Laguna Seca post race report
The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP teams shared the fourth row of the GTP grid for the MOTUL Course de Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. After a competitive qualifying on Saturday seeing the field separated by less than one second, the WTRAndretti team knew strategy would become a key factor in the race especially given the unknowns of how the race would play out on the new track surface.
The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP teams shared the fourth row of the GTP grid for the MOTUL Course de Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. After a competitive qualifying on Saturday seeing the field separated by less than one second, the WTRAndretti team knew strategy would become a key factor in the race especially given the unknowns of how the race would play out on the new track surface.
Louis Deletraz in the red and black Acura GTP got off to a strong start, quickly gaining a position as the green flag flew to put himself in sixth position. As the field settled into the opening laps, Deletraz was able to maintain a strong pace throughout the first stint. During the first round of pit stops, the No. 40 car capitalized on the race’s only caution and jumped up to fourth position with Jordan Taylor behind the wheel to finish out the race. In a race that saw very minimal attrition of the field, Taylor was able to keep the GTP leaders in his sight and was able to battle his way forward to achieve a fourth-place result, even contending for a spot on the podium near the end.
Similar to their No. 40 teammates, Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 capitalized on the start, gaining a position forward. Taylor showed promising pace as he looked to cut through the field. However, the team received an early mechanical penalty, forcing the team to pit earlier than anticipated – changing the game of strategy for the team.
After the penalty was served and a driver change to Filipe Albuquerque, the team found themselves in ninth, one lap down from the leaders. With luck from the race’s singular caution, the No. 10 team were able to get the lap back. As the team made a strategy call on the final pit stop to take full fuel and four tires, Albuquerque was able to put his head down and work his way up to the GTP leaders fighting for a top five in the closing laps before ending the day in sixth position.
Next up for the WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP duo will be taking on the streets of downtown Detroit for the first time. As another 100-minute sprint race, the GTP class will make its’ debut on the street circuit on May 30 – June 1, 2024.
Louis Delétraz: “P4, good day, good points. I think we struggled for pace this weekend, so to come out with a P4 and fighting for the podium is very good news. It means we did our best and executed well as a team. I’m very proud of WTRAndretti and DEX Imaging, and of course to everyone at HRC a big thank you, because without them we wouldn’t be able to do it. It keeps our championship goals alive, so to take P4 this weekend was very good for us.”
