DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 28, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team made their debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona to kick off the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) driver Kyle Marcelli began the 24-hour sportscar racing classic from fourth on the GTD grid. In the opening sequence of the race, multiple cautions kept the field together including for the first pit stop cycle. Unfortunately, the team received two drive-thru penalties in what looked to be a promising day for the WTRAndretti GTD team which sent the No. 45 DEX Imaging machine a few laps down early in the race.
Danny Formal, Ashton Harrison and Graham Doyle got comfortable in the No. 45 DEX Imaging machine throughout their stints, with multiple cautions allowing the team to regain their laps back. The team then encountered a suspension issue after light contact during the overnight hours forcing the WTRAndretti crew to repair back at the garages.
Due to the multiple lap deficit to the GTD leader, the WTRAndretti used the remainder of the Rolex 24 At Daytona to gain valuable knowledge and experience on the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. The No. 45 team ended the 24-hour event 17th in the GTD class.
Next on the schedule for the WTRAndretti GTD Lamborghini team is another iconic endurance event – the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 16, 2024, at Sebring International Raceway. As an endurance event, the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 will see full-time drivers Marcelli and Formal along with Doyle tackle the 12-hour race.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “It was a good learning experience. My expectations were pretty high about that car actually. But other things happened. I’m really proud of all the drivers, Kyle, Danny, Ashton and especially Graham Doyle. It was a daunting situation for him to be in and he had the incident in the night. He got back in the car and thankfully he did, because he finished the race, and did a great job. Overall, it was a great learning day and I’m really proud of everyone on the team, the crew, drivers, and partners: DEX Imaging, Lamborghini, Harrison Contracting and Gainbridge, very excited to continue onto Sebring.”
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “These races are never easy. This one in particular tested our character and our strength. We didn’t really have the pace that we thought we were going to have. Certainly not the pace during the Roar and Qualifying. That sort of had us on our back foot. We had a little bit of attrition to deal with about halfway through the race. Just really proud of the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team for never giving up. All the teammates just kept digging and put the time in, and the guys on the stand kept calling the strategy and doing the right thing. At the end of the day, we finished 17th in class, and we finished! Huge learning experience. This was the first race for the team in GTD and I think we have shown, a lot of potential. I think we have a lot of great relationships that are forming with Lamborghini, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and all the partners. The future is bright, and I am looking forward to the next round at Sebring.”
Danny Formal, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “We finished, that’s the number one win we take away from this. A new team, new program, and new drivers, at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, so just finishing is a huge accomplishment. We had some issues in the middle of the night, but the team never stopped working. I’m so grateful for WTRAndretti, DEX Imaging, Lamborghini Squadra Corse, my teammates: Graham Doyle, Kyle Marcelli, Ashton Harrison and the entire crew. It’s a dream come true to be part of this organization. Obviously, it’s not the way we wanted it to end but this is just getting started for us. We’re a new program, but we have a great team behind us. We’re ready for the Sebring 12 Hour. I love that track and we did quite well last year. It’s where I signed my first contract with WTRAndretti at Sebring in 2020, so it brings back memories. I’m really excited to go there and show them what we’ve got.”
Graham Doyle, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “This race is definitely a special one. The start of hopefully many more endurance races to kick off to a great season ahead with WTRAndretti. The race didn’t exactly go to plan, we had an incident during the night session and went some laps down, but we really rallied as an entire team. WTRAndretti did an awesome job, and we got the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini back together, got back out there and were able to finish the race. That’s pretty special and it’s going to mark a good season.”
Ashton Harrison, 2024 Rolex 24 Co-Driver: “I can’t believe it’s actually over. Now I am looking forward to some much-needed sleep. I’m super proud of everyone in the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini GT3 EVO2 team. It’s been a long night with a lot of highs and lows. It was definitely a challenge, and we did our best. When we had hiccups on the road we overcame them, and the crew worked so tirelessly. It’s been very rewarding and I hope the WTRAndretti crew know how much we appreciate the hard work that they put in getting this car ready for the race and also throughout all the hiccups we had in the middle of the race. I’m looking forward to what’s to come and I’m excited for Danny and Kyle for their full season effort, plus to see Graham continue to perform in these endurance rounds.”
ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.
WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.
Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.
WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.
