IMSA star Ricky Taylor will team up with fellow pro racer Rene Rast and Canadian Bronze-rated driver John Farano for the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in June aboard a Tower Motorsports ORECA, as the team bids for Pro-Am honors in the LMP2 class.
The ORECA 07 Gibson will be entered under the Tower Events Vaillante banner and rely on assistance from one of the team’s IMSA LMP2 rivals, TDS Racing, which will be taking part in the 24 Hours for a 12th consecutive year in 2023. As part of the effort, the car will compete in a livery sporting the colors of the popular French motorsport comic series “Michel Vaillant.”
“Le Mans is the one race of the year that every driver wants to participate in, and being able to join a powerhouse team such as Tower Motorsports with TDS Racing is really a great opportunity,” said Taylor, who adds this drive to his full-time IMSA GTP program with Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura. “Anytime TDS have competed at Le Mans, they have been one of the cars that everyone knows will be fighting for the win. We have one goal and that is nothing less than winning Le Mans and it looks like we have all of the pieces in place to be able to do it.
“Getting to know John over the past few months has been really nice — he is very focused and has the motivation and competitive drive to go out and win this race, and as a teammate that makes me very happy. I’ve also been a fan of Rene for years, he’s one of the quickest guys out there and it’s a huge win to have him on the team.”
Three-time DTM champion Rast, like Taylor, brings a wealth of Le Mans experience to the team for the event, as this year’s race will be his fifth attempt. Three of his previous four starts were in the LMP2 class, his highest finish coming in 2016 when he finished second with G-Drive Racing. His other start came as part of Audi’s LMP1 effort, in the brand’s final three-car Le Mans entry back in 2015.
“I am very much looking forward to this race and I am thrilled to be joining Tower Motorsports with TDS Racing for the event,” said Rast. “Le Mans is one of my favorite races and it always feels good to be able to come back, especially for the very special 100th anniversary this year.
“I think we have a very solid and professional team behind us, in addition to a strong driver lineup, so I am greatly looking forward to competing in this event again and hopefully challenging for the win in our class. I can’t wait to jump in the car for the first time in Monza to test this machine. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
The 100th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be held June 10-11.