Wayne Taylor and his Wayne Taylor Racing crew appealed to fellow Cadillac DPi-V.R teams to help them win the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship title as they sat far down the running order during this past weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring – but their competitors weren’t interested in lending a hand.
The No. 10 WTR Cadillac team of Renger Van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe arrived at Sebring locked in a tight championship battle with the No. 7 Acura Team Penske of Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor. The No. 10 team’s third driver for endurance events, Scott Dixon, was leading the way for the trio at the four-hour mark when the No. 77 Mazda RT24-P of Olivier Jarvis made contact with the Cadillac prototype, damaging its radiator and puncturing its right rear tire.
Dixon then lost five laps in the pits as the team made repairs to championship-contending DPi, relegating it to seventh. While the No. 7 Acura was sitting last in the DPi class, WTR stil needed to finish fifth or better to avoid losing the championship to the Penkse-run squad by one point. Sitting ahead of them were the two Cadillac DPi-V.R entries of JDC Miller Motorsports, so Taylor decided to walk over to the team’s pit wall to ask if they’d be so kind as to let them by so Cadillac could secure the title. Not surprisingly, JDC Miller wasn’t interested in undoing their drivers’ hard work to help out a fellow competitor.
“We tried, but those Cadillac guys don’t want to help us even though we’re Cadillac,” Wayne Taylor told Sportscar365. “They’re racing so I can’t blame them, but I think sometimes people forget how big a deal it is when we represent a big car manufacturer like Cadillac.”
“You would certainly think that people would help, but it’s over. I’m not upset about it.”
“It was just general conversion saying, ‘The only way that a Cadillac team can do this if we work together,” added WTR general manager Travis Hogue. “But none of us wanted to put our races in jeopardy for it, then nobody did.”
The No. 10 went on to finish seventh in the race, handing the title to Castroneves and Taylor. Acura also secured the 2020 IMSA DPi Manufacturer’s title, taking four wins to Cadillac’s three and finishing a scarce three points ahead in the standings.
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Comments
Wow, it was easy to tell whose finger prints were on this story!
Dig!
Here was the trouble.
WTR is leaving so a Championship Cadillac team will be Acura next week anyways.
Second IMSA would have stepped in if the other teams parked their cars. It is not much different than taking someone out to gain a spot that they penalize for now.
It is tough but the 31 car had the best shot and he made contact twice and paid the price with car damage. It was exciting but these cars can only take so much before things break.
There are going to be less cars next year and I hope they give the Cadillac some help with weight.
No one said anything about parking cars and racing is racing, what goes on between teams (co-sponsored or not) is between teams, they all need their sponsors as does the racing organization, or there is no racing.
I’m sure it was all a ruse anyway as WTR is switching to Acura next year anyway, gotta at least make it appear as if your trying to win! (what do you say Ricky?)
Well I was watching what went on. At the time and with the running several cars would have had to give up a couple laps near the end of the race.
Parking,. Long pitting etc. is how the change in position would have been done.
Yes Racing is racing but manipulating results by giving up spots or spinning someone out is not something sanctioning bodies like.
NASCAR just penalized a driver for spinning another for a position.
A long term team strategy is often accepted. Even team orders while not popular in F1 is accepted.
But in IMSA I would expect if Cadillac had done this WTR may have been given a lap or time penalty. The series wants the teams to race to a win not talk others to give up spots.
I wanted Cadillac to win as much as anyone but it would have been a hollow victory if they won it by manipulation.
Anyways I don’t blame WTR for asking but I am glad the others did not go along with it.
That is what has been wrong with many racing series anymore. Look at NASCAR and the chase. It is all fabricated. Harvick had the best season but Elliot had the best last couple races. That is not a racing championship. Note I am a big Elliot fan too.
You’re a “a big Elliot fan” … and “Harvick had the best season but Elliot had the best last couple races”.
Interesting, you misspelled his name twice – it’s Elliott 😉