Taylor Hagler closed the 2021 Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS (GTWCA) season with a double podium result in the Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS on Sunday.
Unique to the endurance race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the “race within a race” format with GT America conducting a three-hour race within the eight-hour endurance round. Hagler and Dakota Dickerson combined In the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsport Acura NSX GT3 EVO to claim second and the first podium of the day in the GTWCA race.
Starting 13th, Hagler took the green flag for the opening stint in the No. 93 Acura. The GT field quickly began to battle three-wide with Hagler in the middle of the front straight away of the iconic Speedway. During her 45-minute opening stint, Hagler moved into third in Silver Cup and ninth overall before coming to pit lane for the first driver change to Dickerson.
Just 75 minutes later, Hagler returned to the cockpit of the Acura machine for her second and final stint of the day. With a race plagued by full-course cautions, Hagler had one objective – keep the car clean. She did just that while capitalizing on fellow competitor errors to march up the running order and cross the finish line for the GTWCA race in second.
Continuing to race to the end, Hagler handed the car over to Dickerson and Jacob Abel for the remaining four hours. The Acura drivers kept the No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 Evo in the top 10 overall with one hour remaining. A late-race caution set up a shootout to the checkered flag. Melee on the restart provided clear track ahead of the No. 93 which allowed Dickerson to lay down fast laps and take over the final podium spot in the Silver Cup and cross the finish line eighth overall as the race clock expired.
The double podium results at IMS are the eighth and ninth podium appearances this season for Hagler and cements a second place finish in the GTWCA Pro-Am Championship.
“To end the season with, not one, but two podium results makes me truly speechless,” said Hagler. “I didn’t start the day confident and felt like I had room to improve on my next stint. I think I did just that and was able to help put us in a good position for Dakota (Dickerson) and Jacob (Abel) to bring it home. This season has been a whirlwind and I am so proud to represent Racers Edge Motorsports. These results, and the results of the entire season, are because of the preparation and hard work they put into this program. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me along the way and to my parents for supporting this crazy dream of mine. Wow, what a season.”
Source. Sunday Group
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