Acura has announced that its partnership with Team Penske to run its DPi program in the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship will come to an end at the end of the 2020 season.
Team Penske signed up to run the Acura ARX-05 DPi in IMSA’s top class in 2018, but will not continue the program as part of a ‘mutual agreement’ between the two parties.
The team scored four victories, 14 podium finishes and nine pole positions, with title success coming in 2019. Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya took the driver’s title, while the team’s and manufacturer’s title were also captured.
“On behalf of everyone at Acura and HPD, we’d like to thank Team Penske for their incredible efforts and impressive results racing the ARX-05,” said Ted Klaus, president of Honda Performance Development. “The success we’ve achieved together during the first two-plus years of the program makes us even more determined to score more victories, defend our championships, and conclude our partnership on the highest of notes.”
Multiple teams are rumoured to be line to take over the Acura DPi partnership after 2020, while Team Penske could potentially step up to the LMDh category currently set to debut in 2022.
“Roger Penske has long been an important part of the Acura family as one of our great Acura dealers, and it has been a privilege to have him as part of the Acura Motorsports family as well,” said Jon Ikeda, Acura vice president and brand officer. “We’ve also had a very spirited competition with Team Penske during our previous ALMS Acura prototype programs.
We will always be thankful for the contributions made by Team Penske over the three-year course of our DPi program
