Taggart Steps Up to PWC GT with Porsche 911 GT3 R

Taggart Autosport, with Jim Taggart driving, will switch Pirelli World Challenge classes for 2014, moving into the GT-A category with the No. 7 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

This change follows Taggart’s 2013 performance in GT-S, where he earned rookie of the year honors in the No. 61 Lotus Exige.

Coming off his first Rolex 24 At Daytona experience, Taggart has his sights set on GT-A class success, building on his fruitful professional racing debut last year.

The North Carolina-based group recently took delivery of their 911 GT3 R, which was shipped directly from Germany.

In late February, the team ran its first test with the new Porsche package with Taggart being fitted for the car and began to acclimate himself to the much faster GT-class GT3 ride.

“The Pirelli World Challenge GT-A class has intrigued me since the announcement last fall,” said Taggart. “After a lot of research and consideration, I decided to commit to the series with an astounding car, the Porsche 911 GT3 R.

“I’m looking forward to competing with the front running gentlemen drivers in the very competitive class this year.”

“I am glad that Taggart Autosport will be joining Porsche for the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season,” said Jens Walther, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America.

“Jim Taggart, along with his entire team brings in a new level of enthusiasm, and we will be supporting all 911 GT3 R racecars as they compete in the nine rounds that feature GT-A class racing throughout the year.”

The team plans to run the majority of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge schedule, starting on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, March 28-30, where Taggart notched a top ten finish in his first World Challenge race last season.

The team has elected to skip the Long Beach event after its debut in St. Petersburg, in order to concentrate on car development on the East Coast. It will re-join the series at Barber Motorsports Park at the end of April.