As a news season of the Pirelli World Challenge Series is set to begin, team Cadillac is determined to build off their dominating 2012 season this year according to a company press release.
2012 Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver's Champion Johnny O'Connell and Andy Pilgrim, runner-up in GT points seem ready to keep the Cadillac CTS-V Coupes at the front of the field for 2013.
"It was a long off season to say the least," O'Connell said according to GM. "We only did two days of testing, which were at Sears Point. It rained both days, but we were able to still achieve a lot. Other than that, I spent a lot of time in Phoenix as vice president of the Bondurant School and, of course, I enjoyed all the time I could with my kids."
O'Connell won four races in 2012, having won the season opener at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, a double race win on the Belle Isle Circuit in Detroit, M.I., and another in Long Beach. Having spent a lot of time with his family in the off-season, O'Connell stated he's looking forward to two new circuits being added for the 2013 season.
"Of course everyone seems to love COTA (Circuit of the America's), and I'm hopeful that the circuit suits our CTS-V Coupes well," O'Connell said according to GM. "I've actually won in Houston when I was driving the Corvette in the ALMS (American Le Mans Series). So I'm looking forward to trying to achieve the same with the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe."
The defending champion stated he is feeling the pressure already to retain his crown, and knows the 2013 won't be an easy one according to GM.
"When I look back at how we won the championship, it was never due to speed. We won it by being consistent and staying out of trouble," said O'Connell to GM. "Between Andy and me, we only had one fast lap, which lead to us getting the pole at Detroit."
Pilgrim has also been busy during the off-season, by working on the next installment of his Driving Zone videos that teaches "critical information" that all new drivers must learn during their first couple of years of driving.
Last year's runner-up also stated he is already looking forward to taking out his new CTS-V.
"We have the target firmly planted on our rear bumper heading into the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Series," John Kraemer, V-Series Racing marketing manager said to GM. "The team at Pratt & Miller has worked all off season to keep the CTS-VCoupes at the front. We will have fresh competitors from Germany, but we are equal to the task of repeating. Off the track, Team Cadillac has developed a following based upon providing a great track experience."
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