IMSA: Acura ARX-06 Makes Successful On-Track Debut (2nd Update)

TORRANCE, CA (July 19, 2022) – After an initial shakedown last week, Acura Motorsports has successfully completed two days of testing of the new, electrified Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype, which will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hybrid-powered GTP category beginning in 2023.

“Of course, it is still early days, but I would have to say we’re quite pleased with the results of both the initial shake-down runs last week at Paul Ricard; followed by two days this weekend, which ran into the night both on Saturday and Sunday,” said David Salters, HPD President and Technical Director.  Everyone on our team from ORECA, HPD, the Wayne Taylor and Meyer Shank organizations – worked together extraordinarily well in preparing for and conducting these initial runs.  Now the truly hard work begins!”

Precision Crafted Peformance.

Track testing of the @Acura ARX-06 continued over the weekend at Magny-Cours. Another massive team effort from everyone at HPD and @Oreca – Thank You!#AcuraMotorsports pic.twitter.com/lVC00ulh6X

— HPD-North American Motorsport (@HondaRacing_HPD) July 19, 2022

Driving duties during this these testing runs was performed by HPD engineer Matt McMurry, and Wayne Taylor Racing driver Ricky Taylor.

McMurry, an HPD Vehicle Performance engineer, led development work on several software control systems utilized on the ARX-06 and also is a successful racing driver – having competed in three Le Mans 24 Hour races and winner of the IMSA GTD Drivers’ Championship with Meyer Shank Racing in 2020.

Taylor, an HPD development driver, is a two-time IMSA DPi champion, Rolex 24 winner for Acura and eight-time Le Mans competitor.

The Acura ARX-06 [Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 6] is the latest in a successful line of endurance prototypes fielded by the brand, beginning in 1991.  Exterior styling of the newest prototype race car was led by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, Calif., in conjunction with Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America, and chassis-supplier ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles].  Acura will continue its partnerships with the proven, race- and championship-winning Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing organizations to campaign the hybrid-powered Acura entries in 2023.

In addition to sweeping all three major IMSA DPi championships in both 2019 and 2020 – for Manufacturers, Drivers and Teams – Acura has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in both 2021 and ’22, including a 1-2 finish for the manufacturer at this year’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.  Additional podium finishes at Sebring, Watkins Glen and the Petit Le Mans in 2021 resulted in a sweep of IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup titles for Acura and partner Wayne Taylor Racing.

After eight of 10 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races in 2022, Acura’s partner teams Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing are currently ranked first and second in both the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships.

The new Acura ARX-06 LMDh car has been shaken down for the first time at Paul Ricard ahead of its debut in the new GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023.

Factory Acura driver Ricky Taylor and two-time IMSA class champion Matt McMurry shared driving duties in the ARX-06.

Acura’s Summer of Performance continues.

Massive team effort from everyone at HPD and @Oreca as the @Acura ARX-06 starts on-track testing!#AcuraMotorsports pic.twitter.com/Ivh0okOBfD

— HPD-North American Motorsport (@HondaRacing_HPD) July 15, 2022

A full private testing program for the new Acura prototype is set to follow, including running in America, prior to IMSA-sanctioned tests scheduled on October 3-5 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and December 6-7 at Daytona International Speedway.

Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank will race the ARX-06 at the start of the LMDh era next year, with both teams expected to field a single ARX-06 in the GTP class.

Acura Motorsports today released the first images of the company’s new, electrified Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype, which will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hybrid-powered GTP category beginning in 2023.

The Acura ARX-06 [Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 6] is the latest in a successful line of endurance prototypes fielded by the brand, beginning in 1991. Exterior styling of the newest prototype race car was led by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, Calif., in conjunction with Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America, and chassis-supplier ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles].

“The process we used in creating the exterior design for the Acura ARX-06 is exactly the same as how we create a new Acura passenger vehicle,” said Dave Marek, Acura Executive Creative Director.

“The same world-class stylists that lead Acura production car design created initial sketches, then pared those down to several potential designs. Next we created a scale model, did aero and wind tunnel model testing, and brought HPD and our partner teams in for their feedback.,” Marek recounted. “The design continued to be refined throughout the testing and evaluation process, until we came up with a final treatment that met our performance goals while maintaining all-important Acura styling cues. It’s been an exciting process.”

The Acura ARX-06 will be the latest in a line of endurance prototypes to be fielded by the company dating back to 1991, just five years after the 1986 launch of the Acura brand. Based on the ORECA LMDh chassis, the ARX-06 will feature Acura-specific bodywork, aerodynamics and internal combustion power unit.