Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti announced Friday (Nov. 10) that two-time defending Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America champions Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal will move up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class full-time in 2024. They will drive the new No. 45 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. The team will also have factory backing from Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
“We’re really excited that Lamborghini has come to us and regarded us as a team that is worthy of a factory program,” team co-owner Wayne Taylor stated. “We’ve got a long history with Lamborghini with us running four cars a year in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, so there’s a great relationship already built. Like I always said, everything to do with success in motorsport, is to be able to have people you can communicate with and build relationships with, so very excited about that with Lamborghini.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to make my full time return to the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with WTRAndretti,” Marcelli said in a press release. “It has been three years in the making, first taking an opportunity with WTR to drive the Lamborghini Super Trofeo in the PRO Class in 2021, then winning back-to-back Championships in 2022 and 2023. To continue to share the cockpit with Danny, we have developed a great relationship on and off the track. We complement each other very well and in different ways. Excited for the coming season. We will make the most of it.”
Marcelli has been in and out of the series for multiple years, running part-time schedules. 2024 will be Marcelli’s first full year in WeatherTech since 2018, when he drove a Lexus RC F GT3 for the now-defunct 3GT Racing. Teamed up with Dominik Baumann, Marcelli finished fifth in GTD points with two victories (Mid-Ohio and VIR) and three podium finishes.
For Formal, this will be his first full-time ride in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He has five career starts in the series. Four of those were this past season with Racers Edge Motorsports in their Acura in the Michelin Endurance Cup.
“What can I say. 2024. My dream come true!,” Formal said. “So thankful for the opportunity to share the car with my brother, Kyle Marcelli in our fourth year together. We have been pushing each other so hard these past four years. We have two Lamborghini Super Trofeo PRO Championships. Just grateful, thankful, excited, and looking forward to starting the 2024 season with a bang at Daytona and try to get a couple wins this season and hopefully a championship.”
Marcelli and Formal have been teammates in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America since 2021. In that time, the pair have won 16 races together, including the first eight races in 2023. There are still two races remaining in the 2023 season at Vallelunga Circuit in Italy, but Formal and Marcelli wrapped up the championship at Indianapolis in September with a pair of second-place finishes.
There are still two open driver slots with the team. One will be the third driver that will join up for the five Michelin Endurance Cup races, while the other will be the fourth driver on the team for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. These drivers will be announced at a later date.
About the author
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
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