Jordan Taylor: “Antonio is our finisher”

The joy was almost total in the clan Corvette racing after the arrival of 24 Hours of Daytona, opening of theIMSA 2021. For what could be the last presence of the GTLM on the legendary Florida double clock tower, the C8.Rs signed the double in the category, with a success for n°3 shared by Antonio Garcia, Nicky Catsburg and Jordan Taylor.

But the situation throughout the race within the trio was somewhat disrupted by the announcement of Garcia's positive Covid-19 test in the middle of the event, forcing Catsburg and Taylor to finish as a duo.

“It wasn't good news, to be honest, recalls Taylor. I had finished my triple stint in the morning, left the car and went outside to get a massage, relax and watch Nicky and Antonio ride.

At that point, they said Antonio couldn't get back in the car. To be honest, I was in shock. Antonio is our finisher. He's the one we want in the car at the end. I was so disappointed for Antonio because I know how much this race means to him, how much he wanted to win it and finish the race.

It was sad, but fortunately we trained well. We have good support from doctors and keep us healthy and fit. The physique was not the most important thing. It was more the mental tension that was complicated.

It's really disappointing and sad that Antonio wasn't there for the end. He played an important role in our victory today. He drives this car and has been involved for years. He started the race so well for us.

It was sad that he couldn't share the podium with us, but we will definitely see him in a few weeks when he is ok and we can celebrate the victory. »

20 years after Corvette Racing's first victory in the event and five years after the double in 2016 (the last success to date for Corvette at Daytona) the American brand produced a remarkable performance after leading 716 of the 770 laps covered in the category.

“Since we started at Daytona with this new car, we knew it would be fast and competitive, emphasizes Garcia. Obviously, the preparation we had last year was not enough to win this race.

But after the pandemic pause, we had the opportunity to develop the C8.R and we won six races. Last year we failed to win a long race, so it was always in the back of our minds to accomplish that, which we did here. We proved today that Corvette Racing is the stronger team. »

Discover the full report of the 24 Hours of Daytona, produced by our special correspondent in Florida, in issue 2297 of AUTOhebdo, available this evening in digital version and this Wednesday on newsstands.