The #01 Cadillac Racing team clinched victory at the Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta. In a thrilling race similar to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Renger van der Zande, alongside Sebastian Bourdais and Scott Dixon, secured the win in the last 15 minutes.
Following closely behind, the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport car claimed second place, while their #7 car took third. This podium finish helped Felipe Nasr and Dane Campbell, joined by Matt Campbell for this event, confirm their IMSA title.
Other Formula One veterans also participated. Jack Aitken ended up in fifth with Wheelan Cadillac Racing, and Romain Grosjean finished fifteenth in his #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx car.
#01 Car Triumphs at Road Atlanta
Van der Zande expressed his joy after the race: “I love this place, I love IMSA. To come off with a bang for Ganassi, the final race of our program for Cadillac, to win the last race. Man, I’m super proud.” This victory was bittersweet as it marked Cadillac’s final race with Chip Ganassi Racing.
As the clock ticked down to the last 15 minutes, Van der Zande seized the lead. However, a nerve-wracking moment arose when their car’s headlights began flickering with just four minutes remaining. Fortunately, they avoided any penalties.
“Pretty scary,” Van der Zande confessed about that incident. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ Now we have to go back to the pits and repair or something that would end the race. I would have finished the race without the lights, no doubt.”
Fans might think it was a nail-biting finish!
Sebastian Bourdais reflected on their journey: “Last year, we were winning until the final 30 minutes. This year we weren’t leading until right at the end. We had a torque sensor issue which affected the beginning of the race, so we had to do 100 laps on a set of tyres.”
What do you think about this thrilling win?
