Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
David Malsher-Lopez

Hartley joins Wayne Taylor Racing for Petit Le Mans

The 32-year-old New Zealander will be aiming to assist Taylor and Albuquerque, who have won four of their nine rounds so far this year, clinch the IMSA Prototype title.

Despite regular cross-pollination between IMSA and World Endurance Championship driver line-ups, this will be two-time WEC champion Hartley’s first IMSA outing since 2019. However, one of his most recent IMSA rounds, Petit Le Mans in 2017, resulted in overall victory with Ryan Dalziel and Scott Sharp, sharing the Extreme Speed Motorsport Nissan.

“I’m very pleased to be joining Wayne Taylor Racing for Petit Le Mans,” he said. “I have competed against them many times in the past and it’s clear they know how to win races and championships.

“When Wayne called me a few weeks ago, I jumped at the opportunity, especially having Ricky and Filipe as teammates. I’ve done Petit a few times before and it’s a special event for me – the race in which I made my American endurance racing debut back in 2012. It’s a tough, old-school track that all of the drivers love.

“I’m well aware that WTR is in the middle of a championship fight, which adds a little pressure, and I am up for it. I have already started to communicate with the engineers and my new teammates who are giving me all the information needed to help me get up to speed quickly.”

“Brendon and I have been in touch for several years now, looking for the right opportunity to work together,” said team owner Wayne Taylor, who was the inaugural Petit Le Mans winner as a driver, and has seen his cars take three PLM victories as an owner. “He is massively talented and what he brings to our mission is exemplary.

“His track record at Le Mans, F1 and in the World Endurance Championship speaks for itself. Just as importantly, he will be a great teammate to Ricky and Filipe and an excellent fit for our team.” 

President of Honda Performance Development (HPD), David Salters, added: “We are thrilled to have Brendon on board to drive our championship- and Daytona-winning Acura ARX-05. It is very cool to have Brendon come join the fun and race with Ricky and Felipe. That’s a super-stout world class driver line-up right there!” 

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05, Acura DPi, DPi: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque (Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.