Briscoe, Garcia, Magnussen follow Rolex 24 win with Sebring 12 Hours victory

• Ninth class win at Sebring for Corvette Racing since 2002

• No. 3 Corvette C7.R increases early-season GT Le Mans championship lead

• No. 4 Corvette strong early before mechanical issues sideline challenge

SEBRING, Fla. (March 21, 2015) – Corvette Racing won in class for the ninth time at the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida as Ryan Briscoe, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen added Saturday’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory to their Rolex 24 At Daytona win from January. The trio started the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season with consecutive victories and lead in GTLM points after two rounds.

Garcia won by nearly one minute as the Corvette Racing team played out its fuel strategy perfectly. Garcia pitted with 54 minutes remaining and stayed consistent as two cars ahead of him fell into trouble. Briscoe recovered from a small spin in his opening stints to post his fastest laps of the race, and quick pit work by the Corvette Racing crew and a key out lap by Magnussen early in the race gained two positions during a full-course caution period.

The winning Corvette completed 330 laps for 1,221 miles.

“The win by the No. 3 Corvette C7.R team in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a total team effort by everyone at Corvette Racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The win was the result of great driving, quick pit stop by the crew and strong race strategy. Congratulations to Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Ryan Briscoe and the team on winning today.

“We were very proud to have so many Corvette owners on hand to watch the No. 3 C7.R become the first team and driver combination to win their class in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours in 15 years,” Campbell added.

Saturday’s win was Magnussen’s fourth at Sebring – all with Corvette Racing. Garcia won for the second time at the event to go along with his 2009 victory, also with Corvette Racing. Briscoe likewise is now a two-time Sebring winner.

On the other end of the spectrum, the No. 4 Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Simon Pagenaud left the race with less than two hours remaining with a mechanical issue. The trio had challenged for the class podium in the race’s opening half.

After two races in the TUDOR Championship, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing lead all three point tables. Chevrolet increased its lead in the GTLM Manufacturer championship, as does the No. 3 Corvette C7.R in the team standings.

The No. 3 Corvette C7.R also won its second straight race in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup and leads in driver and team championship points. Chevrolet extended its lead in the manufacturer standings.

The next round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase from the Long Beach (Calif.) street circuit on Saturday, April 18. FOX Sports 1 will air the race starting at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 19. Live radio coverage will be available via IMSA Radio.

ANTONIO GARCIA, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER

WHAT WAS THE KEY TO GETTING THIS WIN?

“I think strategy was a key thing here. I mean we definitely didn’t have the fastest car out there, but consistency was the key thing. We were putting pressure on them. Even though we were not able to be in the lead and pull away like at Daytona, we were hammering (the leaders). We didn’t want them to bail or just to take it easy. Maybe that is why they caught some problems, but at the end strategy was the key thing. Maybe they would run into problems, but they had to stop anyway. So, for Corvette Racing again the strategy was brilliant. I’m pretty happy for these two guys (Magnussen and Briscoe) and two in a row. I can’t say more.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER

THIS IS YOUR FOURTH WIN HERE AT SEBRING WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK?

“Sebring ranks high. It’s one of the biggest victories you can get. To win this way like was said before we didn’t have the fastest car, but we had a fantastic team and good strategy. Antonio, the closer, was fantastic.

“I have to say that two hours before the end of it, I didn’t think we would have a shot at winning. Once it became a fuel race, everything changed. We knew that a safety car would mess things up again. But this another fantastic day. A big thanks to the entire Corvette Racing team and to all the Corvette owners who came to support us and cheer for us the whole way. It was fantastic.”

RYAN BRISCOE, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – RACE WINNER

YOU ARE THE THIRD DRIVER NOW YOU HAVE TO STEP AWAY. HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE GOING OUT AFTER TWO RACE WINS?

“I know, it’s hard, I wish I could stay and be the third guy at all the races. What a great start to the year. This team has just been working tirelessly. We had some bad luck in these first two races last year. I think it’s really turned around for us. I mean just not making mistakes. The car has just been absolutely rock solid. I’m just so thrilled to be a part of this team and winning races. It’s awesome.

“This was just absolutely perfect running with great pit stops – purely just fuel and tires and drivers. There were no problems at all. It’s great to be rewarded with the wins for that preparation. The team is just doing a great job. I feel lucky to be a part of it all.”

OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED 9TH: “It’s an unfortunate end our race with the equipment malfunction. We showed throughout that our Corvette C7.R had good pace. I was able to challenge and post solid laptimes in both stints, and I felt like we had a car that could certainly challenge for the podium. Sebring is tough on drivers and the cars, as we saw again today.”

TOMMY MILNER, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED 9TH: “What another crazy Sebring race. We felt really good about our Corvette C7.R after last week’s test and practice this week. We struggled with pace in the heat but could challenge and were making gains as the temperatures dropped. A belt issue set us back first, then we had more mechanical trouble with Oliver in the car. It’s a tough result for us. But congratulations to the 3 car on another great win for Corvette Racing.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, CORVETTE RACING NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED 9TH: “It has been a good time for Corvette Racing. I enjoy driving the Corvette C7.R. It is a beautiful car. It is sad that this is last time I am with the team, but hopefully we will be able to be together in the future. I am quite excited to get back to my daily duties with Team Penske (No. 22 Team Penske Chevrolet in the Verizon IndyCar Series). This was really fun, and as you know I love sports cars. I still feel like I belong here. I hope I can come back and race again with Corvette Racing.”

Connect with Corvette Racing and Team Chevy on social media. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TeamChevy, follow us on Twitter @CorvetteRacing and @TeamChevy, and add +TeamChevy into your Google+ circles.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Garcia, Magnussen, Briscoe team up for thrilling victory in TUDOR Championship opener

•No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R led more than 350 laps in thriller

•Gavin, Milner, Pagenaud third in GTLM with No. 4 Corvette C7.R

•Action Express Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing finish on Prototype podium in Corvette DPs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2015) – Corvette Racing returned to Victory Lane for the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday, scoring a hard-earned GT Le Mans class victory in the opening race of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe won in their No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in Corvette Racing’s second race back at Daytona since 2001.

Garcia crossed the finish line by 0.478 seconds. The winning trio completed 725 laps – 2,581 miles – for the team’s second Rolex 24 victory. Corvette Racing captured and Rolex 24 overall win 14 years ago but didn’t race at Daytona again until last season in the first race for the TUDOR Championship as well as the Corvette C7.R.

GTLM pole-sitter Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Simon Pagenaud placed third in class following a strong run.

“This is my second 24-Hour race with this team,” said Mark Reuss, GM Executive VP of Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain. “To come here to see the Z06 in its second year win at Daytona is special. It has been a long time since this team has won at Daytona. Everybody on this team worked so hard and it shows. They never gave up, and there were a couple of things that went wrong as they always do in a 24-hour race. The car and the drivers and the team, they worked so hard, and it all came together. The harder you work, the luckier you get. So here today with the C7.R, just so proud.”

Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports added: “To have both of the Corvette C7.R teams on the GTLM podium for the Rolex 24 Hour is a testament to the Never Give Up attitude of the crew and drivers. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Simon Pagenaud continually battled back from adversity to get a podium finish.

“It is a special day to take this victory in front of our Chevrolet and Corvette owners,” Campbell added. “The support from our guests in the Corvette Corral at Daytona and Chevrolet fans around the world is a huge reason for today’s success.”

The two Corvette C7.Rs were the class of the field throughout the race. For much of it, the GTLM fight resembled a 24-hour sprint race. The rate attrition was extremely high with nearly every car in the class experiencing at least a moderate amount of damage or mechanical trouble. The only one that stayed out of significant trouble was the class-winning Corvette.

The Garcia-Magnussen-Briscoe trio led more than 360 GTLM laps and took the lead for good with 90 minutes left when the then-class leader experienced trouble in the pitlane. The No. 3 Corvette responded shortly thereafter with a perfect stop for tires and fuel to increase its lead. Garcia – as he, Magnussen and Briscoe had been throughout – was precise and clean in the final run to the checkered flag.

Gavin, Milner and Pagenaud were the equals to their teammates three-quarters through the race. Despite two unscheduled stops to repair slight damage, the No. 4 Corvette ran with its sister car until Milner came upon a slow prototype car that nearly came to a stop just before the Turn 6 complex just three hours from the end.

The crew of the No. 4 Corvette had to repair front and front-side components and lost four laps in the meantime. Nevertheless, the result was enough to send both Corvette C7.Rs to the TUDOR Championship podium for the first time since last April’s Long Beach round.

Sunday’s results placed both Corvette Racing entries in the top two positions of the Tequila Patrón Endurance Challenge in GTLM. The competition is made up of the four long-distance events on the TUDOR Championship

Action Express Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing Post Prototype Podiums

Two Corvette Daytona Prototypes filled the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype podium at Daytona on Sunday. Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP of 2014 Rolex 24 winners Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais placed second – just 1.333 seconds from a repeat victory.

Wayne Taylor Racing’s trio of Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli placed third in their No. 10 Corvette DP. It marked the second straight season that multiple Corvette DPs placed in the Rolex 24 top-three.

“Congratulations to Wayne Taylor Racing, team owner Wayne Taylor, and drivers Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli on a strong effort today in the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Campbell added. “In a race this close, it takes a tremendous level of preparation, focus and execution to be in contention. Today, the drivers, engineers and crew at Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing did just that. This is a very good start for Chevrolet in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype class.”

The race featured 59 lead changes, and three Corvette DPs – Action Express Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing and VisitFlorida.com Racing – each led during the event.

The race was the first for the C7-styled Corvette DP with all four finishing in the race’s top-seven.

The 2015 TUDOR United Sports Car Championship continues with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 21.

NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA GTLM CLASS WINNERS

JAN MAGNUSSEN

ANTONIO GARCIA

RYAN BRISCOE

NATE SIEBENS: Let’s slide over to the GT Le Mans winners. Let’s start with the trio from the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. It’s the team’s second Rolex 24 at Daytona win, first since taking an overall victory in 2001. It’s also Antonio Garcia’s second Rolex 24 win where Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe, both this is their first win. Ryan, let’s start with you. How does that new Rolex feel?

RYAN BRISCOE: It’s beautiful. I’ve been coming here since 2005, so yeah; I wasn’t a big fan of this place until now. It’s just such a tough race. Jan and I were talking about it before we came in, for both of us it’s the first time we’ve ever done the race without going back to the garage. I think that was a huge part of us winning today was staying out of trouble. There’s so much action all race long. I felt like it was a sprint race out there from the word go, in our class at least, and the racing was very good but very tough, a lot of fun, but very hard fought. I think the key was keeping our nose clean, having a fast race car at the end of the day.

NATE SIEBENS: Antonio, obviously you know what it feels like to stand atop the podium here at Daytona. You did it in 2009 with Brumos Racing in an overall victory. Any difference here today with this group?

ANTONIO GARCIA: Not really. Every time you win here it’s very, very special. I’ve been chasing this victory since 2009, even if I won it back then. This is a very unique race. The first race of the year, so it’s very difficult to be at 100 percent right away for the team, for the drivers, and it was just a normal perfect race not normal I have to say. Everything ran perfect, and as Ryan said, we just kept our nose clean, and I had the best car to fight on the last eight minutes of the race.

NATE SIEBENS: Jan, you’ve had other big wins obviously in your career, but maybe put into perspective getting this one here for the first time.

JAN MAGNUSSEN: Well, it was a hard one for me to win. I’ve tried 11 times. I’ve always felt that I was within a shot of winning the race, but we always had to go back to the garage sometime to fix something, and that was the big thing this weekend was that we had a really, really fast race car, and we were able to push hard. We stayed out of trouble, no mistakes; no damage to the car, good pit stops, great pit stops, and that was the key to winning this race.

Q. Early in the morning I think you and some other GTLM teams drove nearly identical lap times with the prototype cars. Do you think this new United SportsCar Championship and GRAND AM together, we can see or expect in maybe one of the next races a GTLM car taking the overall win?

JAN MAGNUSSEN: I doubt that. This place is pretty unique. We have really long straights in the GT cars. The GT cars have quite good top speed, so that counts for us. I don’t know that the tracks that we’re going to that we will have a situation where a GT car can win overall, but that really depends on if they go completely berserk in the P class. Maybe.

NATE SIEBENS: Can you talk about the level of competition in your class? Seems like top to bottom every team and every driver lineup is really, really strong.

ANTONIO GARCIA: That’s the good thing about this race. It’s the first race of the season, and you have drivers coming from many other series. You have every single manufacturer has their best drivers coming here, and we show that, BMW, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari. You couldn’t see a better lineup overall for all the manufacturers here. And I think we show that. Since lap 1 all the way to the last lap, we showed that GTLM is very competitive and teams are extremely competitive, too, and you can’t afford to do any single mistake. Very proud that I was in the right car, and we just did what we had to do, drive a perfect car.

NATE SIEBENS: Gentlemen, congratulations. Thank you very much for joining us, and we’ll see you all at Sebring.

Rain forces race cancellation

DETROIT – Cadillac Racing drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim will have to wait until the end of June in Wisconsin to run their Cadillac ATS-V.R race cars again. The Pirelli World Challenge Series cancelled race two of the Cadillac V-Series Challenge on Detroit’s Belle Isle Park this morning.

Due to heavy rain and winds that are blanketing southeastern Michigan the second of two races of the Cadillac V-Series Challenge weekend was cancelled. The warm-up witnessed heavy water on the track and for safety reasons the race was cancelled. In yesterday’s race Johnny O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) finished fourth and teammate Andy Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) was classified in 24th.

“It is always wise to be safe,” O’Connell said. “It was pretty treacherous in the warm-up this morning when you were around another car. There would be a lot of accidents if we raced today. Really no need to destroy a lot of expensive equipment in this type of weather. It was the right call.”

Pilgrim was looking forward to racing, but understands the cancellation.

“We can race in these conditions, but when you have a full field of cars in front of you it is difficult to race,” Pilgrim said. “With the amount of spray that was coming up in the warm-up you just can’t see the corner stations where the workers are standing. When you can’t see the flags that is a safety situation. The corner workers are our eyes around the corners. Sad for the fans. My Cadillac ATS-V.R was good in the warm-up and we were ready to race. Disappointing, but that is racing.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s four-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit June 26-28.

O’Connell takes second win from pole

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada – Cadillac Racing driver Johnny O’Connell swept the Pirelli World Challenge Series weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a second win this afternoon. Teammate Andy Pilgrim was classified in 26th.

Johnny O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) took the second win of the weekend from pole position in his No. 3 Cadillac ATS-V.R. O’Connell was able to get a good start from a standing position to lead the race with a battle ensuing behind him. Prior to the first and only race caution on lap five the Ferrari of Olivier Beretta and the McLaren of Kevin Estre had some contact. That allowed O’Connell to get a slight gap, but the Bentley of Butch Leitzinger was coming fast. O’Connell was able to hold off the hard charging Bentley for win number two.

“I had a pretty good start. Good enough to get the lead,” O’Connell said. “Then I wanted to really push to see if I could get a gap to second place. They started really racing back there and I think they had some contact. I was hoping for some shenanigans that would allow me to get a little lead and that is what happened. I had a small gap, but that big bad Bentley was coming. Those guys are fast. Butch was coming and I just had to study his car versus mine and maximize my strong track points and it worked. I am proud of this team. We have two wins. Great weekend!”

Teammate Andy Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) continued his streak of bad luck. Contact and engine issues sidelined him after 18-laps.

“I got hit at the start when I came together with Bill Zeigler’s BMW,” Pilgrim said. “It turned me sideways and I almost crashed. Coming down the back straight the hood came up. We don’t know why and I had to pit and that put me down a lap. On the restart I am a lap down but still passing cars. I wanted to be careful because you are in the middle of other people’s race and you want to be respectful. A few laps later I got an engine light and the engine started to lose power. I smelled a hint of smoke, I pulled off and pulled the extinguisher.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Detroit for a double race weekend May 29-31. This weekend’s races will be televised on CBS Sports Network Sunday, May 24 at 5 p.m. ET.

O’Connell and Pilgrim 22nd and 23rd

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Cadillac Racing drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim had a tough outing in their Cadillac ATS-V.R’s in this afternoon’s running of the Pirelli World Challenge Long Beach Grand Prix. After a caution filled race, O’Connell was classified in 22nd and Pilgrim in 23rd.

O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) was able to get a good start from his second row grid position. By the first turn he had his No. 3 Cadillac ATS-V.R in second position. The first of five full course caution flags flew on lap one. On the restart on lap eight, Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) was taken out in the final Hair Pin Turn and had to pit for repairs putting him down two laps to the GT field. Following two more caution periods, O’Connell was able to get by the leading Ferrari of Olivier Beretta on lap 15 with a great move into Turn Seven. As he led into the next turn, Beretta and McLaren driver Kevin Estre pulled to the inside of O’Connell making it three wide and forcing the Cadillac into the wall at the exit of Turn Eight. O’Connell had to pit for repairs putting him down two laps.

“Really disappointing,” O’Connell said. “I stuck Beretta with a great move into Turn Seven. I was headed into eight leading the race. There is no way any sane person in the world should have tried to put a move on me there, but they did. It was too early in the race for that type of driving. We should have been able to win or least get on the podium. I am proud of the team. We were running this new car at the front. You are never happy to get taken out of a race like that, especially leading.”

Pilgrim was passed under yellow putting him in a vulnerable positon in the middle of the field.

“I had a good start and then we immediately went to yellow,” Pilgrim said. “I was good in seventh. As we drove around under the yellow I was a little slow coming out of the final turn and then three cars passed me, under caution! Next thing I know I am in tenth, a very vulnerable position. On the next restart I got turned in the Hair Pin and into the wall. I shouldn’t have been in that position. We appealed to the officials, but they didn’t put the field back in order. I don’t understand it. Tough day on Ocean Boulevard.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama next weekend, Apr. 24-26, for a double race weekend.

Today’s Grand Prix of Long Beach race will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network Sunday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

O’Connell ok following fire

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Cadillac Racing driver Andy Pilgrim finished seventh in the second of two races in the Pirelli World Challenge Series GT race this morning at Barber Motorsport Park. Teammate Johnny O’Connell had a fire erupt in his Cadillac ATS-V.R and was classified 30th.

O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) and Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) started today’s race from ninth and 12th respectively. The duo were able to improve their positions on the start. By lap three O’Connell was running in sixth with Pilgrim close behind in seventh. On lap 18 O’Connell was headed into Turn Five when his No. 3 Cadillac ATS-V.R caught on fire. O’Connell bailed out and assisted the fire crew in extinguishing the flames. He was evaluated at the Barber Motorsports Park infield medical center and released. Pilgrim went onto race his No. 8 Cadillac ATS-V.R to a seventh place finish.

“It was a good race, much better than yesterday,” Pilgrim said. “I am glad that Johnny is alright. It was terrible to see the car on fire, but I am glad he is ok. I had a good race car. I started in 13th and made my way up to seventh. I got together a little bit with Mike Lewis’ Porsche going into Turn One, just three wide and nowhere to go. We came together a little bit, but we both continued, just hard racing. It is so close in lap times here you just have to wait for the guy in front to make a mistake. I was behind Ryan Eversley and his Acura, until he made a slight mistake in the last section of turns and I was able to get by him. I just ran out of laps to catch Lewis in front of me.”

O’Connell was happy with the car running in sixth before the fire.

“I couldn’t have been happier with the way the Cadillac ATS-V.R was driving,” O’Connell said. “I was having a great battle with friend and Audi driver Mike Skeen. I was just waiting for the right time to get by him. It was a great battle. I was just being patient. Then I was going into Turn Five and the car just erupted. I didn’t want to take Mike with me so I released the brake and went into the gravel and bailed out. You wonder how long it will take to undo the belts and things to get out of the car if something happens, well fire is a pretty good motivator. I then had to go back in and shut off the power and hit the fire extinguisher. The fire team pulled up and I helped them out. Lot of work ahead of the Cadillac Racing guys before we go to Canada, but I am sure they will be on it first thing tomorrow morning and we will be back.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park north of Toronto for a double header weekend to run May 15-17.

The races from Barber will be aired on CBS Sports Network, Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. ET.

National Robotics Week adopted a broader definition of robotics

 http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=277158&dfpPParams=ind_182industry_auto,kw_robotics,kw_41,aid_277158&

From Design News

Written by –

Charles Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test

National Robotics Week adopted a broader definition of robotics Thursday, as it shifted its focus from factory floor robots to autonomous vehicles and drones.

Robotics Day in Ann Arbor, Mich. (outside Detroit) featured a keynote speech from an expert at Google’s autonomous vehicle project, as well as demonstrations of image processing, artificial intelligence, and control systems for self-driving cars and drones.

”When we started doing this event a few years ago, there were a lot of people in automated vehicles who really didn’t consider themselves roboticists,” Phil Callihan, executive director for the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), told Design News. “We’d tell them, ‘We have a very wide definition of robotics and you’re part of it.’”

To be sure, the event featured its usual emphasis on manufacturing technology, including demonstrations of robots that lift, walk, run, and even swim. But the inclusion of automated vehicles and drones distinguished it from the public’s traditional view of robotics. Pratt Miller Engineering, for example, showed off an autonomous vehicle called AVeTar that acts as robotic target system for military training exercises. The vehicle, which carries a truck silhouette atop it, uses global positioning technology and complex software to enable it to drive an unpredictable path during target practice. Pratt Miller teamed with Quantum Signal LLC, which created the signal and image processing system for the vehicle. Also at the event, SkySpecs Inc., demoed obstacle avoidance technologies for drones.

A keynote speech from Lawrence Burns, who works with Google’s autonomous vehicle project, added to the event’s autonomous vehicle theme. Burns discussed autonomous vehicles, transportation energy, and connectivity.

Callihan said one of the goals of the event was to awaken potential talent, not only among automotive engineers and suppliers, but of college and high school students, as well. The Detroit area, he said, could offer a wealth of opportunity for such talent because suppliers of sensors, controllers, electronics, and various other robotic components are already located in the area to serve the big automakers.

He added that the recognition of autonomous vehicles as a branch of robotics is critical, not only in attracting talent, but in the development of technologies that go beyond the factory floor. “It all comes down to your definition of a robot,” he told us. “We consider it a robot if it’s a rolling or flying automated device that has onboard intelligence.”

O’Connell fourth, Pilgrim has shift issues

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Cadillac Racing driver Johnny O’Connell finished fourth in the first of two races in the Pirelli World Challenge Series GT race this afternoon at Barber Motorsport Park. Teammate Andy Pilgrim had shifting issues and was classified 26th.

In qualifying this morning, the changing conditions of wet to dry challenged the Pirelli World Challenge competitors. O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.) and Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) both went out on wet tires and were running in the top five early in the session. With about 10-minutes remaining, O’Connell brought the No. 3 Cadillac ATS-V.R into the pits with a data anomaly that resulted in the Cadillac Racing crew changing the LF4.R engine. Pilgrim remained on track on wet tires and posted a time of 1:31.416 that had him start from the fifth row in 10th. O’Connell took the green flag from the last place on the grid in 27th due to the engine change.

The World Challenge officials decided to have a rolling start for the first race. O’Connell started from the 13th row on the grid and steadily made his way through the field. On the last restart with just one lap remaining he took the green in seventh. Going into Turn One the GT competitors in front took to the inside to defend their positions. O’Connell drove his Cadillac ATS-V.R around the outside and exited Turn One three places ahead in fourth.

“It is a team sport,” O’Connell said. “When the guys dig deep and do a four hour engine change in 90-minutes so you can make it to the grid you want to reward them with a good run. We were very lucky. The guys gave me a great car and I was able to seize on opportunity. Barber is a place where they say you can’t pass, well I managed to pass 23 cars. This team is strong. I am very proud of them. On the last restart the Porsche in front of me had a flat tire. I knew he would have issues. Guys instinctively go to the inside to protect, when we got to Turn One I felt like Moses, the sea just parted, everyone boxed up and I went right. People think your best races are the ones you win, well this was the best race we ran where we didn’t win. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

Pilgrim’s gearbox started to act up around lap 20. On the final restart the car was locked in third gear. As opposed to trying to take the restart the Cadillac Racing team brought him to pit lane.

“The Cadillac ATS-V.R was pretty good in the early running,” Pilgrim said. “I was racing with Chris Dyson in the Bentley and Ryan Eversley in the Acura. Then later in the race when I would shift gears I would hear a sound from the gearbox. As the race went on I wasn’t able to shift at all and I had to come in as opposed to being in the way on the restart. The car was handling good, so I am optimistic for tomorrow’s race.”

Based upon their fast laps in the first race, O’Connell with start tomorrow’s race in ninth with Pilgrim in 12th. The race will take the standing start at 10:55 a.m. CT.

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend, Apr. 24-26 for a double race weekend. The races from Barber will be aired on CBS Sports Network, Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. ET.

O’Connell finishes fifth, Pilgrim sixth

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Cadillac Racing drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim finished the second race of the Pirelli World Challenge St. Petersburg Cadillac Grand Prix weekend in fifth and sixth this morning.

Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) had the pole for the race start. The Floridian experienced some wheel spin from the standing start and watched as five competitors raced by him into Turn One. No sooner did the race start than it was stopped on lap three for a track blocking incident. At this point in the race Pilgrim and teammate O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga) were classified in positions sixth and eighth. O’Connell in sixth. When the 50-minute race restarted with 19-minutes remaining the Cadillac duo settled into their positions and circulated the 1.4-mile, 14-turn St. Pete temporary street circuit as part of the FIA GT3 parade of cars. On lap 19 Audi driver Mike Skeen and Nissan driver J.D. Davison got together and that vaulted O’Connell into fifth and Pilgrim into sixth, which is where they crossed the finish line.

“Even if I got paid by the lap I earned every dollar today,” O’Connell said. “The Cadillac Racing guys have done a great job tweaking and tuning on the ATS-V.R. It was a hard race. You have every guy pushing each other so hard. Some have a pretty high level of aggression and we used that to our advantage today. We are working hard on this new car. You have a relationship with your car. You really have to get to know her. We are still in the dating period heading to the honeymoon. I have a few rub marks on the left side. I was using every inch of the track and on that lap I needed another three-quarters of an inch. Again getting to know your car. That rub didn’t affect the ATS-V.R at all. She is a tough new girl. I can use that data later in the season.”

Pilgrim saw the podium start as a missed opportunity.

“It is disappointing when you start on the pole and can’t make the best of it,” Pilgrim said. “I got some wheel spin off of the start and a lot guys got bye me. I was then in the middle of a mess in Turn One. Once we got going I made some positions back. I am happy the car came back unscathed, there are a lot of wrecked cars out there today. The ATS-V.R was really good. Once you get in a train like that, the field is so close, you have to wait for your moment to pass. Johnny and I made up a few positions when those two cars got together. The highlight of the weekend is the pole and two top ten finishes. Much better than COTA (Circuit of the America’s) for me.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Series will travel to Long Beach, Calif. for the Replay XD Grand Prix of Long Beach April 17-19. The St. Petersburg race broadcast will run on the CBS Sports Network Sunday, April 5, at 5 p.m. ET.

Since the team’s inception in 2004, Team Cadillac has amassed 26 wins, 91 podium finishes (including wins) and 22 pole positions. The team won the World Challenge Manufacturer Championship in 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Team Cadillac drivers have won the World Challenge Driver’s Championship in 2005 with Andy Pilgrim and in 2012, 2013 and 2014 with Johnny O’Connell.

O’Connell finishes fourth, Pilgrim seventh

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Cadillac Racing drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim finished the first of two races at the Pirelli World Challenge St. Petersburg Cadillac Grand Prix in fourth and seventh this morning.

Starting from his seventh place grid position, O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga) quickly raced into fourth position by Turn One. Before the field could circulate the 1.4-mile, 14-turn St. Pete temporary street circuit one time a full course caution flew for a crash at the start/finish line. The race restarted with just 20 minutes remaining of the 50-minute scheduled run time. Pilgrim (Boca Raton, Fla.) made the most of the green flag laps as he moved from 11th place after the failed start to a seventh place finishing position. O’Connell was able to hold his fourth place when the race was ended under yellow as a result of a second on track incident.

“It was an abbreviated run today,” O’Connell said. “The cautions worked to my advantage. We were struggling with the car a little bit. We didn’t have the grip that the other guys had. If the race had gone green all the way, tire-wise, we might have had some issues. It kind of worked to our advantage. I also didn’t get the start that we usually get with the Cadillac. I wasn’t able to quite get it hooked up like we did at Circuit of the America’s.

“I’m proud of the work everybody is doing. I’m getting everything I can out of this car. You finish fourth and you’re the tenth quickest car and I was really digging. We’ll rub on her a little bit and see what we get tomorrow. If I have a good start, then I’ll be in a position to move up in the points.”

Pilgrim will start from the pole position for tomorrow’s race based upon posting the fastest race lap today.

“We made the most of a short race,” Pilgrim said. “There was stuff banging all over the place. It was incredible to see. We were basically a line of nine, 10 or 11 cars going and then P.D. (Cunningham) dropped back behind me in 12th, then somebody spun or somebody got hit or whatever. I got past Beretta (Olivier) when he hit the wall and he was a little tentative coming out of fast kink, which I thought he might be so I took advantage. Then I couldn’t get by Davison (JD), too much power, too much coming of the corners. When I got by Beretta, I had a totally clean track. I guess that’s when the fast lap came. His car is great. You’re running in a draft of eight cars and it just pulls you along. I’m starting on the pole tomorrow and that’s a nice place to start a street race. I just hope I can get away clean when the stating lights go out.”

The St. Petersburg Cadillac Grand Prix will run Mar. 27 – 29. The races (Sat. Mar. 10 at 11:10 a.m. and Sun. Mar. 11 at 10:45 a.m.) from St. Petersburg can be streamed live at world-challenge.com. The races will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network Sunday, April 5, at 5 p.m. ET.