Taylor, who was a central figure in Cadillac’s ALMS program which competed against Audi from 2000-2002, has developed WTR into an impressive outfit in just four years of operation. With the striking livery of primary sponsor SunTrust banks making their Dallara-Ford easy to recognize, Taylor has become one of the elite prototype entrants in the country thanks to a team made up of crafty and experienced sportscar specialists.
Wayne Taylor, middle, shares in the spoils of his team's victory at Lime Rock in June. (LAT)
While WTR lacks the same level of factory experience the other two candidates offer, they have been instrumental in working with the Italian racing constructor Dallara to develop their Daytona Prototype chassis. WTR’s professionalism and capabilities won’t be lost on Audi, as they too have a relationship with Dallara who have worked closely with the Germans for more than a decade on aerodynamic development and to produce their different LMP chassis over the years.
Of the three teams on the table, WTR would have the most growth ahead of them to meet Audi’s incredibly high level of expectations to deliver immediate results. Taylor’s staff is capable of rising to the challenge, but with Audi Sport known for having extremely particular working methods for every imaginable aspect of the job, it would take some time for the two parties to jell.
In terms of providing a turn-key program, Penske Racing’s recent and intimate knowledge of Porsche’s practices and Highcroft’s deep understanding of what an exacting company like Acura/HPD expect from a partner must be seen in a more favorable light.
Nonetheless, receiving the Audi contract would be a huge step for Taylor as he continues to expand his company, and in the workings of a partnership, Audi would likely have the option to mold the team in their image, while Penske and Highcroft would probably be seen as two entities with more fixed operations.
Reached Thursday night by SPEED.com, Taylor declined to comment on the Audi situation.
In addition to running diesel-powered prototypes, the lucrative Audi contract is also expected to carry a GT element for the first time, along with providing a North American GT sales and service solution.
Audi has been in contact with the ALMS for more than a year about the possibility of making their GT3-spec R8 LMS eligible to race in the Series, and while those discussions appear to be ongoing, the only fit for the R8 would be in the GTC category, albeit with a lesser state of technology available to its drivers.
GRAND-AM is also believed to be at an advanced stage with Audi regarding the eligibility of the R8 LMS to compete in the Rolex GT category. With the R8 delivered minus the driver aids that the current GTC/Rolex GT cars run without, a solid sales opportunity could exist for the marque.
After winning Le Mans with the R15 plus, Audi would likely use the new R18 in America to help accelerate its development program to prepare for the assault on La Sarthe in 2011. (Marshall Pruett)
Housing the sales and service center is another point under evaluation by Audi, and in that category, Penske Racing’s 425,000-square foot shop could be a natural fit. The only foreseeable downside would be that Penske’s shop houses their IZOD IndyCar Series program and all of their NASCAR-related teams. While Penske has run both ALMS and GRAND-AM teams out of the very same shop, just how Audi would feel about being a sub-division amongst Penske’s Honda and Dodge racing programs is unknown.
With Highcroft’s Danbury facility and WTR’s Indianapolis base, less space would be at Audi’s disposal for R8 sales and service, but they would have a dedicated operation to call home.
One final aspect of Audi’s return to the ALMS that also appears to have changed is the source of funding for the program. Audi AG previously supported the multi-million dollar effort on an annual basis, but the word is that Audi North America would underwrite the new ALMS racing activities.
The timing of an announcement for Audi’s 2011 ALMS effort is unknown, but they traditionally reveal their plans for the coming year at the Essen Motor Show, which starts on November 27th.
Provided everything goes forward as planned, Audi has a perfect opportunity to add a new chapter to their sportscar legacy in the USA. Finding the right technical partner to run the program while working in unison with the factory is the greatest challenge, but all three contenders can deliver an LMP championship in 2011.
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com’s Auto Racing Editor, and also covers IndyCar and sportscar racing for the site. Pruett grew up at ‘Pruett's Olde English Garage,’ his father's shelter for abused foreign cars, and spent his childhood being dragged across the West Coast to help with his dad's amateur racing exploits.
Pruett spent 20 years working in the IRL, CART, IMSA, and most of the known open-wheel feeder series before retiring from active duty in 2001. And in case you were wondering, he isn’t related to Scott Pruett.
Marshall lives in Northern California with his wife Shabral, and can be emailed . He can also be harassed on Twitter .
