Acura Celebrates its Rich Legacy of Endurance Sports Car Racing with Historic Run of ARX-01b at Monterey Car Week

by Acura | August 11, 2024

• Acura salutes its championship heritage in sports car competition at the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion with the return of the 2008 Acura ARX-01b

•Two-time IMSA Champion and current Acura ARX-06 GTP driver Ricky Taylor will pilot the legendary race machine in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup Class

•Acura has won three of the last five IMSA Prototype championships and three of the last four Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance races

Acura will celebrate its rich legacy of endurance sports car competition by racing its iconic Acura ARX-01b prototype during Monterey Car Week, one of the world's top gatherings of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. Still wearing its iconic livery from the 2008 season, the Acura ARX-01b will compete in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup at the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Aug. 14-17. Two-time IMSA Series Champion and current Acura ARX-06 prototype driver Ricky Taylor will be behind the wheel.

Acura ARX-01b Returns to Laguna Seca

The 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion marks the return of the Acura ARX-01b Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 1 to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where it wowed race fans with one of the greatest finishes in the 67-year history of the famed racetrack.

In 2008, team owner and driver Gil de Ferran, a two-time season champion in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) open-wheel racing series, and the 2003 Indy 500 winner, drove an Acura ARX-01b with future Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 Class. This included the dramatic season finale at Laguna Seca. During the four-hour race, the final hour of action proved to be a classic, with Pagenaud finishing second, just .054 seconds behind another Acura ARX-01b driven by 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan.

In 2009, the Fernandez Racing organization won eight races in the LMP2 class to win the class championship in an Acura ARX-01b. In addition, the Acura ARX-02a finished 1-2 in the LMP1 championship with a pair of entries fielded by Highcroft Racing and de Ferran Motorsports, winning eight of ten races – including on the track at Laguna Seca.

Acura began winning on the track within two years after it began sales in 1986. Race-prepped Acura Integras won two consecutive International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Championships from 1988-90. Then the first in a successful line of endurance prototypes fielded by the brand over the last three decades, the famous Comptech Racing Acura-Spice GTP Lights race cars carried Acura to three consecutive Championships in the prestigious IMSA Camel GTP Lights series from 1991-93.

Acura racing success continues in 2024 with the championship-winning Acura NSX GT3 competing in the IMSA GTD class, and the electrified Acura ARX-06, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTP Championship hybrid-powered GTP category and recently claimed victory at the iconic 12 Hours of Sebring. Acura has won three of the last five IMSA Prototype championships and three of the last four Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance races.

About Acura

Acura is a leading automotive brand committed to delivering expressive styling, innovative engineering and engaging dynamics, all built on the brand's Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The Acura lineup consists of two sport sedans, the Integra and TLX, and three sport-utility vehicles, the RDX, MDX and all-electric ZDX. A fourth SUV, the ADX, will join the lineup as a new gateway model in 2025. High-performance Type S variants further demonstrate the virtues of Acura Precision Crafted Performance. All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Acura Motorsports

Acura motorsports programs in North America have been integral to the brand since its launch in 1986. The rich legacy of Acura sports car racing includes the 1991, 1992, and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer/driver championships, and the 2009 American Le Mans manufacturer, driver, and team championships in both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes. With the ARX-05 prototype, Acura swept the 2019, 2020 and 2022 IMSA manufacturer, driver and teams championships; plus the Michelin Endurance Cup titles in 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, Acura made its successful racing debut for the electrified ARX-06 prototype sports car in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and claimed Acura's third consecutive Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona victory at the Daytona International Speedway. The Acura NSX GT3 Evo22, has won multiple championships, including IMSA GT championships in 2019 and 2020 and SRO World Challenge series titles in 2019, 2020 and 2022. https://hondaracing-us.honda.com

Photo credit: Acura
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