Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) has officially announced that the Acura ARX-06 LMDh programme will be paused after the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
The announcement comes mere days after Acura Meyer Shank Racing, Renger van der Zande, and Nick Yelloly won the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, as part of a broader confirmation that Acura is expanding its presence in IndyCar going forward.
No other specific reasons were given in the news release for the GTP programme being parked. However, last Friday, RACER.com’s Marshall Pruett reported that the Acura IMSA programme was at risk of being discontinued due to a challenging global automotive market and the cancellation of multiple upcoming EV projects by Honda.
“We are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished during this era of Acura prototype racing, which began back in 2018 with the introduction of the Acura ARX-05 and we are committed to compete for the championship in IMSA’s GTP category through 2026 with the hybrid Acura ARX-06 competing in IMSA’s GTP category,” said David Salters, the President of Honda Racing Corporation USA.
“We’ve scored 25 wins, 34 poles and 10 championships during this time and look forward to finishing 2026 strong. I want to recognise all the talented women and men of HRC US, Acura, Meyer Shank Racing and ORECA who have worked tirelessly to get us to where we are in this highly competitive GTP field.”
Honda and its Acura brand have competed in IMSA’s top prototype category since 2018, winning three DPi class titles – including two with Team Penske – and the 2022 Daytona 24 Hours. Acura was one of the four manufacturers that ushered in the new LMDh prototype formula in 2023 alongside Cadillac, BMW, and Porsche.
The Acura ARX-06s of Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) and Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) took a 1-2 finish on debut at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Though it was a result that would be tarnished a few weeks later with the revelation of Meyer Shank Racing’s tyre pressure manipulation scandal.
WTR, in alliance with Andretti Autosport, finished second in the 2023 GTP championship and would expand to a two-car outfit the following year. The second “WTRAndretti” car replaced MSR, which did not return to IMSA in 2024 despite winning at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Motul Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta.
In 2024, WTR scored victories at Sebring and Detroit, but in a major realignment in the prototype racing landscape, WTR returned to Cadillac/GM in 2025, and MSR returned to IMSA, now running both Acura entries – including the #93 ARX-06 engineered by Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US).
Van der Zande and Yelloly won at Detroit, teammates Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun won the following round at Watkins Glen, and Acura finished second in the 2025 GTP Manufacturers’ standings behind Porsche.
Honda/Acura is the only LMDh manufacturer that has not entered the FIA World Endurance Championship during this period, though rumours persisted of potential involvement in WEC and the Asian Le Mans Series Hypercar as recently as the end of January.
The door is believed to be open for privateer efforts to come to the fore to operate the ARX-06 in the future, including in the Asian Le Mans Series’ new Hypercar category.
Acura may also be able to resurrect the programme in GTP later down the line, should the forthcoming 2030 top class regulations allow for current LMDh spines to carry over into the new era.
A subsequent statement from Meyer Shank Racing reads: “We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Honda, Acura & HRC and the success we’ve shared together in IMSA competition. Their support and commitment have played a key role in the growth of our programme and the accomplishments we’ve achieved as a team.
“As we look to the future, we are excited to expand our relationship with Acura into the NTT IndyCar Series, beginning with the Indianapolis 500 this May on the #66 Honda (driven by Marcus Armstrong).
“At the same time, Meyer Shank Racing remains open to continuing its presence in IMSA competition and exploring opportunities with other OEM partners.”
Images © IMSA
