Acura Meyer Shank Racing Secures Victory at Chevrolet Sports Car Classic

In a thrilling conclusion to the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at Detroit, Acura Meyer Shank Racing, with drivers Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, clinched a dramatic win after starting from pole position. The #93 Acura ARX-06 triumphed over Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s Ricky Taylor in the final moments, marking Meyer Shank Racing’s first IMSA win since their return from a year-long hiatus.

Race Overview

Taylor, who had executed a key pass minutes earlier alongside co-driver Filipe Albuquerque, finished second in the #10 Cadillac V-Series.R, signifying the first podium for Cadillac Racing in IMSA or WEC competition. The race marked a notable end to Porsche Penske Motorsport’s four-race winning streak in the GTP class. The #6 Porsche 963, driven by Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, secured third place, narrowly ahead of the championship-leading #7 Porsche duo of Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr.

Race Dynamics

Yelloly’s strong performance in the early stages allowed the #93 Acura to lead, while a Full Course Yellow briefly altered the field’s strategy. Post-pit stops, the #7 Porsche, under Nasr’s control, initially took the lead. However, a late incident between GTD PRO cars bunched the field, setting the stage for a tense finish.

With under 30 minutes to go, Nasr surged ahead, but Taylor replicated a prior year’s bold maneuver, overtaking Nasr to assume the lead. Van der Zande capitalized on this battle, regaining the lead with a decisive move in the final corners, crossing the finish line just 0.947 seconds ahead of Taylor.

Championship Implications

Despite the loss, Nasr and Tandy maintain a 70-point lead in the IMSA GTP Drivers’ Championship over Jaminet and Campbell. The focus now shifts to the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Porsche aims for its 20th overall win.

GTD PRO Class Highlights

In the GTD PRO class, the #64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3, piloted by Sebastian Priaulx and Mike Rockenfeller, triumphed over the #3 Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Rockenfeller secured victory by a narrow 1.6 seconds, achieving Ford’s second win of the season.

The #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 finished third, marking its first podium of the year. Following a late incident, the #77 AO Racing Porsche and #4 Pratt Miller Corvette dropped to fifth and sixth, respectively. Heinrich and Bachler retain the GTD PRO standings lead, now closely pursued by the Corvette duo of Sims and Garcia.

Looking Ahead

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will resume on June 22 for the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen, the next round in the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Race Results

• GTP Class:

  1. 93 Acura ARX-06 – Van der Zande/Yelloly

  2. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R – Taylor/Albuquerque

  3. 6 Porsche 963 – Jaminet/Campbell

• GTD PRO Class:

  1. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 – Priaulx/Rockenfeller

  2. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R – Garcia/Sims

  3. 9 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 – Caldarelli/Mapelli

Image Credits: © Brett Farmer / IMSA / Lumen Digital Agency