and gets hit from behind and spun in Turn Three.
11:52:01 AM	21	YELLOW - For Pilgrim (GT) stopped in Turn Three.
11:52:57 AM	22	White flag will be displayed this time by the flag stand.
11:55:55 AM	23	CHECKERED FLAG!
11:59:03 AM		Provisional GT Top Three: Pobst, O'Connell, Sofronas. Provisional GTS: Martin, Wilkins, Udell.
12:01:06 PM		Thank you for joining us for the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac V-Series Challenge at Belle Isle. The next race will be the Cadillac Lime Rock Grand Prix, July July 4-6. Join us then.

 

[Bruce Nunnally]

The Cadillac V-Series Challenge at Belle Isle will air on the NBC Sports Network June 16 at 5 p.m. (EDT).

The next stop for the Pirelli World Challenge will be over the Independence Day weekend for the Cadillac Lime Rock Grand Prix July 4-6.

[Bruce Nunnally]

a lap of Belle Isle in a CTS-VR

 

[Bruce Nunnally]

Highlights:

Highlights of GT/GTS Round 7 at the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac V-Series Challenge at Belle Isle on the streets of Detroit. Watch this entire live streaming playback at www.world-challengetv.com. And watch the broadcast on NBC Sports Network Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 5 PM EDT.