Ricky Taylor

Ricky Scott Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional racing driver, most notably in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. His career highlights include an IMSA Series Championship in 2017, as well as marquee wins at the Daytona 24, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

In 2017, he, along with his brother Jordan, won the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the Prototype class with five wins.

In 2018, Taylor left his father's team, Wayne Taylor Racing, to join the new Acura Team Penske Prototype squad in 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, partnering with Hélio Castroneves for the full season. In 2020, he and codriver Castroneves won the 2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He returned to his father's team in 2021.

Taylor was also runner-up in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype class in 2010 and 2011. Within that category, he earned seven wins and 20 podiums. He was also second in the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona and fifth in 2008, 2011, and 2013.

Early years

Taylor's father, Wayne, was a driver in the IMSA GT Championship in the 1990s, so Ricky and brother Jordan grew up in Florida. After competing in karting, Ricky was series champion of single seaters' school Skip Barber Southern in 2006 and runner-up of Skip Barber National in 2007.

In 2008, Taylor debuted in the 24 Hours of Daytona for the Grand-Am series with a Riley-Pontiac in the Daytona Prototype class for Wayne Taylor Racing, resulting fifth with Max Angelelli, Michael Valiante, and his father Wayne Taylor. Months later, contested the Virginia round with the Beyer team, accompanied by Andy Wallace and Jared Beyer. Later, Taylor joined Doran's team to participate in the final six races of the season with a Dallara-Ford, earning a fifth-place finish with Burt Frisselle.

Taylor became a regular driver for Beyer in the 2009 season of the Grand-Am series, using first a Riley-Pontiac and then a Riley-Chevrolet. He earned a fourth, an eighth, and a ninth-place finish in the last three races to finish 18th in the drivers' championship in the Daytona Prototype class. Taylor driving at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, his first in an LMP2 car.

WTR and Spirit of Daytona

Wayne Taylor hired Ricky to contest the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series with a Dallara-Ford. Accompanied by Max Angelelli, he captured one win and seven podiums and sixth place in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He finished second in the drivers' championships and teams in the DP class, behind Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas and his nine victories.

In the 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series season, Taylor was behind the wheel of a Dallara-Chevrolet. He scored three victories (one of them in the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen) and eight podium finishes, and a fifth place in the 24 Hours of Daytona. As a result, he finished as runner-up in the DP class behind Pruett and Rojas again.

Adopting new Chevrolet Corvette DP in 2012, Taylor recorded three wins and seven top-fives in 12 appearances. He finished seventh in the driver standings and fifth among the teams in the DP class. Later, he contested the Gold Coast 600 of V8 Supercars in a Holden Commodore from Garry Rogers Motorsport alongside Greg Ritter; however, he had a frightening rollover several hundred metres after the start whilst trying to avoid two stricken cars.

Taylor became a driver in the Spirit of Daytona Racing for the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season, teaming with Richard Westbrook. He earned a third place, three fifths, and a sixth, finishing 11th in the drivers championship and eighth among teams in the DP. He also obtained a fifth place in the GTE-Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a Chevrolet Corvette in the Larbre Competition. Taylor competing at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans for Cool Racing.

Team Penske

Beginning with the 2018 Roar Before the 24, Taylor partnered with Helio Castroneves in one of two new Acura ARX-05s fielded by Roger Penske. Taylor and Castroneves won the 2020 WeatherTech SportsCar DPi Drivers' Championship, after finishing eighth at the season finale at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Other competition In 2012, Taylor was selected by Garry Rogers Motorsport to participate in the 2012 Armor All Gold Coast 600 event for V8 Supercars as an "international" co-driver. In his first-ever standing start, he managed only 200m before he rolled over a car that had stalled on the grid, totalling his No. 33 Holden VE Commodore and resigning himself and team-mate Greg Ritter to the sidelines for the rest of the weekend.

Racing record

Career summary

Season still in progress.

Complete Rolex Sports Car Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 2013 Larbre Compétition Julien Canal Patrick Bornhauser Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GTEAm 302 29th 5th 2014 Larbre Compétition Pierre Ragues Keiko Ihara Morgan LMP2-Judd LMP2 341 14th 9th 2016 Corvette Racing - GM Antonio García Jan Magnussen Chevrolet Corvette C7.R GTEPro 336 25th 7th 2017 Keating Motorsport Ben Keating Jeroen Bleekemolen Riley Mk. 30-Gibson LMP2 312 47th 20th 2018 Jackie Chan DC Racing Côme Ledogar David Heinemeier Hansson Ligier JS P217-Gibson LMP2 195 DNF DNF 2019 Jackie Chan DC Racing Jordan King David Heinemeier Hansson Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 199 DNF DNF 2021 High Class Racing Dennis Andersen Marco Sørensen Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 353 18th 13th LMP2 Pro-Am 4th 2022 Cool Racing Niklas Krütten Yifei Ye Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 367 11th 7th 2023 Tower Motorsports René Rast Steven Thomas Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 19 DNF DNF LMP2 Pro-Am 2025 Cadillac WTR Filipe Albuquerque Jordan Taylor Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar 189 DNF DNF 2026 Cadillac WTR Filipe Albuquerque Jordan Taylor Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar 379 9th 9thSources:

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)