Ramsey, NJ, and Daytona Beach, FL (December 13, 2016) – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., announced today that it will unveil the all new No. 10 Cadillac DPi-V.R at a two-day test this week in preparation for the 2017 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The car will be raced for the first time on January 28 and 29 by brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor and co-drivers Max “The Ax” Angelelli and four-time NASCAR Premier Series champion Jeff Gordon. They will all take part in this week’s public test at Daytona on 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.
The final livery of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R will include technical partners, Dallara, Sonic Tools and American Wheels.
The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R is all-new from the ground up. Compared to the previous Daytona Prototype spec, the Daytona Prototype International is a much faster thanks to, among other features, its sleek, more aerodynamic bodywork design. It’s also lighter than the Daytona Prototype and is much more responsive on the racetrack when it comes to steering, accelerating and braking.
“It will be extremely exciting to see the new car perform after all of the engineering efforts of our collaborative team during the last two years,” said Rick Taylor, president and CEO, Konica Minolta. “The engineers at Cadillac, Dallara, Sonic Tools, American Wheels and WTR have created a powerful, aerodynamic design which combined with an outstanding ensemble team including Ricky and Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and Jeff Gordon will yield great success at Daytona.”
“The car has been a completely different experience from anything I have experienced in my career,” said Ricky Taylor, co-driver. “Even in comparison to driving the Morgan LMP2 at Le Mans a few years ago, this car is light years ahead. 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.”
“It’s been incredibly cool to be a part of developing the new Cadillac it from the ground up, said Jordan Taylor, co-driver. 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. 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.”
“From what I’ve seen and experienced so far, I have high expectations from our Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, said Max Angelelli, co-driver. “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. 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. It’s much more like an Indy car, the attitude of a single-seater.”
“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, said Jeff Gordon, co-driver. “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.”
“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, said Brian Pillar, technical director, WTR. “Over the last 18 months, we have tried to address every conceivable detail to gain a performance and reliability edge over the competition. The Cadillac engine package that ECR prepared is innovatively engineered and Penske drew directly from IndyCar technology.”
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About Konica Minolta:
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in information management focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services. We are reshaping the Workplace of the Future (www.reshapework.com). Our portfolio of offerings deliver solutions to improve our customers’ speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. The All Covered IT Services division offers a range of IT strategy, support, project and cloud computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years in a row. For more information, please visit: www.countonkonicaminolta.com and follow Konica Minolta onFacebook, YouTube, and Twitter @konicaminoltaus.
