Ricky Taylor

Ricky Taylor is an American racing driver who currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, driving the #7 Acura ARX-05 DPi for Acura Team Penske.

Ricky and his brother Jordan scored five wins in the 2017 IMSA Championship, including wins at 24 hours of Daytona and 12 hours of Sebring, winning the championship title in the Prototype class with Wayne Taylor Racing, the team owned by their father.

Earlier in a career, Ricky was the runner-up in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series two times (2010, 2011) and one time in the IMSA United SportsCar Championship (2014).

Ricky Taylor

Winning potential since the beginning

Ricky Taylor was born on August 3, 1989, in Surrey, England. His father, Wayne Taylor, was a successful racing driver and multiple IMSA champion, so Ricky and his younger brother Jordan grew up in Florida. Under father's influence, both brothers became racing drivers as teenagers and today they are teammates in their father's team.

After starting his career in karting, Ricky switched to bigger race cars in 2006. His first success was a victory in the Skip Barber Southern Regional Series in the season of 2006/2007. During the next season, Ricky progressed to the Skip Barber National series, finishing second in the championship.

Father's teammate at Daytona 24h debut

In 2008, Ricky Taylor switched to sports car racing, debuting at 24 hours of Daytona in January. He was a part of the #10 SunTrust Racing crew in the Riley-Pontiac prototype, together with his father, Max Angelelli and Michael Valiante. They finished in fifth place.

In the next round, at Virginia, Ricky partnered Andy Wallace and Jared Beyer in Beyer Racing's Crawford-Ford prototype. Later, Ricky joined Doran Racing and participated in six races with Doran's #47 Dallara-Ford, sharing a car with Burt Friselle. Their best result was the fifth place at Barber Motorsports Park.

Ricky Taylor's car in 2009

2009 – first Daytona participation along younger brother

In 2009, Ricky became a regular driver of Beyer Racing in the Grand-Am Rolex Series. At Daytona 24h, his teammates were his younger brother Jordan, Jared Beyer and David Martinez. They didn't finish the race.

Later in the season, Ricky's teammate was mostly Mike Forest. Their best result was the fourth place at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. At the end of the season, Ricky was 11th in the final standings.

Maiden Grand-Am victory at Lime Rock Park

In 2010, Ricky rejoined father's team, which was running under SunTrust Racing banner. Together with Max Angelelli, Ricky spent a full Grand-Am season in the #10 Dallara-Ford prototype. After starting from pole position, they finished sixth at Daytona. Their partners in that race were Wayne Taylor and Pedro Lamy.

Ricky's maiden Grand-Am victory followed in the fifth round at Lime Rock Park. With six more podiums, Angelelli and Taylor finished as championship runner-ups, behind Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas.

Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor in 2011

2011 – championship runner-up for the second year in a row

In the 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series season, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli stayed in the #10 Riley prototype, switching to Chevrolet power. At Rolex 24 at Daytona, they finished fifth, sharing a car with Ryan Briscoe.

Later in the season, the #10 scored three wins (Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen 6 hours, Watkins Glen 2 hours) and eight podiums, finishing again in second place at the end of the season. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas were champions again.

Three wins with brand new Chevrolet Corvette DP

For the 2012 Grand-Am season, Wayne Taylor Racing adopted a brand new Chevrolet Corvette DP. With that car, Ricky Taylor recorded three wins (Homestead, New Jersey, Lime Rock) and four podiums, still sharing a car with Max Angelelli. They finished sixth in the final standings. At Daytona 24h, Ryan Briscoe was their partner again but they didn't finish the race.

In October 2012, Ricky had a one-off appearance in the Australian V8 Supercars Championship, participating at the Gold Coast 600. He was sharing the #33 Garry Rogers Motorsport's Holden Commodore with Greg Ritter. Ricky's race ended on the opening lap of the Race 1 when he suffered a rollover whilst trying to avoid wrecked cars.

Taylor's wreck at Gold Coast 600 race in 2012

No wins in 2013 season with Spirit of Daytona Racing

Ricky changed the team for the 2013 Grand-Am season, joining the Spirit of Daytona Racing to drive the #90 Chevrolet Corvette DP alongside Richard Westbrook. In the season-opening Daytona 24h, their teammates were Antonio Garcia and Oliver Gavin. They finished in fifth place.

Season's best result for Taylor and Westbrook was the third place at Barber Motorsports Park. They finished seventh in the final standings of DP class.

Two Le Mans participations with Larbre Competition

In June 2013, Ricky had a 24h Le Mans debut, driving a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R for the French team Larbre Competition. His co-drivers in the #50 car were Julien Canal and Patrick Bornhauser.They finished 29th overall and fifth in GTE Am class.

A year later, Ricky returned to Le Mans with the same team but with another car. Taylor, Pierre Ragues and Keiko Ihara were driving the #50 Morgan-Judd LMP2 prototype, finishing 14th overall and 9th in the LMP2 class.

Jordan and Ricky Taylor (right) in 2014

IMSA Championship runner-up in the first season with brother Jordan

For the 2014 season of the American sports car racing, Grand-Am Rolex Series and American Le Mans Series merged into the IMSA United SportsCar Championship. Ricky rejoined his father's team, sharing the #10 Chevrolet Corvette DP with his father, brother and Max Angelelli in the season-opening Daytona 24 hours. They finished second, behind Action Express Racing's Corvette DP. At Sebring 12 hours, Taylor brothers and Max Angelelli finished 7th.

Ricky's full-time partner was his brother Jordan for the first time. They scored their first victory together in the fifth round, at Detroit Belle Isle. Another victory came in the season's finale, at Petit Le Mans. At the end of the season, Taylor brothers were second in the points.

Podiums at 2015 Sebring 12h and 2016 Daytona 24h

In 2015, Ricky and Jordan Taylor stayed together in the #10 Corvette DP, being accompanied by Max Angelelli in the endurance races. They finished second at Sebring 12 hours. In the third round, at Long Beach, Taylors clinched their first win of the season. Later they added one more win, at Mosport, finishing fifth in the final championship standings.

The season of 2016 started with a second consecutive podium at Daytona. Taylor brothers, plus Max Angelelli and Rubens Barrichello, finished second. Later in the season, Taylors scored three wins (Long Beach, Belle Isle, Austin) and finished third in the final classification.

Celebrating victory at Belle Isle in 2016

FIA WEC season with Larbre Competition

Besides racing in America, Ricky spent a second part of the FIA World Endurance Championship season with Larbre Competition, driving the #50 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in five rounds. His best result was a podium at Circuit of the American, where he finished third in GTE Am class. His co-drivers in that race were Pierre Ragues and Lars Viljoen.

At 2016 Le Mans 24h, Taylor was a part of Corvette Racing's #63 crew, together with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia. They finished 25th overall and 7th in the GTE Pro class.

2017 Sebring 12 Hours winners: Alex Lynn, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor

Five wins in a row led to the 2017 IMSA Championshp title

Ricky Taylor and Jordan Taylor started the season of 2017, with two sensational victories in America's greatest endurance races – Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring 12 Hours. At Daytona, they were partnered by NASCAR veteran Jeff Gordon and Max Angelelli, in his last race before he retired. At Sebring, Taylors were joined by the British single-seater racer Alex Lynn.

Taylor brothers continued winning streak with three more wins in a row (Long Beach, COTA, Detroit). After that, they added two more podiums to end a season as the 2017 IMSA champions in the Prototype class.

Ricky Taylor - 2017 IMSA SportsCar champion

Moving to Team Penske in 2018

For the 2018 IMSA Championship season, the Taylor brothers were separated. Jordan stayed in the #10 Cadillac while Ricky moved to Acura Team Penske to drive the #7 Acura ARX-05 alongside Helio Castroneves. They scored their only win in the fourth round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, finishing seventh in the final classification.

Ricky and Helio stayed together in the #7 Acura in the 2019 IMSA season. They scored five podiums over the year, finishing third in the final classification.

Outside IMSA Championship, Ricky joined Jackie Chan DC Racing at 24 Hours of Le Mans both in 2018 and 2019, not finishing races in a Ligier LMP2 prototype.

Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves drive for Acura Team Penske

Photos: imsa.com, Getty Images,