Frustrating Finishes
Wayne Taylor Racing found itself in a familiar position heading into the IMSA season finale. The outcome was painfully familiar as well.
The team-issued post-race recap didn't say much, because there wasn't much to say.
Wayne Taylor Racing began IMSA's final weekend with a solid shot at the top-class prototype crown for the fourth straight year. And for the fourth straight year, the No.10 Konica Minolta team went home without the biggest trophy.
In the pandemic-reshuffled 2020 campaign, it lost the championship lead in the second-to-last race but started the 12 Hours of Sebring finale just two points back. A spin five hours into the race sent the No. 10 Acura to the garage for repairs. It returned to finish seventh and--thanks to others' misfortune--nearly claimed the title, falling just one point short.
In 2021, the No. 10 came to the finale at Petit Le Mans with the championship lead of 19 points--basically one on-track position--ahead No. 31 Action Express Whelen Engineering Racing entry. As the 10-hour clock ticked towards zero and the final lap began, Ricky Taylor--son of team founder and principal Wayne Taylor--had the No. 10 in third, a few car lengths behind the No. 31. Ricky Taylor's only chance at a win was an aggressive pass. He tried, but the No. 10 went off course, taking all title hopes along with it.
In 2022, the No. 10 arrived at the Petit Le Mans finale with the same 19-point championship lead as the year before, this time over the No. 60 Meyer Shank entry. With 14 minutes to go, the No. 10 was chasing the No. 60 for the race lead and season title. As the two top-class prototypes battled, they came up on a slower GTD-class entry. The No. 60 got by unscathed, but the No. 10 hit the slower car, forcing the Acura to pit and ending its title hopes.
Fast-forward to Petit Le Mans 2023, and the top-class Hybrid GTP title contenders found themselves in a similar situation. This year, no fewer than six cars came to Road Atlanta for the Oct. 14 race with a chance to take the title--four of them bunched together at the top of the standings.
Leading the way was the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R. Just three points behind--or one on-track finishing position--was the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, now fielded by Wayne Taylor Racing and new partner Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti).
This season's full-year driving tandem of Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor earned their title shot with consistency. While the No. 10 Acura didn't win any of the first 10 events, it nabbed three podium finishes and six top-fives.
Petit Le Mans qualifying spotlighted that consistency's value. Louis Deletraz, the No. 10 team's third driver for endurance races, ran the fastest lap during the 20-minute GTP qualifying session. The No. 31 was eighth fastest. Applying IMSA's qualifying points, the results meant the championship battle took a 12-point swing at the top, putting the No. 10 car in front by nine points--one on-track finishing position.
Endurance racing is first and foremost about survival. Petit Le Mans, which starts mid-morning and ends not long before midnight, is no exception.
Deletraz, Taylor and Albuquerque took turns behind the wheel through the first seven hours and kept the No. 10 in the running. They also stayed within striking distance of the No. 31.
With 2.5 hours to go, Albuquerque relieved Deletraz.
While other cars held the lead, the top two title contenders fought each other in second and third place, swapping positions several times.
An hour after Albuquerque jumped back into the No. 10, Pipo Derani hopped back into the No. 31. The Brazilian worked his way back up to second, with Albuquerque right behind.
As the race clock ticked down towards 1 hour to go, Albuquerque decided he'd seen enough of the No. 31's rear body work. The Acura driver shot to the outside of the Cadillac as the pair sailed into Turn 1.
Rolling through the sweeping right-hand corner, Derani didn't give an inch, but Albuquerque needed several. The No. 31 used every bit of the top groove available, forcing the No. 10 off into the gravel and straight into the retaining wall.
Race--and title fight--over.
WTRAndretti's official post-race report offered this no-nonsense recap:
In effort to regain the championship lead with just over an hour remaining, Albuquerque went for a pass around the outside of the No. 31 in Turn 1 before contact with the championship competitor sent Albuquerque off track, making contact with the wall – ending the day for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team....
Usually, the team-provided recaps include a quote or two from the drivers. But not this time.
The No. 31 team’s side of the story, repurposed from an official IMSA dispatch, was a bit more colorful and quotable.
"I think Filipe was a little bit too optimistic there with still an hour and [two] minutes to go," said Derani, who brought the No. 31 home in sixth place to clinch the GTP championship. "He came in very aggressively trying to cut me off to the inside. We touched and he went off, which is unfortunate for him."
For the Wayne Taylor Racing share of the WTRAndretti partnership, the quest to win its first top-level IMSA title since 2017 continues next year. One ironclad certainty: things will be different.
The team will have two hybrid GTPs on the grid for the full 2024 season. Better yet, the second Acura ARX-06's full-time drivers will be the promising Deletraz and another familiar name: Jordan Taylor
As in Ricky's brother and Wayne's son.
And the driver who, alongside Ricky, helped propel the team to an IMSA top-level prototype title six seasons ago.
References
WTRAndretti post-race report
https://waynetaylorracing.com/news/2023_GTP_Petit_Le_Mans_Post_Race_Report/72857
Action Express post-race recap
https://axracing.com/wild-motul-petit-le-mans-sees-no-31-cadillac-take-gtp-title-no-60-acura-win-race/
WTRAndretti expansion to two-car GTP program
https://andrettiautosport.com/news/wayne-taylor-racing-with-andretti-autosport-announce-two-car-gtp-program/
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