Cadillac V-Performance racing team Konica Minolta will start from the pole position for tomorrow’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Advanced Auto Parts SportsCar Showdown at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
The Konica Minolta Cadillac team had the morning practice cut short with a suspension issue, robbing Ricky and Jordan Taylor of valuable track time. Ricky Taylor had the wheel of the No. 10 Cadillac DPi-VR for the 15-minute qualifying session run under clear skies and 85-degree temperatures. On his fifth lap of the 3.4-mile, 20-turn COTA circuit, Ricky Taylor posted a lap time of 1:54.809. The pole is his second on the season (first at Sebring) and third for Cadillac.
Ricky Taylor on pole in No. 10 Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“Qualifying looked dominant, with that time,” Ricky Taylor said. “We made some set-up changes to get that time. In the speed traps we saw that we gave up some overall quickness, but it really handled well in the twisty parts. Tomorrow we will be preserving tires and focusing on having a good race car. We thought it would be a little cooler in May, but it is pretty hot. On my out lap for qualifying I knew it was going to be a tense session as the car was really on edge. We will really have to preserve the rear tires.”
In the No. 51 Whelen Engineering Cadillac it was Eric Curran’s turn to qualify. Driving the newly rebuilt red Cadillac DPi-V.R he was able to put in a lap of 1:56.429 good for a third place starting position for tomorrow’s 2:35 p.m. ET start. He and Dane Cameron are looking to rebound after Long Beach.
“The Whelen Engineering guys have worked like crazy since Long Beach,” Curran said. “To be here with a new car is great. The Cadillac is running strong, we just got third. I was just nipped out for second by the ESM car. It would have been nice to have a couple of Cadillacs upfront. Hats off to the Konica Minolta team, they have been flying all year. We are still getting the hang of this new car. We are learning, we are going pretty quick, but we need to go quicker. All of the work from the team has paid off with a third place starting spot today. Dane and I need a good run after the start to the season we have had so far. We are feeling good about this weekend.”
Christian Fittipaldi posted a lap of 1:56.655 that will have him starting next to Curran in fourth. He and teammate Joao Barbosa are still searching for the ultimate set-up on the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac.
“Right now the car is a handful to drive,” Fittipaldi said. “We have been working hard on the set-up, I guess we know now what not to have on the car. We haven’t found the sweet-spot of the Cadillac yet. We have found things here and there, but we are looking for that sweet-spot. Engine wise and mechanically we are fine, we just need to adjust on the set-up. We are going to do some homework and get it better for the warm-up and race tomorrow.”
At COTA the Cadillac DPi-V.R has an adjustment to its gear ratios which hamper exit acceleration speeds out of the 20-turns at the undulating natural terrain road course located southeast of Austin.
The IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Advanced Auto Parts SportsCar Showdown can be viewed on FOX Sports 1, Saturday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
