Photo: Chris duMond/IMSA
Both Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing have ruled out running the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year after previously targeting efforts in the French endurance classic with Acura’s new LMDh contender.
The developments as part of a “joint decision” between the teams and Honda/Acura according to WTR team boss Wayne Taylor, who told Sportscar365 that its complete focus will be on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023.
MSR team co-owner Mike Shank acknowledged the plans when asked but declined to provide further comment.
Taylor and Shank had previously spoke on the possibility of taking their programs to the French endurance classic, although those ambitions are now on the shelf until 2024 at the earliest.
A Honda spokesperson told Sportscar365 that a run at Le Mans with the newly revealed Acura ARX-06 was “never in the cards” for next year and that every discussion has been focused on 2024 if Honda Motor in Japan agrees.
Any international sports car program would need to get the green-light from Japan, as was the case with HPD’s most recent effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012-13 with the HPD ARX-03c LMP1 car.
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