SEBRING, Florida (March 16, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team had a mixed opening, finding itself on in a rollercoaster of positions and in the final hour, due to an electrical issue, would retire the car, finishing in 15th place in GTD.
Kyle Marcelli took the green flag of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and was able to capitalize on speed in the red and black GT3. His solid drive in his first stint, found the team in sixth after the first 45 minutes.
Rookie Graham Doyle climbed inside the No. 45 DEX Imaging for his first ever laps in the iconic 12-hour endurance event and held poise while navigating the traffic of the field. Strong pace shined, specifically in the hands of Danny Formal as he moved from P17 to eighth while working a double stint.
After the next driver change to Doyle, the car dropped to P15 and a lap down before next caution, but a wave around allowed the crew to get the lap back. During a pitstop, the No. 45 received a drive-through penalty for pit equipment still attached. As the heat kicked in, the temperatures created a battle in search for pace on track. The No. 45 continued to run steady night fell on the 12-hour event, regaining some speed in the cooler air, before eventually retiring due to electrical issues after 11 hours and 25 minutes of racing completed, with a final position in GTD of 15th.
The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will head to the streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19-20, 2024.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “A long day. We almost made it – just over 11 hours. The guys here at WTRAndretti continue to work as hard as they can. We were searching for some speed in the car, struggling a bit, all the way up to race start. And then we took the green flag and found some great speed, jumped all the way up the grid to sixth. Everyone was pumped! We lost a little pace in the middle of the race, but as the temperatures cooled, the car came back alive. We are all still learning the car as a team. We have support from Lamborghini. It was a pleasure to share the car with Graham and Danny. We had a lot of fun. This race is so crazy now and each lap is so busy. So, to bring the car home in one piece is half the battle. Looking forward to the next one!”
Danny Formal, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “Twelve Hours of Sebring is over with a total of 11 hours and 25minutes for us. Great event for us. We had an electrical issue, just one of those things in bumpy Sebring that can go. Not much you can do when these things happen. We showed the pace for us in the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. My first stint we came from 16th up to sixth. Kyle also had some incredible pace and so did Graham Doyle. This just proves WTRAndretti’s ladder system is just phenomenal. He did so well today. His first time here at one of the hardest and bumpiest racetracks in the world. Long Beach is up next, our first sprint race in this car and with this crew. So grateful for everyone here at WTRAndretti for a great effort.”
Graham Doyle, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “Not the way we wanted this race to end, but we had a good weekend overall. It was my first weekend doing double duty in Super Trofeo and GT3. I will definitely look back at this event as a learning opportunity. We learned a lot and made some improvements. I was able to keep the car in a spot and clean throughout my stints. Everyone here at WTRAndretti is always looking for more, for perfection and we will just continue that search for speed and keep improving.”
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.
