Taylor: Increased JOTA Collab is WTR’s “Biggest Breakthrough”

Photo: WTR

Wayne Taylor has hailed its even-closer collaboration with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA as its “biggest breakthrough” for Wayne Taylor Racing’s second attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The veteran IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team has returned to Circuit de la Sarthe with an unchanged driver lineup from last year’s debut, in Ricky and Jordan Taylor plus Filipe Albuquerque, but with a significantly stronger alliance with the sister factory Cadillac operation.

It comes amid a downsizing of Cadillac’s overall Le Mans effort from four to three cars, following Action Express Racing’s decision to forgo this year’s French endurance classic in order to be fully focused on its IMSA GTP program.

“When we went last year, it was really at the last minute,” Wayne Taylor told Sportscar365. “I was thinking, ‘We have to do this for Cadillac and more importantly, we need to do it because we have to have a chance to try and win at some point.’

“We had Action and JOTA working with us, which was a big help. We ran OK. We had an electrical problem that took us out.

“However this year, they gave us a lot of notice. We really built the car for Le Mans, unlike last year, we just took one of the cars.

“We built a Le Mans car over a period of quite a long time. We managed to get all the spares that we need this time, gearboxes, engines.

“But the biggest breakthrough is the collaboration with JOTA.

“Dieter [Gass, JOTA team principal] phoned me and said, ‘JOTA is a two-car team and Wayne Taylor Racing is a one-car team. But we are a three-car team. We don’t care if you win, as long as a Cadillac wins.’

“I said, ‘Dieter, it’s the same for me. That’s the whole plan.’

“We’ve got a good working relationship. Brian [Pillar, WTR technical director] has been on the phone with them every single day. They’ve sent us photographs of our nose cone being tested.

“Ricky shook the car down [in the U.S., prior to the test day] and said the car is really nice. I’m really excited. I feel we’re in a strong position.

“Having JOTA work with us is a big deal. I think that’s going to pay dividends in the end, our two teams being one team.”

The increased crossover and operation effectively as a single three-car team has been Cadillac’s motive since its return to Le Mans in 2023, although Taylor feels having only two teams involved, rather than three from last year, will also come as a benefit.

“I think so because it gets too much,” he said. “It’s hard enough as a two-car team. But if you’ve got a two-car team that’s been running for a long time in WEC and you got a team from America, it makes it easier.

“After winning it in the Ferrari, in [the LMP1] class, and then driving the Cadillac [from 2000-02], I thought that was my only chance of winning it overall.

“I never knew my chances of winning overall could come as a team owner. I think this would be better because my sons are in it and they’ve won everything else.

“All in all, we’ve got all the right things, we’ve got the right people behind us.

“GM is very excited. They’ve been hiring more engineers and some really good people have come over.”

Taylor Would Take Le Mans Victory Over Title Glory in IMSA

With Action Express admitting that its campaigns in the race from 2023-25 came as a detriment to its full season WeatherTech Championship program, Taylor agreed in that logic but said he’s willing to take that sacrifice in order to have a chance of overall glory at Le Mans.

“If I didn’t win Daytona and Sebring, or been in the points position that they’re in, it might have been different, but I still would have taken Le Mans,” he said.

“Every single IndyCar race is great. The only one that everyone remembers is the Indy 500.

“I still don’t even remember who won Daytona [this year]. But you remember the guy that wins Le Mans.

“They (AXR) have a different philosophy; they’re successful. They’ve won multiple championships. I can’t argue with them.”

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