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Spirit of Daytona Racing (known as Visit Florida Racing from 2015 to 2018) was an auto racing team that competed last in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype Class with the No. 90 Cadillac DPi-V.R, driven by Tristan Vautier, Matt McMurry and Eddie Cheever III. [1]
Spirit of Daytona was founded in 1987 by owner Troy Flis. The team is based in Daytona Beach, Florida where they have an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) shop. The team originally started racing in the number 16 Crown Royal Cask Volkswagen. The team has competed in every season of the Rolex Sports Car Series since the series was created in early 2000. The team has enjoyed some success by winning 16 Grand Am series races. They have also won a pair of Grand Am Series Team Championships in 2000 and 2001. They won a Grand Am Drivers Championship in 2001. They also won their class in the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona. The team's two main drivers are 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, and Antonio García, who was part of the Brumos Porsche team that won the 2009 24 Hours of Daytona. Spirit of Daytona finished 8th in the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series points. In 2010 they had nine top-tens, and four top-five finishes.
Antonio García and Richard Westbrook joined the Spirit of Daytona team during the 2012 Rolex Sports Car Series season. The team won overall at the 2012 Barber Motorsports Park race in a Corvette Daytona Prototype. [2] The team also won at Mid-Ohio with drivers Westbrook and Michael Valiante. [3] Afterward, Garcia would leave to join the Corvette factory team, his replacement being Jordan Taylor, son of Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner Wayne Taylor. Although Taylor and Westbrook would not win, during Grand-Am's final year, the duo had a best finish of third and finished 97% of the laps.
In 2014, Grand-Am merged with the American Le Mans Series to form the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. Taylor left to join his father's team, being replaced by Michael Valiante. The duo combined for three podiums as well as their sole victory at the 6 Hours of the Glen en route to third in the championship. The following year saw the team take its second consecutive 6 Hours at the Glen victory along with the win at Laguna Seca, and a runner-up at the Rolex 24. Despite Valiante and Westbrook finishing second in points, both drivers were released in favor of Marc Goossens and Scotsman Ryan Dalziel. Of note, Goossens raced with 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay at Long Beach due to Dalziel driving for Tequila Patrón ESM in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Against the dominant Action Express and Wayne Taylor Racing entries, VFR saw the podium twice, at Daytona and Laguna Seca, and Goossens finished 5th in the final standing.
For 2018, the team renewed its partnership with General Motors and Cadillac by becoming the third IMSA team to race the Cadillac DPi-V.R in the Prototype category after Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing. Van der Zande departed SDR to replace Ricky Taylor in the No. 10. SDR hired former IndyCar Series driver Tristan Vautier and European Le Mans Series and North American Endurance Championship driver Matt McMurry for their first full-time seasons in Prototype and Eddie Cheever III for the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring races. The team struggled in the first half of the season. The No. 90 failed to finish the Rolex 24 due to an engine misfire. [4] At Sebring, Vautier qualified on pole but in hour 11 of the race, he crashed into the Turn 17 barriers on his first lap after climbing back into the car, damaging the tub beyond repair and forcing the team to miss the following two rounds at Long Beach and Mid-Ohio. [5] The team returned for Round 5 at the Detroit Grand Prix but again retired, this time due to a gearbox failure. [6] Misfortune continued at the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen, where Vautier spun after making contact with another prototype on the first lap. The car was hit by a third prototype, forcing the car into a closed pit lane for repairs, and resulting in a time penalty. The team managed to reach the checkered flag for the first time all season, finishing 11th. [7] A lack of funding began to impact the team, preventing it from competing at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and at Road America. The team planned to return at or before the season finale, Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans but did not. [8]
In late 2019 rumors speculated that the team now back under its original name would purchase a Mazda RT24-P from the factory Mazda team but nothing came from the speculations.
The Team now builds cars for the Mazda Global MX 5 Cup.
| # | Season | Date | Classes | Track / Race | No. | Winning Drivers | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 | June 29 | Prototype | Watkins Glen | 90 |  Michael Valiante /  Richard Westbrook | Coyote Corvette DP | Chevrolet 5.5L V8 |
| 2 | 2015 | May 3 | Prototype | Laguna Seca | 90 | Michael Valiante / Richard Westbrook | Coyote Corvette DP | Chevrolet 5.5L V8 |
| 3 | June 28 | Prototype | Watkins Glen | 90 | Michael Valiante / Richard Westbrook | Coyote Corvette DP | Chevrolet 5.5L V8 | |
| 4 | 2017 | September 24 | Prototype | Laguna Seca | 90 |  Marc Goossens /  Renger van der Zande | Ligier JS P217 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 |
Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) is a sports car racing team that was founded in 2004 by racing driver Wayne Taylor. In 2023, the team began a partnership with Andretti Autosport that also saw them rebrand as Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti). The team currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, campaigning the No. 10 Konica Minolta-sponsored Acura ARX-06 for Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor and the No. 40 DEX Imaging-sponsored Acura ARX-06 for Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz in the GTP class, and the No. 45 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 for Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal in the GTD class, also sponsored by DEX Imaging.
Michael Valiante is a Canadian racing driver.
Riley Technologies LLC is an American auto racing constructor and team specializing in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications.
Richard Westbrook is a British professional racing driver noted for his success in racing Porsche and International sports cars. As a junior, he attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich. He has won both the Porsche Supercup international championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup in his native Britain (2004). At the end of the 2007 season, Richard signed a factory contract deal with the German marque Porsche, and the British ace proceeded to take on the world's best on the other side of the Atlantic. The next year (2009), Westbrook won the highly coveted FIA GT2 Championship, taking four victories in the process, establishing himself firmly on the World motor sport stage and in the upper echelons of elite sports car drivers.
Wayne Taylor is a South African sports car racing driver and team owner. He won the 1996 and 2005 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 2005 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype drivers' championship. He drove for SunTrust Racing with Max Angelelli. He co-drove in the 2006 International Race of Champions in the United States with Angelelli. Taylor now owns and manages his own team competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Tristan Vautier is a French professional racing driver who is currently competing in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship for the Vanwall Racing Team.
Jordan Lee Taylor is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 40 Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing. He won the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2017 championship in the Prototype class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Ricky Scott Taylor 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.
Mikhail "Misha" Goikhberg, is a Russian-born Canadian race car driver who is best known for competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Action Express Racing (AXR) is a sports car racing team that currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team is owned by NASCAR CEO Jim France and run by Bob Johnson and former NASCAR champion crew chief Gary Nelson. Based in Denver, North Carolina, the team currently fields the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-LMDh for Jack Aitken, Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims.
The 55th Rolex 24 at Daytona was an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned 24-hour automobile endurance race for prototype and grand touring sports cars held at the Daytona International Speedway combined road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, from January 28 to 29, 2017. It was the first of twelve events in the 2017 IMSA SportsCar Championship, the 55th 24 Hours of Daytona, and the first in the four-round North American Endurance Cup.
The 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship was the 48th motor racing championship sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It was the fifth season of the United SportsCar Championship and third to be held under the name as the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It began on January 27 with the 24 Hours of Daytona, and ended on October 13 with the Petit Le Mans.
The 2018 24 Hours of Daytona was an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned 24-hour automobile endurance race for Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring sports cars held at the Daytona International Speedway combined road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, on January 27 to 28, 2018. It was the first of twelve 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship races, the 56th 24 Hours of Daytona, and the first in the four-round North American Endurance Cup.
The 2019 24 Hours of Daytona was an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned endurance sports car race held at the Daytona International Speedway combined road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, on January 26–27, 2019. It was the 57th running of the race, and the first of 12 races in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and the first of four rounds of the 2019 Michelin Endurance Cup.
The 2019 Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen was an endurance race sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The race was held at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, on June 30, 2019. This race was the sixth round of the 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as well as the third round of the 2019 Michelin Endurance Cup.
The 2019 Road Race Showcase at Road America was a sports car race sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The race was held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 4, 2019, as the ninth round of the 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the fifth round of the 2019 WeatherTech Sprint Cup.
The 2020 IMSA SportsCar Championship was the 50th racing season sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). This was also the seventh United SportsCar Championship season and fifth under the name as the IMSA SportsCar Championship. The series began on January 25 with the 24 Hours of Daytona, and ended on November 14 with the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The Mazda RT24-P also known as the MazdaRoad to 24 – Prototype is a Daytona Prototype International built to the 2017 IMSA DPi regulations. The car is designed and built by Mazda Motorsports, in collaboration with Multimatic Motorsports, and is based on the Riley-Multimatic Mk. 30 LMP2 chassis. This car is eligible for use in the Daytona Prototype International (DPi) class of the IMSA sanctioned WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. It made its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona, with SpeedSource Race Engineering, running under the Mazda Motorsports banner. There have been plans to open the car to customer sales, although none have come to fruition so far.
JDC–Miller MotorSports is a sports car racing team that currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team currently fields the No. 5 Porsche 963 full-time for Tijmen van der Helm and Mike Rockenfeller in the GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. JDC previously ran the No. 17 Unitronic/Liqui Moly Audi RS3 LMS TCR SEQ full-time for Chris Miller and Zikey Taylor in the Touring Car class in 2022.
The 2022 24 Hours of Daytona was an endurance sports car race sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The event was held at Daytona International Speedway combined road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, on January 29–30, 2022. This event was the 60th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona since its inception in 1962, and the first of 12 races across multiple classes in the 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship, as well as the first of four rounds in the 2022 Michelin Endurance Cup. The #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura, driven by Tom Blomqvist, Hélio Castroneves, Oliver Jarvis, Simon Pagenaud, took the overall win in one of the most competitive events in race history. The top four overall finishers led for at least 88 laps each. Despite being fourth with around three hours left in the race, a monster stretch from Blomqvist helped his team assume the lead before giving way to Castroneves. Castroneves held off former teammate and two-time champion Ricky Taylor to win his second Rolex 24 in a row. The final margin of 3.028 seconds was the third closest in race history. It was also Meyer Shank Racing's first win in IMSA since 2020.
