Loss adjusters

The ultimate goal of the programme is to have a driver who performs at their optimal level for the entire duration of their stint behind the wheel, and recovers quickly enough that they can do so multiple times

There are two organic elements to a racecar that can directly affect performance and which, particularly in endurance racing, need to be replaced regularly. One is the tyres, which degrade and ultimately cost performance, or risk failure. The other is the driver, who similarly degrades over time behind the wheel, and runs a real risk of crashing.

While much is known and studied about the tyres, and indeed the car is set up to extract the maximum from them before they expire, very little has been published about driver performance, particularly in long-distance races.

A team of scientists and engineers were recruited by IMSA’s Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) lead engineer, Brian Pillar, as part of a new Driver Science programme in a bid to better understand what a driver goes through behind the wheel in order to improve performance. The Driver Science team have begun a study that it hopes will make the car faster, more reliable and safer, by paying more attention to the component behind the wheel.

Very little has been published about driver performance, particularly in long-distance races

One of the most interesting parts of the relationship is that one of the drivers in the WTR team, Ricky Taylor, has a younger brother, Jordan, who also races in the IMSA series professionally, and both have taken part in the study. They share very similar approaches to life and racing, which makes the scientific comparisons between them both valid and interesting.

WTR is a multiple champion team, and has found success in major races, particularly the Daytona 24 Hours. It races in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar