Acura Might Be Done With Racing In IMSA Because The Economy Sucks

Acura, currently running its tenth season in a row in the top category prototype class in IMSA, has not yet made a decision about its future in the sport. While there is still some time to make decisions for the 2027 season, that window is rapidly closing as drivers and teams sign their contracts and get their ducks in a row. Currently in Long Beach for this weekend’s Grand Prix, Racer Magazine spoke with a particularly cagey Acura representative who wouldn’t confirm or deny the paddock rumors that Acura is pulling out of IMSA on what it calls a “definite pause.” 

“We’ve made no decisions about our 2027 program,” Acura told Racer. “Once a decision is made, it will be shared.”

With the current state of international auto sales being what it is — you know, circling the drain — and Honda recently having written off almost its entire electric vehicle program, it’s hardly sunshine and rainbows in Acura land. Honda brass has a history of pulling its motorsport support as soon as economic strife heads their way. I’ve watched Honda pull out and re-enter Formula One three times in the last 15 years, timed with the market, of course. As the market wanes, so too does Honda’s desire to frivolously spend on racing efforts, whether they’re delivering wins or not. 

With the global economy increasingly looking like a 2009-all-over-again situation, it should come as no surprise that some of these manufacturers will be looking to save money and save face with the general public. If nobody can afford to buy gasoline or groceries, it doesn’t do Acura any good to throw ostentatious motorsports money into the pot. Especially if the company is forced to resort to layoffs, racing could be seen as an insensitive cash spend in a time of recessionary turmoil. 

So, the current GTP-class Acura ARX-6 program is up against the ropes. This is a car that has found seven wins and ten further podiums with Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing since its debut for the 2023 season, but Acura hasn’t won a title in IMSA since it went three-for-four between 2019 and 2022. For 2025 the program was handed exclusively to Meyer Shank Racing, which found a pair of wins across the nine-round season, but failed to make a big splash in the championship standings. The Columbus, Ohio-based team prepares the car for racing, but Honda Racing Corporation US engineers and strategists helm the program at the track on race weekends. 

Racer reports that there is a possible solution for Acura to return to the IMSA paddock for the 2027 season, but it almost certainly won’t be under the same agreement with MSR that it currently enjoys. A “possible scenario” for Acura would be to move forward with another team that helps foot the bill for the car and its continued development. If things continue to get worse economically, however, that seems like little more than a pipe dream. 

Perhaps I am a pessimist here, but this is the exact scenario I’ve been afraid of watching all of these manufacturer-supported efforts jump into the GTP/Hypercar competition pool. The class, across IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, is currently home to factory-backed efforts from BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, Alpine, Genesis, Toyota, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Peugeot, with further entries coming from Ford and McLaren in 2027. Manufacturer-supported racing series are the first to lose support when money gets tight, and none of the series seem to ever learn that lesson. The last recession nearly bankrupted IMSA, and if all of these manufacturers cut and run, this one could do it all over again. I really hope it doesn’t.