Acura is following up its win at the IMSA Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with bad news for its fans.
The automaker has announced that it will “pause” it’s IMSA effort at the end of the 2026 season to focus on building a presence for the brand in IndyCar, where Honda is an engine supplier.
“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,” David Salters, President Honda Racing Corporation USA, said in a news release.
Acura currently fields two cars in the GTP category with Meyer Shank Racing, which also runs Honda-powered cars in IndyCar. Marcus Armstrong’s #66 MSR will feature Acura branding during the Indy 500 as part of the brand’s pivot, which will also see it as a car sponsor for several more races throughout the year.
While IMSA has seen an unprecedented influx of automakers in recent years, which has increased competition, Honda and Chevrolet are currently the only two engine suppliers in IndyCar.
The series recently reached an agreement with both to commit for many more years as it transitions to a new chassis and powertrain in 2028 and has issued a charter that each automaker can use for a factory car that has a guaranteed entry at every race, aside from the Indy 500.
Chevrolet hasn’t announced the plans for its charter yet, but Honda is planning to work with Meyer Shank on an entry of its own.
