INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 22, 2024) – Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti)’s Acura ARX-06 GTPs made their return to endurance racing as they took on the inaugural Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With an already competitively right field of 56 cars across all four classes, weather became an integral factor throughout the six-hour race.
Starting on the front row, Louis Delétraz and the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 settled in quickly running within the leader at the drop of the green flag. Shortly into the six-hour race, a light rain began to fall and the GTP leaders began to catch lap traffic as Delétraz encountered contact from another car, sliding the No. 40 off track and back to the rear of the GTP field. As the light rain turned steady, the No. 40 crew went to work on pit lane shifting to rain tires. Near the one hour in mark, the field saw the yellow flag fly and ran under caution conditions due to standing water across the 2.439-mile road course for almost an hour.
Once the rain stopped, it was full steam ahead to finish the over four hours of racing action. Strategy and lap traffic played a pivotal role throughout the middle hours as co-driver, Jordan Taylor, navigated a drying surface. With just over two hours remaining, Taylor found himself insight of the GTP leaders before handing the reins back to Delétraz.
Looking to finish out in the No. 40, Delétraz and the team were in prime stance of the running order – even leading 24 laps – and poised for a podium result, but unfortunately, contact in the final hour with GT lap traffic saw Delétraz serve a drive-through penalty and lose track position. The No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 finished fifth on the day, continuing its streak of top five finishes in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races this season.
Ricky Taylor started strong, finding impressive pace in the opening minutes of the new six-hour event. However, rainfall curtailed the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06’s progression after a series of cautions ground the racing to a halt due to standing water on track for nearly an hour. Taylor managed to keep the car out of trouble for the opening stint as he navigated heavy traffic and changing course conditions. In the closing stages of his first stint Taylor was running in the podium positions before pitting from second for a driver change at about halfway. Filipe Albuquerque took over for the middle stint of the race with a focus on making forward progress. He found strong pace as the track began to dry with the rain receding. This momentum allowed Albuquerque to cut through the field as he once again brought the No. 10 car to the front of the field.
Albuquerque ran in the lead for a number of laps as the No. 10 looked to challenge an alternate strategy to the end. Taylor resumed control at the wheel for the closing stint as he looked to capitalize on the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06’s strong pace. However, limited yellows and loads of lap traffic interrupted Taylor from challenging towards the front and ultimately brought home a sixth-place result.
Up next for the WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP teams is the season finale from Road Atlanta with the 10-hour endurance classic: Petit Le Mans. The team will close out the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on October 10-12, 2024.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “It was a tough race for everybody, with starting in the dry, going to the wet and finishing in the dry. We led a lot of laps. At the end, we had a fifth and sixth place car, but the way the yellows worked out, it wasn’t the best for us, it was better for the BMWs. One more race this year at Petit Le Mans and it will be an exciting one. Everyone will be going there to try to win.”
No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor: “We had a bit of everything today. Hats off first to Acura, HRC and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti. Compared to last year, the cars were way more competitive throughout the weekend. In the race we had a bit everything, switching from dry, to rain, to damp and back to dry. The first half of the race was about survival and protecting the car to get to the end. Toward the end, we just couldn’t quite put ourselves in a position to win. We’re always just slightly out of reach. It wasn’t for lack of pace; I think the car was fast. The positive thing is that we’ve improved the car from last year, and we can go to Petit Le Mans on full attack.”
Filipe Albuquerque: “I think it’s a little bit reflective of our year. We looked good at one point. When I had the lead, I took off. I had one of the fastest laps, so I think I was good. When we were behind other people, it was a bit more difficult, but the pace was still there. But in the end, Ricky had an issue with the car which didn’t enable us to push for fourth or further. And that’s what it is; it was a long one.”
No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “The positive today is that we had strong pace. We came back to the front and to the lead a few times. Jordan and I had a good fight to come back to the front. Unfortunately, the drive through penalty prevented us from competing for the win at the end. Overall positive pace, sad result. Let’s go to Petit Le Mans and try to win.”
Jordan Taylor: “There were moments where a win was definitely in the cards. We did what we needed to do early on, and in the changing conditions we stayed out of trouble. We definitely didn’t have a good car in the wet; we weren’t super competitive. We were focused on just surviving to get back to the dry conditions. We had a good car in clean air, and we were able to make some passes when we needed to. But a tough way to end the day. I think we go to Atlanta focused on trying to get one more big win this year and finish the year off on a high.”
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.
