Louis Deletraz confirmed Cadillac’s dominance at Laguna Seca by securing pole position for Round 4 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Swiss driver set the fastest lap of 1:13.221 in the Cadillac V-Series.R run by Wayne Taylor Racing, earning the top spot on the grid at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Cadillac’s strength was further underlined by Jack Aitken, who completed a front-row lockout in the sister car from Cadillac Whelen. The close gap between the two drivers highlighted the consistency and performance of the V-Series.R prototypes throughout the weekend.
Strong pace confirmed after practice dominance
Cadillac’s qualifying performance came as no surprise following a dominant showing in practice sessions, where the American manufacturer consistently set the benchmark. Across three hours of track running, the V-Series.R cars displayed strong pace, which translated directly into qualifying success.
Deletraz, sharing driving duties with Jordan Taylor, executed a clean and effective lap to secure his third career pole in the series and his first since 2024. The Swiss driver, who previously won at Laguna Seca in 2022 in the LMP2 class, praised the team’s recent progress.
“It’s amazing to get pole, especially at a track like this. We’ve improved a lot as a team, and this result is a reward for everyone’s hard work”, he said.
Tight competition behind Cadillac
Despite Cadillac’s advantage, the field remains highly competitive, with the top seven drivers separated by less than a second. Four different manufacturers were represented in the top six, underlining the strength of the GTP category.
Nick Yelloly placed the Acura ARX-06 of Acura Meyer Shank Racing in third, followed closely by Dries Vanthoor in the BMW M Hybrid V8 of BMW M Team WRT.
Laguna Seca’s high tire degradation will play a key role in the race, making strategy and consistency critical over the two-hour, 40-minute contest. Deletraz remains confident that Cadillac can maintain its pace across full stints.
“We had strong one-lap pace, but I also believe our race pace is solid. We’re among the top contenders and ready to fight for the win”, he added.
A crucial moment for Wayne Taylor Racing
For Wayne Taylor Racing, this pole represents an important step forward as the team looks to return to winning form after a challenging period since switching to Cadillac in 2025. Their last GTP victory dates back to 2024, making this weekend a significant opportunity.
With both cars well positioned and performance clearly improving, Cadillac heads into the race as a strong favourite. At a demanding track like Laguna Seca, execution will be key to turning qualifying dominance into race victory.
