| Trackhouse’s Unique Car, Fresh Systems for WTR, and Jordan Taylor’s Florida Endurance Run January 18, 2025By John Oreovicz and Holly CainIMSA Wire Service |
| Trackhouse is This Year’s All-Star Team DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Rolex 24 At Daytona annually attracts a diverse group of drivers from around the world, occasionally creating unique “superteam” lineups. This year, the best example of that phenomenon can be seen in the cockpit of the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class which features IndyCar Series frontrunner Scott McLaughlin, fellow New Zealander (and recent NASCAR transplant) Shane van Gisbergen, rising stock car star Connor Zilisch, and versatile sports car pilot Ben Keating. The common denominator between the four is General Motors. “Chevy and Eric Warren came to me with the opportunity to do this,” related McLaughlin, referencing the Executive Director of GM Racing. “I was like, ‘For sure I’d love to team up with Shane!’ That’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time, whether here in IMSA or in Australia in a Supercar.” Trackhouse Racing boss Justin Marks was keen to get on board with the collaboration, paving the way for van Gisbergen’s participation. And Zilisch, despite focusing full-time on the NASCAR Xfinity Series, brings an impressive skill set to the effort, including Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class wins in both the 2024 Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Era Motorsport. “Connor is another star coming up through the ranks,” observed McLaughlin. “He’s a great kid, just got his head screwed on straight. In some ways, he’s like an 18-year-old kid the way he gets excited and says some things out of the blue that make you wonder what the hell that was all about. But he’s quick in everything he’s gotten into, and he has a super-great feel for the car. I haven’t seen his data, but I’m looking forward to analyzing him and how he goes about his work. “Having Ben as our Bronze is awesome,” McLaughlin added about Keating, one of America’s top Chevrolet dealers and also a former Rolex 24 class winner (2015, GTD). “I’ve always wanted to drive with Ben, to be honest. He’s a really stout Bronze.” New Knobs and Buttons  Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 features a nearly identical driver lineup as it did for the 2024 Rolex 24. The quartet of Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens, and Brendan Hartley are familiar with each other, but they’re all getting to grips with the Cadillac V-Series.R for the first time after driving either Acura ARX-06 or ARX-05 cars in recent years. “Amongst us as drivers, we’ve driven quite a few of the prototypes during this new era,” said Stevens, who last raced with WTR at the 2022 Rolex 24. His full-time ride the last two years was in a Porsche 963 for Hertz Team Jota in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he earned a win at Spa-Francorchamps. “The first few laps when you get in a car are when you feel the biggest difference,” Stevens continued. “Your body is used to certain feelings and certain sounds, and those initial 5-10 laps in the car are where everything is kind of a shock to the system because it’s all different. You have to kind of try to erase what your previous assumptions were and learn new ones. But I think once you’re in the car and stop looking off a piece of paper to try and explain everything, it comes a lot quicker than just studying a driver manual. “A lot of our task is to settle down and understand how the systems of the Cadillac work and how to use them to our best advantage. Because at the end of the day, they are a driver tool. Each driver wants has certain things they want to have from a balance point of view, so it’s trying to fine-tune and understand what each driver wants. Simulators are very good these days, but nothing beats on-track driving.” Jordan’s Month of Endurance  Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing driver Jordan Taylor is preparing not just for the longest race of the season in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but also for an extraordinary physical test only three weeks later. The Ultraman Florida race is three full, grueling days from February 14 to 16 and includes a 6.2-mile swim and 90 miles on a bike on the first day, followed by a 171-mile bike race the next day and concluding with a double marathon – 52.4 miles – on the third day. It’s certainly not the first time Taylor – a four-time IMSA champion – has pushed himself physically away from the track. He’s competed in a pair of the prestigious Ironman events. In 2023, he finished 19th out of 173 competitors in his age group in the Ironman Florida with an impressive time of nine hours, 59 minutes and 45 seconds in the 6.2-mile swim, 90-mile bike and double marathon. Doing the “ultra” event is something Taylor says has long drawn his interest but requires a competitor to have completed an Ironman race within a year to be eligible. So, the time was now. “I figured this may be my only opportunity to actually do it, so I just signed up that day,” said Taylor, co-driver of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series R in the GTP class. “I enjoy the challenge and journey of it all. It takes months of preparation and training to get there. I enjoy learning about the science of why you do certain training protocols to get your body prepared for something like that, working with my coach. “So far, it’s all complimented my racing, so I feel great about it. It’s definitely going to be a crazy weekend of testing myself mentally and physically, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.” |
