Meyer Shank Racing returns to IMSA in 2025 with drivers from Cadillac and BMW.

Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is set to return to the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2025 with Acura, strengthening its lineup with the addition of Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, who come from Cadillac and BMW, respectively. This move marks MSR's comeback to the series after a one-year hiatus.

New lineup for a new stage

Van der Zande, who was a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, joins Acura after a long stint with Cadillac, where he competed for seven seasons. During his time with Cadillac, he raced for Wayne Taylor Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, securing significant victories, including Daytona wins in 2019 and 2020.

Meanwhile, Yelloly arrives from BMW after six years as a factory driver for the German marque. During that time, he claimed victories in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and Spa, and secured another IMSA win with the M Hybrid V8 LMDh last year.

Collaboration between Meyer Shank Racing and Honda Racing Corporation USA

For 2025, MSR will field two Acura ARX-06 prototypes in the GTP class. Van der Zande and Yelloly will be behind the wheel of one car, while Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, who raced together in 2023, will take charge of the second vehicle. The partnership between MSR and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC USA) will be crucial in this return, with HRC playing a deeper role in managing the cars on track and assuming responsibility for the engineering of one of the entries.

Return to IMSA

MSR's return comes after their contract with Acura was not renewed at the end of last season, allowing Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti to expand its operation to two cars. However, Wayne Taylor Racing has reverted to Cadillac for 2025, opening the door for MSR to reclaim its place with Acura.

Expectations from the drivers and team

Van der Zande thanked Cadillac for the support over the past seven years and expressed his excitement for this new chapter with Acura, noting that it had been a tough competitor in the past and now he looks forward to leveraging their resources from the inside. Yelloly also expressed gratitude to BMW for the opportunities since 2019, highlighting his enthusiasm for joining the MSR and HRC project, and commending the team's ambition and attitude.

Team boss Mike Shank also expressed confidence in the Blomqvist-Braun duo, as well as the addition of Van der Zande and Yelloly, emphasizing that their previous experience with prototypes would greatly contribute to the team's performance in this new phase.