Jeff Gordon to drive new Cadillac DPI-V.R in return to Rolex 24 at Daytona

Jeff Gordon to drive new Cadillac DPI-V.R in return to Rolex 24 at Daytona

December 1, 2016

Staff Report

NASCAR Wire Service

Click to download a high-resolution photo of Jeff Gordon

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will make his return to the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time in 10 years as Wayne Taylor Racing today confirmed Gordon alongside full-season co-drivers Jordan and Ricky Taylor and endurance driver Max Angelelli as the driver lineup in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R for the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona. The race opens the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season on Jan. 28-29, 2017.

Gordon’s lone previous Rolex 24 appearance in 2007 came with the same team. He co-drove the No. 10 Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype with Angelelli, Wayne Taylor and Jan Magnussen to a third-place result.

“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,” Gordon said. “I know that Ricky and Jordan are super-fast, and I believe it will be a very strong combination.”

Gordon, now an analyst on NASCAR on FOX telecasts, and the No. 10 team will be part of the debut race for the brand-new Cadillac DPi-V.R, which was officially unveiled Wednesday by the manufacturer.

“I think it is exceptional to have Jeff back with us after 10 years,” Angelelli said. “I look forward to sharing our new Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R racecar with him, discussing our setup and race strategy. 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.”

Ricky and Jordan Taylor, who finished third in the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype standings, are also looking forward to running with the NASCAR legend.

“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,” Jordan Taylor said. “Jeff Gordon is a name that everyone knows worldwide. 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.”

“Having Jeff Gordon join the team is really a dream come true for all of us,” added Ricky Taylor. “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. 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 No. 10 entry will compete for the overall Rolex 24 race victory in the WeatherTech Championship’s Prototype (P) class. It will be one of three Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars in the field, as three-time defending series champions Action Express Racing confirmed its plans to field a pair of the new race cars earlier Thursday morning.

Gordon, who has participated in private test sessions with the team in recent weeks, is expected to join the team for the upcoming IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway in Dec. 13-14, as well as the three-day Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona test on Jan. 6-8, 2017 prior to the race on the final weekend of January.