Take a Walk Through IMSA Powerhouse Wayne Taylor Racing’s Shop

The days of rag-tag teams cobbling a competitive car together in a garage after work with raw ingenuity and a bit of fabrication skill are long gone, at least at the top levels of racing. Years of ever-increasing competition have yielded some of the most immaculate, professional settings imaginable for the pursuit of speed, and it's fascinating to see what the top teams are up to behind the shop doors. Endurance racing teams like Wayne Taylor Racing have complex operations that involve dozens of employees across a handful of teams-that's complicated on a good day, but how could it all fit in one building?

The shop the team occupies is one that was actually adapted from a drag racing team. When Wayne Taylor Racing moved in over ten years ago, it was a one-car effort with room to grow in a massive building. Now the team has evolved to a dozen cars over three buildings for various tasks and procedures related to prepping the cars for race weekends. It's a facility full of fun cars, tools, tech, and most importantly stories you don't often hear, since the engineering involved in top-tier racing also comes with a certain air of secrecy.

So any time we can get a look inside the shop we are excited to see what's going on. This tour came by way of the IMSA Official YouTube channel. The entire operation is covered, and it's quickly evident that the WTR enterprise prides itself on the fact that the entire team is all located and works together in the same space. It's a hardworking atmosphere that supports cars in four different classes of racing.

The bays are stocked with neatly organized cabinets and flawless work surfaces. Beyond the main shop floor are smaller areas for specific tasks, like the one fitted with custom benches designed to facilitate applying the wraps that cover race car bodywork. The benches are perfectly sized to fit a nose and tail section while making for the perfect work height for the large pieces.

Out behind the workspaces is an area the team calls "tire town." It's a massive stack of rubber that is all hand-marked with references to tests and other data about when the tire was run. There's not a large stock of new tires, as the classes Wayne Taylor Racing participates in have a spec tire-referred to as a "confidential" tire-that cannot be taken with the teams at the end of the weekend.

The final part of the tour leads to a conversation about how the powertrains are tested before being loaded up for a race weekend. The high-voltage hybrid systems are checked by specialized technicians before the chassis is cleared for the engine to be run, and the gearbox is cycled to confirm the proper function of all systems.

It's an amazing operation that makes the team's ever-growing trophy stash feel hidden in all the nooks and crannies where there aren't race car parts. This year's season is down to the final races for the IMSA championships, and after even a brief tour it's clear to see why Wayne Taylor Racing is a perennial contender for the top spot.