WTRAndretti seeking first 12 Hours of Sebring victory since 2017
The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) pair of Acura ARX-06 GTPS enter the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Sebring International Raceway is a 17-turn, 3.74-mile road course that serves host to the iconic endurance event for 12 hours of intense racing action. As the duo of the No. 10 Konica Minolta and No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06s enter the weekend, the elusive Twelve Hours of Sebring title is on the radar for the WTRAndretti teams, seeking their first victory at the famed event since 2017.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24. The #40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06
The #40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 team piloted by Louis Delétraz and Jordan Taylor will be joined by Colton Herta, the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver for the red and black team. Taylor is a two-time Twelve Hours of Sebring winner – one victory as an overall winner in 2017 with WTRAndretti and another in 2022 as GTD PRO class winner. Delétraz will look to provide his experience in the 12-hour endurance event after competing in the No. 10 team in 2023 while this weekend’s event will mark Herta’s third time competing at Sebring International Raceway. After a successful debut of the #40 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with a podium finish, it’s all about continued momentum at Sebring.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24. The #40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06
Louis Delétraz: “I’m very excited to go back to Sebring, it’s a track and event I absolutely love. We have scored strong points in Daytona and worked hard since then to be ready and competitive. We are strong as a group and I’m looking forward to push the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 to its limits with my teammates, Jordan and Colton. Let’s try to keep the good momentum going and bring another trophy home!”
Jordan Taylor: “Daytona feels like a year ago, so it feels great to be getting back to a racetrack. We had a fantastic finish at Daytona all things considered, but I think we should be more in the hunt for the Sebring 12 hour. We had a great test at Sebring last month, so I’m excited to get back and pick back up where we left off. I think we made some good steps at the test itself and some more progress with the sim time we had last week. It’s another hectic endurance race where a lot can and will happen, so hopefully we can have a clean race and be in the fight for it at the end.”
Colton Herta: “I’m excited to get back in the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 and get back to sports car racing. I haven’t done the Twelve Hours of Sebring in a few years so I’m excited to get back to that track and see what this car has to offer for it. Rolling off a really good finish at Daytona and we have a positivity going into this weekend so hoping it’s good one and I’m confident we can be fast there.”
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24. The #10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06
Ricky Taylor: “Sebring is our second longest race of the year, but still only half of Daytona. It is such a grueling event that is difficult to make it to the end between how many cars are on track, how bumpy the track is, and how the conditions can change so dramatically. We had a great test and have prepared ourselves to endure the 12 hours, and with 2 very strong race cars. Even in our second season with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, we are continuing to learn each weekend about not only what makes the car faster but how to manage a whole stint and all of the other details that go into being competitive. And we always learn things in races that cannot be learned in testing when it comes to comparing ourselves with our competitors. We had a great test a few weeks ago and it will again, be our first Sebring 12 hour with two cars, so I am really looking forward to having two bullets in the WTRAndretti gun. The cars have had strong pace at the test and felt nice to drive, and I don’t think the drivers and team could be any more motivated to go for the first Sebring victory for the team since 2017.”
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24. The #10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06
Filipe Albuquerque: “I can’t wait to go to Sebring. It seems like this break has been awhile, feels almost like two months, so I just can’t wait to get back in the car and drive. Daytona was tough for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 car, but let’s go again and I think the pace was good due to the circumstances that we had so full motivation on. Last year was chaotic, crazy, and wild - most likely will be same this year - let’s just hope it’ll come to our end this year. The performance is there, the WTRAndretti team is super motivated. We have great lineup in me, Ricky, and Brendon as well as the 40 car, they are doing amazing, so let’s go racing.”
Brendon Hartley: “I love racing at Sebring and love racing with WTRAndretti, so I have only positive vibes heading to the Sebring 12 hour. They don’t make tracks like this anymore and I think all the drivers have a love-hate relationship with the quirks that Sebring has to offer. No room for error and high adrenaline for 12 hours of hard racing, how good! The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 was fast in Sebring last year and felt great when I tested there a few months back. Let’s go!”
Related articles
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2023: Porsche tackles 12 Hrs of Sebring as record winner
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2022-2023. 12 Hours of Sebring new BoP.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Lusail (Qatar). 2024 Twelve Hours of Sebring entry list analysis
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Daytona 2024. Porsche wins Rolex 24
