Wayne Taylor Racing Ends 18-Month Drought with Emotional Victory at Road America

Milestone Win Breaks Historic Tie

After 18 grueling months filled with intense internal pressure, transition, and agonizing near-misses, Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) made a triumphant return to victory lane at the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Road America.

The team delivered a stellar performance across the challenging 4.048-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course, securing first and third places in the GTP class. The result marks WTR’s first GTP-class victory since becoming a factory partner with Cadillac, as well as their first overall IMSA triumph since June 2024 at Detroit.

The triumph carries immense historical significance: it stands as Wayne Taylor Racing’s 54th IMSA class victory, officially moving them past sports car icons Brumos Racing and Champion Racing into sixth on the all-time win list.

Podium Joy Amid On-Track Drama

WTR’s two-car effort featured the #10 Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, alongside the #40 entry piloted by Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz. Both machinery paced the field out front for significant portions of the race.

However, the #40 crew faced adversity when race control handed down a severe 60-second penalty for exceeding speed limits near safety workers. Despite the heavy setback, Deletraz and Jordan Taylor mounted a fierce recovery drive to join their teammates on the podium.

Team owner Wayne Taylor was vocal about the steep sanction after the race, suggesting a standard drive-through penalty would have been more appropriate, though he ultimately focused on the pride of seeing both sons on the podium.

"For me, the racing team is like my family," Taylor reflected after the checkered flag. "When we don't get results, I feel like I've let them down. To have both my sons on the podium, first and third, was something truly special."

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Pressure

The victory serves as a crucial breakthrough following a steep learning curve after aligning with General Motors leadership. Adapting to the new Cadillac prototype required patience, leading both management and drivers to fight off self-doubt during the prolonged winless run.

Jordan Taylor acknowledged after the race that the long drought had caused the driving lineup to question their own capabilities, while Wayne Taylor revealed that a heart-to-heart conversation with son Ricky shifted his perspective as a leader.

"Ricky told me, 'Dad, don't underestimate the stress we have ourselves as drivers when we feel we're not performing,'" Taylor shared. "It made me realize I needed to do more to keep everyone together, keep the passion alive, and remain confident that things would turn around."

Despite a motorsport career spanning over five decades, Taylor admitted the recent 18-month slump was one of the most mentally challenging periods of his life.

"I learned from Dan Gurney, who told me to never look back," Taylor said. "I started questioning if I should even still be in this position. But you have to look forward to winning more championships. I can tell you, there could not be a higher high than what I feel right now."