2024 GTP INDIANAPOLIS POST RACE REPORT
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti)’s Acura ARX-06 GTPs made their return to endurance racing as they took on the inaugural Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With an already competitively right field of 56 cars across all four classes, weather became an integral factor throughout the six-hour race.
Starting on the front row, Louis Delétraz and the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 settled in quickly running within the leader at the drop of the green flag. Shortly into the six-hour race, a light rain began to fall and the GTP leaders began to catch lap traffic as Delétraz encountered contact from another car, sliding the No. 40 off track and back to the rear of the GTP field. As the light rain turned steady, the No. 40 crew went to work on pit lane shifting to rain tires. Near the one hour in mark, the field saw the yellow flag fly and ran under caution conditions due to standing water across the 2.439-mile road course for almost an hour.
Once the rain stopped, it was full steam ahead to finish the over four hours of racing action. Strategy and lap traffic played a pivotal role throughout the middle hours as co-driver, Jordan Taylor, navigated a drying surface. With just over two hours remaining, Taylor found himself in prime position with the GTP leaders before handing the reins back to Delétraz.
Looking to finish out in the No. 40, Delétraz and the team were in prime stance of the running order – even leading 24 laps – and poised for a podium result, but unfortunately, contact in the final hour with GT lap traffic saw Delétraz serve a drive-through penalty and lose track position. The No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 finished fifth on the day, continuing its streak of top five finishes in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races this season.
Ricky Taylor started strong, finding impressive pace in the opening minutes of the new six-hour event. However, rainfall curtailed the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06’s progression after a series of cautions ground the racing to a halt due to standing water on track for nearly an hour. Taylor managed to keep the car out of trouble for the opening stint as he navigated heavy traffic and changing course conditions. In the closing stages of his first stint Taylor was running in the podium positions before pitting from second for a driver change at about halfway. Filipe Albuquerque took over for the middle stint of the race with a focus on making forward progress. He found strong pace as the track began to dry with the rain receding. This momentum allowed Albuquerque to cut through the field as he once again brought the No. 10 car to the front of the field.
Albuquerque ran in the lead for a number of laps as the No. 10 looked to challenge an alternate strategy to the end. Taylor resumed control at the wheel for the closing stint as he looked to capitalize on the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06’s strong pace. However, limited yellows and loads of lap traffic interrupted Taylor from challenging towards the front and ultimately brought home a sixth-place result.
Up next for the WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP teams is the season finale from Road Atlanta with the 10-hour endurance classic: Petit Le Mans. The team will close out the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on October 10-12, 2024.
Louis Delétraz: “The positive today is that we had strong pace. We came back to the front and to the lead a few times. Jordan and I had a good fight to come back to the front. Unfortunately, the drive through penalty prevented us from competing for the win at the end. Overall positive pace, sad result. Let’s go to Petit Le Mans and try to win.”
