• Ryan Eversley and Aidan Read score first GTD podium for Rick Ware Racing with third-place finish
  • Meyer Shank Racing scores fifth consecutive second-place finish overall
  • Wayne Taylor Racing struggles with contact after fight to the front of DPi field

BOWMANVILLE, Ont., Canada (July 3, 2022) – Meyer Shank Racing led the way for Acura at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park today, leading 60 of 123 laps, but ultimately coming up just short of victory.

2022-CTMP-Pole-MSR

Tom Blomqvist started the race from pole in the MSR Acura ARX-05 prototype, after setting the highest average speed lap in IMSA history. The #60 MSR Acura would stay in command for a vast majority of the race, including after Blomqvist’s teammate Oliver Jarvis took over driving duties. But with just 10 laps to the checkered flag, Jarvis was briefly caught out by GTD traffic, and was passed for the overall lead by the #01 of Renger van der Zande. While Jarvis was unable to reclaim the lead before the checkers, MSR’s fifth consecutive second place finish in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition and restores their lead in the championship by 56 points over the sister Acura team Wayne Taylor Racing. 

2022-CTMP-WTR

The WTR #10 Acura ARX-05 entered the weekend as the championship leader, but a cut tire during the first-stint put them on the back foot early in the race. Though the driver duo of Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor were able to make their way back to a podium position, late race contact would ultimately see them finish sixth overall and in DPi.

Acura NSX GT3 Evo22

In the production-based GTD class, the Rick Ware Racing team scored their first-ever podium finish with the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. In only their fifth race aboard the #51 NSX, Aidan Read and Ryan Eversley were able to score a stellar third place finish in Canada. 

2022-CTMP-RWR

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Acura Race Results

  • 2nd overall - #60 Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi [new lap record]
  • 6th overall - #10 Ricky Taylor, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
  • 3rd GTD - #51 Aidan Read, Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22

 

DPi Manufacturers’ Championship        Drivers’ Championship (after 8 of 10 rounds)

1. Cadillac         2,948                            1. Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis                       2,737

2. Acura           2,945                            2. Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor                 2,681

                                                            3. Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande     2,589

Quotes

Tom Blomqvist (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05) Finished second: “Our race car was very difficult to drive and we really struggled a lot in traffic. We learned some lessons and know we can achieve performance over a single lap. But this [second-place finish] hurts a lot, and everyone is heartbroken because we believe we should have won today.”

Ricky Taylor (#10 Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-05) Finished sixth: “Today was a rough day, to be honest. From the get-go it was challenging. The [early-race] puncture was bad luck, but from there, we had an additional couple of issues. The incident [contact] with the #02 came when we had great track position after a restart and sent us to the back of the field. From there, I was in the mindset of trying to get as many points as possible and didn’t have much to lose. I have to apologize to the #31. They didn’t lose because of it, but I didn’t make a very good move on them trying to get by in Turn 9. I was trying to get every position that I could because I could see the championship points going away. Unfortunately, it caused a yellow and put the #60 in a tough position as well. It was a bad day, but we’ve still got two races to go. As quickly as we’ve lost the points lead in this one round, it can always swing back. We’ve shown how we can recover from Long Beach to Laguna and from Detroit to Watkins. We’ll have to do the same from CTMP to Road America.”

Ryan Eversley (#51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) finished third in GTD: “I literally got out of the car, got my phone, and called [team owner] Rick Ware. He was on the pit box at Road America [for a NASCAR race where his team also was competing], but watching our race on his phone. It was a perfect strategy. I am really happy with Matt Harvey [new RWR race engineer] coming on board and helping us with the setup and with the strategy. Aidan did exactly what he needed to do—he was super fast, but also saving fuel to help us make the strategy work. We were in the hunt no matter what the situation was. I can’t say thanks enough to HPD and to Rick for believing in me and helping build this program around me and Aidan. The crew was great today, the pit stop was perfect. That was awesome! Last time I was here I was on the podium for Acura, so this is a big deal!”

Aidan Read (#51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) finished third in GTD: “It’s great! There’s been moments of promise throughout the season, but finally it’s been put together. It’s only our fifth race, but we’re on the podium and it’s just so rewarding. This is so welcome for all the guys that have been working hard all season, and it’s motivating as well. We want to keep pushing for those next steps and pushing for more. As the season goes on, we keep gelling together, we get more and more from the car each time, Ryan and I work better together—this is hope for the program. It’s our first podium together, but for sure not the last.”

Next

The GT classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro and GTD, travels to Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park for the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix, July 15-16.  The full IMSA field next runs August 5-7 for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.