Insideline: Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: BMW Kinda Won

[mbukukanyau]

And it's a stunt that a young guy, who claimed to be a Skip Barber school graduate but not a racer, won in his BMW M3. His fast lap of 2:50:424 was the fastest single lap of any driver that wasn't a ringer (Heinricy, Link and Redman). No other CTS-V could touch him.
Link
My post on Inside line below

I cannot believe Insideline, which did not even bother to take on Lutz offer, could stoop as low as to outright tell a tall tale as to who won. . IL credibility is wearing thin, really. First it was the attempt to push a theory that the “corvette is no longer cool”, and now this while GT-R is the best thing since sliced bread.
InsideLine is becoming the MSNBC of automotive world, loosing all credibility.

[jzchev28]

well it did beat an old mans time...but saying it kinda won is crazy, toss me in a ZR1 and someone that knows how to drive their camaro/G8 well and they will probally win. but the fastest times by as much as 4 seconds was made by the CTS-V, no ifs ands or buts.

[JerryL]

No comparison............if this was a fast, dangerous track like Road Atlanta or Road America the Cadillac would have been gone at warp speed. No contrived chicanes to slow things down to a "safe" level either. Anyone reading about this fun and games event and not realizing how much faster the Cadillac is just does not get it at all. If you like a Euro car better good for you .......just don't think it "performs" better, you'll have to think of another reason to prefer the Euro car.

Great promo by Lutz and great sportsmanship by Michael Cooper. Take it for what it was ....very good PR.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by JerryL

No comparison............if this was a fast, dangerous track like Road Atlanta or Road America the Cadillac would have been gone at warp speed. No contrived chicanes to slow things down to a "safe" level either. Anyone reading about this fun and games event and not realizing how much faster the Cadillac is just does not get it at all. If you like a Euro car better good for you .......just don't think it "performs" better, you'll have to think of another reason to prefer the Euro car.

Great promo by Lutz and great sportsmanship by Michael Cooper. Take it for what it was ....very good PR.

The idea that the Boy won in a BMW is propostorous. I agree with you, the Cadillac to be extremely fast. There is not even a comparison.

[baloo]

The deal was 'take on Lutz in a CTS-V', not 'compete against our pro drivers'.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by baloo

The deal was 'take on Lutz in a CTS-V', not 'compete against our pro drivers'.

That was not the deal. The Deal was, may the best car win.

[baloo]

"Michael Cooper, a hoodie-clad, budding 21-year-old racer from Long Island, won the Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Thursday, driving his BMW M3 past GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at the Monticello Motor Club in New York."

"Some sites have erroneously suggested that Cadillac “won” because of the faster times posted by their ringer race-car drivers, who set out after I had made the day’s last official run. But GM itself had set the rules: The Challenge was to take on Lutz, not GM’s professional gladiators from the top ranks of racing. Cooper and his BMW won the event fair and square, as referee and former Car and Driver editor Csabe Csere made clear during post-race presentations."

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs..._blg=1,1338395

[Aprime]

"Hey guys I'm a GM fanboy that has difficulty expressing himself and you should be ashamed to point out that a regular person has had a great showing in his BMW M3, hur dur hur! Ha ha, I showed them. Quick, I gotta show how awesome I am to my GM fansite colleagues."

[Aprime]

Originally Posted by baloo

words

SSHHHHHHHHHHHH! He's going to call you out for sourcing this from MSN, since, you know, MSN is like, best bros with MSNBC. I mean used to b-just SHHHHHHHHHHHH.

(not that I'm giving any credibility to MSNBC as a news source, lol)

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by baloo

"Michael Cooper, a hoodie-clad, budding 21-year-old racer from Long Island, won the Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Thursday, driving his BMW M3 past GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at the Monticello Motor Club in New York."

"Some sites have erroneously suggested that Cadillac “won” because of the faster times posted by their ringer race-car drivers, who set out after I had made the day’s last official run. But GM itself had set the rules: The Challenge was to take on Lutz, not GM’s professional gladiators from the top ranks of racing. Cooper and his BMW won the event fair and square, as referee and former Car and Driver editor Csabe Csere made clear during post-race presentations."

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs..._blg=1,1338395

The 21 year old has supposedly been trained at Skip Barber. The GM drivers are not professional racers, they just have some experience. One of the best times was by an engineer who helped develop the car- he is no professional racer.

How you you know the 21 year old couldn’t have beat his own time in the CTS-V? You don’t know for sure.

By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman

Today, at the Monticello Motor Club in New York, the Cadillac CTS-V stood tall in the V-Series Challenge, a race pitting the CTS-V against several of the best production sedans on the market today — those that showed up, that is.

Here are the results from the track. There were no winners or losers today – the point was to have fun with great cars because that’s what they’re all about, and to show that GM vehicles can compete with the best in the world, in every class. It was a great day for the CTS-V, and an exceptionally fun day for me. I’ll have to issue another challenge so I can do this again sometime soon, although I wish I had started doing these when I was younger!
http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives...challenge.html

The kid himself said the CTS V was faster than his M3.

[Aprime]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

The 21 year old has supposedly been trained at Skip Barber. The GM drivers are not professional racers, they just have some experience. One of the best times was by an engineer who helped develop the car- he is no professional racer.

How you you know the 21 year old couldn’t have beat his own time in the CTS-V? You don’t know for sure.

You spin me right round baby right round.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by Aprime

You spin me right round baby right round.

I spin girls only.

[1G6]

You could say the BMW is a better car, but you would be wrong - as this young man stated so eloquently.

GM made a mistake in not giving him a shot in the CTS to settle the issue. They left the backdoor open, and the anti-American militia is coming through with keyboards blazing.

[baloo]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

How you you know the 21 year old couldn’t have beat his own time in the CTS-V? You don’t know for sure.The kid himself said the CTS V was faster than his M3.

I don't, but that's not the point. You say he didn't win the challenge, but the challenge was to race Lutz in a CTS-V, not Johnny O'Connell. Simple.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by baloo

I don't, but that's not the point. You say he didn't win the challenge, but the challenge was to race Lutz in a CTS-V, not Johnny O'Connell. Simple.

There is no mention of Lutz in the rules.
You clearly do not know what you are talking about, neither does bmw loving edmunds, neither can MSN claim to be a serious editorial/news organization. They could have visited the official website. Time for you to switch your source of news Baloo.

•Challenge will take place on October 29, 2009 at 10:00 AM EST at the Monticello Motor Club in New York
•Challengers are responsible for all costs and expenses associated with their participation at the event, including but not limited to transportation to and from the event, lodging and all meals.
•Professional Challenge participants, if any, shall compete against a GM professional driver or appointed designee.
•Challenge Participants will get 5 laps to post best lap time
•Challenge Vehicles will not be raced simultaneously
•Challenge Vehicle must be a production sedan, within the Cadillac CTS-V competitive set and not have any aftermarket modifications.
•The Challenge is a dangerous activity. Challenge participants must sign a waiver of liability and a release prior to participation. If you do not sign the waiver and release, you will not be permitted to participate.
http://www.ctsvchallenge.com/about_the_challenge.php