Konica Minolta’s best launch of 2016? A Cadillac!

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Dec. 12, 2016) – The stunning livery for the all-new No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R to be raced for the first time Jan. 28 and 29 by brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor and co-drivers Max “The Ax” Angelelli and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon at the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, was revealed Monday, just in time for its first public appearance at a two-day test at Daytona Tuesday and Wednesday.

The new prototype has already hit the test track in private sessions by the perennial championship-contending Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) team at Putnam Park near Indianapolis, NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway road course.

Following this week’s two-day test, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R Rolex 24 preparation effort continues at Daytona during the annual Roar Before the 24 Test Days Jan. 6 to 8./P>

The final livery of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R will include technical partners, Dallara, Sonic Tools, American Racing Wheels, Justice Brothers, OMP, SimCraft and Tilton./P>

WAYNE TAYLOR, team owner – “Well, first of all, I must say I am most excited to be back with Cadillac after campaigning the company’s Le Mans Prototypes from 2000 to 2002, and I feel like there’s some unfinished business there. This new Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R is a truly spectacular Cadillac racecar built by Dallara, and I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen so far on the track. It’s a car I really feel like we can go out and win a championship with, so perhaps we can go out and take care of that unfinished business sooner than later.”/P>

RICKY TAYLOR, co-driver – “The car has been a completely different experience from anything I have experienced in my career. Even in comparison to driving the Morgan LMP2 at Le Mans a few years ago, this car is light years ahead. The car generates downforce in a completely different way and gives the driver a lot of confidence in high-speed corners. Going to Daytona with our new car this week is very exciting because we can finally put ourselves up against the machinery everyone else has brought to the 2017 season. As competitors, we want to beat everyone, so testing on our own is fun, but we all want to win. So, it is exciting to get to Daytona, where we can put everyone’s hard work on the track. Everyone at Dallara, Cadillac, and Wayne Taylor Racing has put in an incredible amount of effort into this project, so I am looking forward to getting on track and seeing how we stack up against the others.”/P>

JORDAN TAYLOR, co-driver – “It’s been incredibly cool to be a part of developing the new Cadillac it from the ground up. When we first went to Putnam Park for the initial shakedown test, I got to be the first driver to sit in it and take it out for its first laps. It’s been a slow, methodical process working with Cadillac, Wayne Taylor Racing, Dallara, ECR and everybody who’s had a part in the development. We picked up speed every time we tested while we worked really hard to see how the car would react to different situations. It’s definitely a much different car than what I’m used to. The DP that we’re used to is big, it’s heavy, and it moves around a lot. The Cadillac DPi-V.R is much more aero-based, like an LMP2 car. In terms of driving style, it feels a lot different so we spent a lot of time just trying to get comfortable. It’s also been a huge effort for the team to learn how it works. Thanks to our partners at Cadillac and ECR and Dallara, all of whom know what these kinds of cars are supposed to do, it’s really accelerated the process.”/P>

MAX ANGELELLI, co-driver – “From what I’ve seen and experienced so far, I have high expectations from our Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. First of all, because we’re on a streak of finishing second or third at Daytona, but mostly because we have such a good group of people surrounding us that deserves nothing less than a win to get us started on the right foot. Personally, I just hope to be at the level that the car is at. What I like is the high level of technology in this new car. Our Cadillac is not inferior to anyone else out there. Everything about the car is so meticulously designed and fits so well – even our body when we sit in it – it’s like wearing a pair of gloves that you like a lot. You can enjoy every bit of your experience behind the wheel and feel protected. That is the kind of attention to detail that went into this car. For instance, the sound of the car was very important. There was a lot of time spent making sure it sounded like a Cadillac. Our previous racecar felt more like a very powerful GT car. When you hit the brakes, the nose went down, and when you accelerated, the nose went up. When you turn, you had a big roll. None of those things happen with this new car. It’s much more like an Indy car, the attitude of a single-seater.”/P>

JEFF GORDON, co-driver – “It was great to get back behind the wheel of a car that had that kind of downforce and braking – it’s probably been since I drove the Formula 1 car at Indianapolis in 2003 that I felt anything like that. The Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R is a beautiful car. I really enjoyed working with Ricky and Jordan and Max and Wayne and the whole team to get fitted into the seat, get up to speed and get comfortable. We made quite a few laps to just get prepared for the upcoming Daytona test, so I’m really looking forward to that test. It’s been a while since I’ve been on that road course and obviously the cars and the technology and the speed have advanced since then. I can’t wait to get out there on track and feel it out and get up to speed. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a beautiful, amazing car that drove incredibly well.”/P>

BRIAN PILLAR, WTR technical director – “It’s been a great pleasure to continue growing the relationship with Dallara since we worked together to introduce their first Daytona Prototype in 2008. I believe the trust between our engineering groups since then has allowed us to efficiently develop the Cadillac DPi-V.R into a car best suited for competition in IMSA and, specifically, the first two endurance events of 2017. Over the last 18 months, we have tried to address every conceivable detail to gain a performance and reliability edge over the competition. It was like old times, or as the Italians say, ‘Come ai vecchi tempi.’ It was also comforting to continue relationships with our other strong technical partners like ECR (Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines), Penske, Tilton and Brembo in the development of the Cadillac DPi-V.R. Fortunately nobody took a relaxed role. Everybody refined their respective systems to help elevate the competitiveness of the car. The Cadillac engine package that ECR prepared is innovatively engineered and Penske drew directly from IndyCar technology. The attitude among us is from another Italian saying, ‘La fortuna aiuta gli audaci,’ or ‘fortune favors the bold.’ Our team was proud to be the first DPi on track in September while we were still in the middle of another competitive 2016 IMSA championship chase, and to be testing again two days after the checker fell at the Petit Le Mans. We planned a very aggressive testing calendar that focused on building reliability. Then the focus was to be shifted to performance development once we arrive at Daytona for the first time. I am now finally getting excited to tune my new toy – our Cadillac DPi-V.R – during the December test and truly appreciate its potential. The simulation data is always interesting, but sometimes an engineer must live vicariously through the excitement of his drivers. It really motivates me to hear them say the limits aren’t known, yet, and I can’t wait to hear them describe how incredibly quick the car is through the bus stop (Daytona turns eight to 10), which will no doubt including fake steering wheel motions and sounds.”