Formal: Lambo Weekend Sweep Showcases “Complete” WTR

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

Danny Formal said his first-ever dual series weekend sweep, in claiming three class victories across two IMSA-sanctioned championships in Lamborghini machinery, proves how “complete” Wayne Taylor Racing is as an organization.

The Lamborghini Young Professional Driver teamed with Graham Doyle to win both Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America races over the weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the Pro-Am ranks, while the Costa Rican and Trent Hindman broke through for the team’s second career GTD class victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

It came in controlling fashion in Sunday’s two-hour and 40-minute race that saw their No. 45 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 lead a race-high 40 laps and came after a heart-breaking outing last time out at Long Beach when they retired early with a mechanical issue.

“We came out here last week and shook down the car after Long Beach,” said Formal. “I did about five or six laps during the whole day.

“To be honest I called Trent and I was like, ‘I think we have a very good race car for this track.’

“We executed perfectly. Since FP1, the car was in the right window.

“In these IMSA events, really rolling off the trailer strong is vital for your weekend and we did that.

“In qualifying we missed [pole] by three-thousandths of a second. The car was phenomenal on light fuel and new tires.

“I think we executed well in the first stint, pushed a few laps and started saving some energy and seeing what the rest of the people were going to do.

“The guys did a fantastic job with strategy. The pit stops were flawless and Trent did a great double stint to bring it home.

“Our race in Mosport [last year] was won on a crazy gamble strategy and this one was won by more of outright pace.

“We had really good pace and we drove really well this weekend.”

Hindman echoed Formal’s sentiments on its class victory at Laguna was a true validation of its performance.

“There were some questions after CTMP last year of, ‘Hey it was great to get a win.’ But it was a big fuel gamble. We got lucky with the timing of some full-course yellows,” said Hindman.

“Was it genuine? Yeah a win’s a win. You’ll take it anyway you can.

“To come away with this one today, the way we did, the way the team executed, the way there was mutual trust in everybody to execute the strategy and just stick with our plan.

“This was absolutely no fluke.”

While WTR’s two Cadillac V-Series.R GTP entries ended up at the bottom of the results after a promising early race showing for the pole-sitting No. 40 car, Formal said the team’s Lamborghini programs, in both GTD and Super Trofeo, have been firing on all cylinders.

“It was a fantastic weekend also for Lamborghini Super Trofeo stable,” he said. “We were able to win both Pro-Am races and yesterday we were able to win Pro.

“It definitely helps a bit. Turn 11 and Turn 2 are quite tricky towards the end of the stints.

“Getting that small experience in the Super Trofeo definitely helps.

“It also helps that that car is so fast that we jump into a GTD it feels a little bit slower and in the straight lines.

“For sure the guys did a fantastic job in Super Trofeo and also in the GTD. I think it just proves how complete Wayne Taylor Racing is.”

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