Louis Deletraz is upbeat for IMSA’s Road America sprint race, crediting Wayne Taylor Racing’s (WTR) learning process with the Cadillac V-Series.R.
“We’ve learned a lot,” he told Motorsport Week — in a press conference — about WTR’s development since switching from Acura to Cadillac for this year.
“Obviously, everything was new [at Daytona], so much learning for the team side, for the drivers, all the engineers.
“Also, getting to know each other between the Cadillac guys and Wayne Taylor Racing took some time.
“You see rewards from teams who have been with the same manufacturers for three years, and there’s no way to skip that.
“But every race we’ve improved, every race we learned.
“And I think everyone on the team feels more comfortable.
“I think we also understand where the car wants to live in terms of setup for different tracks – for bumpy tracks and high-speed tracks – we’ve seen [that] through now with Watkins.
“So, Road America, I think, is definitely the race we’re most ready for, and where we have the most data and the most experience.
“So, I’m really looking forward to seeing how we get on there.”
Momentum from Glen, anticipating Road America
Deletraz and his #40 Cadillac team-mate Jordan Taylor took their first podium finish of the season at the Six Hours of the Glen, which was the previous round for the GTP category.
With their runner-up result having come at Round 6, the duo sit ninth in the GTP Drivers’ standings, further down than they would like to be.
But Road America is a favourite circuit for many of the drivers, with it considered America’s ‘Temple of Speed’ as Deletraz explained its characteristics.
“The whole track is a bit like Spa,” he said.
“If you compare, it has a lot of elevation, high grip, pretty smooth.
“So, there’s a lot of nice corners like the Carousel.
“It’s a good mix between technical, low speed, and high speed. It is a challenge to put a big lap in.
“It’s always rewarding when you see a good lap time and you’re up front to have made a lap there.
“It’s just a track you get on and you enjoy, and that’s something that you can only describe if you’re in the car.”
WTR qualified on the front row last year, albeit in Acura ARX-06 machinery, which Meyer Shank Racing now run for this year.
They are looking to continue their pace from the Glen without letting Meyer Shank continue their two-win streak and Porsche Penske add to their four consecutive race victories during the first half of the season.
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