Porsche ended its factory relationship the CORE Autosport and left the series, dropping the GTLM roster to just two teams and BMW is iffy about its return. Still, Doonan remains confident.
“BMW is a longtime, valued partner of IMSA’s and we expect that relationship to continue next year and for years to come,” Doonan said. “What the program will look like in 2021 is their news to announce and we will know more about their plans before the end of 2020. We are encouraged by the prospects for 2021 in the GTLM class across the board, but again, those programs will be announced on each manufacturer’s own timelines.”
Saving the best for last, there’s big news in DPi where Acura ended its very successful relationship with Team Penske in favor of a two-team campaign. Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing will fly the HPD/Acura flag beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Shank returns to the class after a five-year hiatus and moves up to DPi after winning a pair of GTD championships with Acura.
“We always wanted to get back into prototypes,” said Mike Shank. “We feel like we deserve it. We worked hard to get back to it (a prototype program) when the opportunity presented itself. We pitched hard for it and we ended up getting it. … We look forward to two years of DPi and, hopefully, if the creek don’t rise we’ll be in LMDh.” (LMDh is the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans).
And in the irony of ironies, Wayne Taylor’s Cadillac missed the crown by a single point to Penske’s Acura, driven by Taylor’s son Ricky. Now, Taylor is leaving a profitable 28-year relationship with General Motors and looking to build a new legacy with HPD/Acura.
“We are very excited about this program and the partnership between us and Acura Motorsports is something I have wanted, a factory-backed program,” Wayne Taylor said. “The energy level, the excitement and the respect I have received from every single person from HPD and Acura have been phenomenal.”
With Sebring in the rearview mirror, Taylor and team were ready for a mad scramble to prepare for Daytona.
“We’ll do everything in our power to replicate what we’ve done for Cadillac,” Taylor said. “So, at the moment, it’s all hands on deck. There’s no Thanksgiving, no Christmas, no New Year’s (days off). It’s going to be work and that’s what we live for.”
The Taylor operation became more interesting with Ricky Taylor returning to the fold for a full season, pairing with incumbent Felipe Albuquerque. Castroneves and Alexander Rossi will join the team for the endurance events.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my career with Acura and kind of coming along with the car back to Wayne Taylor Racing,” said Ricky Taylor. “It’s really exciting. Hopefully, we can all bring a lot to the program. I’m sure it’s going to be super successful.”
Meanwhile, Dane Cameron takes his experience with the Acura program to Meyer Shank Racing where he will team with Olivier Pla. Juan Pablo Montoya and A.J. Allmendinger join the team for the endurance rounds.
The two Acura headliners will be challenged by the always-consistent Action Express Racing Cadillac team and Chip Ganassi Racing, which returns to the series after a one-year absence.
The Ganassi team will field a Cadillac DPi with former Haas F1 pilot Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande sharing the driving chores. Five-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon is expected to join the duo for the endurance events.