– Major news in the North American sports car scene: Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) will temporarily end its factory involvement with the Acura ARX-06 in the GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship after the 2026 season. The announcement comes just four days after Acura’s first victory in Long Beach since 2009.
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Instead, the manufacturer is massively shifting its focus towards the IndyCar Series to more prominently position the Acura brand there. A new regulation will come into effect there from 2028, which ties up resources.
Currently, Acura, in collaboration with Meyer Shank Racing, fields two of the electrified prototypes in the top class. HRC US handles the strategy and engineering directly at the racetrack for car #93 (Renger van der Zande/Nick Yelloly).
The withdrawal from IMSA comes in favor of an expansion strategy in the IndyCar Series. To kick this off, Marcus Armstrong will compete in the upcoming Indianapolis 500 in May with Acura branding on his Meyer Shank Racing-entered car. It is the first time in history that the brand is represented at the legendary Indy 500.
Already at the Grand Prix of Long Beach last weekend, Felix Rosenqvist shone in an Acura design and promptly secured pole position and second place in the race.
David Salters, President of HRC US, meanwhile looks back proudly on the past era: “We are extremely proud of what we have achieved since 2018 with the ARX-05 and ARX-06. 25 wins, 34 poles, and 10 championships speak for themselves. We are determined to continue fighting for the title in the GTP class until the end of 2026.”
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The decision for the strategic change comes at a time when the IndyCar Series is experiencing a massive upswing. Thanks to new TV partner Fox, the series recorded the most-watched Indy 500 in 17 years in 2025. The start of the 2026 season delivered the best ratings since 2008, when the two rival series had just merged and ratings guarantor Danica Patrick was still competing.
For Acura, this offers the ideal stage to further strengthen its brand image. According to Hundy Liu, Manager for Acura Brand Marketing, the series is a “strong opportunity” to increase the brand’s awareness on a global stage – especially where Honda power has been so successful in recent years.
Although the focus is now shifting to the open-wheel series, it is not entirely new territory for Acura: Already in 1994, the brand was represented in the then IndyCar world with Comptech Racing and Parker Johnstone.
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Whether and in what form the Acura ARX-06 will continue to be used in the IMSA SportsCar Championship remains to be seen. When Acura withdrew from the American Le Mans Series in 2009, the Highcroft team took over the operations independently thereafter. Acura has been represented in IMSA since 2018 with various teams (Penske, Wayne Taylor Racing, Meyer Shank Racing).
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