Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Team Wins Detroit Grand Prix Sprint Run

It’s been a bit of an uphill run for Michael Shank Racing and Acura NSX GT3 in International Sports Car Racing. The exceptional team effort culminated this weekend with the 2-team NSX GT3 threat dominating the Detroit Bell Isle Park Grand Prix sprint run for the win.

NSX GT3 Team dominated GTD: Building off of the # 2 poll position, the best start for Michael Shank Racing’s Acura NSX GT3 # 93 car, since the car's debut in January of 2017. Katherine Legge, and 2nd leg team driver Andy Lally, parlayed an exceptional start into top track running position, while a very quick pit stop, following a caution at the 30 minute mark, facilitated a run for the win -- the first for the production derived Acura NSX GT3 car. Torque News first reported on Michael Shank Racing’s Acura NSX GT3 assault here.

Michael Shank Racing came very close to a double podium

According to Acura News: Acura and the MSR team came close to a double-podium result in Detroit. The #86 Acura NSX GT3 of Jeff Segal and Oswaldo "Ozz" Negri ran as high as third before late-race contact from a following GTD car sent Segal briefly off-line, costing him two positions.

Starting at the rear of the 15-car GTD field after a crash in practice on Friday, Negri moved the #86 car up to 12th prior to pitting and handing off to co-driver Segal. In another dramatic strategy call, the MSR team elected to make the stop for driver and fuel only, saving time in pit lane by keeping the same tires on the #86 NSX and gaining six positions in the process.

Segal then moved up three more positions early in his run, and attempted to hold on to third place in the closing laps. But, with just over two laps remaining, contact from the following Lamborghini of Madison Snow briefly sent Segal off-line, and he fell back to fifth at the checkers. Still, the 1/5 finish for Acura and the Michael Shank Racing team today is the best combined result for the NSX GT-3 since it debuted in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in January.

Torque News Senior Editor Patrick Rall is on the scene

We’ll look for a Detroit Grand Prix blow by blow report from Patrick Rall, with possible highlights from a scheduled 2017 Acura NSX drive event. Thank you Patrick.

Torque News congratulations goes out to Michael Shank Racing, Acura Racing, Honda Performance Development and the #93 Team for an exceptional race ran. The future looks bright for Acura racing.