Rumor IMSA: MSR dropped Acura to race Alpines

Meyer Shank Racing dropped out of the Acura IMSA program after 2023 and now may race the Alpine Hypercar in 2025.

Alpine has confirmed talks with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) on the possibility of running its new A424 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by as early as the 2025 season.

The French manufacturer, which will debut its LMDh car with a two-car Signatech-run program in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, could look to the Ohio-based squad as form of expansion for its second year of competition.

When asked about MSR, Alpine’s Vice President of Motorsports Bruno Famin confirmed to reporters at Alpine’s multi-day test at the Circuito de Jerez that the manufacturer has been in contact with the Mike Shank-led operation.

“I talked to them, yeah,” said Famin.

“Quite a long time ago, even before they separated, they decided to [go] separate ways with Acura. Of course, it could be an option, but we could have some other options.”

“For the time being, to be honest, we are not pushing much on that,” he explained.

“The key topic is to be ready for the WEC. To develop the car, to understand, to be ready as much as we can for the 2024 WEC championship.

“We will do our best to have an IMSA program, as we [will] have the homologated car already. It was part of the choice of developing an LMDh. 

“If IMSA comes, it will come together with the brand in the US. It’s not for 2024, maybe for 2025, I don’t know. But there’s no need to take contact too early. We need to have more information first.”