Team Owners Wayne Taylor and Michael Andretti Tout the Importance of a Two-Car Effort
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport will expand to a two-car Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in 2024, an announcement confirmed today by both the team and Acura Motorsports.
Acura Motorsports and its performance arm, Honda Performance Development, collaborated with chassis constructor ORECA to develop the hybrid-powered Acura ARX-06 for the debut of the innovative and technologically relevant GTP class this year. The ARX-06 succeeded the Acura ARX-05 that earned three WeatherTech Championship manufacturer titles in a four-year span in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class that preceded GTP as the top prototype category.
“The strength and depth of Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport, throughout their organization, has impressed us right from the start of our partnership in 2021,” said David Salters, HPD president and technical director. “That has continued through the development of the new, hybrid Acura ARX-06 GTP car. This is a very complex car, yet everyone at WTRAndretti has risen to the challenge. Our partnership with them has been very rewarding and we look forward to their continuing as a works factory Acura effort with the addition of a second IMSA entry in 2024.”
Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will continue driving the team’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 next season, with full-season drivers for the second WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 and endurance add-on drivers for both cars to be named at a later date.
“It has always been our plan to go to a two-car program,” WTRAndretti owner Wayne Taylor said. “There are so many advantages in being a two-car team and now, going up against all the other factory-backed two-car efforts, it is vital. HPD and ORECA have built an amazing race car. When you look back at the season so far, we’ve proved to be quickest almost wherever we go and I believe we now have the car to beat. With the combination of HPD, ORECA, Andretti Autosport and all our corporate partners, we have a really strong organization.”
Michael Andretti, chairman and CEO of Andretti Autosport that partnered with Wayne Taylor Racing at the beginning of this season, said the growth to a two-car GTP effort represents the next natural step in the team’s affiliation with Acura and HPD.
“Expanding to a two-car program displays the progression and success of not only the WTRAndretti team, but our Acura and HPD relationship in the new GTP era,” Andretti said. “Our focus at Andretti Autosport, bringing our experience and reach, is to support WTRAndretti in finding the right people and providing the right resources to continue on our winning path.”
Acura is one of four manufacturers competing in the GTP class this year, along with BMW, Cadillac and Porsche. Lamborghini will join the fray in 2024 for the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races. Driver Ricky Taylor said the increased competition makes it all the more important for WTRAndretti to add a second car.
“Being a two-car team will allow us to really lean on our teammates to push us to be better, whether on the driver side or engineering side,” the two-time WeatherTech Championship champion said. “The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship weekends are so compressed now that getting multiple drivers through the car is difficult. Being able to take different paths and learn from each other is so important, especially when everyone else has two cars. For us to get on the same program will be so beneficial.”