Acura ARX-06

Acura ARX-06

The No. 60 ARX-06 of Meyer Shank Racing at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans
Category	Le Mans Daytona h
Constructor	HRC US (Oreca)
Designer(s)	David Salters (Technical Director, HRC US) [1] Mark Crawford (Large Project Leader) [2] Guy Melville-Brown (Exterior Project Lead) [3] Bill Yex (Special Projects Lead) [3] Jonathan Seaman (Lead Aerodynamicist) [3]
Predecessor	Acura ARX-05
Technical specifications
Chassis	LMP2-based carbon fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, pushrods with power steering
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, pushrods
Length	5,100 mm (200.8 in)
Width	2,000 mm (78.7 in)
Height	1,060 mm (41.7 in)
Wheelbase	3,148 mm (123.9 in)
Engine	Acura AR24e 2.4 L (146.5 cu in) 90° V6 twin-turbocharged, 24valve, DOHC mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted
Electric motor	Rear-mounted 50 kW (68 PS; 67 hp) spec MGU supplied by Bosch
Transmission	Xtrac P1359 7-speed sequential manual [4]
Power	500 kW (680 PS; 671 hp)
Weight	1,030 kg
Fuel	VP Racing Fuels
Lubricants	Pennzoil, later Valvoline
Brakes	AP Racing carbon with AP Racing Monobloc 6-piston calipers [4]
Tyres	Michelin slicks with Rotiform one-piece forged alloys [4]
Competition history
Competition	IMSA SportsCar Championship
Notable entrants	Meyer Shank Racing Wayne Taylor Racing
Notable drivers	Filipe Albuquerque Ricky Taylor Louis Delétraz Brendon Hartley Tom Blomqvist Colin Braun Hélio Castroneves Simon Pagenaud
Debut	2023 24 Hours of Daytona
First win	2023 24 Hours of Daytona
Last win	2024 Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic
Last event	2025 12 Hours of Sebring
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 18 5 11 4 2

The Acura ARX-06 is a sports prototype racing car designed by Honda Racing Corporation USA, formerly known as Honda Performance Development (HPD), and built by Oreca. It is designed to the Le Mans Daytona h regulations, and competes in the GTP class in the IMSA SportsCar Championship since 2023. ^[5] The car has a bespoke 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine designated as the AR24e. ^{[6] [7]} The ARX-06 debuted alongside the BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-LMDh and Porsche 963 at the 2023 season opener of the IMSA SportsCar Championship at the Daytona International Speedway. ^{[8] [9]}

The ARX-06 won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2023, the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024 and Petit Le Mans in 2023, becoming the first car to win all three major IMSA endurance races during the GTP era.

Background

In January 2021, Acura formally announced they would participate in IMSA's new GTP class in 2023 using an LMDh-compliant racing design. ^[10] On December 6, 2021, Acura announced it would work with Oreca as their chassis supplier, making Acura the first manufacturer in the LMDh ruleset to select Oreca as their partner. ^[11] It was also confirmed on the same day that Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing would campaign the ARX-06 in the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship season. ^[12]

The ARX-06 completed its first shakedown at Circuit Paul Ricard in July 2022. ^[13] It was followed by the car's first full test at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours on 16 & 17 July 2022. ^[14] The car was revealed on August 17, 2022. It was also announced that the car would use a hybrid powertrain, consisting of a 90° twin-turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine and standardized hybrid drivetrain components provided by Williams Advanced Engineering, Bosch and Xtrac, for maximum possible combined output of 671 hp (500 KW). ^[15] No 24 hour tests were conducted due to supply-chain issues. ^[16]

Competition history

2023

Meyer Shank Racing's No. 60 ARX-06 at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring.

Two ARX-06s would campaign the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship. Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing returned to compete with Acura after both teams had been competing in the series with Acura's ARX-05 since 2021. ^[12] Wayne Taylor Racing, entering a partnership with Andretti Global for 2023, continued to race as #10, retaining Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor for the full season, and Meyer Shank Racing carried over #60, with longtime IMSA driver Colin Braun joining a returning Tom Blomqvist. ^[12]

The ARX-06 proved to be the fastest car on debut against its fellow GTP class debutants, as both cars would qualify in the top 3, and later take home 1st and 2nd and the fastest lap at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, with Meyer Shank Racing's Braun and Blomqvist, joined by Hélio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, scoring the victory. ^[17] After the race, Meyer Shank Racing were awarded a 200-point penalty following a post-race investigation by IMSA that revealed the team had manipulated tire pressure data in order to gain an advantage. ^[18] They were, however, allowed to keep their race victory, which created controversy amongst drivers and spectators. ^[19]

Both teams would score a collective total of six podiums throughout the season, including two more wins and a pole position at the 2023 Chevrolet Grand Prix and the 2023 Petit Le Mans, however, they would ultimately lose out in the Drivers' and Teams' Championships to Action Express Racing and Cadillac, who had each secured the titles at the finale in Road Atlanta amidst another controversial finish, as Albuquerque and Pipo Derani collided in Turn 1 in the final hour, forcing Albuquerque and Wayne Taylor Racing to retire. ^[20] Acura would finish 3rd in the Manufacturers' Standings. At the end of the season, Meyer Shank Racing left the series to focus on an expanded effort in the 2024 IndyCar Series. ^[21]

2024

WTR/Andretti's No. 40 ARX-06 at the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring.

With Meyer Shank Racing's exit, Wayne Taylor Racing took over management of both cars, retaining Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor to drive the #10 car, and taking on Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz to race in the new #40 car. ^[22]

Acura would fall behind on pace from the front as Porsche and Cadillac regularly fought in the top 5 and BMW would be in the mix. Wayne Taylor Racing would earn their first victory with the ARX-06 in the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring, as Delétraz completed a late-race pass for the lead on Porsche's Felipe Nasr and holding off Cadillac's Sébastien Bourdais to take home the win and the fastest lap alongside Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta, the latter joining the team for Sebring. ^[23] The #10 crew would earn the team's second victory at the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic, with Albuquerque taking advantage of a late drive-through penalty from Porsche's Nick Tandy. ^[24] Wayne Taylor Racing would score a total of four podiums and two race wins with the ARX-06, and would finish 5th and 6th in the Drivers' Standings. Acura would once again finish 3rd in the Manufacturers' Standings.

2025

For 2025, Wayne Taylor Racing would confirm a move to Cadillac, replacing Chip Ganassi Racing, and Meyer Shank Racing would return to the programme, confirming to a two-car lineup for the season, with one of the entries managed by Honda Racing Corporation USA. ^{[25] [26]} Blomqvist and Braun were retained for the full season to drive the returning #60 car, and Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande would join from BMW and Cadillac respectively to form the full season lineup for the new #93 car. IndyCar champions Álex Palou and Scott Dixon would join the team for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. ^[27]

Racing results

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrants	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Pts.	Pos.
2023	Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	MON	WGL	MOS	ELK	IMS	PET	2711	3rd
			Tom Blomqvist	60	1	6	6	6	3	1	2	5	1
			Colin Braun		1	6	6	6	3	1	2	5	1
			Hélio Castroneves		1	6							1
			Simon Pagenaud		1
	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport		Ricky Taylor	10	2	4	7	4	6	2	3	6	9	2712	2nd
			Filipe Albuquerque		2	4	7	4	6	2	3	6	9
			Louis Delétraz		2	4			6				9
			Brendon Hartley		2
2024	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	ELK	IMS	ATL	2550	6th
			Filipe Albuquerque	10	9	5	8	6	1	10	3	4	9
			Ricky Taylor		9	5	8	6	1	10	3	4	9
			Brendon Hartley		9	5							9
			Marcus Ericsson		9
			Jordan Taylor	40	3	1	10	4	5	4	8	11	7	2603	5th
			Louis Delétraz		3	1	10	4	5	4	8	11	7
			Colton Herta		3	1							7
			Jenson Button		3
2025	Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian	GTP			DAY	SEB	LBH	LGA	DET	WGL	ELK	IMS	ATL	3rd*	587*
			Tom Blomqvist	60	2	10
			Colin Braun		2	10
			Scott Dixon		2	10
			Felix Rosenqvist		2
			Kakunoshin Ohta	93	14									4th*	587*
			Álex Palou		14	3
			Renger van der Zande		14	3
			Nick Yelloly		14	3
Sources: [28] [29]

Complete IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year	Entrants	Class	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	Pts.	Pos.
2023	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	PET		34	3rd
			Ricky Taylor	10	2	4	6	9
			Filipe Albuquerque		2	4	6	9
			Louis Delétraz		2	4	6	9
			Brendon Hartley		2
	Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian		Tom Blomqvist	60	1	6	3	1		21	8th
			Colin Braun		1	6	3	1
			Hélio Castroneves		1	6		1
			Simon Pagenaud		1
2024	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	IMS	ATL	8*	9th*
			Filipe Albuquerque	10	9	5	10	4	9
			Ricky Taylor		9	5	10	4	9
			Brendon Hartley		9	5			9
			Marcus Ericsson		9
			Jordan Taylor	40	3	1	4	11	7	9*	5th*
			Louis Delétraz		3	1	4	11	7
			Colton Herta		3	1			7
			Jenson Button		3
2025	Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian	GTP			DAY	SEB	WGL	IMS	ATL	2nd*	14*
			Tom Blomqvist	60	2	10
			Colin Braun		2	10
			Scott Dixon		2	10
			Felix Rosenqvist		2
			Kakunoshin Ohta	93	14					6th*	8*
			Álex Palou		14	3
			Renger van der Zande		14	3
			Nick Yelloly		14	3
Sources: [30] [31]

* Season still in progress.

References

1. Acura (August 17, 2022). "Acura Unveils All-New Electrified ARX-06 Race Car" . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
2. "Acura Unveils All-New Electrified ARX-06 Race Car". PR Newswire. August 17, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
3. Honda Racing/HPD (January 25, 2023). "ARX-06 The Origin Story" . Retrieved January 26, 2023– via YouTube.
4. "NO. 10 KONICA MINOLTA ACURA ARX-06 CAR SPECS". Wayne Taylor Racing . Retrieved July 13, 2023.
5. Perkins, Chris (July 19, 2022). "Here's Our Best Look Yet at the Acura ARX-06 LMDh Car". Road & Track . Online. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
6. "Inside the Rise of Acura's Radical ARX-06". Road & Track. March 17, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
7. "Honda's new IMSA powerplant has IndyCar roots". RACER. August 29, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
8. Thurkal, Rachit (July 20, 2022). "Acura completes first full test with 2023 ARX-06 LMDh car". motorsport.com . Retrieved July 22, 2022.
9. Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (July 21, 2022). "2023 Acura ARX-06 LMDh race car completes first test". MotorAuthority. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
10. Pryson, Mike (January 26, 2021). "Acura Added To LMDh Class List For 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship". autoweek.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
11. "Acura Confirm ORECA To Develop & Build LMDh-spec ARX 06". dailysportscar.com. December 6, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
12. "Acura Confirms 2023 LMDh Plans & Partners". .speedsport.com. December 6, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
13. Dagys, John (July 15, 2022). "Acura ARX-06 Completes Rollout in Paul Ricard". sportscar365.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
14. Lloyd, Daniel (July 19, 2022). "Acura Completes Two-Day LMDh Test at Magny-Cours". sportscar365.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
15. S. James, Richard (August 17, 2022). "Acura fully reveals ARX-06 LMDh IMSA GTP car". racer.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
16. Dagys, John (January 16, 2023). "Acura: Strength of Teams 'Helps A Lot' Ahead of GTP Debut". sportscar365.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
17. "Acura kicks off new GTP era with 2023 Daytona 24 Hours win". Motor Authority. January 30, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
18. Dagys, John (March 8, 2023). "MSR Penalized for Manipulating Tire Pressure Data at Rolex 24 – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
19. Klein, Jamie (January 27, 2024). "Blomqvist Reflects on Controversial 2023 Rolex 24 Win – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
20. "IMSA Petit Le Mans: MSR wins, Cadillac scoops title after Acura clash". Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
21. Dagys, John (October 3, 2023). "MSR Confirms Exit from IMSA at End of Season – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
22. Lloyd, Daniel (May 16, 2023). "WTR Andretti Confirms Second Acura GTP Entry for 2024 – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
23. "Deletraz, J. Taylor, Herta claim Sebring 12 Hour victory for WTR". RACER. March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
24. "IMSA Detroit: WTR-Andretti Acura ambushes Porsche to win chaotic race". Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
25. Kilbey, Stephen (June 27, 2024). "Meyer Shank To Return To IMSA GTP With Acura In '25". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
26. Dagys, John (June 27, 2024). "HRC US Confirms Two-Car MSR Acura GTP Effort for 2025 – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
27. Newbold, James (November 14, 2024). "Palou, Dixon join MSR Acura for IMSA endurance races in 2025". Autosport. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
28. "2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points - Official.pdf" (PDF). results.imsa.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
29. "2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points - Official.pdf" (PDF). imsa.results.alkamelcloud.com. Alkamel Systems. October 16, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
30. "2023 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Points" (PDF). results.imsa.com. Al Kamel Systems. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
31. "2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Points" (PDF). imsa.results.alkamelcloud.com. Al Kamel Systems. October 16, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.

External links

• ARX-06 The Origin Story – a documentary on the development of the Acura ARX-06