---
title: "Acura Will Pull Out of IMSA, Pivot to IndyCar Branding for 2027"
description: "Just as the No. 93 [Acura]() ARX-06 driven by Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly crossed the finish line in first place during last Saturday's Acura Long Beach Grand Prix, rumors of the automaker pulling out of [IMSA]() gained&hellip;"
date: "2026-04-22"
modified: "2026-04-22"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/acura-will-pull-out-of-imsa-pivot-to-indycar-branding-for-2027"
categories:
  - "IMSA"
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
---

# Acura Will Pull Out of IMSA, Pivot to IndyCar Branding for 2027

![LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: #93: Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, victory lane during the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18, 2026 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Chris duMond/Lumen via Getty Images)](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GettyImages-2271475727.jpg>)
*\<em\>Chris duMond\</em\>*

Just as the No. 93 [Acura](<https://www.thedrive.com/category/acura-news>) ARX-06 driven by Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly crossed the finish line in first place during last Saturday's Acura Long Beach Grand Prix, rumors of the automaker pulling out of [IMSA](<https://www.thedrive.com/category/imsa>) gained momentum over the weekend. Those rumors are now confirmed.

Acura announced Wednesday afternoon that it'll be "pausing" its IMSA GTP program at the end of the current season. It did not offer any explanation for why it's doing this or when it expects to resume the program—if ever.

"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, President 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 recognize 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," added Salters.

![#60: Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Acura-MSR-IndyCar.jpg>)
**Acura* MICHAEL L. LEVITT*

It did, however, announce that Acura will be adorning Meyer Shank Racing Honda-powered Indy cars throughout the 2026 season—as it did in Long Beach with Felix Rosenqvist—including Marcus Armstrong's #66 at the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 next month. The release did not mention specifics for 2027, though it did mention that it would explore "other high-profile opportunities in IndyCar during the 2026 season and beyond."

As cool as Indy cars are, and as competitive as IndyCar is, putting some stickers on a car is hardly a consolation to fans who love seeing a factory-level effort in IMSA's GTP class. And while there's a good chance that all of the hardware we're seeing racing today will still be present in the future with customer teams, it's still a bummer on many levels.

While not confirmed, rumor on the street is that Porsche's IMSA GTP effort with Penske will also be wrapping up at the end of the year, [similar to what it has announced in WEC](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/porsche-kills-wec-hypercar-program-but-stays-in-imsa>).

*Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)