Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3s Look To Extend Success at Watkins Glen
• Acura NSX GT3s take on Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen
• MSR team seeks to build on Detroit race win
• Third round of 2017 North American Endurance Championship

TORRANCE, Calif. (June 28, 2017) – Michael Shank Racing brings its pair of Acura NSX GT3s to the classic, challenging Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York this weekend, seeking the team’s second victory of 2017, following an outstanding inaugural race victory earlier this month at the Grand Prix of Detroit.

Sunday’s six-hour endurance contest on the fast, flowing Watkins Glen circuit marks the return of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to a traditional road course, following the tight confines of the Belle Isle Park temporary street circuit.

In Detroit, a strong qualifying performance and fast opening stint from Katherine Legge, followed by a quick pit stop and successful closing run by co-driver Andy Lally, netted MSR the first victory for the Acura NSX GT3 in international sports car racing, in just the fifth IMSA start for the team in the ultra-competitive GTD class for production-based race cars.

“They always say the first win is the hardest, and Detroit was no exception,” said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development. “The IMSA GTD class is incredibly competitive, and to win in just our fifth start in the series speaks to all of the hard work done at Michael Shank Racing, HPD, Honda Racing Development in Japan, Honda R&D in Ohio and the Performance Manufacturing Center [where the NSX is built]. It truly was a group win, and hopefully the first of many to come.”

Backing up the winning #93 Acura at Detroit, co-drivers Oswaldo “Ozz” Negri and Jeff Segal piloted their #86 NSX GT3 to fifth at the checkers. They had appeared headed for third – and a double podium for MSR and Acura – until late race contact from another competitor cost the #86 Acura two positions.

Competing in GTD, the Acura NSX GT3s race against premium automotive brands including Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. After five of 12 rounds, Acura is currently fifth in the tight GTD Manufacturers’ Championship standings, just five points out of third, and only 20 points from first place.

The Acura NSX GT3 adds to a rich legacy of Acura sports car racing championships, including the 1991, 1992 and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer and driver championships, and the 2009 American Le Mans Series manufacturer, driver and team championships in both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes.

The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen starts at 10 a.m. EDT Sunday, July 2 with live television coverage starting on Fox Sports 1, moving to Fox Sports 2 at 1 p.m. for the remainder of the event. Live coverage also can be found the Fox Sports Go app and at www.imsa.com.
Video recaps from this weekend’s Acura racing activities at Watkins Glen will be posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the 2017 HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.