After sitting out the 2024 IMSA season, Meyer-Shank Racing will return to the lineup with Honda Racing Corporation USA to run two Acura ARX-06 GTP entries in 2025.
HRC will play an expanded role in partnership with Meyer Shank Racing and race engineer one of the two entries as the next step for HRC US in the development of electrified powertrains, software, vehicle control systems and vehicle dynamics simulation.
The combined works effort will debut at the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The multi-year agreement has HRC US take on a larger operational role as the company further develops its personnel and technology for the hybrid electrified racing era.
“Running our own GTP car is the next, exciting step for our associates at HRC US,” said David Salters, President, Honda Racing Corporation USA. “We race to develop our people and technology and we are thrilled to be partnering with MSR to race our ARX-06 against some of the world’s best sports car teams.
“This is why the next logical step for us is race engineer our own car: buckle-up HRC boys and girls.”
Just minutes after HRC made the announcement, its current team, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, announced it would be leaving the company to align with another brand beginning next year.
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"We have had a successful run with HRC and Acura these past four years,” said Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Team Principal Wayne Taylor. “When it came to renewal, we listened and took their future plans into serious consideration, but in the end, felt we needed to go in a different direction moving forward.
“With three key races left in the season, our plan is to continue to focus on winning more podiums and races for Acura and to end the year strong. We are looking forward to announcing our plans for 2025 in the very near future."
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti and HRC US currently campaign two Acura ARX-06 GTP cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with drivers Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor piloting the No. 40, while Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque drive the No. 10.
Deletraz and Taylor captured pole at the recent Watkins Glen IMSA race, while Taylor and Albuquerque took victory at the Detroit Grand Prix earlier this month.
“I would like to sincerely thank Wayne Taylor, the WTR with Andretti team and its talented drivers,” Salters said. “We have shared some brilliant and successful times together; and we look forward to finishing 2024 with more top-level racing.”
Acura and HRC US developed the electrified Acura ARX-06 for the debut of IMSA’s hybrid GTP category in 2023. The 2025 GTP entries will once again rely on the proven ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles] LMDh-based chassis, and exterior body that was created and styled by the Acura Design Studio in Torrance, CA.
HRC US developed the electrified powertrain, vehicle, engine and simulation software and control systems along with advanced driver-in-the loop simulator for the ARX-06.
“First, on behalf of everyone at Meyer Shank Racing, I want to express our gratitude to David Salters and everyone at HRC and Acura for giving us this opportunity,” said Mike Shank, co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing with former business executive Jim Meyer. “We are supremely grateful to have earned this new opportunity and everyone on the team is looking forward to day one in our new relationship with Acura, and the new role we’ll be playing in HRC US’s IMSA program.”
Meyer Shank Racing will prepare and maintain the pair of Acura ARX-06 GTP entries from their facilities located in Etna, Ohio, just east of Columbus. MSR has campaigned several successful Acura race cars including NSX GT3, ARX-05 and ARX-06 machines racking up race wins and championships in IMSA.
MSR will also continue to operate and field multiple Honda-powered entries in the NTT IndyCar Series, where the team has been a part of the HRC US effort in Indy car competition since 2018.
Information regarding HRC US and MSR team drivers, sponsors and other program details will be shared at a later date.
Acura is a three-time series champion in the former Daytona Prototype International (DPi) category, claiming the Manufacturer, Driver and Team DPi titles in 2019, 2020 and again in 2022, the final season in the DPi era. In IMSA GTP competition, Acura has recorded five poles and four victories since the electrified hybrid GTP category began competition in January 2023.
Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US), has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since its founding in 1993 as Honda Performance Development (HPD). In January 2024, HPD became HRC US, combining with HRC Japan to strengthen the company’s overall motorsports capabilities. From pinnacle racing in IndyCar and IMSA sports cars to commercial racing programs, HRC US leads all Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs in North America and will be involved in Formula One power unit development and race support related to the next phase of Honda starting in 2026.
HRC US specializes in the design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. The company also offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers; and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles, from karting and quarter midgets to the highest levels of professional racing.
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes.
In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.
WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac.
In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.
Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT IndyCar Series, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.
