This week as NASCAR heads to COTA for road course racing, Jordan Taylor has been gearing up to replace Chase Elliott. Josh Berry will get a week off from the Cup Series. Taylor has been tabbed as the road driver for the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy.
Jordan Taylor is an accomplished driver in his own right. He was tabbed as a driver and coach for the Garage 56 team that will compete at Le Mans. He was also a driver in the 12 Hours of Sebring just last week.
Between his duties with Garage 56 and the Sebring race, he has been getting simulator time and working with the folks at Hendrick to get prepared. So, it’s been a little bit busy.
“It was horrible what happened to Chase and we’re hoping for a quick recovery,” Taylor said, via HendrickMotorsports.com. “When the call came, I was all in, 100 percent. Whatever it would take to make it happen and spend as much time as I could.
“It’s been busy, but all the preparation is definitely necessary. I wish I had more time to prepare but we are going to make the most of it.”
Jordan Taylor is familiar with Chevy racing as he competes with Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He’s won the championship four times in IMSA and is a 31-time IMSA Class winner.
Jordan Taylor Prepares For Next Gen Car
Things are going to be a little different in the Chevy Camaro than in his usual Corvette. The Next Gen car is a tough one to handle. There’s no denying that. While he has experience in many cars and races, it’s a learning curve.
“I know it [Next Gen car] is going to be quite different and that is why the sim was important for me,” Taylor continued. “Just to get an idea on the adjustment of braking zones and cornering speeds and gearing.
“I’ve been working on all the small details with pit top practice. I am used to having a pit speed button to manage pit speed, so understanding the lights and how to use that and having jacks instead of airjacks to jack the car up. There’s been lots of little adjustments.”
COTA is a track that Jordan Taylor is more than familiar with. He has started on this course four times and has won two of those races while finishing on the podium in a third. Taylor is a really smart driver and competitor. It will be interesting
Fans will see Chase Elliott this weekend as he joins the Fox broadcast for the Cup Series race.
