WTR’s Le Mans Logistics a “Juggling Act” With IMSA Effort

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

The logistics behind Wayne Taylor Racing’s 24 Hours of Le Mans effort has so far been a “juggling act” with its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign according to the team’s Vice President and general manager Travis Houge.

The Indianapolis-based squad has been granted a Hypercar class entry with one of its Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh cars, which will be driven by Ricky and Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque.

While boasting previous overseas experience in Lamborghini Super Trofeo competition, WTR’s flagship program will be making the trip to France for the first time, with the team currently in full planning mode according to Houge.

“With the timing and coming into a new program with new parts and trying to get inventory up, it’s a juggling act of what goes where and when,” he told Sportscar365.

“Leading up to it, you have two street courses, you go to Long Beach and then you go to Detroit and you’ve got Laguna [Seca] in the middle, and then you’re coming straight back and doing a six-hour event [at Watkins Glen].

“The logistics side of it is how to make sure that you have the best available components in both locations at those times. Then you’re taking a bit of a gamble on what’s going to happen in those street courses.

“History shows that you usually have some damage coming out of street races, so you’re trying to make sure that you’re covered on parts.”

With WeatherTech Championship races at Detroit and Watkins Glen sandwiching the two-week Le Mans event in June, WTR, like other IMSA teams, will be utilizing a separate chassis for the French endurance classic.

Houge said they currently have options to either build up a car of its own or utilize a Cadillac chassis that’s currently in Hertz Team JOTA’s possession in the UK.

A decision on which route they will take is expected to be made later this week.

“You look at the timeframe, you have to have separate equipment,” said Houge.

“Greaves has been a really good support for us because with our relationship with them and United Race Parts, they’re helping us to make sure what we need for this event and what they can provide.

“Because we use all their stuff here [in IMSA], it makes the transition easier for us. All of our equipment will match.

“We’re working with JOTA on a few things as well. They have a test car and we’re able to use that test equipment. That will keep us from having to send too much over and rely on shipping coming back.”

The tight timeframe from when WTR received its entry confirmation, on March 3, and date needed to sea-freight equipment has also played a factor into the team’s logistical decisions.

“From the time where we found out [we had an entry], where if we were going to ship anything over with a sea-freight container, we would have had five days to get a manifest ready to go and be able to make it to sea-freight,” said Houge.

“There was no way to know from our vendors what parts we could actually get here in time to go on the shipping container by April 1.

“Now we have to air freight stuff over and minimize what we can and utilize some other partners.”

Houge said they’ve received an outpouring of support from European teams they’ve previously helped out when racing in the U.S.

“Over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of teams over there when they come to the States, we’ve been able to help them with shop space and been able do some of that,” he said.

“Those favors are now coming back into play saying, ‘Hey, you guys helped us. What can we do to help?’

“One of them was almost nine years ago, we helped them with some building space and they were the first ones to reach back out and say, ‘What do you want us to do?'”

Taylor: Family Effort Makes Team’s Le Mans Debut “Special”

Wayne Taylor, meanwhile, said he’s excited to re-create a full family effort in a 24-hour race that was last seen in the team’s Rolex 24 at Daytona victory in 2017.

“The fact that we won Daytona with Ricky and Jordan in the car with Max [Angelelli] and Jeff Gordon, me on the timing stand, my wife in the pace car,” he told Sportscar365.

“We decided at that point we can never duplicate that, which is why we separated [Ricky and Jordan] in IMSA.

“But going to Le Mans, we have that opportunity now to do it again. That’s special.”

Taylor said WTR is heading to Le Mans for the first time with reasonable expectations, although knowing they’ll have the full support of Cadillac and its other factory teams.

“We have a close relationship with Sam [Hignett] and David [Clarke] from JOTA,” he said. “I’ve known them for a long time and Ricky has driven for them. We have good support.

“At this stage, we’re all excited and are going to be all together. But as soon as the drivers leaves the pit lane and pull their visors down, it’s different.

“I think honestly, we have to finish the race and if we can be in the top-five or top-six, the first time, I’d be extremely happy. But there’s a lot of competition and a lot of cars.

“It’s a 24-hour race. We just have to keep our nose clean, only come in for tires and fuel, and don’t make any mistakes.”