Multiple IMSA Championships in Sight for Meyer Shank Racing at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Pataskala, Ohio (7 October 2019) – Ten IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races down and three pole positions, one win and four podiums later, the Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) No. 86 AutoNation Acura NSX GT3 of Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher lead the GT-Daytona Championship standings by 32 points heading into the final round of IMSA competition for the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans (Oct. 12th 12:00pm ET NBC). 

The team finished second in the 2018 IMSA championship and is focused on going one better in this year. 

Hindman and Farnbacher claimed the championship lead after their second place finish at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course in May. The duo will once again be rejoined by Justin Marks for the season finale event at the newly renamed Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the ten hour classic.  

The last time that the three MSR drivers combined in IMSA competition, they emerged with a big victory at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen, which was the second Watkins Glen victory for MSR in GTD competition. 

Heading into the final round of IMSA competition several championship titles are up for grabs for MSR. With a healthy 32-point lead in the Team Championship standings, MSR will need to take the green flag to secure that title. To also claim the GTD Driver Championship titles for Hindman and Farnbacher, the two must complete minimum drive times of two hours and 30 minutes. 

Also on the table is the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship which consists of the four long format races – Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sebring Twelve Hour, Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen and the Motul Petit Le Mans. MSR sits third and just four points out of the IMEC lead heading to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. 

The final title up that MSR will be vying for is the GTD Manufacturer title. With a long history with Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Acura, the team is shooting to claim that victory at the finish of the ten hour endurance event. The team currently sits just one point behind the lead in second. 

The Motul Petit Le Mans will stage qualifying on Friday, October 11th and will be broadcast live on NBCSN starting at 3:45pm ET. Race coverage will begin at 12:00pm ET on Sunday, October 11th on NBC. Coverage will switch to the NBC Sports App at 3:00pm ET and resume on NBCSN starting at 5:30pm ET. 

Team Quotes:

Mike Shank:

“This is a big weekend for us and we are all just trying to stay as focused as possible. We are here to finish the ten hours strong and fight for every championship that we are up for. We need to take the green flag to get the team championship but there is still an entire race to go and we are going to be going for the win at the end of the day.”

Mario Farnbacher:

“Road Atlanta is the last race on the calendar and it was my first race and first win in 2012 in the US so that track is a special place to me. In 2017 I won my endurance title there as well. It’s a very hard race especially during the night and in traffic. We are also working on the manufacturer and endurance titles as well. We will try to get the package together. I’m looking forward to having Justin Marks back with us as well. Unfortunately it’s the last race of the season and I’ve been really fortunate to work with MSR and these guys.”

Trent Hindman: 

“A full year’s worth of work has been complete and it’s time to execute and wrap this thing up. Mario and the No. 86 MSR team and I find ourselves in a great position in regards to the drivers championship. Our main focus now is achieving a race victory and the manufacturers title for Acura and Honda/HPD with the NSX GT3 Evo.”

Justin Marks:

“It’s every racing driver’s dream to be associated with a championship effort at the highest levels. MSR has demonstrated over the years that the team’s commitment to execution and excellence is championship caliber and 2019 is no different. I’m excited to return to the team at Petit Le Mans and hopefully play a small part in not only achieving a driver’s championship for Trent and Mario, but delivering Acura and the MSR team with the much coveted manufacturer’s title in the GTD class.”