IMSA Long Beach: Acura Delivers!

Acura finally secured their first victory in a tense 100-minute sprint at the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Long Beach round as Porsche maintained the championship lead in the provisional points.

(Image credit to IMSA)

The Race

Starting from Pole position, the No.93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06 driven by Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande converted that pole to a well-deserved victory, but not without heavy pressure throughout the race.

Track position proved crucial around the temporary street circuit of Long Beach, but strategy and timing ultimately defined the outcome. 

Cadillac emerged as a constant threat, applying pressure and at some points leading the race before a full-course yellow during pit cycles reshuffled the order and allowed the No.93 Acura to take a small margin control of the front and from there on out it was a defensive masterclass.

Van der Zande held off the charging 31 Cadillac Whelen driven by Frederik Vesti in the closing stages, with well-worn rear tyres, to secure the victory by just 0.818 seconds.

GTP

Behind the winning No.93 Acura, the No.31 Cadillac Whelen applied constant pressure but ultimately had to settle for second after leading during phases of the race prior to the full-course yellow. Porsche Penske Motorsport continued its strong start of the season, ending 3rd and 4th, causing them to keep hold on the championship lead. BMW rounds out the top 5 after being impacted by strategy offsets and incidents.

GTD

Lexus returned to the victory lane with the No.12 RC F GT3, ending a two-year win drought at Long Beach. BMW with the No.96 Turner Motorsport comes in second, with the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO coming in 3rd and 4th and completing the top 5 in GTD class is the No.89 Vasser Sullivan Racing.

Conclusion

The Long Beach round highlighted the fine margins that can happen in IMSA and reinforced the importance of execution in sprint racing. Giving an exciting and thrilling race with a full-course yellow, a few love taps here and there due to the tight racing and a cheerful ending. Acura’s breakthrough was not just about speed but about execution under pressure, a theme likely to define the rest of this 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Article Written by Georg Castiel Petersen