Cadillac Racing is set to return to the Pirelli World Challenge in 2017 with its two factory drivers Johnny O’Connell and Michael Cooper. Joining the duo as part of the GM brand’s GT programme will be brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor; the IMSA regulars will race ATS-V.R Coupes in the five SprintX races supporting the series.
In 2016 four-time PWC Champion O’Connell won three PWC races while Cooper scored a further two for the brand, in what turned out to be a successful debut campaign.
“I’m very much looking forward to the 2017 PWC season,” O’Connell said. “We had one bad weekend last year, that really cost us, and I’ve been training hard all winter looking for some redemption. Ricky and Jordan are doing a great job proving themselves on the world stage, especially with that great win at Daytona two weeks ago. I am very much looking forward to working with them this season in the SprintX races. Amazing strides have been made the last several years in PWC that have made it a destination for top drivers. I plan to keep an open mind heading into the first SprintX round at VIR in April.”
Cooper meanwhile, welcomes Ricky and Jordan to the team as the countdown to the start of the season enters its final stages.
“I’ve been counting down the days to the start of the season, so it’s nice that it is almost here,” Cooper, whose Cadillac will be sporting a new blue livery, said. “Being back with Cadillac Racing is still very exciting to me and I can’t wait to get my sophomore season in the GT class started. I’ve already heard of some other high caliber efforts being launched for this year, which is great news. I think we are going to see the competition take another step up in PWC, which means it will be that much more exciting to watch.
“All of the Cadillac fans should be as excited as I am to have Jordan and Ricky with us for the SprintX races this year. Jordan has tested with us numerous times the last few years, so I’m sure they’ll slot right in and make their presence known. For anybody that has been living under a rock, they bring a wealth of endurance experience, having won the Rolex 24 and competing at Le Mans. They are a perfect fit for Cadillac Racing’s SprintX program.”
The 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season begins on March 10-12th, when the teams head to Florida to race on the streets of St. Petersburg.
