Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) has continued to prepare for the debut season of LMDh competition in 2023, and is pleased to announce that Tom Blomqvist has been retained to drive the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 LMDh entry for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
The team will also test Blomqvist in a Honda-powered MSR Indy car following the 2022 season.
Having raced in IMSA and WEC competition, Blomqvist made a strong transition into the DPi class on board the MSR Acura ARX-05. Blomqvist and his MSR co-driver Oliver Jarvis head into the last round of IMSA competition for the Motul Petit Le Mans as the pair are in the fight for the DPi championship title.
Blomqvist has driven the MSR Acura to two pole positions, netting the fastest qualifying time at Watkins Glen and he followed that up with a record-setting lap at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
2023 will be the first year of competition for the all-new Acura ARX-06 LMDh, which will be campaigned in the new IMSA WeatherTech GTP category.
The 2023 season marks the seventh year of competition under the Acura banner for MSR, having successfully debuted the Acura NSX GT3 in IMSA competition in 2017. That effort quickly paid dividends for Acura, with MSR scoring seven GTD class wins ahead of back-to-back IMSA GTD championships in 2019 and 2020.
MSR transitioned to DPi competition in 2021, winning the 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season and now the team eyes a third IMSA title.
“I’m really excited to be renewing the partnership with MSR,” said Blomqvist. “MSR put a lot of trust in me putting me in the car this year and we’ve had a successful campaign. We work well together and it’s clear from the results that we’ve had and now we are focused on taking the championship. Obviously with the new car it will be a different challenge, but one that we are all super motivated for.
“The IndyCar test is something that I’m really excited for as well,” said Blomqvist, who has competed in F3 and Formula E. “It’s awesome that Mike and the team have respected what I’ve done this year and are giving me the opportunity to drive one of their Indy cars. It’s definitely something that I aspire to do in the future and I have to thank the team massively for giving me the chance to do that test.”
Team co-owner Mike Shank had no doubts in his mind that Blomqvist was the right choice to fill the first seat in the team’s Acura LMDh car.
“It was an easy decision for us to resign Tom,” said Shank. “He has exceeded our expectations this race season and has performed week in and week out. The pace that he’s shown with the Acura ARX-05 made it an easy decision to put him in the new Acura LMDh car. I’m also pleased that we are able to give him a chance to test out our Indy car. He’s got an open-wheel background with Formula E and it will be exciting to see what he can do in an Indy Car.”
Meyer Shank Racing returns to IMSA competition for the final round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the annual Petit Le Mans on October 1st.
Source. Meyer Shank Racing
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