Grand-Am team’s transporter and car destroyed

The transporter used by Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series team Wayne Taylor Racing was severely damaged Monday afternoon as it traveled east on Interstate 40 in Texas. The transporter caught fire while it was returning to its headquarters in Indianapolis from the Rolex Sports Car Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, Calif.

There were no injuries and no other parties were involved, but the team’s transporter drivers reported major damage to the tractor, trailer and its contents, which included equipment, spare parts and the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara race car.

Wayne Taylor Racing transporter drivers Larry Harmon and Buddy Johnson were approximately an hour east of Amarillo when they heard a noise from the trailer. They immediately moved the transporter safely away from the lanes of travel, and after exiting the cab, discovered that the trailer was on fire.

The following is a statement from Wayne Taylor, owner of Wayne Taylor Racing:

“First and foremost we’re very thankful that everyone is okay. It was obviously a scary situation that our transporter drivers, Larry Harmon and Buddy Johnson, handled extremely well. We’re still trying to gather all the facts as to what caused this catastrophic accident, but the most important thing is that no one was hurt."

A follow-up statement regarding details of the damage to the transporter and the team’s plans regarding the next race, June 7 at Watkins Glen, N.Y., will be made available upon further assessment.