DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s no questioning the motivation and need for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing and, specifically, its long-tenured No. 10 automotive to renew its ordinary place at or close to the highest of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship podium in Grand Touring Prototype.
Fortunately, a visit to Basic Motors’ headquarters in Detroit has traditionally been ripe for some residence cooking.
Every of the final two years, the No. 10 automotive has arrived in Detroit after a tough begin to the brand new season. In each 2024 and 2025, the No. 10 automotive of Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor failed to complete higher than fifth within the first 4 races. In 2024, the staff entered Detroit eighth in GTP factors (305 factors off the lead) and in 2025, seventh (412 again).
In some way the luck has taken an additional hit in 2026 as a result of this yr the No. 10 automotive hasn’t completed higher than tenth, and the Taylor/Albuquerque pair rank 14th in driver factors with the No. 10 automotive eleventh within the GTP standings, 485 off chief Laurin Heinrich. The sister No. 40 automotive of Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor sits ninth in factors, 343 in arrears.
Befitting of town itself, “new Detroit” – the 1.645-mile, nine-turn road circuit – has served as the house of the beginning of WTR’s comeback with the No. 10 automotive and served as a catalyst for a second half surge within the remaining 5 rounds of the GTP season.
Ricky Taylor’s go for the win on Mathieu Jaminet’s Porsche 963 in 2024 marked the No. 10 automotive’s return to victory lane in an Acura ARX-06, whereas final yr they almost gained aboard the staff’s now-Cadillac V-Sequence.R earlier than Renger van der Zande made a late-race win go.
“I’m not ashamed of ending second when it was such a cool struggle for the for the win on the final second,” Albuquerque mentioned on a pre-Detroit, IMSA-hosted media convention. “Renger did an incredible transfer on Ricky, which you’ll want to acknowledge when it’s a great transfer.”
In each years, the No. 10 automotive completed the ultimate 5 races of the yr with three high fives apiece and leapt to sixth in factors. That’s definitely not the usual the staff expects, nevertheless it not less than serves proof optimistic of how Detroit has been the place the season has turned the nook.
Albuquerque didn’t mince phrases in regards to the struggles however was additionally bullish on historical past repeating itself for a 3rd yr in a row.
“The brand new Detroit has been type to the ten automotive,” he mentioned. “Two years in the past, we gained not with true tempo, however on technique. Final yr, we did effectively with a great comeback from ranging from P4.
“We wish to catch a break, to be trustworthy, on this season, and hopefully in Detroit once more. In 2024, what we did was a great ‘break level.’ Let’s hope that it’s once more. So, we’re working collectively to know the automotive and to be higher and are available again on high.”
Working collectively to know the automotive is a key level. Although that is Wayne Taylor Racing’s second yr again with Cadillac, the staff is 5 races into understanding a raft of aerodynamic upgrades and Michelin’s new-for-2026 GTP tire.
It’s value noting the No. 10 automotive completed third on the street in Sebring earlier than the automotive was discovered to have camber in extra of the permitted tire stress restrict throughout post-race technical inspection. Moreover, Deletraz within the No. 40 automotive gained the Motul Pole Award final day trip at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. So flashes of WTR brilliance have definitely emerged within the opening rounds.
“We’re manner higher this yr on tempo,” he mentioned, “however we see typically the ten, typically the 40, be good in alternating on tempo. We’re attempting to lock that right down to each be constant on the entrance row. We now have not achieved that but.
“Final yr, I keep in mind qualifying was tough to get the tires working. However it is a utterly totally different setting and there’s a brand new aero bundle as effectively.”
June, in fact, is a busy month for Albuquerque, the Taylor household and the Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing group as a complete. The staff returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its No. 101 Cadillac V-Sequence.R chassis earlier than coming again to the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on the finish of the month. On the latter venue, WTR scored its first GTP double podium in 2025.
“The most important was final yr as a result of every little thing was new,” Albuquerque defined. “When you’ve gotten two vehicles, you’re taking half the crews of every staff and fly there and go. I feel in the long run it’s only a studying course of.
“I feel doing Le Mans makes us higher as a result of we’re studying extra about every little thing. There’s a check day, which we’ve time to do stuff on the automotive, and we study in regards to the tires there in Le Mans, we’ll drive with each compounds as effectively. We get to play with (Cadillac Hertz Group) JOTA collectively on the identical weekend. They’re supportive. So it’s a studying course of. So I consider it as a optimistic.”
However first comes Detroit and all that comes with it. It’s a metropolis the place Wayne Taylor Racing as a company has gained 5 occasions – 4 of 5 years on the previous Raceway on Belle Isle Park from 2013 to 2017, with Ricky Taylor a part of three of these wins. Eradicating the stress and treating it as one other race, nevertheless, helps.
“I feel we simply really feel prouder if we win in entrance of the house race and the bosses are there,” Albuquerque mentioned. “I feel successful is successful. It doesn’t matter the place you’re successful.
“It’s cool to inform them in individual what we’re planning on doing and the way it occurs. As a result of typically there’s a story to it. It’s higher than studying as a result of if you learn a report, it might sound like excuses. Once they’re there, and also you’re explaining, they’ve the total image of it.”
