Roar Before the 24 Test Days Report

Wayne-Taylor-Racing-GrandAm-DP
No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP of Wayne Taylor Racing

Date: Jan. 4-6, 2013
Event: Roar Before the 24 Test Days
Series: Daytona Prototype division of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (3.56-mile, 12-turn road course)
WTR Fastest Lap: 1:43.171 at 124.219 mph by Max Angelelli
Overall Fastest Lap: 1:42.058 at 125.576 mph by Michael Valiante of Michael Shank Racing (Ford Riley)

Three days of rigorous testing came to a conclusion Sunday afternoon for the newly christened No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette Dallara DP of Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) as full-time co-drivers Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor, joined by reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, took turns logging laps in the stunning, black prototype during this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 in preparation for the 51st running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona less than three weeks hence.

Angelelli, the veteran Italian who won this event co-driving with team owner and three-time sports car racing champion Wayne Taylor en route to the 2005 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championship, clocked the fastest lap of the weekend by the WTR trio with an effort of 1 minute, 43.171 seconds (124.219 mph) around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road circuit Saturday morning. It was just the 14th-best lap among 59 car-and-driver combinations that took to the track this weekend, but the team left feeling confident in its prospects for the race after successfully running through its checklist of items to be tested for the grueling, 24-hour marathon at month’s end.

Jordan Taylor, the 21-year-old younger brother of Ricky Taylor, who Angelelli co-drove with to seven wins the past three seasons, joins WTR for the first time this season after having scored a pair of victories in 44 previous Rolex Series starts with various teams the past two seasons. Hunter-Reay, meanwhile, will be making his seventh consecutive Rolex 24 start with the team he last drove for in 2006 after a dramatic season that saw him clinch the 2012 IndyCar title at the season-ending race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., last October.

Former WTR driver Michael Valiante clocked the fastest lap of all competitors this weekend, a lap of 1:42.058 at 125.576 mph this morning in the No. 6 Ford Riley of the defending race-winning team of Michael Shank Racing. The top six laps were clocked by Ford- or BMW-powered Riley chassis. The fastest Corvette DP was Richard Westbrook in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona entry, who was seventh-fastest overall with a lap of 1:42.658 at 124.842 mph Sunday morning.

Teams return to Daytona Jan. 24 for Rolex 24 practice and qualifying. Race time is 3:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 26, with SPEED and the Motor Racing Network providing live broadcasts for which times have yet to be announced.

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, driver, No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP for Wayne Taylor Racing:
“Wayne Taylor Racing is one of the best teams in the business. I’ve had the privilege of working with this team in the past. I know quite a few guys on the team. This was my first time in the Corvette Dallara DP and I was very impressed with its performance. I’ve got big shoes to fill, a lot to live up to driving for this team because it performs at such a high standard. Winning the IndyCar championship with Chevrolet and then coming here and being in one of their lead cars for the Daytona 24-hour, I’m just honored to be a Team Chevy driver. That means a lot to me and it’s always been one of my goals to do this race for this manufacturer. Hopefully, we can go get them a win this time. This test is more about a checklist than outright speed and we were methodical about getting through some very fundamental changes, working through routine operations with each driver, driver changes, where the switches are, etc. This is less about going fast than it is about everybody executing together and doing their job without making mistakes. This team is certainly proven in that regard and I am looking forward to coming back here in a few weeks.”

WAYNE TAYLOR, team owner, No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP for Wayne Taylor Racing:
“I feel very good about the car, the team, the drivers. I think we’ve got a good car. Obviously, there are a lot of people playing games with power but I’m sure that’ll be resolved. I can’t say enough in the way of thanks to Velocity Worldwide for coming on board, for my continued support from Toshiba, and especially Mark Kent and everybody from General Motors, Chevrolet, Pratt and Miller, Dallara. I’m going away with a very good feeling.”

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