WTR Andretti Reveals 2024 Liveries Ahead of Rolex 24

Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti released the new liveries for their three car entries for the 2024 IMSA season. The announcement displayed the liveries for the newly expanded two car GTP program and the partnership with Automobili Lamborghini to support a full season effort with the No. 45 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) Class.

The No. 10 GTP car retains the classic blue while the new No. 40 GTP received a new red livery. The collection was released in a social media post by WTR Andretti today.

From the Press Release…

Returning to the No. 10 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP lineup are Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque as the full season drivers. Taylor and Albuquerque will be joined by 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona teammate and reigning World Endurance Championship Hypercar Champion, Brendon Hartley, as the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) driver for 2024. Rounding out the roster of drivers for the No. 10 Acura ARX-06 is 2022 Indianapolis 500 Winner and newly announced NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver for Andretti Global, Marcus Ericsson.

Joining the WTRAndretti team for 2024 is the No. 40 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP entry. Piloting the new No. 40 Acura ARX-06 GTP entry includes 2023 IMEC driver for WTRAndretti, Louis Delétraz, and the return of Jordan Taylor to the family team as the full-time drivers. In addition to Delétraz and Taylor for the No. 40 stable, Andretti Global NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver, Colton Herta, is set for the IMEC events throughout the upcoming IMSA season. Entering his first Rolex 24 At Daytona, Formula One Champion, Jenson Button, completes the No. 40 Acura ARX-06 lineup as Button reunites with his NASCAR Garage 56 Driver Coach, Taylor, to add another accolade to his extensive racing resume.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti Stated the following:

“This year is a totally different year for this team because we’ve always only run one car. We’ve always wanted to run two and now we have the opportunity to do that. It’s made everybody really excited internally that we can now go compete against the big teams with two cars. We just have to do the best job in executing everything. I feel really good about the people we have hired and our existing people that we’ve had for a while – everybody seems very motivated. Having a two-car factory program, you really are now racing the whole field. I’m really looking forward to Daytona. I want to thank Acura, HRC, Konica Minolta, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge for their continued support as our team grows and goes for the win.”

The short winter break is over and IMSA fans from around the world are making final preparations before they descend on Daytona for the start of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech season. The first taste of racing arrives in one weeks time with the Roar Before the Rolex 24. In light of the fast approaching start of the 2024 season IMSA has released a technical bulletin regarding the Balance of Performance thresholds for the ROAR.

There a multiple changes to the specifications outlined for the 2023 ROAR. Weight increase changes are the most notable for the Acuras and Porsches in the GTP class. While these BoP threshold will affect qualifying for Rolex 24 it is possible for a new BoP governing the actual race; Rolex 24 are coming so we wont speculate on how big of an impact these changes will make on the current status of the cars. The changes seem minimal but IMSA ahs the ability to adjust performance threshold again before the race. We will report on any changes.

2024 is finally here and with our transition to a new year IMSA has announced the provisional schedule for the season opener the Roar Before The Rolex 24 and Rolex 24 weekends.

The Roar Before The Rolex 24 Schedule

Friday January 20, 2024

8:45 AM to 9:15 AM ET; Practice 1 – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
9:30 AM to 10:45 AM ET; Practice 1 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET; Practice 1 – WeatherTech Championship
1:45 PM to 2:15 PM ET; Practice 2 – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM ET; Practice 2 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
4:15 PM to 6:00 PM ET; Practice 2 – WeatherTech Championship

Saturday January 21, 2024

8:40 AM to 9:15 AM ET; Qualifying – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
9:30 AM to 11:00 AM ET; Practice 3 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
11:15 AM to 12:45 PM ET; Practice 3 – WeatherTech Championship
2:05 PM to 2:50 PM ET; Race 1 of 2 – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
3:10 PM to 4:10 PM ET ;Practice 4 – WeatherTech Championship
4:30 PM to 5:30 PM ET; Practice 4 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM ET; Practice 5 – WeatherTech Championship

Sunday, January 22, 2024

10:15 AM to 11:15 AM ET; Practice 1 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
12:20 PM to 1:05 PM ET; Race 2 of 2 – VP Racing SportsCar Challenge
1:25 PM to 1:40 PM ET; Practice 6 – WeatherTech Championship
1:45 PM to 3:20 PM ET; Qualifying – WeatherTech Championship

The 2024 Rolex 24 Schedule

Wednesday, January 25, 2024

1:45 PM to 2:30 PM ET; Practice 1 – Mazda MX-5 Cup
2:45 PM to 3:45 PM ET; Practice 1 – Michelin Pilot Challenge

Thursday, January 26, 2024

9:00 AM to 9:30 AM ET; Practice 2 – Mazda MX-5 Cup
9:45 AM to 10:45 AM ET; Practice 2 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
11:05 AM to 12:35 PM ET; Practice 1 – WeatherTech Championship
12:55 PM to 1:10 PM ET; Qualifying – Mazda MX-5 Cup
2:25 PM to 3:00 PM ET; Qualifying – Michelin Pilot Challenge
3:20 PM to 5:05 PM ET; Practice 2 – WeatherTech Championship
5:30 PM to 6:15 PM ET; Race 1 of 2 – Mazda MX-5 Cup
7:15 PM to 9:00 PM ET; Practice 3 – WeatherTech Championship

Friday, January 27, 2024

9:25 AM to 9:55 AM ET; Practice 3 – Michelin Pilot Challenge
10:15 AM to 11:00 AM ET; Race 2 of 2 – Mazda MX-5 Cup
11:20 AM to 12:20 PM ET; Practice 4 – WeatherTech Championship
1:45 PM to 5:45 PM ET; BMW M Endurance Challenge At Daytona
6:25 PM to 6:45 PM ET; Practice 4 – WeatherTech Championship (GTP Only)

Saturday, January 28, 2024 – Sunday, January 29, 2024

Saturday 1:40 PM to Sunday 1:40 PM ET; Rolex 24 At Daytona

Streaming will be available on IMSA.tv and Peacock

Due to shipping logistical problems the 24 Hours of Dubai will be postponed. The decision was fueled by the large number of cars that would not arrive in Dubai on time for the event that was originally scheduled for January 13-15th 2024. The date has been pushed to January 27th and 28th which will be in direct conflict with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona; one of the most prestigious racing events of the year.

Ultimately teams who had planned to enter both races will have to make some tough decisions in terms of what is possible regarding staffing and car entries. Considering the races are on complete opposite sides of the world we imagine the decision to reschedule the 24 Hours of Dubai on a competing weekend will negatively impact the event.

The source of the delay is reported to be due to attacks on shipment vessels by Iranian raiders in the Red Sea. The attacks are said to be related to the Israel-Gaza war that has recently flared up in intensity. With no end to that conflict in site it may be difficult to justify forgoing the Rolex 24 which has no issues in terms of access. It is yet to be determined the full impact of this delay. We will report back when more information is available. As of now the Heart of Racing Team is the only team that has confirmed entry into both the 24 Hours of Dubai and Rolex 24.

Iron Lynx announced today that Romain Grosjean and Mateo Cairoli will be added as drivers for the upcoming Rolex 24 Hour of Daytona in January in the #60 GTD Pro Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO 2. The announcement comes shortly after Iron Lynx announced their driver lineup for the new SC63 Hypercar/GTP programs in IMSA and the World Endurance Championship. Grosjean make his return to Rolex 24 after racing for the team last year placing 4th in class.

The team will field two additional cars, the #19 entry in GTD Pro driven by Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper, Andrea Caldarelli and Franck Perera. and the Iron Dames #83 car entry in GTD will be Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Sarah Bovy with the fourth driver still to be detemrined.

Iron Lynx Team Principal and CEO, Andrea Piccini

“We are delighted to welcome Romain and Matteo to the #60 car for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Romain drove with us in car #63 last year and raced well; Matteo is well known at Iron Lynx as we shared an ELMS season but will race together for the first time with Lamborghini, so we’re really looking forward to seeing him driving at Daytona. They will make a very strong addition to the line-up of car #60.”

Edoardo Mortara said: “I am super happy to be joining Lamborghini Squadra Corse, which is allowing me this incredible opportunity to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship, both of which I have wanted to take part in for a long time. It is a very proud moment for me, and I hope we can achieve some good results next season.”

Today IMSA announced the preliminary lineup for Rolex 24 which is set to take place in two months time. Unfortunately but not unexpected the much anticipated Lamborghini SC63 was not on the list. It has been indicated that the SC63 will debut at the 12 hours of Sebring in March. Aside from the Lamborghini not making the preliminary list the GTP class currently features 10 cars from 4 different manufacturers. The grid won’t see last years winners, Meyer Shank Racing but instead a second Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX will join the grid.

You can find the full preliminary line up listings here: 2024 Rolex 24 Entrants by Class GTP | LMP2 | GTD PRO| GTD

IMSA President Jon Doonan had the following words, “We could not be prouder to release this preliminary list of participants for the Rolex 24 At Daytona significantly earlier than we ever have before. Looking up and down the lineup, we will have a tremendous field of teams, cars and drivers and no shortage of compelling storylines to develop and follow in the next two months as we lead up to the race. With such a stacked field, it would be impossible to identify a favorite in any of the four classes.”

The race weekend is scheduled for Jan. 25-28, 2024. Thus far 60 cars have entered the competition, 10 GTP, 12 LMP2, 13 GTD Pro and 25 GTD.

Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti announced today that Brendon Hartley and Colton Herta will be joining the 2024. Hartley will join Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06. WTRAndretti will field a second GTP car in 2024 piloted by Herta, Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz. WTRAndretti will announce additional drivers for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the coming weeks. Driver lineups are typically 4 drivers plus a reserve so we’d expect at minimum two more names to be announced to join for the 2024 GTP campaign. For now, here is what the team said.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti:

“It’s exciting that we’ve managed to get the services of Brendon Hartley again and Colton Herta as our third drivers who will be doing the IMEC. Brendon has driven for us before, and we’ve got to know him really well. Obviously, Colton is a part of the Andretti Global group which opened the door for us with him. He’s won Daytona in an GT car and drove a LMDh car last year and did a really good job. I’m really excited about having both Brendon and Colton on board.”

Michael Andretti, Chairman and CEO, Andretti Global:

“The addition of Colton and Brendon as endurance drivers for next season will be a major boost to our already very talented IMSA driver lineup. They both have quite a bit of experience competing in endurance events and have built such strong on-track resumes across multiple series, so we’re excited to watch what they can do in 2024.”

Brendon Hartley, 2024 No. 10 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Endurance Co-Driver:

“I really enjoyed my time with WTRAndretti at Petit last year and Daytona this year, so I jumped at the opportunity to compete in the endurance races in 2024 when Wayne called me. WTRAndretti knows how to win and going to a two-car team will strengthen the whole operation even further.”

Colton Herta, 2024 No. 40 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Endurance Co-Driver:

“It’s super exciting to join such a prestigious team like WTRAndretti for the endurance events. They’ve shown how successful they can be in the past and I’m looking forward to hopefully adding to that!”

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season kicks off with the Roar Before the 24 testing, January 19 – 21, 2024, followed by the endurance classic, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 25-28, 2024. NBC and Peacock, along with IMSA.TV, will provide flag-to-flag coverage of the race on its family of networks.

The following article was not written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff

From Mid Ohio Sports Car Course…

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 31, 2023) – A full repave project of the entire racing surface at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was completed last week, officials from Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which owns and operates the track, announced today. Ohio-based Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. began initial repair work the week of October 16th, followed by milling the existing track surface on Monday, October 23 and completing the paving of the final asphalt surface layer on Friday, October 27. 

The project was a collaborative effort using the expert services of Kokosing Construction Company, Inc., Kokosing Materials, Inc. and Advanced Materials Services, LLC. Planning and thorough research for the repaving began in 2022 with a test layer placed in Turn 1 for performance evaluation of a racetrack-specific asphalt mixture during the 2023 racing season. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course racing surface was last repaved starting fall 2005 and completed in spring 2006.

“We were blessed with outstanding weather last week for the crews to complete this major project in a relatively short amount of time,” said Kevin Savoree, co-owner, president and chief operating officer of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “It was a tremendous accomplishment and collaboration between Kokosing Construction, Kokosing Materials, Advanced Materials Services and our own track operations team to make it happen. We look forward to getting race cars on it for the first time next spring!”

Last week’s work utilized approximately 100 people, 5,000 manpower hours, 15 trucks to remove approximately 6,000 tons (300 truckloads) of old track material and 30 trucks to haul in 6,000 tons of the new asphalt mixture onto the property. The project encompassed 11,550 feet of surface paving, 3,500 feet of various turn reinforcement, 500 feet of full depth repair in the Keyhole and Turn 12 areas and 300 feet of transverse joint repair.

After milling the racing surface, the second step of the process for Kokosing featured asphalt repairs and reinforcement of high stress areas which required additional milling depth. For the final stage, two pavers placed the asphalt surface layer at 40-foot width around the entire circuit, working in echelon (side-by-side pattern) to avoid a centerline joint throughout the track’s 2.258-mile, 13-turn or 2.4-mile, 15-turn layout. The old, milled track material is being recycled and regraded to create additional paddock and parking surface areas on the Mid-Ohio property. 

“Plans for the 2023 project started in 2022, immediately after completing the resurfacing of Turn 1,” said Bart Moody, vice president of asphalt estimating and engineering at Kokosing Construction Company, Inc. “Logistical challenges had to be overcome to produce the mix and perform the work with limited time and access. A full-time truck coordinator was in constant communication with material trucks to ensure they entered and exited the track at the correct locations as work progressed. Crews worked extended hours in order to maintain the schedule that made use of unseasonably warm weather for October in Ohio.”

Aggregates were sourced locally in Ohio from Olen Corporation’s Upper Sandusky and Fredericktown plants. Durable aggregates were selected to withstand the loading applied to the track, and a highly polymerized asphalt binder was produced by Kokosing Materials, Inc. to withstand the high temperatures and stresses. The asphalt mixture used was tested at the Kokosing Materials Asphalt Plant and at the track for a variety of properties such as asphalt content, gradation and density. 

“The stresses on a racetrack, especially road courses with tight turns, are much higher than those typically seen on conventional asphalt pavements,” said Graham Hurley, project engineer at Advanced Materials Services, LLC. “The much stiffer PG 88-22 asphalt binder used counteracts the shear stresses imparted on the track surface by race cars, which prevents any ravelling that may occur. Additionally, the specifications used for this project were much tighter than a traditional highway specification. The target minimum softening temperature for asphalt binder and the target in-place density values were both set higher than conventional specifications for vehicular traffic. Kokosing successfully met these higher conditions with ease.”

The new track surface will be allowed to cure for over five months in advance of the 2024 season. The road course annually hosts a variety of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned race events as well the driving and riding courses provided by The Mid-Ohio School. 

The full schedule and ticket information for the 2024 major spectator events featuring IMSA, SVRA’s SpeedTour, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, American Motorcyclist Association and MotoAmerica will be announced at a later date. Children 12 and under receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult at all Mid-Ohio events. Visit midohio.com for more information, and follow its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse, Twitter at @Mid_Ohio or Instagram at @officialmidohio for the latest news. 

About Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:
A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 380 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary race track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally-sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has been owned and operated by Green Savoree Mid-Ohio, LLC since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.

For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.

About Kokosing:
Kokosing is one of the largest family-owned construction companies in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Known for unwavering integrity and exceptional safety and quality, Kokosing companies provide extensive resources for their customers. Kokosing’s primary business lines include industrial, transportation, pipelines, water and wastewater, marine and renewable energy. Additionally, aggregates and asphalt material suppliers are part of the Kokosing family of companies.

About Advanced Materials Services LLC:
Founded in 2007 and located in Auburn, Alabama, Advanced Materials Services, LLC provides pavement engineering, testing, and consulting services. AMS supports all aspects of flexible pavement design, testing, and construction inspection, particularly for specialty pavements, such as airfields, automotive proving grounds, intermodal facilities, and racetracks. AMS staff have over 60 years of cumulative experience in the development of asphalt specifications, asphalt mixture design, quality assurance support, materials research, and geotechnical engineering. To date, AMS has provided support to over 35 racetracks across the country.

The 2023 Motul Petit Le Mans 10 hour race and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Season is over. Meyer Shank Racing won the race after drama ensued with 1 hour to go in the race. The race for some was a winner takes all situation. Earlier this season Meyer Shank Racing announced that they would be taking a step back from the championship next year. To start the season with a win at the Rolex 24 and to end with a win at Petit Le Mans is an accomplishment the team can be proud of. They finished third overall in the championship after fighting out of the hold associated with penalties the team was handed associated with their win at Rolex at the start of the season.

Entering the race 6 cars had the potential to win the GTP class championship. The race started off with multiple positions being traded after pit stops were triggered. Weather conditions continued to improve throughout the day. With 2 hours left in the race the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura Arx-06 was 24 seconds behind the race leader at the time; the No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 was in second poised to secure the GTP championship if they could hold position.

Heartbreak for Konica Minolta

The demise of the No. 10 car would come with about 1 hour left in the race as Felipe Albuquerque attempted to make a pass on the outside of the final turn. At this point in the race the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing car was leading the race. Albuquerque had to take the long way around and ran out of track. The No. 10 and No. 60 made brief contact and the Konica Minolta Acura was sent into the wall. Given the stage of the race the move felt a bit ambitious to take such a risk with so much time left. The No. 10 Acura was not able to continue the race which effectively eliminated them from championship contention. The race was flagged to clear the crashed No. 10.

While Meyer Shank Racing won the race, it was the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac that took the 2023 GTP crown finishing in P6.

Corwdstrike wins LMP2, PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Secures LMP2 Title

The LMP2 win was decided by less than one second with the No. 04 Crowdstrike P2 taking the win and LMP2 Michelin Endurance Cup. The Michelin Endurance Cup is awarded to the team who is most successful in the endrance portion of the IMSA WeatherTech Season. Crowdstrike driver George Kurtz also won the Jim Trueman Bronze Cup. The prestigious award is awarded annually to the top-placed Bronze-rated driver in the LMP2 class. The criteria takes into account race results but excludes qualifying points. The winner gets an official invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.

George Kurtz Was Thrilled After the Result

“The big implication was Le Mans,” Kurtz said. “That was really the prize for us. We would’ve had to have a lot go right to win the championship, but the two things we were focused on was the endurance championship and Le Mans. At the end of the race with 20 minutes left, you never think it’s going to be a green flag to the end. So many emotions go through your mind.”

However, the win alone was not enough to dethrone the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports P2 who secured the 2023 LMP2 championship. The No. 52 car’s day did not start out under ideal circumstances after the team found themselves traveling through the gravel trap early in the race from the lead. However, the team was able to bounce back and over the course of the race took advantage optimal pitstop timing where it benefitted due to multiple yellow flags.

Three cars finished on the lead lap logging 391 laps in the 10 hours stent. Due to the No. 11 TDS Racing LMP2 car retiring at lap 262. Their championship hopes were eliminated in a heartbreaking finish to what was an amazing season. The sister No. 35 car finished second in the race which is a small consolation for the team.

LMP3/GTD/GTD Pro

The LMP3 Championship was decided at the start of the race. The No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 secured the championship after 4 season wins this year. This didn’t stop them from racing until the checkered flag however. With about 45 minutes to go in the race the No. 74 car caught a puncture and had to come in for a lap pit stop. The pit stop ultimately resulted in the car losing track position from the front of the class. The team had to settle for third int he race. The No. 30 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 took the win logging 379 laps.

The GTD championship was also decided at the start of the race. Paul Miller already had the championship wrapped up but would not finish the season as race winners. The car was retired on lap 207 but the team still celebrated a very successful season.

The WeatherTech racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 won the GTD Pro class race. However, the lead built up by the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus was too big to overcome in the standings. The No. 14 car only needed to start the race to secure the title. Ultimately it was retired on lap 153. This was about half of the in class maximum race distance of 350 laps.

Full Race Results are Below

Final IMSA WeatherTech Championship Standings