Revised Cadillac breaks cover in the States

The car was shaken down at Carolina Motorsports Park road course in Kershaw, South Carolina, and will undergo two days of testing. Last year's Le Mans was Cadillac's first at La Sarthe for over 50 years, but its cars were well off the pace and suffered reliability problems.

Team Cadillac will enter two Northstars in the French long distance classic on June 16-17.

"We've made some big changes in chassis and engine to the Cadillac Northstar LMP for 2001," said Herb Fishel, executive director of GM Racing. "We're confident that these changes are a big step in the right direction of our initial commitment to sportscar racing at the highest level."

An extensive test programme, led by Wayne Taylor and Max Angelelli, is planned prior to the team's departure to France for the official pre-race test session on May 6.

The Cadillac Northstar LMP has been revamped for 2001 by its technical director Nigel Stroud, while the parallel design and development of a totally new car for 2002 is on-going. Stroud has targeted enhanced reliability, improved performance and better driver safety for the new car.

For 2001, the engine development has targeted a five percent horsepower increase, with an attendant 20-pound reduction in weight. The engine has been reworked inside to include a 180-degree crankshaft and is situated lower in the chassis. This lower center of gravity will contribute improved handling to the overall package.

A new bell housing and gearbox have been incorporated to stiffen the chassis and an enhanced suspension system includes new hubs, uprights and wishbones, while a new power-steering system is also implemented.