Acura will withdraw from IMSA and shift its focus to IndyCar branding starting in 2027.
Chris duMond
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As the No. 93 Acura ARX-06, driven by Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, crossed the finish line in first place at last Saturday’s Acura Long Beach Grand Prix, rumors circulated about the automaker withdrawing from IMSA over the weekend. Those rumors have now been confirmed.
Acura announced on Wednesday afternoon that it will be “pausing” its IMSA GTP program at the conclusion of the current season. They did not provide any reason for this decision or indicate when they might resume the program—if at all.
“We take great pride in what we’ve achieved during this era of Acura prototype racing, which began in 2018 with the Acura ARX-05. We remain committed to competing for the championship in IMSA’s GTP category through 2026 with the hybrid Acura ARX-06,” said David Salters, President of Honda Racing Corporation USA.
“During this time, we have secured 25 wins, 34 poles, and 10 championships, and we look forward to finishing 2026 strong. I would like to recognize all the talented individuals at HRC US, Acura, Meyer Shank Racing, and Oreca who have worked diligently to help us succeed in this highly competitive GTP field,” Salters added.
Acura also announced that it will sponsor Meyer Shank Racing’s Honda-powered Indy cars throughout the 2026 season—as it did in Long Beach with Felix Rosenqvist—including Marcus Armstrong’s #66 at the upcoming 110th Indianapolis 500 next month. However, the release did not provide specifics for 2027, only stating that it would pursue “other high-profile opportunities in IndyCar during the 2026 season and beyond.”
While Indy cars are impressive and the IndyCar series is highly competitive, simply placing some logos on a car does little to satisfy fans who value a factory-level presence in IMSA’s GTP class. Although there’s a strong possibility that the hardware currently racing will still be seen in the future with customer teams, this news is disappointing on many fronts.
Though not officially confirmed, there are rumors that Porsche’s IMSA GTP initiative with Penske will also conclude at the end of the year, mirroring their announcements in WEC.
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Acura will withdraw from IMSA and shift its focus to IndyCar branding starting in 2027.
There are rumors suggesting that Porsche's IMSA GTP collaboration with Penske is also facing termination after this season.