Jordan Taylor, a key player in Wayne Taylor Racing, has shrugged off concerns about the team’s transition from Acura to Cadillac equipment, asserting that it doesn’t significantly impact their defense of last year’s Sebring victory.
Wayne Taylor Racing, a team with a rich history in the sport, was founded by Wayne Taylor, a former racing driver and Jordan’s father. Their first 12-hour race dates back to 2014, marking a long-standing presence at the track. This experience is what the team will lean on amid their manufacturer switch, according to Taylor. He stated this in response to a question from Motorsport Week regarding how the change might affect their chances of retaining the Sebring title.
Last year, the team clinched a win at Sebring, with Taylor, Louis Deletraz, and Colton Herta at the wheel of the #40 Acura ARX-06. However, the team has since transitioned from Acura to Cadillac, positioning themselves as a General Motors factory team for the 2025 IMSA Sportscar Championship. This move is seen as a homecoming to the GM family, following a brief hiatus, as the team previously utilized Cadillac equipment in the DPi era.
Their maiden race with the Cadillac V-Series.R, at Daytona in January, however, was not without hiccups. Deletraz encountered a crash with the #40 car at turn 1, midway through the 24-hour race, resulting in the car’s premature retirement. The #10 sister car, driven by Filipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Will Stevens, and Ricky Taylor, Jordan’s brother, managed to secure a fifth-place finish, albeit a lap down.
Despite these initial challenges, Taylor remains optimistic, citing the team’s fast-paced learning curve with Cadillac. He believes that the three years of existence for this class and Cadillac’s expertise have accelerated their readiness and strategy for the forthcoming event. He asserts that if the switch had happened a year earlier, the transition would have been much more challenging.
Deletraz echoed Taylor’s sentiments, pointing out that the change provides an opportunity to learn from both ends and discern the good from the bad. He stated that despite some early-season discoveries, the team feels better prepared for Sebring, thanks to their simulation time and GM’s assistance in quickly bringing them up to speed.
Last year, Deletraz made a pivotal move in the final minutes of the race, overtaking Sebastien Bourdais of the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, to secure the win. This move came after surpassing Porsche’s Felipe Nasr to advance to second place.
As the race is set to commence on Saturday at 10:10am local time, or 2:10 UTC, all eyes are on Taylor, Deletraz, and their teammate Brendon Hartley, as they attempt to defend Wayne Taylor Racing’s title and secure the team’s first win since their return to Cadillac.
