Angelelli in Cadillac DPi Management Role

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Having ended his driving career on top, Max Angelelli will shift his focus to a new management role within Cadillac Racing’s efforts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The now two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona winner has been confirmed as program coordinator for the Cadillac DPi effort, with Angelelli serving as the link between the American automaker and chassis supplier Dallara.

Angelelli, 50, admitted his decision to hang up the helmet was influenced by having less time to dedicate as a driver.

“I’m not a driver anymore,” Angelelli said. “I get in the car very late and I miss all the driver briefing and debriefs and don’t have time to do anything.

“I was using the yellow flag [periods] to learn about the [car’s] buttons and systems and this and that because I have absolutely no time.

“I’m so involved in managing the program, on behalf of Cadillac Racing, and that takes 100 percent of my time. You need to be focused on driving.”

While having worked in the management role since the program’s inception, Angelelli said he doesn’t expect any other things to change and will remain a partner in Wayne Taylor Racing.

“I’m still co-owning the team with Wayne, so this is going to stay with no changes,” he said.

“I’m just going to move into the Cadillac Racing management group… and I’ll do what I’ve done in the last year-and-a-half, in taking care of the program and make sure everything runs properly.”

Both Ricky and Jordan Taylor paid tribute to Angelelli, in his final race on Sunday, which brought to an end a championship-winning 30-year career that saw the Italian serve as mentors to the second-generation drivers.

“We’ve been family for 20 years now, and he’s taught us everything we know,” Ricky Taylor said.

“We used to have classes with Max. He used to be the ‘Professor X,’ and he’d come over to our house, and we’d have a pen and paper, and he’d teach us about downforce and he’d teach us about overtaking.

“Today was a good example of one of those lessons, I think. That was an Ax move!”

Angelelli, in his dry sense of humor, admits he’s happy to move on to his next chapter.

“My career has been a rollercoaster, from a complete disaster to a lot of success,” he said. “How can I describe it – it has been long and difficult.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John