After spending the earlier 4 years with Corvette Racing battling in GTLM after which GTD Professional, the 32-year-old went again house to race alongside his brother, Ricky, at his father’s workforce, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTR Andretti).
Earlier this month, Taylor, who will co-drive the #40 Acura ARX-06 with Louis Delétraz for the 2024 season within the workforce’s expanded second entry, obtained his first style of the hybrid GTP in a take a look at at Sebring Worldwide Raceway.
“Yeah, it was eye-opening,” Taylor instructed Motorsport.com.
The combination for Taylor began earlier than Petit Le Mans in October as he shared being “looped into” emails from drivers, engineers and even Honda Efficiency Improvement, all a part of attempting to study and perceive the nuances of the methods for the GTP.
“Per week earlier than our Sebring take a look at, we had been an Indy for 3 days on the simulator and checking all the things. After which getting all the way down to Sebring, the climate wasn’t nice, so we did not get a ton of operating, however on day one I feel I bought two runs within the automotive, and it was rather a lot happening.
“I feel the steering wheel handbook is about 30 pages, and as soon as I began driving the automotive on the entire first day, I did not even have a look at the steering wheel as a result of I used to be simply attempting to concentrate to the way to drive the automotive and simply drive it by itself with out even specializing in the methods and the diff (differential) modifications, TC (traction management) modifications, all that stuff. It was simply overwhelming.”
Taylor was bowled over by how superior the GTP in comparison with his earlier expertise racing the earlier high class prototype, DPi, from 2017 to 2019 – the final time he drove for his father’s group.
“The ability is tremendous spectacular,” Taylor stated. “I imply, coming from the DPi, I do not know if it is bought a ton extra energy or much less drag or the mix of the 2, however the automotive accelerates like no different automotive I’ve pushed earlier than and accelerates during seventh gear; simply pulls each gear prefer it’s first or second gear in a standard automotive.
“All of the methods are tremendous spectacular however understanding that was loads of it. We solely bought two runs the primary day after which had an evening to sort of assume on it and return the second day. It felt far more pure, fortunately, on that second day to sort of get again into driving and making some changes on the steering wheel and getting a really feel for it.
“However yeah, it was good getting my first style again into it and we get to check Daytona (in just a few days), so hopefully the training simply retains progressing.”
Up subsequent for Taylor is a non-public take a look at on the 3.56-mile street course at Daytona Worldwide Speedway Dec. 6-9, which is the one IMSA-sanctioned take a look at previous to the Roar Earlier than the Rolex 24 in January. Jenson Button, the 2009 System One champion, and IndyCar star Colton Herta will be part of Taylor and Delétraz for the Rolex 24.
With a flood of expertise at Daytona, the place Taylor has earned three victories within the 24-hour endurance traditional, together with two general (2017, 2019), the intention is to proceed to develop in understanding the automotive.
“Driving the automotive isn’t any difficulty,” Taylor stated. “I used to be in a position to get snug fairly rapidly, however then understanding the methods and the steering wheel and simply the vary of changes that the driving force has in his arms is rather a lot. I feel understanding what all of them do is one factor, however understanding like what you feel within the automotive and the way to then make a change on the steering wheel that is going to learn you is one other factor. So, it is a altering factor.
“Even for the present drivers, there’s all the time modifications being made to refine that course of. I feel it is good to have. We may have eight drivers for Daytona, so it is loads of totally different bits of enter to assist refine that course of.
“Understanding all of the system stuff is tremendous difficult and technical, and I’ve positively spent in all probability extra time taking a look at steering wheel notes and in-car particular notes in all probability in these previous two months than I in all probability have, truthfully, in my total profession mixed; simply to know how the brake system works, how all of the totally different changes works, all of the totally different TC changes.
“There’s simply a lot going into it that loads of it is simply managed by HPD, however loads of it’s also within the driver’s arms to regulate. I am simply attempting to get on the identical web page as all of the others who’ve been in these vehicles now for a yr.”
