Louis Deletraz Late-Race Pass Secures First GTP Win For Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti at Sebring
mobil 1 twelve hours of sebring winners 40 wayne taylor racing with andretti, acura arx06 gtp jordan taylor louis deletraz colton herta celebrate podium
Acura Captures First Overall Win at Sebring Michael L. Levitt/LAT

In the second year of the merger between Wayne Taylor Racing and Andretti Global, the two commanding forces from the world of IMSA and IndyCar scored their first win in their second car on Saturday night.

The No. 40 ARX-06 was piloted by Louis Deletraz, Jordan Taylor, and Colton Herta for the 72nd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. This was the first win for Acura in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing merged in 2023 to become Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti). After high hopes, the newly merged team had a slow start, going winless in their first combined season. 2024 saw significant growth for the new team as they added a second Grand Touring Prototype car to the grid.

The end of the 12-hour endurance race was a thriller as the cars were stacked behind a pilot car with less than 20 minutes remaining, forcing the leaders of each class within a second of their nearest competitors deep into the final run.

Deletraz was the driver for the No. 40 in the final run and lined up behind the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac piloted by Sebastien Bourdais. With under six minutes remaining after several attempts, Deletraz found his line, flashed his lights, and, while exiting Sebring’s hairpin corner, dove to the inside to complete the pass for the lead.

Bourdais continued hot on the pursuit of Deletraz, reluctant to finish second, but in the end, did not have the opportunity to reclaim his position. Deletraz crossed the finish line after the clock expired 0.891 seconds ahead of Bourdais.

The 45-year-old Frenchman said after the race that the No. 40 was just too fast on new tires but also was quick to share his disappointment with how Deletraz raced him.

“They just came out like a rocket with new tires at the end,” Bourdais said in a statement. “I’m a little disappointed that it turned into a bumper car contest. I didn’t try to make any contact, but he sure banged us left, right, and center.”

The No. 40 was not in the top three on the speed chart until late in the race when they started to match the speed of the No. 1 Cadillac and the No. 7 Penske Porshe 936.