Taylor Hagler is set to make her return to Europe as well as GT3 competitions, combining her IMSA Pilot Challenge campaign with a spectacular program in the ADAC GT Masters with Lamborghini powerhouse Grasser Racing Team.
Two time IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR champion Taylor Hagler announced she will again contest a double racing program in 2024, after making her European debut in 2023.
Alongside her current Pilot Challenge TCR campaign, Hagler is in fact set to enter the high-profile ADAC GT Masters, in a Grasser Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
At the wheel of the #19 Lamborghini, Halger will partner with young talent Jannik Julius-Bernhart for a four event calendar that include some of the most iconic race tracks in central Europe.
"I am looking forward to joining the GRT Grasser Racing Team in the 2024 ADAC GT Masters championship", said Hagler. "The motorsport experience and fans in Germany are amazing. It has been a priority of mine to do more racing there and I’m looking to build upon the experience gained in Europe in 2023 and find success in the GT3 category."
The Texan took the leap and signed up for her first European season last year, again in a double campaign on the two sides of the Atlantic. In her busy year of flyaways, Hagler tackled a whole new set of challenges like a new car - the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 - a new team, and new tracks where her competitors had years of experience under their belts. Nevertheless, Hagler - who also raced at the mighty 24 Hours of the Nürburgring - was in the top 5 at Misano and had class podium-worthy pace at Hockenheim in the highly competitive ProAm class of the GT4 European Championship.
At the same time, Hagler is no GT3 rookie either: while racing in TCR on the IMSA package, she has raced in the GT World Challenge America series in 2021, where she was runner up in the ProAm class at her first full season of GT3 competitions. She was named rookie of the year, having collected 3 wins and 8 podiums over 13 races aboard the Racers Edge Motorsport Acura NSX GT3 Evo. She returned to the GT3 platform in 2022, for the 8 Hours of Indianapolis.
Her program with Grasser Racing - a vastly respected racing team with a plethora of high-level victories including at the 24 Hours of Spa, Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, DTM and ADAC GT Masters - is therefore an important step forward in the career of the young US American, who enjoyed a big progression in her rookie season of European competitions.
"Gottfried Grasser and GRT have built a powerful program all over the world and I’m excited about the opportunity to develop with them", Hagler continued. "We can’t wait to get started with GRT, TGI, and Jannik Julius-Bernhart at the test in Hockenheim next month."
The team is expected to complete a testing program at Hockenheim before the start of the season at Oschersleben in late April.
"We are delighted with our new addition from the USA", commented Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of the Grasser squad. "Taylor has built up a strong reputation in the States with her performances. She has proven herself in highly competitive championships and is ready for the challenge of the ADAC GT Masters. We know the racing in North America from our own experience and know exactly what matters when switching between continents. It will be a learning year for her and Jannik and we are looking forward to seeing the development of our two rookies."
Hagler is scheduled to race at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (April 26-28), Spa Francorchamps (August 30 - September 1), Red Bull Ring (September 27-29) and Hockenheim, where the series will round out its 2024 season on October 18-20.