Cadillac Racing driver Johnny O’Connell finished fourth in the first of two races today at the Pirelli World Challenge StopTech Grand Prix weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Teammate Pilgrim had contact and was classified in 27th.

Starting from the third row, O’Connell (Flowery Branch, Ga.), was able to get a good start and immediately move into fourth position as the race went full course yellow.  On the restart O’Connell gave third place runner Olivier Beretta several looks but could not displace the Ferrari for third position. One more caution flew on lap 20, but O’Connell couldn’t make his way onto the podium and had to settle for fourth.

“I was able to get a good launch at the start,” O’Connell said. “I moved into fourth and was happy to make up two positions almost before the bridge. When we went back to green I moved up close and he would pull me about two car lengths down the straight. I would have needed him to make a big mistake, Olivier Beretta doesn’t many make big mistakes. When you finish fourth and you have the eighth fastest lap time that is a pretty good day.”

For teammate Pilgrim a top ten finish would have been a welcome run. The Floridian was lapping in ninth place when he went into Turn Five and was hit from behind by the Bentley of Chris Dyson sending his Cadillac ATS-V.R into the sand trap and ending his day.

“I got a pretty good start,” Pilgrim said. “The Bentley stalled in front of me and I had to modulate to get around him. The race settled down a little and I was running pretty good. My Cadillac had a little too much oversteer, too tail happy, but manageable. I moved up into ninth and it was close racing. Dyson kept getting closer and then he hit me in the rear going into the corner. It is not like Chris to do something like that, I am not sure what happened. It was a shame. I had a pretty firm top ten and the way my season has been going it would have been great to finish in that position.”