Taylor “Never Thought” He’d Return to WTR

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Jordan Taylor said he “never thought” he would return to his father’s Wayne Taylor Racing organization after joining Corvette Racing, where the multi-time sports car racing champion envisioned ending his career at.

Taylor will make the move from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro to GTP ranks next year, rejoining WTR, now with Andretti Autosport, in its newly expanded two-car Acura ARX-06 effort.

It comes after a four-year full-time stint with Corvette Racing, initially in the GTLM class where he captured back-to-back titles, prior to the move to the GT3-based GTD Pro ranks the last two seasons.

Coupled with his seven-year run with WTR under the Corvette and Cadillac banners, the 2024 season will mark a new chapter for the 32-year-old, racing for Acura for the first time.

“It was super difficult,” Taylor said of the decision. “Ever since I’ve been a professional driver it’s been with GM. Dating back to January 2011, I’ve been a GM drive up until now.

“It’s been a long time. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve always dealt with Pratt Miller with contracts ever since that began.

“I feel like quite a part of the GM family and the Pratt Miller family especially, dealing with the same people over the years.

“It was extremely difficult. I always saw my career staying with GM until the end, especially when I made the move to Corvette Racing.

“The goal was to always get to Corvette Racing and get to that GTLM class and race in the GTE-Pro class every year at Le Mans.

“It was where I wanted to end my career as well.”

Taylor explained the phasing out of GTE machinery to a full focus on the GT3 platform in both the WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship, particularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, had him re-thinking his future.

“I think once all of the rules changed, away from GTLM and that class structure, and the Le Mans rules changed, it took some of that passion away from the enjoyment of driving the cars and the style of driving that I enjoy,” he said.

“Once that started to happen and unravel, the conversations started happening.

“I was always open with GM and Pratt Miller about it, of my views of everything. Everyone was understanding and on board and totally gets it.

He added: “When I left, the idea was to stay at Corvette Racing until the end of my career, basically.

“You see lots of guys do that like [Jan] Magnussen and [Oliver] Gavin, they had such long careers at Corvette Racing.

“So for me, that was the goal. I was going to GTLM and the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans was a class that I loved.

“It was super competitive and super professional. You had open tire development throughout the year and car development all through the year and new cars coming out every generation.

“To be part of that development and that class was always a goal of mine.

“When I left prototypes and Wayne Taylor Racing, it was definitely in the rear-view mirror. I felt like we had good success together.

“We won two championships, two Rolex [24s], and we won a bunch of overall things that I wanted to win. The next goal was to win in the GT class.

“I never thought I’d come back but as things change with rules and regulations over the years, the desire to go back to prototypes crept back in.

“When the conversations to partner with WTR Andretti started, the conversations for a two-car program started as well. Both my side and the WTRAA side showed interest in making it happen, so the timing worked out very well.

“It was definitely not something I had planned for but I’m excited for the new challenge.”

“Big Change” Expected in Move to GTP

Taylor said he’s expecting a lot to learn as he re-enters the top class of prototype racing, which has dramatically changed since he was last there in 2019.

“Once this GTP class was announced, everyone started to get excited of what it could be,” he said. “Personally my growing up, the GTP era of IMSA was a little bit before my time.

“It was something my dad raced in and was a classic [class] and something he loved to be a part of.

“To have that name and category and class name above it and to see the competition level with all of the different manufacturers, it’s super cool and super awesome.

“Back when it went to DPi from Daytona Prototypes, I was part of that transition. It was a good class; there wasn’t as many manufacturers so to have it come to what it is now with so many manufacturers racing now and to have the cross-over with Le Mans and WEC and IMSA, to have that similar class structure is super cool.

“It will be a big change. It will be a lot to learn going to this new class. But I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“That was the big idea of going to GTLM, that was a new challenge and something that challenged myself [that had] a different driving style, a different racing style, learning new tires and race craft was a big part.

“So to go back into something new is exciting.”

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