- Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 to start fourth, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura fifth, for 24-hour endurance racing contest
- Magnus with Archangel Acura NSX GT3 Evo starts 12th in GTD
- 2021 IMSA season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona begins Saturday
The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off tomorrow with a new look for the Acura Motorsports effort, as two championship-winning teams – Wayne Taylor Racing and Magnus with Archangel – make their debut for the manufacturer. They join reigning GTD champion Meyer Shank Racing, which continues with Acura in 2021 but now in the premier prototype division.
Defending two-time Rolex 24 winner Wayne Taylor Racing will join two-time Acura GTD series champion and 2012 Rolex winner Meyer Shank Racing to field Acura ARX-05 prototypes in this weekend’s season-opening endurance contest. Completing the Acura lineup for 2021 is Magnus with Archangel, fielding an Acura NSX GT3 Evo in the production-based GTD class.
Acura Rolex 24 Starting Positions
- 4th overall - #60 Dane Cameron and Olivier Pla, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
- 5th overall - #10 Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
- 12th GTD - #44 John Potter and Andy Lally, Magnus with Archangel Acura NSX GT3 Evo
Magnus with Archangel Video
To mark their switch to Acura Motorsports and the start of the 2021 season at Daytona, Magnus with Archangel co-owner/driver John Potter has produced a cartoon video, shot in the style of the famous “Speed Racer” animated racing program of the 1960s.
The video short is available on the Magnus Racing home page, http://www.magnusracing.com, and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWRYfXIgpM0&feature=emb_logo. The Magnus with Archangel Acura NSX GT3 Evo also features a commemorative Speed Race livery this weekend at Daytona.
Acura Rolex 24 Fast Facts
- Acura comes to this year’s Rolex 24 as two-time defending Manufacturers’ Champion in the premier DPi category with the Acura ARX-05 prototype, and defending Manufacturers’ Champion in the production-based GTD class with the Acura NSX GT3 Evo.
- All three Acura teams at this year’s Rolex 24 are previous winners of the endurance racing classic. Wayne Taylor Racing won the Rolex 24 in 2017, 2019 and 2020; Meyer Shank Racing was victorious in 2012; and Magnus with Archangel have combined for three wins in production-based GT categories.
- In a new format for 2021, starting positions for this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona were set according to the results in a one hour, 40-minute race that concluded the “Roar Before the 24” series open test last weekend.
Acura Motorsports Rolex 24 Pre-Race Quotes
Mike Shank (co-owner #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05): will start fourth in Saturday’s Rolex 24 at Daytona: “We’re really happy where the car is right now from a handling/balance perspective. All the drivers like the car, and they’re all incredibly fast. I don’t think we could be happier at this point. We even had time to practice some ‘bad scenario’ pit stops – what to do if things go wrong during the race. To have that kind of relaxation is really valuable going into the race. We’re ready.”
Wayne Taylor (owner, #10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-05) will start 5th: “I think, relative to the [qualifying] race last weekend, we’ve improved quite a bit. I feel as if we have a car now that is competitive enough to win the race. It’s been a pleasure to receive such great support from HPD, it just pushes all of us to do a better job. Obviously, lots of things can happen during the course of a 24-hour race, but I’ll put our four drivers up against any other lineup in the field. They’ve got the experience and the knowledge, and there’s no egos involved at all. So now we’re just waiting for the start, but we’re going into the race feeling good.”
David Salters (President, Honda Performance Development) on this weekend’s season-opening Rolex 24: “Firstly, before we get to the Rolex, we need to give a huge ‘thank you’ to Team Penske and their great people, for three years of awesome racing, helping us develop the ARX-05. They helped us achieve enormous success in our IMSA program and were great in assisting us in the transition [to Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing]. Right now, there’s been a huge amount of work from everyone at HPD, and on the part of WTR and MSR getting us ready, despite the shortened off-season. We’ve got a fantastic driver lineup and some awesome cars. Now, let’s go race. Anything can happen in a 24-hour race, and probably will.”
Where to Watch the Rolex 24 at Daytona
- Television coverage of the 59th Rolex 24 at Daytona starts Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST on NBC, and continues on the NBC Sports Network from 4:30 - 8 p.m.; 11 p.m. - 3 a.m.; and 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Coverage concludes with the final hours of the race on NBC from 2 - 4p.m. Sunday. Live flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the NBC Sports App and NBCSN Gold with NBCSN Trackpass authentication.
- Fans can listen to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.comand Sirius XM Radio; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.
- Acura Motorsports social media content and video links from Daytona are available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter at (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD).
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