Big night for GM as Cadillac and Chevy celebrate title honors at Petit Le Mans

Cadillac and Chevrolet secured major IMSA championship honors for General Motors 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 didn’t have to do much else besides start 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.

GM’s Dr. Eric Warren, Vice President of Global Motorsports Competition, said after Saturday’s race that 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.

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“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 honor 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 Grans 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.”

Action Express’ seventh IMSA teams’ championship ties it 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,” he said. “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 (pictured middle, above), 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 initial peaks and valleys – as high as a win at his first Twelve Hours of Sebring, as low as a first-lap crash at his first 24 Hours of Le Mans. But near the end of last season, it all began to click for Aitken, who won back-to-back races to close out 2025.

“I think it sort of showed us we were ready as a team to go on a streak like we have done,” Aitken said. “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.”

Earl 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 programs 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.”

Despite a tough night at Petit, Corvette Racing hung in to secure its 16th IMSA manufacturers' crown. Michael Levitt/IMSA

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 program in 1999.

“What a tremendous accomplishment for General Motors, Cadillac Racing and Corvette Racing,” GM President Mark Reuss said. “Both Cadillac and Chevrolet winning manufacturer championships shows the strength of our racing programs, 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.”

“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.”