Sportscar team returns to Cadillac ahead of Rolex 24 at Daytona
By Don Coble, Florida Sports Wire
DAYTONA BEACH – What was old is new again in sportscar racing.
After being part of the Acura factory team for the last seven seasons, Wayne Taylor Racing returned to Cadillac for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, which made last weekend’s test session especially important so the team could shake down their two cars ahead of the Roar Before the 24 practice and qualifying session, Jan. 17-19, and the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona a week later.
All four full-season drivers – Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R and their Endurance Cup co-driver, Will Stevens, were joined by Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz from the No. 40 car – to complete 491 laps on the 3.56-mile road course at the Daytona International Speedway.
The primary focus was to shake the car down and allow the drivers to learn the differences between the two prototypes. Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing used the ORECA chassis with an Acura-powered engine last year. The new car not only has a General Motors-powered engine but also the Cadillac V-Series R chassis.
Romain Grosjean drove the fastest GT Prototype lap in a Lamborghini SC63 at 134.043 mph, while Albuquerque drove the quickest Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing lap. His circuit of 132.991 mph was the 13th fastest during the two days the premier class was on track.
WTR ran Cadillacs before jumping to Acura in 2018. Ricky and Jordan Taylor, sons of team owner Wayne Taylor, won the DPi (Prototype) Championship in 2017 for Cadillac.
“It is very interesting to drive the new Cadillac,” Albuquerque said. “It is very different from when I drove the DPi. For me, Cadillac’s highlights are always power. The throttle response is amazing and how it deploys the power to the wheel is very, very nice and natural. Our process is obviously ongoing, and I am looking forward to more time in the car.”
Wayne Taylor has three prototype championships—2005, 2013 and 2017. Jordan won titles in 2013 and 2017, while Ricky co-drove with his brother those years. He broke away from the family operation for five years and won a championship in 2020 with Roger Penske’s Acura team.
Now, the team has the brothers and a familiar manufacturer back in the same garage.
“It has been great coming back to Cadillac and driving the new V-Series.R. It has its driving style-wise: the way it feels, the way you attack corners, the setup changes are different, the terminology is all different,” Jordan Taylor said. “It has been a lot to learn, but it is nice to get a head start here in November before the year ends. We should get a good head start from this test and go into the off-season with more ideas to return to the ROAR.
“We are all excited to start the season next year. I think there are a lot of expectations for big results. Obviously, last year, we had two wins, and the team would like to increase that, and I think we will have a great chance to with Cadillac.”
The Taylors are from Zellwood Station, near Apopka. Between them, they have 66 career sportscar victories.
Jordan Taylor said the team will review their notes from the test and work with Action Express Racing, another Cadillac team, to find more speed before returning for the Roar before the 24 in two months.
“First impression of the car is that it gives you confidence. I think it follows what we expect: the car is forgiving to drive and seems good in all types of corners,” Jordan said. “There is a learning curve for us on how the systems work and all the buttons and things work.
“We are all looking forward to comparing notes next week and seeing how all our different experiences between Will (Stevens) driving for a different manufacturer and from the other four of us and Alex Lynn who has experience in the Cadillac and our new (manufacturer) teammates at Action Express. All of us working together to hopefully create the best of our three different worlds throughout the year.”
There were 31 cars representing four classes at last weekend’s classes. All will be on track simultaneously in the twice-around-the-clock race, including the No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie, the first prototype for the LMH class that features hybrid systems that can distribute power to both the front and rear wheels. That car’s quickest lap at 131.894 mph – 38th overall.
