Acura Snatches Wayne Taylor Racing Away from Cadillac for IMSA 2021

A Glittering Sportscar Racing Career

Like 1979 F1 World Champion Jody Scheckter and fellow SA Champion Ian Scheckter, Taylor hails from East London, South Africa. Taylor headed overseas in the early ’90s, where he has since carved a stellar career. Wayne is a double Daytona 24, Sebring 12 Hour and Petit Le Mans winner. And a prototype winner at the Le Mans 24 Hour too.

Taylor’s sons have since established themselves as leading drivers racing for their dad and elsewhere. Ricky Taylor was a driving force in Penske’s Acura team. He and Helio Castroneves piped his dad’s Cadillac to the 2020 IMSA DPi title. Taylor’s team’s move across to Acura is significant.

Wayne Taylor Racing will also field an all-new driver lineup in its number 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 next year. WTR Monday confirmed that Ricky Taylor will return to his dad’s team after three years away. He will drive alongside sportscar veteran Filipe Albuquerque. Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi joins them for the endurance races, And three-time Indy winner Castroneves will be the fourth driver in January’s Daytona 24.

“I’m excited to secure three men who drove the Acura with such success,” Wayne Taylor confirmed. “Changing to Acura, I wanted consistency in our drivers and that’s one thing we can tick off the list.”

Shank is Ready to Win Too

Meyer Shank Racing has meanwhile confirmed Dane Cameron and Olivier Pla as its full-time drivers. AJ Allmendinger is the team’s Daytona extra. The team is yet to confirm its third endurance driver. “It’s a big moment in our history,” team boss Michael Shank admitted. “We have worked towards the opportunity to fight for overall wins. I am thrilled and eager to get going.”

It is understood that the teams will each receive a new ORECA-built biturbo V6 Acura ARX-05. Second cars will be supplied after Penske returns its two ARX-05s.

Either way, there will be a certain shift of power at the head of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar field.

As Shank moves up and Taylor across, to commence a new era for Acura in the series.

Images: Acura

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Michele Lupini

Once a handy engine and chassis tuner, and a combative racer and rally driver, Michele took up the pen to express his passion for cars, racing and motoring over 30 years ago. He published South Africa’s go-to enthusiast motor magazines Cars in Action and Bakkie — some say against all odds — for a quarter century. In that time, Michele had a hand in nurturing many of South Africa's motoring media leaders. Today Michele keeps himself busy with his a range of international motoring media duties alongside his own theauto.page. And a little racing on the side.