One of the two final open slots on the Indianapolis 8 Hour Race entry list has been filled: On Monday, RealTime Racing announced the addition of Taylor Hagler to their driver lineup for this weekend’s upcoming race.
Hagler is a week removed from winning her second consecutive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge championship in the TCR category, and brings with her relevant experience aboard the Acura NSX GT3. She is a graduate of the HPD GT3 Academy, and ran full-time with Racers Edge Motorsports in 2021. Sharing their NSX with Dakota Dickerson and Jacob Abel, Hagler finished second in the Pro-Am Drivers’ Championship, with three wins in her class. At last year’s Indy 8 Hours, Hagler finished eighth overall and third in her class.
“I’m really excited to get the chance to race in the Indy eight-hour with RealTime, Erin Vogel, and Michael Cooper,” Hagler said. “Erin and Michael have had some really strong runs this year in the Acura, and I had a lot of success last year in the NSX GT3 Evo platform and we are looking to build on those collective experiences in Indianapolis. RealTime has had so much success and experience with this NSX platform and I’m looking forward to getting back to SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge competition.”
In turn, RealTime Racing are looking for a strong finish to their season, with one Pro-Am podium in the first race at Watkins Glen, and five top-five finishes.
“I think we have a very strong lineup with Taylor joining the team,” said RealTime Racing owner and founder, Peter Cunningham. “It’s fantastic that she has considerable experience in the Acura NSX and even racing it at Indy, so she’ll have no problem getting up to speed. This eight-hour race format should give RealTime plenty of opportunities to shine and end the 2022 season strong.”
With the addition of Hagler to the Indy 8 Hour field, there are now four women set to race in this third round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and the final round of GT World Challenge America.
Vogel became the first woman to score a class win in the series last season, a feat replicated later in the season by Hagler.
Ashton Harrison is aiming to become the first woman to win a GT World Challenge America drivers’ championship, embroiled in a tight battle for the Pro-Am Championship alongside Mario Farnbacher at Racers Edge Motorsports.
And for the first time since the June meeting at VIRginia International Raceway, Samantha Tan and her ST Racing team are due to race in America as the only Silver Cup entry in the 25-car field.
