PATASKALA, Ohio — Returning to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with an expanded Honda Racing Corporation U.S.A. partnership and competition program, Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian has finalized its full-season driver pairings for a two-car Acura GTP attack in 2025.
After bookending the 2023 IMSA season with wins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Motul Petit Le Mans, as well as taking an overall victory at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park with Acura in 2023, Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun will return to drive Acura MSR’s No. 60 Acura ARX-06.
New to the Acura MSR stable are Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, who will pair up in the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 entry. Van der Zande is coming off of a competitive IMSA season, with an overall win on the streets of Long Beach (Calif.) and most recently Petit Le Mans this past weekend. He also has three podium finishes to his credit at Sebring (Fla.), Detroit and Watkins Glen (N.Y.).
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to work in IMSA and we’re excited to expand our relationship with HRC and Acura to run two GTPs next year,” Team Principal Mike Shank said. “Putting Tom and Colin back in the drivers seat just made sense. The two of them had an incredible season in ’23 and I think that’s just cracking the surface on what they can accomplish together.
“And then with the addition of Renger and Nick, they both have extensive prototype experience and have shown a lot of strength the last few seasons, so I think they will be a big asset to the team.”
Yelloly has competed in IMSA for the last four seasons and collected a win at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen in 2023 as well as five podium finishes in IMSA’s top category.
“I’m super excited to be joining a new team and a new brand. I want to thank Mike Shank, Jim Meyer and everyone at HRC for giving me this opportunity, but I also have to thank Cadillac for everything they have done for me the last seven years,” van der Zande said. “Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing have become my racing family.
“Although it’s hard for me to leave, it’s time for a new chapter that I am really looking forward to. I’ve been racing against Acura for the last seven years and they’ve always been a fierce competitor. I’m excited to now be on their side and tap into their resources and see what we can do behind the wheel together next season.”
The 2025 IMSA season will see Acura MSR partner with HRC U.S. to field two entries in the GTP category. Acura MSR first partnered with HRC — then known as Honda Performance Development — in 2017 as the factory team to a run a pair of Acura NSX GT3s. The team scored the first-ever victory for the Acura NSX in Detroit.
Running the Acura NSX platform in IMSA competition for four seasons, MSR amassed seven poles, seven victories and 16 podium finishes. Acura MSR won the 2019 IMSA team and driver championships and followed that up with a second championship win in 2020 — also giving Acura the manufacturer championship honors that year.
The 2021 and 2022 seasons saw Acura MSR move up to the top DPi category. Three poles, two wins and eight podiums later and the team raced to a third IMSA championship title in 2022.
Acura MSR embarked on a new era of competition with HRC U.S. in 2023 with the debut of the Acura LMDh hybrid — the ARX-06. The team stood on the top step of the podium three times, including a third MSR Rolex 24 Hour overall win as well as wins at CTMP and Motul Petit Le Mans.
Acura MSR will make its first official outing at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway for the IMSA-sanctioned test in November.