Wayne Taylor Racing shocked the sportscar world with the announcement that they are entering a long-term partnership with Andretti Autosport.
Andretti is the latest powerhouse name in the motorsport world to jump on the IMSA bandwagon this year. All are looking to get a piece of the LMDh pie as the series enters what is expected to be its next “golden era” in 2023.
“This is an exciting time for us. We’re proud to be returning to the IMSA paddock in this way and the opportunity to be part of the launch of the GTP program alongside Wayne Taylor Racing and our friends at Honda Performance Development.” Michael Andretti said. “Re-entering IMSA full time, and at this level, has been a goal of mine.”
The long-time entrants in the American sportscar series top class, Wayne Taylor Racing is no doubt looking to finally hoist their first championship in the series premier field.
Andretti Autosport 🤝 @WayneTaylorRcng
Andretti Autosport and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership today that will see the championship-caliber teams combine resources to compete in IMSA’s top classes. ⬇️#WTRAndretti #AllAndretti
— Andretti INDYCAR & INDY NXT (@AndrettiIndy) December 28, 2022
Entering their third year with Acura, Wayne Taylor Racing has finished second in two consecutive years, last year losing out to their sister team, Meyer Shank Racing. Wayne Taylor said,
“It’s an honor to be partnering with a name like Andretti as we enter a new era of racing. I was approached by Michael a year ago and, as we all know, timing is everything, especially as our GTP and GTD programs continue to grow with Acura HPD. Having worked with Michael on this for nearly a year, I’m very excited to see it come together.”
Andretti Autosport has been a mainstay in the IndyCar world, with this announcement marking their first foray into the top class of IMSA. In the press release regarding the announcement, Wayne Taylor Racing stated their intention to move into the new state-of-the-art Andretti Autosport facilities in the suburbs of Indianapolis when they are completed in 2025.
This partnership opens up pathways for drivers in the Andretti Autosport stable to compete in IMSA as well as avenues for long-time Wayne Taylor Racing drivers Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor an avenue to compete in the IndyCar series if the opportunity arises.
