The brief
- What happened: Ricky Taylor led opening practice for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA. IMSA reports that his 1:08.080 lap beat Sebastian Alvarez by 0.098 seconds.
- Why it matters: Taylor had not raced an LMP2 car in more than three years. He stepped in because the No. 52’s regular drivers Harry Tincknell and Parker Thompson were competing in WEC at São Paulo, then immediately put the substitute lineup at the front.
- What to watch: Practice pace is only the opening signal. The Bronze-rated drivers handle IMSA LMP2 qualifying, and the class is the overall headliner at CTMP while GTP sits out the weekend.
Fast context
Taylor’s day was more than a familiar name appearing atop a practice sheet. The Wayne Taylor Racing driver normally competes in IMSA’s GTP category, where the cars, tires and hybrid systems create a different operating window from the ORECA 07.
His recent LMP2 experience came at Le Mans, where the category uses different aerodynamic restrictions and a different tire supplier. CTMP therefore asked him to recalibrate quickly to the IMSA specification on one of the calendar’s fastest and least forgiving road courses.
The opportunity existed because the weekend split the sports-car paddock. Tincknell and Thompson were in Brazil for the WEC round, leaving Misha Goikhberg in need of a co-driver. Taylor was free because GTP does not race at CTMP, and the result was an unusually strong substitute arrangement rather than a routine reserve call.
What changes next
Taylor’s speed gives the No. 52 a real race-weekend reference, but Goikhberg’s qualifying position and the team’s execution over two hours and 40 minutes will decide whether Friday’s cameo becomes a result.