Andretti Autosport is working on plans to give two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion Ricky Taylor an IndyCar test session with the team in the near future.
Taylor is one of the top drivers in prototype sportscar racing, logging 24 wins in nine years of IMSA competition, and competing in the 24 Hours of LeMans eight times.
This season, Taylor is a driver for the new partnership between Wayne Taylor Racing and Andretti Autosport, as the two work together on the new GTP prototype formula.
That partnership immediately drew ties between the star driver and Michael Andretti, with the latter telling RACER that he is eager to give the 33-year-old an IndyCar test.
“Let me just say he’s on our radar,” Andretti told RACER. “Hopefully we’re gonna get him in the car soon and see how he does.
“I know he drove a Penske car a few years back, and I heard it went very, very well from the people that were there at the test that worked with them. So, we can’t wait to get him in the car.”
Taylor’s first IndyCar outing was back in 2017, with Penske sending him out on the Miami-Homestead course to test his skills in an open wheel car. Despite doing well in the test, no further opportunities materialized.
Prototype sportscars historically require very similar driving styles to an IndyCar, with both demanding that drivers come to grips with high levels of downforce on a lightweight chassis.
Taylor’s career has continued to produce dividends on the prototype sportscar side since his previous test, which led directly to Andretti inquiring about both him and his brother Jordan Taylor once the new partnership with WTR came about.
“To be honest, [it’s] both my kids,” said WTR owner Wayne Taylor to RACER. “When Michael flew down [to discuss the merger], the first thing they said when they came in was, ‘We want both your kids.’ And Jordan and Ricky said to me, ‘We like the idea that Andretti’s name is on it, because then we can deal with Michael and we don’t have to deal with you, dad! We can just deal with Michael.”
There is no firm date set yet for the proposed test, but IndyCar teams are given a few private in-season test sessions to which either Taylor brother could be invited.
In the meantime, Ricky Taylor will be competing in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the WTR with Andretti Autosport #10 Acura this upcoming weekend, and Jordan Taylor will be competing in the #3 factory Corvette GTD Pro entry.
