With a Lotus Evora GT4 under the Taggart Autosport awning, Jim Taggart and his team are spending early January testing in Florida in preparation for the upcoming 2014 season. The first challenge for the team is the double national at the historic Sebring International Raceway, with a rough track surface similar to many of the street circuits the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class will visit in 2014.
Having run a pair of Lotus Exiges in the 2013 Pirelli World Challenge, earning rookie of the year honors, Taggart Autosport took delivery of a sleek GT4-spec Evora in December through the Port of Miami.
After a shakedown run at Road Atlanta, the car was thoroughly inspected and prepped for duties at the 17-turn Sebring, where Taggart will run the famed SCCA “Winter Nationals,” now a SCCA Majors event in the T1 class.
Facing the Evora, and perhaps a good indicator for the upcoming 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season, will be American sports cars such as Mustangs and Camaros, also running in T1 SCCA configuration.
Following the double race weekend at Sebring, Taggart and teammate Tom Long will further put the Lotus through its paces at a six-hour endurance race, Thursday at the PBOC Winterfest, again at Sebring.
Lotus fans and supports are invited to stop by the Taggart Autosport paddock in Sebring. The Evora will run in a black testing livery with gold and silver highlights.