Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada – In a display of strategic brilliance and a dash of good fortune, the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 piloted by Danny Formal and Trent Hindman clinched a sensational victory at Mosport, marking Lamborghini’s maiden IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win of the year. What started as an uphill battle transformed into a triumph, proving that in endurance racing, a clever mind can often outpace raw speed.
From Adversity to Ascendancy
The 2h 40 minute sprint cup round, the fourth of the season, saw the #45 Lamborghini start fifth on the grid. However, their race took an immediate turn for the worse when contact on the opening lap sent Formal spinning, relegating them to the absolute tail end of the field. It was a disheartening start, especially for a car that, despite arriving as the heaviest in its class, had shown promising pace in practice, consistently within a second of the fastest GTD entries.
Formal, a Lamborghini Young Professional Driver, described the harrowing opening stint: “It was a crazy race. I got t-boned going into Turn 9 fighting for second at the start. Got on the back foot there and had to drive the whole stint with a broken rim. The vibration was abnormal. The team told me to keep on going and push through. Kind of had no feeling on my right arm and leg due to the vibration but the car was fantastic at race pace.”
The Bold Gamble That Paid Off
With the #45 languishing at the back, Wayne Taylor Racing made a courageous call. As a full course yellow (FCY) period emerged, most of their rivals dove into the pits for fuel and fresh tires. But the #45 team, with Hindman now at the wheel, went against the grain, electing to stay out on track. This bold gamble was aimed at consolidating track position and hoping for further neutralizations.
Hindman, a past Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals winner, put his faith entirely in his crew: “Whatever those Wayne Taylor Racing guys up on that pit box tell me, I believed. I trust them. They said we had it and I had all the faith in the world in them.”
The strategy paid dividends almost immediately. Hindman raced away to a commanding 30-second lead over the next GTD competitor. The team knew, however, that they needed at least one more FCY to stretch their fuel to the checkered flag. And as if on cue, their wish was granted in the final hour when the second-placed #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 of Mario Farnbacher crashed out after contact with an LMP2 car. This, coupled with a subsequent final caution that brought the race to an end under yellow, ensured the #45 maintained its lead, securing a remarkable back-to-front victory.
This marked a significant milestone for Wayne Taylor Racing, capturing their first-ever IMSA GTD victory and their first GT3 success with Lamborghini. For both Hindman and Formal, it was their maiden IMSA success, a just reward after the heartbreak of a late-race retirement at the Daytona 24 Hours in January.
GTD Pro: A Strong Showing for Pfaff Motorsports
While the #45 celebrated in GTD, the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 also put in a strong performance in the GTD Pro class at their home race. Lamborghini Factory Drivers Andrea Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli battled hard to secure a respectable fifth-place finish. They had topped opening practice, hinting at their potential, but knew the race would present a different challenge. Mapelli started strong, moving up a position from sixth on the grid, while Caldarelli took over for the second stint. Despite dropping back slightly at the final FCY restart, their consistent effort showed the Huracán GT3 EVO2’s competitiveness.
Victory is Sweet
The elation was palpable in the winner’s circle. Formal, despite the physical toll of his opening stint, beamed with pride: “The guys at Wayne Taylor Racing, everyone on that stand, we really truly deserve this win. We have had it close so many times this season. Trent did fantastic, had to drive two hours without water, he is an iron man! So proud of him, so proud of the team. We really deserved this win. This program is fantastic, and it has been a long time coming.”
Hindman echoed the sentiment: “What a race! The guys over the wall and Danny – they did an amazing job. I have been on the wrong side of these kind of races enough to know you what you have to do to get it and that is exactly what we did. So grateful for the whole Wayne Taylor Racing team. It’s been a long time coming for us and glad it is here.”
This Mosport triumph serves as a powerful reminder that in the high-stakes world of IMSA racing, a shrewd strategic mind, combined with unwavering teamwork and a touch of racing luck, can lead to the most improbable and satisfying victories.