- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
GRAND-AM
IN THE COCKPIT: Ricky Taylor, COTA
Our boys did a great job of giving us a quick car right out of the trailer and instantly we were near the sharp end of the leaderboard...
Ricky Taylor and the Spirit of Daytona team recorded a disappointing 11th place finish in last weekend's GRAND-AM of The Americas. (Photo: John Dagys)
Howdy y’all! Traditionally when I had thought of racing in Texas I would expect getting picked up in a good ole pickup truck, maybe a run-in with a rattlesnake and a trip to the saloon before the trek through the deserts of the west to a dusty old racetrack.
That, however, was not the case!
Every point on the trip to Texas was top notch, from the people to the food to the newly paved road into the track to the stunning facilities (including some fancy bathrooms in the garages which are always greatly appreciated) to the technical, flowing and fast track layout.
Even after all of the hype I couldn’t help but think, “how great can it really be” and it exceeded my expectations and I absolutely loved our trip to Texas, but the actual on track aspect was not always so successful in the case of this weekend.
Our boys did a great job of giving us a quick car right out of the trailer and instantly we were near the sharp end of the leaderboard. The car was feeling comfortable and we were just trying to sort out our race setup. Richard and I were both confident in the car and had a good feeling that we had a shot for the pole.
When qualifying came around the temperature had climbed significantly and the track became very greasy. This greatly affected the balance on our car, and the car balance compounded with me not handling traffic appropriately in qualifying led to a fifth place qualifying position.
I was very disappointed with myself because I felt like I did not get the most out of the car and did not manage the traffic well, even when I did have a clear lap I made a mistake.
P5 for the race was disappointing but the boys have done a lot of work on pit stops and Richard and I felt that we still had a car to fight for the win. Being on the inside for this track was a major advantage and with a few spots on the start and a few throughout the race between pit stops and overtaking, getting up on the podium seemed very possible.
As soon as the green flag flew, the race was off to an intense start as it seemed all 16 drivers made a great start! Everyone was bunched together and Rojas made a big move down the inside, clearing the way for me to follow through into second place. It was the perfect situation and now all we had to do was keep in touch with Rojas and manage the rest of the race from there.
But the heat got to us again and the car was quite a handful. Next thing I know I had pressure from the entire field behind me and I had to fight to hold onto position. After a great fight with my brother and Jon Fogarty I ended my first stint back in fifth which was quite disappointing.
During the second stint the track began to come back to us and our car gaining pace. Unfortunately we were stuck back in the pack from my poor first stint and I ended up handing the car over to Richard in 8th position.
Richard was very quick and was making major time up on the cars ahead, but due to an issue during the driver change we had lost a position to the 60. In the midst of the battle with the 60, they got together sending the 60 around which is something I was very close to doing in my stint as well.
Unfortunately the stewards felt it was worthy of a 60-second stop and go which effectively ruins any chance of a comeback. It was a very harsh penalty that I feel ends the race for any team who receives such a penalty during a sprint race. The same penalty took the 10 car (another possible race winning car) out of contention for a win which was brutal.
It was a tough way to end the race as the weather was cooling down and our car was very competitive. I am confident we had a top three car but with how competitive the series is this year, it is going to take a flawless day to win races.
It's no on to Barber Motorsports Park where we know we will have a quick car and will be back fighting for a win like Spirit of Daytona is used to doing!
Ricky Taylor, 23-year-old son of three-time sports car champion Wayne Taylor, embarks on his first season with Spirit of Daytona Racing, co-driving the No. 90 Corvette DP with Richard Westbrook. Follow him on Twitter: @Ricky_Taylor90 or at http://www.sdr-motorsports.com/
That, however, was not the case!
Every point on the trip to Texas was top notch, from the people to the food to the newly paved road into the track to the stunning facilities (including some fancy bathrooms in the garages which are always greatly appreciated) to the technical, flowing and fast track layout.
Even after all of the hype I couldn’t help but think, “how great can it really be” and it exceeded my expectations and I absolutely loved our trip to Texas, but the actual on track aspect was not always so successful in the case of this weekend.
Our boys did a great job of giving us a quick car right out of the trailer and instantly we were near the sharp end of the leaderboard. The car was feeling comfortable and we were just trying to sort out our race setup. Richard and I were both confident in the car and had a good feeling that we had a shot for the pole.
When qualifying came around the temperature had climbed significantly and the track became very greasy. This greatly affected the balance on our car, and the car balance compounded with me not handling traffic appropriately in qualifying led to a fifth place qualifying position.
I was very disappointed with myself because I felt like I did not get the most out of the car and did not manage the traffic well, even when I did have a clear lap I made a mistake.
P5 for the race was disappointing but the boys have done a lot of work on pit stops and Richard and I felt that we still had a car to fight for the win. Being on the inside for this track was a major advantage and with a few spots on the start and a few throughout the race between pit stops and overtaking, getting up on the podium seemed very possible.
As soon as the green flag flew, the race was off to an intense start as it seemed all 16 drivers made a great start! Everyone was bunched together and Rojas made a big move down the inside, clearing the way for me to follow through into second place. It was the perfect situation and now all we had to do was keep in touch with Rojas and manage the rest of the race from there.
But the heat got to us again and the car was quite a handful. Next thing I know I had pressure from the entire field behind me and I had to fight to hold onto position. After a great fight with my brother and Jon Fogarty I ended my first stint back in fifth which was quite disappointing.
During the second stint the track began to come back to us and our car gaining pace. Unfortunately we were stuck back in the pack from my poor first stint and I ended up handing the car over to Richard in 8th position.
Richard was very quick and was making major time up on the cars ahead, but due to an issue during the driver change we had lost a position to the 60. In the midst of the battle with the 60, they got together sending the 60 around which is something I was very close to doing in my stint as well.
Unfortunately the stewards felt it was worthy of a 60-second stop and go which effectively ruins any chance of a comeback. It was a very harsh penalty that I feel ends the race for any team who receives such a penalty during a sprint race. The same penalty took the 10 car (another possible race winning car) out of contention for a win which was brutal.
It was a tough way to end the race as the weather was cooling down and our car was very competitive. I am confident we had a top three car but with how competitive the series is this year, it is going to take a flawless day to win races.
It's no on to Barber Motorsports Park where we know we will have a quick car and will be back fighting for a win like Spirit of Daytona is used to doing!
Ricky Taylor, 23-year-old son of three-time sports car champion Wayne Taylor, embarks on his first season with Spirit of Daytona Racing, co-driving the No. 90 Corvette DP with Richard Westbrook. Follow him on Twitter: @Ricky_Taylor90 or at http://www.sdr-motorsports.com/
Latest Gallery
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
LE MANS: Audi Leads Wednesday LM24 Qualifying
Audis 1-2-3 in incident-filled and shortened opening day of qualifying… -
LE MANS: Lotus LMP2 Returns To Track
Seized parts returned to Lotus LMP2, No. 31 car rebuilt and completes… -
SPEED, SPEED.com Plan Live & Continuous LM24 Coverage
In-car streaming of Corvette Racing highlights two-screen experience...… -
VIDEO: 8Star LM24 Wednesday vBlog
Rui Aguas checks into SPEED.com prior to the start of practice and… -
LE MANS: Corvette On-Board Pass Returns For LM24
Watch! Live in-car and garage cameras from Corvette Racing during… -
LE MANS: Lotus LMP2 Cars Seized By Court
BREAKING: Lotus T128 parts seized by local courts over financial… -
LE MANS: Taylor Brothers Continuing Family Tradition
Second-generation racers Jordan, Ricky Taylor seek victory at Le… - More News
