The No. 45 DEX Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 entered their third appearance at the Grand Prix of Long Beach with the sun shining across the streets in SoCal. After a strong showing in both practices and an impressive qualifying performance from Danny Formal on Friday, the No. 45 Lamborghini GTD saw the green flag fly from second on the grid.

Saturday’s 100-minute sprint race kicked off the regular championship season for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Formal returned to Long Beach for the third time with his sights set on redemption for the No. 45 team. Showcasing his impressive abilities behind the wheel, Formal started the race off with a strong start holding onto second place in the opening minutes of the race. Fighting for the GTD lead, a mechanical issue called him back to the pits with hopes of resolving the issue on pit lane. Despite the promising start to the weekend, it was just not the day for the No. 45 with further diagnosis showing that the issue would require early retirement for the team. Despite the early ending, the drivers and team embraced the progress and positive pace entering the sprint season.

“Obviously, a very difficult weekend for both our GTD and the GTP cars,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Co-Owner. “The GTD qualified on the front row, was running strong at the start and then had a mechanical issue hit. It was outside of our hands. I feel sorry for everybody on this program because they worked so hard and it could have been a great result for them. Luckily, we have our next race in two weeks, so we will regroup and come back stronger.”

The Wayne Taylor Racing GTD team is focused forward on the second West Coast stop at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the second sprint race of the year. The No. 45 full season co-drivers, Danny Formal and Trent Hindman, will challenge for redemption as they tackle the two-hour, 40-minute quest on May 3, 2026.

Danny Formal, full season co-driver, No. 45 DEX Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “Not the way we wanted to finish. To be honest, this was one of the best feelings I've had in this race car in three years with this team. We were just fast in Practice. We were fast in Qualifying. One of the best laps I've ever done in GTD. Track position is vital here and the guys just gave me the resources to do it. We were not expecting to be where we were, and in the race, we started the race, and we just went to an energy safe mode. To be honest, I think we had a good chance at Winners Circle. But it's racing. There's nothing we can do. I feel extremely bad for Trent, the team and DEX. But this team will bounce back like it always does, and we'll come back swinging for the fences in Laguna Sega.”

Trent Hindman, full season co-driver, No. 45 DEX Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “Tough, tough way to end what was looking like such a promising weekend. The car felt really good in practice. The guys were very, very effective with the changes that we made in a very compressed Practice and Qualifying day. Danny just absolutely had an absolutely stellar lap in Qualifying. We know this race is all about track position, and he got us that. We were running in a really good spot, and then unfortunately, a mechanical failure took us out of the running. It's just a real shame. My heart hurts for the team, for all the work that they put in. But we'll regroup and move on to Laguna Seca.”

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About Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR)

Wayne Taylor Racing, part of TWG Motorsports, is a global motorsports enterprise that boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 19-year history, WTR has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona (4x), Twelve Hours of Sebring (2x), Petit Le Mans (3x), Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen (2x). Since joining in 2015, WTR has earned 18 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Championship titles, two Lamborghini World Finals titles (2017, 2025) and in 2025 secured a milestone 100 LST wins. For more information, visit www.waynetaylorracing.com.

About TWG Motorsports (TWG)

TWG Motorsports is the motorsports entity of TWG Global, unifying a robust racing portfolio across the world's biggest stages in Formula 1®, INDYCAR, Formula E, IMSA, and NASCAR. With strategic partnerships that include General Motors on the Cadillac Formula 1® Team and ownership of Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing and Spire Motorsports, TWG Motorsports combines deep technical expertise, proven competitive excellence and industry-leading business acumen. TWG Motorsports is committed to innovating, growing and winning at the highest levels of the sport. Learn more at TWGMotorsports.com.