Yahoo Autos Renger Van Der Zande Will Replace Ricky Taylor
Replacing a reigning driving champion is rarely an easy task, but defending IMSA Prototype title winners Wayne Taylor Racing might have gotten lucky in signing rising star Renger van der Zande to pilot its Cadillac DPi-V.R.
The Dutchman, an IMSA champion in the lower PC class, will take the seat vacated by Ricky Taylor, who won IMSA’s most prestigious crown with his co-driving brother Jordan before jumping ship to Roger Penske’s new Acura DPi program. It’s a case of goodbye Ricky and hello Renger.
“[He] was at the top of our list when it came to finding a replacement for Ricky and, after doing our due diligence to make sure he was free and clear of any other obligations, and based on that, we decided to move forward to further the negotiations,” Wayne Taylor said.
Van der Zande’s best-pass-of-the-year move to win the recent IMSA round in Monterey answered any questions Taylor might have had about the 31-year-old’s racecraft.
“Based on everything we’ve seen, Renger is going to fit in well here,” he continued. “Speed-wise, he’s going to be good. I think he will be good on equipment. He has a great personality and fits in with the team and our sponsors really, really well. Konica Minolta and Cadillac and GM are all on board and are very excited. We are really looking forward to this.”
For Jordan Taylor, Renger - who might end up being called ‘Ricky’ by his father for the sake of ease - is a perfect fit as the team prepares to defend its title when the WeatherTech Championship kicks off in January.
“When Renger first popped up on my radar, he was driving LMPC and I could tell going around him that he was always on the limit and pushing, and I could tell by the behavior or the car he was the real deal,” said IMSA’s young king of social media.
“When Renger came to Prototype this year, I knew he was going to be competitive. What we saw of him and that amazing pass for the win at Laguna, we knew he’s a driver who can get the job done. And when Ricky announced he was leaving, Renger was one of the first guys we wanted to talk to and, thankfully, he was available. Personality-wise, he gets along with everyone and he fits in perfectly. It’s going to be a great relationship.”
You Might Also Like
