Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber clinched the Whelen Cadillac’s inaugural triumph of the season at the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic, finishing 6.023 seconds ahead after a dominant performance on the 1.645‑mile, nine‑turn street circuit.
Race Summary
Starting from pole, the Cadillac duo built a lead that peaked at 14 seconds during the 100‑minute sprint, then weathered a series of late cautions to maintain the advantage. Aitken crossed the finish line first, with Philipp Eng (BMW M Team WRT) and Ricky Taylor (Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac) completing the overall podium.
In GTD Pro, Antonio Garcia and pole‑sitter Alexander Sims secured a hard‑fought victory, marking Garcia’s 31st career win and his first in Detroit.
Key Incidents and Strategy
Early on, Tom Blomqvist’s #60 Acura suffered rear‑end contact from Felipe Nasr, prompting a debris‑related caution and a black‑flag for the damaged car. Subsequent pit cycles saw Aitken’s stint swap to a fresh set of right‑side tires, while Kevin Estre briefly claimed the overall lead before pitting.
Mid‑race driver changes shuffled the GTD Pro order: Jack Hawksworth replaced Ben Barnicoat in the #14 Lexus, and Chaz Mostert briefly led before yielding to Garcia. Late‑stage penalties affected Dries Vanthoor (drive‑through) and Nicky Catsburg (drive‑through), reshuffling the top‑five in both classes.
With under 20 minutes remaining, a debris caution erased Aitken’s 12.8‑second cushion, but a clean restart allowed him to re‑establish a 3.3‑second lead and keep Eng at bay until the checkered flag.
Championship Implications
Aitken’s victory elevated him to the sole points leader in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, holding 17 760 points—144 clear of Laurin Heinrich in second place. The win also gave Whelen Cadillac its fifth podium in as many races, after three runner‑up finishes and a third earlier in the season.
Garcia’s GTD Pro success moves him ahead of Andrea Caldarelli and Christopher Mies in the class standings, while the penalties handed to Vanthoor and Catsburg underline the fine margins that continue to shape the championship battle.
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