“Coach” Jordan Taylor in charcoal

Jordan Taylor has held the role of substitute driver since the start of the year / Coach of champions for the Garage 56 program which aims to bring a car of NASCAR at the start of 24 Hours of Le Mans. While he was conducting a test session at COTA two weeks ago, Rick Hendrick gave him a nice surprise by offering to replace Chase Elliott, still unavailable, during the NASCAR Cup Series race held in Austin this weekend. Taylor will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL9 there.

Jordan Taylor's NASCAR dream continues © Jordan Taylor

In the midst of all this, Taylor competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring last weekend. As soon as the race was over, he returned to the Hendrick campus to meet the team and work on the simulator. He was back this week to complete his seat adjustment, perform other simulation work and participate in pit stop practice. “It’s horrible what happened to Chase and we hope for a speedy recovery, Taylor told HendrickMotorsports.com. When the call came, I immediately responded 100%. I wish I had more time to prepare, but count on me to make the most of it. »

The 31-year-old Floridian can boast of an impressive CV. He is currently an official driver for Corvette Racing in the championship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar and has 31 class victories. Quadruple IMSA champion, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 in the LMGTE Pro category, double winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2017 and 2019 and winner of the GTLM category in 2021, Taylor won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2017 with the who is now vice president of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring overall in 2017 and in the GTD PRO category in 2022.

In addition to his virtuosity behind the wheel, Jordan Taylor is one of the most popular drivers in IMSA thanks to an endearing personality and his alter ego, Rodney Sandstorm , a big Gordon fan. Taylor will also wear a helmet tribute to Gordon this weekend in Austin.

Taylor hopes his involvement with Garage 56 will make it easier to adapt to Next Gen. “I know it’s going to be quite different and that’s why I did a lot of work in the simulator. Just to get an idea of ​​the braking zone timing, cornering speeds and gear choices. I worked on all the little details that make a race successful, including pit stops. I'm used to having a button to manage the speed in the pits, which doesn't exist in NASCAR. I have to set my speed using light indicators”

Jordan Taylor does not arrive at COTA in unknown territory. In IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar, he has two victories and three podiums in four starts on the demanding 3,41-mile (5,49km) road course. “Going to a track that I know and have been successful at in the past is comforting in that it's one less thing I have to worry about! recognizes Taylor. The cornering speeds and braking zones will be different, but it's a road course, that's what I do every weekend. » 

What would be a good day for him? “I think a top 10 would be a great result, admits Taylor, who becomes the 14th driver to make his Cup Series debut for Hendrick Motorsports. There are so many things that can put you out of the race. There are so many things I'm not used to with pit stop procedures, race restarts… There are a lot of things I'm going to learn the hard way. »