IMSA: Jeff Gordon joins WTR Cadillac Rolex 24 team for 2017 Marshall Pruett / Images courtesy WTR/Brian Cleary

Jeff Gordon's retirement plans are on hold once more as the NASCAR legend has signed on to compete in January's Rolex 24 at Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing.
The factory-affiliated WTR Cadillac DPi-V.R program will host the four-time stock car champion on his return to the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway after a 10-year absence. The Californian attempted to hang up his helmet at the conclusion of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, but was drafted in to drive for the ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for what turned out to be eight races for his former team, Hendrick Motorsports.


Gordon is far from a newcomer at Daytona's second most famous motor race. After testing with the WTR team on the blended road course/oval in 2006, he came back to test again in 2007 and made his one and only start at the 24-hour classic in a Riley-Pontiac Daytona Prototype with Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen (pictured). The foursome started second and finished third.
Given the chance to reunite with his old sports car teammates, Gordon leapt at the opportunity to drive the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R with Angelelli and Taylor's sons Ricky and Jordan for the 55th running of the Rolex 24.
"I really enjoyed racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007 with Max, Wayne and Jan," Gordon said. "When I announced I would no longer be competing full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, my hope was that I would get an opportunity like this to compete again in such a prestigious event – with Konica Minolta and Wayne Taylor Racing – with the hopes of winning it this time. I know that Ricky and Jordan are super-fast, and I believe it will be a very strong combination."
Having the immensely popular 45-year-old back within the WTR family is a point of pride for the elder Taylor.
"We are excited to have Jeff back in the lineup with us for the 2017 Rolex 24," he said. "He was with us when we started this race team back in 2007 and he helped us finish on the podium. We have kept in close touch ever since and have always been looking for another opportunity to have him join our driver lineup. That opportunity is finally here after his retirement from full-time competition in NASCAR and we are very much looking forward to working with him again."
Gordon is expected join the Taylor brothers and Angelelli in pre-event testing at Daytona later this month, continue testing in early January at the Roar Before the 24, and was also rumored to have taken part in recent private DPi testing overseen by GM Racing. By the time the green flag waves for the race, he should be close to the pace established his young championship-winning teammates.
"Having Jeff Gordon join the team is really a dream come true for all of us," Ricky Taylor said. "It is a huge compliment to how well-respected the team has become over the years for someone with the history and career of Jeff Gordon to want to be a part of it. For me, it will be surreal to drive alongside a legend and I can't wait to hear all of the stories he has to share from his years of racing. I'm sure he will be a great addition to the lineup and hopefully we can all get our first Rolex 24 win together."
The presence of a NASCAR star on the grid will continue a Rolex 24 tradition, as Jordan Taylor explains.
"It used to be common to have NASCAR guys joining teams for the Rolex but, over recent years, it's become less and less frequent," he said. "Jeff Gordon is a name that everyone knows worldwide. He is one of the biggest names in motorsports. He drove with my dad and Max at the Rolex back in 2007, so it'll be cool to have a 10-year reunion with him and the team. Sportscar racing offers a unique perspective for drivers, where we have to share the same car. I can't wait to compare notes and feedback with such a legend of our sport. It's going to be an experience of a lifetime."
For Angelelli, having his old friend in the car for another shot at Rolex 24 glory – on the debut of the Cadillac DPi-V.R – has come at the perfect time.
"In a way, I'm such a fan of his, but I look forward to sharing our new Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R racecar with him, discussing our setup and race strategy," he said. "It was great the first time – we might have won that race if some things would have gone our way. Now that it's happening again, with the new car, it's going to be absolutely great."

 

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