Cadillac Racing has confirmed that its IMSA GTP programme will expand to three cars in 2025 as part of the return of Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR), which will run a pair of V-Series.Rs alongside Action Express’ longstanding single entry.
This is another piece to the jigsaw in a season of change for Cadillac’s GTP and Hypercar efforts. It follows the split between the GM brand and Chip Ganassi Racing which has also led to JOTA being named as its Hypercar service provider in the FIA WEC.
“Cadillac Racing is thrilled to run an expanded three-car factory program in the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” said GM President Mark Reuss.
“Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing bring decades of proven racing and technical expertise, and we look forward to continued success on the track.”
Wayne Taylor Racing returns to Cadillac after four seasons spent competing with Acura from the tail end of the DPi era through to the start of GTP. It currently completes under the WTRAndretti guise and, as of this season, operates a two-car effort with the ARX-06.
That partnership will come to an end after Petit Le Mans in October, with WTR opting to switch back to racing with the GM brand when it became clear that Ganassi’s slot was becoming available.
WTR had long been tipped for a return to Cadillac and Acura had already made its 2025 plans public prior to today’s news breaking. Next year the HRC-led GTP effort will be represented by a two-car programme with Meyer Shank Racing, which has spent the 2024 season on the sidelines, focused entirely on IndyCar.
GM Motorsports’ history with Wayne Taylor dates to 1990 when the South African native turned his first laps in the U.S. as a General Motors factory driver in a Chevrolet-powered GTP race car. His success as a driver and team owner has included racing with multiple GM brands including Chevrolet and Cadillac.
During its previous relationship with Cadillac (2017-2020), Wayne Taylor Racing won three Rolex 24 At Daytona titles (2017, 2019, 2020), two Petit Le Mans races (2018, 2020) and the Twelve Hours of Sebring event (2017). In 2017, the team set an unprecedented five-race win streak with the Cadillac DPi and went on to win the IMSA WeatherTech Driver and Manufacturer’s Championships.
“I am so glad to return to the Cadillac family,” said Wayne Taylor, team principal, whose team last raced for Cadillac in the 2020 IMSA season.
Was the allure of a potential Le Mans bid with Cadillac too strong to pass up? Taylor has teased that the programme with Cadillac may see the team competing outside of North America. And trip to La Sarthe may now be on the cards, this is something that isn’t currently possible with Acura as it is not represented in the FIA WEC.
“Having teamed with GM for so many years,” he continued, “with so many wins and championships, and having enjoyed such a fantastic relationship with them, this global programme we have put together could not be more thrilling. We have exciting things coming and I look forward to discussing our commercial relationships in the coming months.”
Either way, in IMSA its V-Series.Rs will run under the Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing banner. And while the news release today contains no mention of Andretti in the team name, it is worth pointing out that WTR remains part of Andretti Global.
Meanwhile, Action Express – the 2023 GTP team/driver champion and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup team/driver champion – will race in 2025 as Cadillac Whelen and will continue to run the #31 Whelen V-Series.R in IMSA’s premier class.
Action Express Racing has had an alliance with GM since 2012 in IMSA, initially with the Corvette DP and Chevrolet 5.5L V8 engine and since 2017 with Cadillac Racing’s DPi and GTP programmes.
“All of us at Action Express Racing are thrilled that Cadillac has chosen us again to represent their iconic brand,” team manager Gary Nelson said.
“I have worked closely with GM for my entire career in motorsports. We have always been impressed with the people we work with at Cadillac. We are excited to compete for wins and championships at the highest level of sports car racing in America.”
Cadillac Racing has earned nine Manufacturer Championships in sports car racing since 2005 and five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championships with 69 total sports car victories, including 30 in IMSA prototype competition since 2017.
Driver crews for both teams will be announced in the coming months.
For more on the past, present and future of Action Express’ programme, read our supplementary feature with Gary Nelson HERE >>>
GTP images courtesy of IMSA
