Taylor Hagler shows improved performance in ADAC GT Masters finale

Taylor Hagler showcased strong performance in her final ADAC GT Masters race weekend, achieving fourth place in the Pro-Am class in race one before a technical issue cut short her competitive run in race two while in prime position to battle for the Pro-Am victory.

Photo credits: Gruppe C Photography

Taylor Hagler closed out her season in ADAC GT Masters with an encouraging display at Hockenheim. Hagler teamed up with Austrian racer Gerhard Tweraser with the duo racing a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for GRT Grasser Racing Team.

After finishing fourth within the Pro-Am class in race one, Hagler enjoyed one of her best showings in her GT3 career in race two. The American driver was running confidently in the midfield before handing over to Tweraser, before a technical issue ended their race prematurely.

Hagler arrived at the ADAC GT Masters season finale looking to return to the Pro-Am podium following an excellent previous round at the Red Bull Ring. Since then, Taylor concluded her campaign in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge where she was a frontrunner alongside teammate Bryson Morris.

For Hockenheim, Hagler was reunited with Gerhard Tweraser with the GRT Grasser Racing Team duo also racing together at Spa-Francorchamps. After competing at Hockenheim in the GT4 European Series last season, Hagler was aiming to use her experience to get up to speed quickly in her Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

On-track action began on Friday with a pair of free practice sessions for the drivers to get up to speed while working on car setup. Session one began in dry conditions with Hagler and Tweraser setting the second fastest time in the Pro-Am class, 13th overall. The second session was held in wet conditions and both drivers excelled to set the fastest time in Pro-Am, while clocking the seventh fastest overall time at Hockenheim.

The first competitive session of the weekend was the first of two qualifying sessions, held on Saturday morning. Gerhard Tweraser got behind the wheel of the GRT Grasser Racing Team machine in damp conditions with the majority of drivers fitting the wet weather tyres. In a contrast to their rival Pro-Am competitors, the team elected for the ‘Pro’ classified Tweraser to qualify in the first session and this allowed him to secure a class pole position, while setting the sixth fastest time overall.

Drier conditions for race one of the weekend led to the drivers all fitting the slick tyres ahead of the first of two one-hour races. Starting from pole position in the Pro-Am class, while lining up sixth overall, Tweraser made a clean start despite some aggressive moves around him.

Although he initially dropped several positions, he was able to successfully negotiate contact between Max Reis and Johannes Kapfinger to end lap one in seventh position overall, while retaining the class lead. This incident necessitated the safety car to be deployed while Kapfinger’s car was recovered and thus the race was neutralised.

When the race resumed, Tweraser held his position well before being shuffled back at the hairpin on lap five. The GRT Grasser Racing Team driver received contact from Eduardo Coseteng and the Filipino driver was instructed to swap positions with Tweraser. This moved him back into tenth position overall and despite the earlier contact, he was able to hold the Pro-Am lead ahead of Alexander Schwarzer.

As Tweraser’s stint progressed, he was able to pull out a sizeable gap over Schwarzer and his fellow Pro-Am rivals, while being the second fastest driver on circuit on lap 10. With 35-minutes remaining, the pit window opened and although his rivals pitted, Tweraser remained on track and was setting a fast and consistent pace. Tweraser ran as high as second overall prior to his pitstop as he passed Simon Connor Primm after the German racer was forced to complete a penalty lap.

Pitting at the last possible opportunity, Tweraser completed his stint and handed over to Taylor Hagler for her first laps of the day. Hagler rejoined the race in the Pro-Am class lead, while holding down a position inside the overall top-5. On her out lap, class rival Alexander Fach already had his tyres up to temperature and was able to move ahead and wrestle the class lead away from the American racer.

Despite Fach moving ahead, Hagler was fighting hard and initially resisted the challenge posed by Leon Kohler. The FK Performance Motorsport driver was then able to move ahead and after a group of Silver class drivers also found their way through, Hagler was down to tenth position overall, second in Pro-Am. Taylor was now finding a rhythm and lapping consistency, however the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Nico Hantke was closing in.

With ten minutes remaining in the first race of the weekend, Hantke moved ahead with Jonas Karklys now targeting the final step on the podium. Hagler responded to the challenge posed by the Lithuanian driver and ran her best laps of the race, with her speed in sector three particularly competitive. Defending her position well, Hagler was making it difficult for Karklys and she was showing great determination in a fight for the final step on the podium.

Karklys finally breached Hagler’s defences with just three minutes remaining and claimed third place in the Pro-Am class. A strong end to the race saw Taylor continue to improve her times with the GRT Grasser Racing Team driver taking the checkered flag in 13th position overall, fourth in the Pro-Am class at Hockenheim.

Photo credits: Gruppe C Photography

Sunday’s action began with the second qualifying session where Hagler would be behind the wheel. Although slick tyres were fitted, conditions were challenging with cool ambient temperatures and low visibility with some lingering fog remaining in the air. It was a session of progress for the GRT Grasser Racing Team driver who set the fourth fastest time in the Pro-Am class, while ending qualifying in 17th position overall.

Conditions remained dry for the final race of the season with Hagler promoted to 13th on the overall grid following a number of post-session disqualifications for teams ahead. Hagler made a clean start despite a number of fast drivers behind and ended lap one in 17th position overall, while remaining fourth in the Pro-Am class. On lap two, the GRT Grasser Racing Team driver was on the move as she overtook Jay-Mo Hartling in his Schnitzelalm Racing Mercedes AMG GT3.

Hagler’s pace was extremely strong in the initial stages of the race and she was comfortably keeping Hartling behind her, despite the young driver having claimed an overall runner-up finish the previous day. On lap four, Taylor’s pace was evident as she set the fastest middle sector of the entire race and she was enjoying one of her best ever showings in GT3 machinery.

As her stint progressed, Hagler began to close in on the Paul Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Jonas Greif while opening out a comfortable gap to Hartling. Hagler ended her stint with a number of fast and consistent laps before handing over to teammate Gerhard Tweraser as the pit window opened.

Tweraser rejoined the circuit right in front of Pro-Am rival Alexander Fach with the Fach Auto Tech driver yet to stop. Approaching the hairpin on his out lap, Tweraser suffered a technical issue which forced him to pull to the side of the track and retire from the race.

It was an unfortunate end to the weekend for Hagler and Tweraser who were in prime position to battle for the Pro-Am victory in race two. Nevertheless, Hagler enjoyed an excellent stint where she competed against more experienced GT3 drivers and displayed superb pace.

It was a strong end to the season for Taylor in ADAC GT Masters and this will encourage her as the American driver now looks ahead to the 2025 season.