Jeff Gordon will drive for Wayne Taylor Racing in next month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, the team announced Thursday.
Gordon, a four-time NASCAR champion, drove for the team in the 2007 event and earned a podium finish. He’ll join Ricky and Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli as co-drivers of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 2017 event, which will be held Jan. 28-29.
“I really enjoyed racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007 with Max, Wayne and Jan (Magnussen),” said Gordon, now an analyst during NASCAR on FOX broadcasts, in a statement from the team. “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. I know that Ricky and Jordan are super-fast, and I believe it will be a very strong combination.”
Said Wayne Taylor in a statement: “We are excited to have Jeff back in the lineup with us for the 2017 Rolex 24. He was with us when we started this race team back in 2007 and he helped us finish on the podium. We have kept in close touch ever since and have always been looking for another opportunity to have him join our driver lineup. That opportunity is finally here after his retirement from full-time competition in NASCAR and we are very much looking forward to working with him again.”
Said Jordan Taylor: “It’s really exciting to have Jeff Gordon coming on board with us for Daytona next year. 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. Jeff Gordon is a name that everyone knows worldwide. He is one of the biggest names in motorsports. He drove with my dad and Max at the Rolex back in 2007, so it’ll be cool to have a 10-year reunion with him and the team. Sportscar racing offers a unique perspective for drivers, where we have to share the same car. 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.”