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Under the towering presence of the Renaissance Center, General Motors achieved an ideal IMSA weekend as both Cadillac and Corvette clinched victories at the Detroit Sports Car Classic.

The No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R began the 100-minute sprint from pole position after Earl Bamber topped qualifying on Friday afternoon. Bamber made a strong start, building an early lead ahead of the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06. Although the No. 93 car eventually finished fourth, teams that opted for an early pit stop strategy during the mid-race cycle gained a significant advantage.

Jack Aitken held a commanding lead of more than 14 seconds with just 19 minutes remaining when a debris caution neutralised the field. The No. 3 Pratt Miller Racing Corvette Z06 experienced a similar setback in the GTD class as its healthy lead was erased by the same caution period.

With this victory, Aitken and Bamber moved to the top of the championship standings, surpassing the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche driven by Laurin Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm. The Porsche duo had been on course for a solid result after their impressive last-lap performance at Laguna Seca, but a 60-second penalty midway through the race dropped them to the back. Ultimately, the No. 5 Porsche finished last in the GTP category.

The Whelen Cadillac shared the podium with the No. 25 BMW of Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann in second place, while the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing entry secured third. This result gave GM three of the six available podium positions.

In the closing 20 minutes, chaos unfolded when the No. 24 BMW driven by Dries Vanthoor collided with the No. 6 Porsche Penske of his brother Laurens Vanthoor, causing substantial damage to the rear wing of the Porsche 963.

The GTD class witnessed its own drama in the final 15 minutes as Corvette’s race win was briefly in jeopardy. The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus overtook the lead following the restart just before another yellow flag came out. Officials ruled that the Lexus made the move under caution, reinstating the Corvette to the lead. The No. 114 Lexus received a pass-through penalty, which initially appeared to set Corvette up for a 1-2 finish with the No. 4 car of Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg moving into second place. However, in the closing minutes, the No. 4 Corvette was also penalised with a pass-through, allowing the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario to claim second.

Race winner Antonio Garcia described the frantic final laps as “like watching Mario Kart in the rearview mirror.”

The No. 4 Corvette’s penalty stemmed from avoidable contact while attempting to block the No. 15 Vasser Sullivan Racing car from taking second place. The resulting damage forced the Lexus to the pits, denying Supercars driver Chaz Mostert a potential podium finish.