Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) USA confirmed on Wednesday they will be pausing their IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTP program at the end of the season. Reports began circling as early as Friday in the Long Beach paddock that the brand could be on the way out. While not confirmed by Honda, declining sales in hybrid and electric vehicles for the brand are allegedly the driving force behind the decision.

HRC is choosing to pivot to increase Acura’s name in sponsorship in the NTT IndyCar Series. Felix Rosenqvist carried Acura branding on his #60 Meyer Shank Honda during Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. The Swede had his best overall weekend of the season winning pole and bagging second behind Alex Palou on Sunday. The Acura branding will shift to Marcus Armstrong’s #66 entry for May’s Indianapolis 500. Additional high-profile races, yet to be confirmed, will also see Acura branding.

Meanwhile, Meyer Shank Racing stated via their social media channels the team plans to remain in IMSA.

 

 

Paddock sources are reporting the drivers are free agents for the 2027 season and can seek new programs. Honda also has not given an indication on how long the pause will be or a timeline for a potential return.

With Acura’s departure, where does this leave IMSA? Currently, there are four manufacturers running full-time in 2027. Porsche, Cadillac, Aston Martin and BMW are set to remain in the championship next season. As for incoming programs, Hyundai/Genesis plans to come to IMSA in 2027 albeit in a part-time capacity. Ford and McLaren are also considering IMSA programs, but they won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest. Lastly, Lamborghini has been courting partners to reboot their LMDh program, but there is little to report on that front.