V Johnny O’Connell - No. 3 Cadillac Racing CTS-

Birthplace: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Residence: Flowery Branch, Ga.

Family: son Canaan, daughter Kelly

Web site: johnnyoconnell.com
O’Connell’s 2013 Pirelli World Challenge season stats include:

• Five wins: Circuit of the America’s (COTA), Detroit, Lime Rock, Toronto and Houston

• Second place finishes at Detroit (race two) and Mid-Ohio

• Third place runs at St. Pete (2) and at Lime Rock (race two)

• Average finishing position of fifth

• Average starting position of 2.62

• Seven fastest race laps

• Completed 380 of a possible 446

O'Connell subsequently ran a season of Indy Cars and then returned to sports car racing with Panoz in the late '90s. He joined the factory Corvette effort in 2001, scoring an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona in his first race behind the wheel of the Corvette C5-R, followed by Corvette Racing's first class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He helped GM's factory team capture eight straight manufacturers’ titles and shared the drivers’ championship for the GTS class with teammate Fellows in 2003-04. In 2008, O'Connell and teammate Jan Magnussen dominated the GT1 class, scoring eight wins en route to the class championship. O'Connell became the all-time leader in Sebring victories with his seventh career victory on the historic circuit.

O'Connell notched his record-setting eighth Sebring win in the season-opening race in 2009, and then became the first American to score four class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He made a seamless transition to the GT2 class, finishing as runner-up in the competition debut of the GT2 Corvette C6.R at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. He was third in the next round at Road America, and then scored Corvette Racing's first GT2 win at Mosport in his record-setting 100th career ALMS start. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, O'Connell held numerous ALMS records, including the most career starts (102), most podium finishes (80), most top-five finishes (93) and most top-10 finishes (100).

O’Connell is coming off of a Hall of Fame career with the Chevrolet Corvette American Le Mans Series (ALMS) team. He is a three-time ALMS GT1 champion. His 38 career ALMS wins, record eight Sebring 12-hour class victories, hold ALMS records for most starts (102), most podium finishes (80), most top-five finishes (93), and most top-10 finishes (100); first American driver to win 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. He is also in a quest to take over the most 24 Hours of Le Mans starts by an American from famed gentleman racer Mastin Gregory, who has 16 Le Mans starts. O’Connell holds a black-belt in Karate and uses martial arts as a significant part of his training regimen.

Cadillac’s racing history was born at Sebring International Raceway on March 16, 2004. Two CTS-V Sedans took to the track for their first SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT race, celebrating the brand’s entry into professional sports car racing. At the wheel that day were Andy Pilgrim and Max Angelelli. A very hopeful beginning, filled with anticipation for the program’s debut, almost fizzled on the starting line. As the green flag was about to drop Pilgrim, from his second row starting position, stalled his CTS-V Sedan. While teammate Angelelli raced off into the lead, Pilgrim re-fired his four-door and took off after the field. In less than six-laps he passed the entire GT field, setting fast lap of the race, and caught his teammate who was leading and made it a commanding, statement-making, Cadillac one-two finish.

The inaugural CTS-V World Challenge GT season witnessed Angelelli finishing third in the season ending Driver’s Championship, with Pilgrim fifth. In 2004 the team posted two wins at Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta. The two wins were supported by three pole positions that year. GM’s John Heinricy made one start at Mid-Ohio where he finished third.

Cadillac won the double in 2005 with the Manufacturer’s Championship and Pilgrim won the Driver’s Championship; teammate Max Papis finished in fifth. Pilgrim won the championship on consistency, posting no wins, but finishing on the podium three times while amassing eight top five finishes. Papis raced to two wins, Road Atlanta and the season ender at Laguna Seca with GM’s John Heinricy competing at Mid-Ohio and Portland.

Pilgrim drove to a third place in the Driver’s Championship in 2006 on the strength of his win at Road Atlanta. He also filed podium finishes at Sebring, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. The team shuffled drivers Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Max Angelelli through the seat of the team car. Fellows drove to a win at Long Beach and also had podium finishes at Mosport in Toronto and Road Atlanta. O’Connell had a second place run at the Streets of Long Beach, while Angelelli’s year was highlighted by a third place at Laguna Seca.

Pilgrim and newcomer Lawson Aschenbach helped Cadillac to their second Manufacturer’s title on the strength of wins by Pilgrim at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina and Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Aschenbach won at Road Atlanta and had podium finishes at Sebring, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen, New York, Mid-Ohio, and Mosport, finishing the season third in the driver’s standings.

The 2007 season marked the end of the CTS-V Sedan racing era and would see the program take a four-year hiatus in motorsports. In the period from 2004 to 2007, the team won a Manufacturer’s Championship (2005), a Driver’s Championship (Andy Pilgrim, 2005), had 10 wins, seven pole position starts and 36 podium finishes, including wins.

Team Cadillac was reborn on the streets of St. Petersburg in March of 2011 after a four year absence. Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim ushered in the new version of the team driving the all-new Cadillac CTS-V Coupes in the ultra-competitive Pirelli World Challenge GT Series. In that inaugural season O’Connell posted wins at Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta, while Pilgrim posted podium finishes at Sonoma and Road Atlanta.

In 2012, Team Cadillac returned the series with championship intentions. From the drop of the green flag at St. Petersburg, Johnny O’Connell put the field on notice that he was going for the championship. Winning the first race and placing second in the next race on the same weekend, O’Connell went on to post additional wins at Detroit, sweeping the weekend winning both races, and added podium finishes at Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mosport, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma to capture the Pirelli World Challenge GT Series driver’s championship and Manufacturer Championship for Cadillac. Pilgrim posted a win on the streets of Long Beach as well as podium finishes at St. Petersburg, Miller Motorsport Park, Detroit and Sonoma to finish second in the GT series.

The 2013 season witnessed Team Cadillac driver Johnny O’Connell defending his Pirelli World Challenge GT driver’s championship by winning five races over the 14 race season which concluded in Houston. Teammate Andy Pilgrim finished the season in third, and Cadillac won the GT manufacturer championship for the second year in a row. O’Connell took the championship right down the last few laps of a very exciting final round in Houston, which was a must win race. The Georgian posted wins at Circuit of the America’s (COTA), Detroit, Lime Rock, Toronto and Houston to win the GT driver’s championship by a slim 57 point margin. Teammate Pilgrim posted a win at Sonoma Raceway and was credited with eight podium finishes on the season.

Since the team’s inception in 2004, Team Cadillac has amassed 23 wins, 77 podium finishes (including wins) and 19 pole positions. The team won the World Challenge Manufacturer Championship in 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Team Cadillac drivers have won the World Challenge Driver’s Championship in 2005 with Andy Pilgrim and in 2012 and 2013 with Johnny O’Connell.


2011 Cadillac CTS-V Results

Track	Drivers	Started	Finished
St. Petersburg	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O”Connell	8 7 6 6	11 8 4 7
Long Beach	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	9 7	8 7
Miller Motorsports Park	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	8 6	5 4
Mosport	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	4 4 6 3	5 5 4 2
Mid-Ohio	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell Jordan Taylor	7 7 5 8 4 3	4 6 8 1 2 4
Sonoma	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	4 2 1 3	4 2 2 6
Laguna Seca	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	7 3	14 4
Road Atlanta	Andy Pilgrim Johnny O’Connell	4 1	3 1