Buford, Ga. (4 September 2020) – Eight months out of the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 didn’t phase Shinya Michimi as he made his first qualifying run on Friday since Daytona International Speedway in January. Michimi put the AutoNation Acura NSX GT3 fourth for Saturday’s six hour TireRack.com Grand Prix (11:35am ET, NBCSN) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Michimi made his IMSA GTD debut during last year’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and qualified third. Once again demonstrating pace on the high speed 2.54-mile circuit, Michimi was primed for a solid qualifying result for Meyer Shank Racing and teammates Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry.
Set in the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3, Michimi got up to speed quickly during qualifying, moving right to the front of the timing charts in the first few laps. Once settled, Michimi held third until until the closing moments where he locked in fourth on the grid for Saturday’s six hour endurance event.
“Fourth is a solid starting position for tomorrow’s six hour race,” said Michimi. “I haven’t driven the Acura in some time but honestly I came back and felt right at home with Meyer Shank Racing. Tomorrow is a long race and anything can happen, but I know the MSR guys will give us a strong car to get a solid result.”
The TireRack.com Grand Prix will begin coverage on NBCSN at 11:30am ET on Saturday. Additional IMSA radio coverage can be found on SiriusXM Ch. 2020.