The Two-Time 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2017 Motul Petit Le Mans Winner Will Pair with Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Acura
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wayne Taylor Racing has added a proven endurance race winner to the lineup in its bid to win the final Daytona Prototype international (DPi) title in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
On Tuesday, WTR announced that Brendon Hartley will team with Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Konica Minolta ARX-05 for the Motul Petit Le Mans, the 2022 season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 1. Hartley is a two-time overall winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2017 and 2020). He was also a member of the 2017 Petit Le Mans winning team in the Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi.
He now joins Taylor and Albuquerque as they seek to hold onto the championship lead in DPi, which will be succeeded by Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) as the top-tier WeatherTech Championship prototype class in 2023. Taylor, Albuquerque and the No. 10 Acura are 19 points ahead of the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura, with co-drivers Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist, heading into the 10-hour race.
“I’m very pleased to be joining Wayne Taylor Racing for Petit Le Mans,” Hartley said. “I have competed against them many times in the past, and it’s clear they know how to win races and championships. When Wayne called me a few weeks ago, I jumped at the opportunity, especially having Ricky and Filipe as teammates.
“I’ve done Petit a few times before and it’s a special event for me – the race in which I made my American endurance racing debut back in 2012. It’s a tough, old-school track that all of the drivers love. I’m well aware that WTR is in the middle of a championship fight, which adds a little pressure, and I am up for it. I have already started to communicate with the engineers and my new teammates, who are giving me all the information needed to help me get up to speed quickly.”
Wayne Taylor said he’s been working to get Hartley, a 31-year-old New Zealander who also has Formula 1 and Formula E experience, to drive for the team in the WeatherTech Championship.
“Brendon and I have been in touch for several years now, looking for the right opportunity to work together,” Wayne Taylor said. “He is massively talented and what he brings to our mission is exemplary. His track record at Le Mans, F1 and in the World Endurance Championship speaks for itself. Just as importantly, he will be a great teammate to Ricky and Filipe and an excellent fit for our team.”