The No. 01 Cadillac's all-or-nothing IMSA season continues.
Icon SportswireGetty ImagesThe factory-backed No. 01 Cadillac of Chip Ganassi Racing has had quite the eventful season. Spins from the lead, mechanical retirements, and a race at Long Beach where the team won despite an early setback have highlighted a year where all the speed in the world seems to not be enough for the pairing of Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais to win races in IMSA’s class DPi. When the team had a clean race at Detroit today, it should be no surprise that it ended with a win.
Bourdais and van der Zande’s No. 01 Cadillac dominated today’s race from pole, but dominance on such a small track is a relative thing. The pair won a battle between four cars that was decided by a total of just two seconds, but van der Zande was able to hold off Oliver Jarvis and Meyer Shank Racing over the final laps to take the win. The No. 02 Ganassi Cadillac came in third, beating out the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac after that car successfully cut off an extra stop to catch the field with overwhelming speed only to find no way to make any positions up over the day’s final 20 minutes.
In GTD, the day went to an odd extra entry for Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus RC-F program. Their No. 17, running while the No. 14 and its GTD Pro class take the month off, ended up running with IndyCar rookie Kyle Kirkwood and full-time GTD Pro driver Ben Barnicoat after both of its planned drivers missed the weekend’s race. Kirkwood, still technically silver-rated and therefore eligible for GTD’s pro-am rule set, started from pole. Barnicoat held on to win, taking the lead back on an overcut during the day’s one stop to beat out the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin and No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW to win in a cameo appearance. Kirkwood will race in tomorrow’s IndyCar race for AJ Foyt Racing.
IMSA is off until late June’s Six Hours of the Glen, but sports car racing’s biggest day is next week. Many IMSA drivers and competitors will now head to France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Keyword: Ganassi Cadillac Wins Again at Detroit Belle Isle