LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 2, 2005 - Team Cadillac drivers Max Angelelli and Max Papis claimed the top two spots on the podium today in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT race at Lime Rock Park. After starting on the front row, Angelelli led all 45 laps in his black CTS-V, scoring his third career SPEED GT victory and notching Cadillac's fifth race win in the series. Papis finished 1.549 seconds behind his teammate to give Cadillac its third 1-2 finish since the luxury performance CTS-V sedan entered road racing competition in 2004.

"We were on the limit all the way, from the first lap to the finish," said Angelelli. "This was a good result for the team and a great result for Cadillac. The manufacturers championship is very important, so there was no sense in Max and I fighting each other."

The race was slowed by two full-course caution periods. The first yellow flag flew on the 10th lap for oil in the first and second turns - a situation that changed the course of the race. Polewinner Lou Giglotti spun while running second, and Papis pounced to move up behind his teammate.

"I had a massive moment in the first turn," Papis reported. "I felt something was funny because the car started to slide around in the braking zone. I backed off and saw Gigliotti spinning around; that was unfortunate because he had a car today to be successful.

"We proved today that when we finish, we finish strong," said Papis, who ended up 18th last week in Cleveland after being hit twice. "Lime Rock is a track where momentum and finesse pay off, and I tried to save my tires and be consistent. When Max and I were running 1-2, we didn't want to do anything that would compromise the result or the manufacturers championship."

Saddled with 210 pounds of success ballast, Andy Pilgrim finished sixth today in Team Cadillac's third CTS-V, increasing his lead to 11 points in the drivers championship. Starting seventh on the grid, Pilgrim had an eventful day on the 1.54-mile Lime Rock circuit.

"I was just avoiding all kinds of stuff," said Pilgrim. "There were cars spinning in front of me, and at the start of the race a Volvo stalled right ahead of me. There wasn't much room to get around, and I touched fenders with a Porsche, but luckily we didn't hit hard enough to take either of us out."

©2005 Richard Prince

Pilgrim benefited from the 10th-lap melee as he kept his Cadillac on the slippery track and gained positions.

"It was a huge mess, and I was just taking care of business," Pilgrim reported. "We gained some championship points on our rivals, but there is still a long, long way to go."

With today's results, Cadillac increased its lead in the manufacturers' standings over Porsche and Viper. Team Cadillac has now scored 10 podium finishes in six races this season.

"A 1-2 finish is always sweet," said Team Cadillac program manager Dave Spitzer. "The oil in the first and second turns just about gave me heart failure, and I was praying that our guys would stay on the track. Max Angelelli did get two wheels in the dirt, but he saved it and went on to win the race. It was another great day for Team Cadillac."

The SPEED GT race at Lime Rock Park will be televised on the SPEED Channel at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 3. The next round of the 11-race series will be held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on July 15-17.

RACE SUMMARY
Track: Lime Rock Park, 1.54-mile road course
Winner: Max Angelelli, Cadillac CTS-V
Margin of Victory: 1.549 seconds
Average Speed: 81.817 mph
Pole: Lou Gigliotti, Corvette C6, 101.631

SCCA SPEED GT RESULTS
Pos./Driver/Car/Laps
1. Max Angelelli, Cadillac CTS-V, 45
2. Max Papis/Cadillac CTS-V, 45
3. James Sofronas, Porsche 911, 45
4. Stu Hayner, Pontiac, GTO, 45
5. Wolf Henzler, Porsche 911, 45
6. Andy Pilgrim/Cadillac CTS-V, 45

SPEED GT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 6 of 11 events)
Driver/Car/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Andy Pilgrim/Cadillac CTS-V, 145
2. Tommy Archer/Viper, 134 (2)
3. Robin Liddell/Porsche 911, 130 (1)
4. Max Papis/Cadillac CTS-V, 121 (1)
5. Wolf Henzler/Porsche, 107 (1)
6. Max Angelelli/Cadillac CTS-V 90 (1)

Manufacturer/Points (victories in parentheses)
1. Cadillac, 42 (2)
2. Porsche, 36 (2)
3. Dodge, 23 (2)
4. Chevrolet, 13

NEXT EVENT
July 15-17, Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
TV: SPEED, July 17, 6 p.m. EDT (check local listings)