[h=1]IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP CO-DRIVERS JORDAN AND RICKY TAYLOR MAKE IMPACT ON THE TRACK AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA[/h]
Share this Article:
Google+
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Pinterest
Monday, September 18, 2017
Tags:
Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. No. 10
Decorated second-generation racers Jordan and Ricky Taylor, co-drivers of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. for Wayne Taylor Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, are accustomed to making noise in both the literal and figurative senses of the term when they are on-track. However, the impact of the respective 25- and 27-year-old drivers extends off the track as well with memorable fan and media interactions, a podcast, and an enthusiastic social media following.
Jordan and Ricky have had a milestone season thus far. They began 2017 with back-to-back resounding victories at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The Daytona win was with co-drivers Max “The Ax” Angelelli in his last career race and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. The Sebring win came with new third driver Alex Lynn of Great Britain. Jordan and Ricky currently lead the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver standings in the Prototype (P) category.
Off the track, the residents of the Orlando suburb Apopka, Fla., have opened up their lives and embraced their shared wit and humor to engage old and new sports car racing enthusiasts via social media. Whether keeping fans looped in to their day-to-day activities or entertaining them with
videos of their antics such as Jordan’s alter ego of Gordon superfan “
Rodney Sandstorm,” they have found a way to connect with their audience in a meaningful way that transcends their significant accomplishments behind the wheel.
“I think social media is hugely important in our era of sport,” said Jordan. “It’s a new way for the fans to connect with teams and drivers. I enjoy following drivers that I will never get a chance to meet, guys in Formula 1 or NASCAR. I find it interesting to see what they are like away from the race track. You watch these guys on TV all the time, but I find it way cooler to see what their true personalities are like and what they do between race weekends.
“As a fan, I really enjoy that aspect of it, and I know what I like to see from people I follow, so when I use social media, I like to show people a different side of me that they might not necessarily see at the race track. I think it’s important for people to see that you are not just a generic ‘race car driver.’ Seeing you behind the scenes and in everyday life makes you way more relatable. I do feel like that now that I’ve started with social media, it’s almost like a part time job, but I find a lot of enjoyment in it.”
“I think social media is a great resource and experience for race fans and motorsport professionals to experience the sport from perspectives that were never possible in the past,” Ricky added. “I think it has opened doors for a lot of drivers and fans to access one another. In my opinion, it is not a one-way street where fans get a glimpse behind the scenes of the racing world but also the other way around where teams, drivers, and series can learn more about their audience, what they like, what they want to see more of, what they want to see less of, etc.”
The feedback from their followers has even had an effect on their daily lives.
“My favorite development recently with social media has been my cooking feedback, with fans sending me wing sauce suggestions, recipes, and all kinds of great cooking tips,” said Ricky. “I try to not just post about race cars, and the cooking side with my Big Green Egg has been a lot of fun to interact with people about; I love that. And nobody has booed my cooking… yet.”
Jordan and Ricky have recently expanded their media footprint by launching the
BadFast Podcast with the help of RaceDay Nation host Rob D’Amico. Jordan and Ricky can be followed on Facebook (
TEAM;
Jordan;
Ricky), Twitter (
TEAM;
Jordan;
Ricky), and Instagram (
TEAM;
Jordan;
Ricky).
On Friday, Sept. 22, Jordan and Ricky will take over the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Twitter account (
@MazdaRaceway) from 1:40-2:20 p.m. PT and answer questions from fans.
Jordan and Ricky will be competing at this weekend’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on September 21-24. They will be in the feature race, the AMERICA’S TIRE 250 on Sunday, which will also be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports GO, and IMSA Radio.