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Acura Clinches Double Podium At Road America In Thrilling IMSA Race
Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque drove their #10 Acura ARX-06 to a third-place finish at the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. The Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22, piloted by Sheena Monk and Stevan McAleer, also secured their best result of 2024, finishing third in the GTD category after a chaotic final lap. Meanwhile, the WTRAndretti #40 Acura faced penalties and ill-timed cautions, resulting in an eighth-place finish.
A late pit stop followed by a strong push through the field allowed the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 to finish third in a caution-filled race. The frequent yellow flags turned the 2-hour, 40-minute event into a strategic contest. The #10 Acura led for 34 of the 62 laps, with teammates Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor leading for another 10 laps. However, a two-stop strategy required a final pit stop in the last 30 minutes, with Ricky Taylor rejoining in ninth place. A determined effort saw him climb to third place by the end.
The sister car, #40 Acura ARX-06 driven by Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor, faced challenges earlier in the race. On a three-stop strategy, they received two drive-through penalties for contact and working on the car outside its designated pit box. These setbacks dropped them down the order, and they ultimately finished eighth.
In the GTD category, Sheena Monk and Stevan McAleer turned their two-stop strategy into a third-place finish – their best result of the season. McAleer capitalised on chaotic final laps that began with class leader Parker Thompson pitting for fuel. This allowed McAleer to jump from seventh to third place.
The IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America concluded with notable results for Acura:
| Position | Drivers | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd overall | Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti | #10 Acura ARX-06 |
| 8th overall | Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti | #40 Acura ARX-06 |
| 3rd in GTD | Stevan McAleer and Sheena Monk | Gradient Racing | #66 Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 |
Pilot Reflections on Performance
"After such strong pace we had in the car, the win was what we wanted," said Filipe Albuquerque of Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06. "Strategy was a bit crazy chaotic with yellows. It seemed like we had to pit for fuel to go to the end, and Ricky did a monster job to go from last to P3 after that."
"We had a great car today," added Ricky Taylor. "Both Acuras were fantastic, locking up the front row [in qualifying]. I think it's just a shame not to come away with a win with the fastest car."
"This means a helluva lot, especially for Sheena," said Stevan McAleer of Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. "They've been hovering around P4, P5, P6 for a long time... I'm absolutely stoked for Gradient."
Acknowledging Team Efforts
"Not the day we wanted overall," reflected Jordan Taylor of Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 after finishing eighth. "Starting 1-2 was great... But once we lost track position after our first pit stop... it was so tough to make passes."
"An interesting weekend," commented David Salters, President of Honda Racing Corporation USA. "Thanks to a huge team effort from our men and women at HRC and WTRAndretti... It's good to be disappointed with podium finish... Congratulations to Andris Laivins and his team."
Upcoming Races on Schedule
The next event for the GTD classes of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is at VIRginia International Raceway from August 23-25. The full IMSA field will compete next from September 20-22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the six-hour TireRack.com Battle of the Bricks.
{INSTAGRAM_X}The weekend's races showcased both triumphs and challenges for Acura teams as they navigated through strategic decisions and on-track incidents.
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