2023 IMSA Season Comes to a Close for Taylor Hagler
The 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) season has come to an end at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The season finale for Taylor Hagler concluded a season that tested her mentally and physically as a racing driver following two Championship winning runs in 2021 and 2022.
For the final race of the year, Hagler’s longtime teammate Michael Lewis was forced to the sideline due to an injury suffered at the previous round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bryson Morris took over the co-pilot duties of the No. 1 Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) Hyundai Elantra N TCR for the Fox Factory 120 at Road Atlanta alongside Hagler. Morris qualified the No. 1 Hyundai in fifth place and started the race behind the wheel.
The two-hour race was riddled by full course cautions resulting in 20 yellow flag laps. Morris’s opening stint was slowed with three full course cautions, but the young gun driver utilized the slow traffic to set up Hagler for her final stint. Morris brought the Hyundai entry to pit lane in first place on lap 39 just before the fourth full course caution appeared.
Hagler returned to the course in second place before returning to green flag conditions on lap 46. Hagler navigated the overhead darkening skies threatening to add rain to the mix, but she continued to push on as she navigated the 12 turn Georgia race track. While running in the top five, the No. 1 Hyundai suffered a mechanical failure causing Hagler to fall back to ninth place. A final yellow flag appeared on lap 62 forcing the field to a two lap shootout to the checkered flag. Hagler brought the No. 1 Hyundai to the finish line on the lead lap in ninth to close the season.
Hagler completed the 2023 IMPC season sixth in the driver championship standings and will return to Bryan Herta Autosport for the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season in January.
Taylor Hagler, No. 1 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR: “This season was tough. We had moments that challenged our entire No. 1 Bryan Herta Autosport team in ways that required us to adapt in new ways.. The entire team and Hyundai have worked so hard for us this year and I am happy that they were able to keep the Championship trophy in house and with Robert (Wickens) and Harry (Gottsacker) Congratulations to the team for their Championship win!”