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Cadillac Racing Returns With Four V-Series.R Entries For The 2024 24 Hours Of Le Mans
Cadillac is set to make a significant return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, fielding four Cadillac V-Series.R racecars. These entries will be supported by seasoned teams and drivers with championship credentials. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which organises the event, extended invitations to Cadillac Racing. This year marks 75 years since Cadillac first participated at Circuit de la Sarthe.
"We’re thrilled to have Cadillac Racing return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with four cars competing for the overall win in the Hypercar class," said John Roth, vice president, global Cadillac. "After scoring our first podium finish at this iconic endurance race in 2023 and securing a top 10 finish last year, we look to build on that success and showcase the Cadillac V-Series.R’s technology, performance, and innovation with our 2025 entries."
The Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs received automatic invitations due to their full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). JOTA Sport is competing as a works team for the first time in WEC Hypercar competition. The driver lineup includes Jenson Button, Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, and Will Stevens.
The No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R will compete at Le Mans for the first time as a full-season entrant in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. Ricky Taylor is named as the primary driver, with other drivers yet to be announced.
In its inaugural WEC Hypercar season in 2023, Cadillac Racing achieved third and fourth place finishes. In 2024, they qualified second and third but finished seventh at best. The Nos. 12 and 38 Hertz Team JOTA entries secured eighth and ninth places respectively with another manufacturer.
The No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is another full-season IMSA GTP entry by Action Express Racing returning to Le Mans for its third consecutive year. Jack Aitken is listed as the primary driver for this car as well.
Cadillac's Legacy at Le Mans
Cadillac's history at Le Mans dates back to 1950 when Briggs Cunningham and Miles and Sam Collier entered two Series 61 coupes powered by a Cadillac 5.4-liter OHV V-8 engine. The Collier brothers finished tenth with their car named "Petit Pataud," while Cunningham's "Le Monstre" placed eleventh.
Sydney Allard and Tom Cole Jr., driving a Cadillac-powered Allard J2, secured third place that same year. In subsequent years—2000 through 2002—Cadillac returned with its Northstar LMP featuring a turbocharged V8 engine.
Technical Innovations
The Cadillac V-Series.R boasts a specially designed Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing Propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan. Co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing, and chassis constructor Dallara, it incorporates unique design elements like vertical lighting and floating blades.
This racecar was influenced by the Project GTP Hypercar unveiled in June 2022. It represents an evolution of engineering excellence aimed at achieving competitive success on international racing circuits.
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