Pataskala, Ohio (1 May 2018) – It has been five long years since Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) has had the chance to race at home after the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was not included on the 2014 IMSA schedule.
The iconic road course will stage Round 4 of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend as the track hosts the Acura Sports Car Showdown at Mid-Ohio which will be broadcasted on Sunday, May 6th on FS2 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Meyer Shank Racing first got its start at Mid-Ohio in 1994 and is hoping for a happy homecoming. The team participated in a decade of events in GRAND-AM competition, entering cars in the Daytona Prototype ranks with a best finish of second in 2010 and will look to go better with a GTD class victory on Sunday.
The race will be staged just 65 miles away from the impressive Honda Performance Manufacturing Center which builds the street version of the Acura NSX GT3. The platform made its IMSA debut in 2017 as MSR delivered two victories for the brand in its inaugural season.
Besides a home town advantage, the team also brings a powerful lineup of drivers for the dual Acura NSX GT3 effort. With a winning record and multiple podium finishes, Meyer Shank Racing’s lineup of drivers share strong records of success at the track.
The team’s full-season entry – the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 – driven by Lawson Aschenbach and Justin Marks is ready to get back in action as the series stages its first sprint race of the 2018 season. The No. 93 squad impressed at Sebring, repairing the car in time to race after suffering significant damage in a practice accident. The effort yielded a strong performance with 27 laps led on the way to a seventh place finish.
Adding to the anticipation for the weekend is the fact that Aschenbach and Marks have both scored victories at the 2.4-mile road course.
Marks has two big wins at Mid-Ohio on his record, having scored a GT class victory in 2004 along with a NASCAR Xfinity win in 2016. Aschenbach claimed wins the past two years in Pirelli World Challenge competition on his way to scoring the championship.
This event will also be a familiar one for the duo as they raced as co-drivers in 2011 in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
“Justin (Marks) and I both have won at this track so I think we are primed to push for the podium,” said Aschenbach. “Mid-Ohio is one of true iconic tracks in America. It has incredible history and that also goes for Meyer Shank Racing. The team embodies the area and represents the state of Ohio in a great way. MSR will have plenty fans in the stands and we will push hard to make sure we give them an exciting finish!”
“Home races, whether for a team or driver, are always important because they tend to introduce an element of strength and desire that is unique,” said Marks. “I think it’s important to everyone to have a good home race for MSR and for Acura but in all honesty, the approach and expectations are the same no matter where or when we race. I’ve always had success at Mid-Ohio, in sports cars and in NASCAR. It’s a challenging but fun course and I have a lot of confidence there. Always ready to attack.”
With such an important race lined up, MSR recently announced that the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 entry of Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente will return to IMSA race action in the home event thanks to many of the team’s local sponsors stepping up as they look to continue their strong momentum from the opening two IMSA events.
The No. 86 entry finished second in the 2018 Rolex 24 and then led 16 laps on the way to eighth in the Sebring 12 Hour.
Parente will be looking to translate his success in the past – which include victories in 2016 and 2017 in Pirelli World Challenge competition – to score another win this year.
“It is great to be heading to our home race as a team not only for MSR but also for Acura,” said Legge. “It will be great to race in front of our home crowd and with so much support. We head into this race in the championship hunt and have shown great speed so far this season so I am keen to get some valuable points and become a viable contender with Alvaro (Parente). I know how important it is for MSR and Acura to get a result here at their home race and we are grateful for the faith they have put in us to get the job done here.”
“I’m very happy to be joining MSR for an event that we weren’t planning to go at the beginning of the year,” said Parente. “It’s a great track which I like and I have had great results there in the past two years. The track is challenging and changes a lot during the course of the weekend so we’ve got to be on top of our game as we have been this year. With it being the team’s home race, it’s always special to be racing at your home track and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and working with the team and Katherine (Legge) fighting for a great result!”
Meyer Shank Racing will feature its two car Acura NSX line up this weekend at the Acura Sports Car Showdown at Mid-Ohio. The race will be broadcasted on FS2 at 1:00 p.m. ET.