Cadillac and Chevrolet secured major IMSA championship honours for General Motors (GM) at Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans.
An evening of crowning was headlined by Cadillac, Action Express Racing (competing as Cadillac Whelen), and lead driver Jack Aitken sweeping the GTP championships for Manufacturer, Team, and Driver. They only had the race on Saturday to officially claim those championships, but all involved professed the hard work it took all season to make these successes possible.
Cadillac’s 11th IMSA Manufacturers’ championship was the zenith of the so-called ‘One Cadillac’ or ‘Team Cadillac’ ethos of unity that began in 2025, according to GM’s Dr. Eric Warren, Vice President of Global Motorsports Competition.
“For General Motors and Cadillac, it really just comes down to great partners that we had,” he said. “We had really two great teams this year. We worked on this ‘Team Cadillac’ approach. Really, the consistency the Cadillac team has shown has been incredible.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work that’s been done. These cars are tough to race, the competition, different manufacturers racing against (us). It’s a great honour for GM and Cadillac.”
“I don’t think it will sink in until tomorrow,” added Chris Mitchum, Director of Race Team Operations at Action Express Racing.
“Really it comes down to execution, having the tools to do the job. We’re so fortunate to have had such a long partnership with GM all the way dating back to the Grand-Am and DP (Daytona Prototype) time to now.”
“We say we’re a good partner, the reality is it truly is a one-team approach. We would not be sitting here in this position without our partners at Wayne Taylor (Racing), how much effort they’ve put in.
“We’ve truly grown as one team. I think we can always get better.”
This was Action Express’ seventh IMSA Teams’ championship, tying the team with Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing for the most all-time – a mark which is another point of pride for Mitchum.
“You’re talking about some of the strongest teams in the sport that everybody knows globally.
“But to know that the numbers are stacking up in our column, I think it’s a testament to all the men and women that have put Action Express together,” Mitchum said. “I think all the people that have worked at Action Express over that many years to make it happen have given us that opportunity.
“We have an opportunity next year to take that next step and stand there on our own with eight championships. That will be our goal.”
For Aitken, his first IMSA series championship, in his third full season as a Cadillac Racing prototype driver, is the culmination of a short but eventful journey which began with peaks as high as a win at his first Twelve Hours of Sebring, yet valleys as low as a first-lap crash at his first 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Yet it all began to click for Aitken near the end of 2025 when he, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti won back-to-back races to end the year. “I think it sort of showed us we were ready as a team to go on a streak like we have done,” Aitken remarked.
“The pieces have been in place for a long time, but we needed a little bit of luck and things to fall in place to really get going with results on paper. That’s how it is in racing always.”
It culminated in a run of eight consecutive IMSA GTP podiums, nine in the last 11 races dating back to Indianapolis last year. “I don’t think we expected it to go quite as long as it did,” Aitken admitted. “As we went through the first races of the year we had a few near misses in terms of winning.
“But we were always there, always on the podium, fighting with the top guys, whoever they were. It became clear pretty quick that we were on to something pretty special this year.”
Bamber, who was every bit a part of Cadillac Whelen’s championship run despite missing a race and therefore a share of the Drivers’ title, believes that there’s still more for Cadillac to achieve on the biggest stages of motor racing.
“We’re on the global stage as well with the global championship,” said Bamber, who’s split time between Cadillac’s programmes in IMSA and WEC since the start of the V-Series.R era in 2023.
“There’s still a lot of boxes to be ticked. We want to get that first Le Mans win. We were really, really strong this year. I think we could all taste it!
“To get Jack his first championship…every single time you’re in the car, you’re feeling that weight on the shoulders because you missed one race, so you want to get it done for him and the whole team. It was really nice to get that.”
Chevrolet was also able to secure the GTD Pro Manufacturers’ championship, albeit with a less impressive final result at Petit Le Mans than those involved had hoped for.
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ two factory-supported Z06 GT3.Rs finished only eighth and 12th after late-race accidents denied it the Teams’ title and the Drivers’ crown for Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg, though customer team DragonSpeed finished sixth – ahead of both Ford Racing Mustang GT3s.
Limping over the line to it or not, the record is still the same: Chevrolet’s 16th manufacturers’ title since the beginning of the Corvette Racing factory programme in 1999.
GM President Mark Reuss said: “What a tremendous accomplishment for General Motors, Cadillac Racing and Corvette Racing. Both Cadillac and Chevrolet winning manufacturer championships shows the strength of our racing programmes, and the talent and execution of our drivers, engineers and crews.
“These championships represent the hard work of everyone across GM Motorsports, Cadillac Racing and Corvette Racing, and they showcase the culture of winning taking root on their teams and across General Motors, every day. We’re proud of this achievement and of the teams who made it possible.”
And with 13 Autosport’s Orey Fidani and securing the Bob Akin Award, plus the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans invitation, it adds another Corvette to the LMGT3 grid for the 2027 edition of endurance sports car racing’s ultimate challenge.
“The Corvette Z06 GT3.R really has come into its own the last year across IMSA and WEC. I’m really proud of that championship,” added Dr. Warren. “(It) came down to the wire there, as well. It’s great to have another championship. That car is just incredible, couldn’t be more proud.”
Images © Cadillac, Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com
