“A Lot of hype,” Jordon Taylor thrilled to share his NASCAR with Motorsports legends at COTA
Jordan Taylor is filling in for Chase Elliott at the first road course in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
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Jordon Taylor. Image via Autoweek.
Jordon Taylor, the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar champion, is finally fulfilling his NASCAR dream. Hendrick Motorsports, the most reputed and successful team in NASCAR, called Taylor to compete in the Cup Series race at COTA. Chase Eliott, the 2020 Cup Series Champion, sustained a leg injury and was sidelined. Taylor is temporarily filling the seat of Elliott’s No.9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the first road course of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
All eyes are on this race, and there is a lot of hype around it. Motorsports legends such as the likes of 7 times Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 F1 Champion Jenson Button, 2007 F1 Champion Kimi Raikkonen, and Taylor are participating in COTA. There are expectations from the drivers to deliver and put on a good show. Racing for Hendrick Motorsports and stepping into the championship-winning car of a popular NASCAR driver, Taylor has a lot of pressure.
Taylor downplayed himself, stating, “I know there’s a lot of hype about Raikkonen, Jenson, Jimmie, and myself coming. I don’t even want to throw my hat in the same ring with those guys. I would be super excited to watch this race just to see how those guys would do against all the Cup guys.” Jordon Taylor is thankful for the opportunity to be in a Hendrick car and is preparing for his race as much as he can.
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Jordon Taylor is “super excited” for COTA
Hendrick Motorsports is also fielding the Garage 56 as a collaboration between NASCAR and IMSA in June and the Chevrolet at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jordon Taylor is a part of the collaboration, he serves as the coach, mentor, and potential relief driver for Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller. Thanks to Chad Knaus, Hendrick’s vice president of competition, Taylor was chosen to substitute for Eliott.
While speaking about his race at COTA, Jordon Taylor stated, “I’m doing a ton of homework and preparation so when I get to the track, it’s just understanding how to drive the car. The car couldn’t be any more different than the Corvette we drive, and even the Garage 56 car. I know a lot of people think it’s going to be close to that, but it’s seven or eight seconds in lap time difference around COTA. So, it’s a different animal.”
Jordon Taylor is familiar with COTA. He had raced IMSA prototypes four times before at this circuit and won twice. Taylor recently took part in a Garage 56 testing in COTA. All this gives him an advantage. Since COTA is the first road course of 2023, NASCAR has given the teams free practice for 50 minutes. Jordan Taylor is relieved because of the extra time and will go into the race with full preparation.
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Sugantha Meena
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