Michael Shank Racing

Meyer Shank Racing (MSR; formerly Michael Shank Racing) is an American motorsport organization that competes in the IndyCar Series and the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

History

Atlantic Championship

Michael Shank, co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing (MSR), was originally a car owner for Sam Hornish Jr. He started racing in 1989, winning SCCA Ohio Valley Region's Novice Driver of the Year. He later on debuted his racing career in the mid-1990s, winning the 1996 Player's/Toyota Atlantic C2 championship. Shank raced in his one and only Indy Racing League in 1997 with Nienhouse Motorsports. By 1999 Shank had won the Formula Atlantic series Rookie of the Year title. Shank has since been twice named Formula Atlantic Team Owner of the Year.

Grand-Am

Michael Shank joined the Grand-Am Rolex Series in 2004, the second year of the Daytona Prototype class. He entered a Lexus-powered Doran JE4 in 12 races with primary drivers Ozz Negri and Burt Frisselle, finishing second at Watkins Glen's short course and third at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team owner took a giant step in 2005. Orlando transportation magnate Paul Mears Jr. partnered with Shank to run his Pontiac Riley. Impressed with the new car, Shank purchased a Riley of his own, with Negri capturing the pole for the car's first race at Laguna Seca to immediately demonstrate its potential. Negri and Mark Patterson completed the season, with a best finish of third at Watkins Glen, while Mears and Mike Borkowski earned podiums at California Speedway and Barber Motorsports Park.

MSR posted its first victory in 2006, with Negri and Patterson winning the finale at Salt Lake City. John Pew joined the team midway through the 2007 campaign, and became the regular driver in the No. 6 Lexus Riley with Ian James, with Patterson and Negri in the No. 60. Shank was the first team owner to step up to the second generation DP in 2008, upgrading both of his cars to Ford-powered Rileys—with Negri validating his move by winning the pole for that year's Rolex 24 at Daytona. Negri and Patterson won the inaugural race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the No. 60, while Pew, Ian James and Rafa Matos won the finale at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park.

After showing continued improvement throughout the upcoming campaigns, MSR was recognized as a premier team in 2012. With Grand-Am upgrading to the third-generation DP, Shank purchased a pair of Ford-powered Rileys. The team made its first race a major achievement, taking the overall victory in the heralded 50th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Justin Wilson and AJ Allmendinger joined Pew and Negri. Shank recorded another milestone in 2013, when Colin Braun drove his DP to a pair of FIA-sanctioned world records in the 10 kilometers and 10 miles at Daytona International Speedway. Braun also shattered the track record with a lap of 222.971 mph, breaking Bill Elliott's 26-year-old mark of 210.364 mph.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

In 2014 Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series merged to form the United SportsCar Championship. Meyer Shank Racing ran a single Riley Ford Ecoboost DP with drivers John Pew and Oswaldo Negri in the new series. In 2015 and 2016 the team replaced the current car with a Ligier JS P2- HPD keeping Pew and Negri behind the wheel. In 2016 the team claimed wins at Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans with Ozz Negri and John Pew behind the wheel at both tracks. Operating for the past two seasons as a customer team fielding a Honda-powered Ligier chassis in IMSA's prototype division, Michael Shank Racing has been a consistent front-runner in the headline category of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Columbus, Ohio-based operation will run a pair of Acura NSX GT3s in the GTD class of the endurance racing series.The team switched to the GT Daytona (GTD) class in 2017 and entered two factory-backed Acura NSX GT3s with drivers Oswaldo Negri Jr, Jeff Segal, Andy Lally and Katherine Legge. That season the team saw two wins, Belle Isle and Watkins Glen. The following season, 2018, Meyer Shank Racing saw another win at Belle Isle and a win at Laguna Seca which left the team finishing second overall in the United SportsCar Championship. The team also introduced new drivers Mario Farnbacher, Trent Hindman, and Justin Marks.

The 2019 season brought one win at Watkins Glen and four second place finishes throughout the year. Farnbacher, Hindman, and Marks won the GT Daytona (GTD) group title in 2019. The 2020 season brought more new drivers Matt McMurry and Shinya Michimi. As well as the team's first win at Road Atlanta and the second win at Laguna Seca. Hélio Castroneves was introduced to the Meyer Shank Racing team at the end of the 2021 season, racing in the Petit Le Mans. The following year, 2022, was a big season for Meyer Shank Racing as the team saw their first victory at the Rolex 24 in Daytona with drivers Oliver Jarvis, Tom Blomqvist, Hélio Castroneves, and Simon Pagenaud. The 2022 season also brought home a huge win with the team taking first place for the WeatherTech Championship.

The Rolex 2023 24 Hours of Daytona saw the MSR team bring home their second victory at Daytona, with their LMDh GTP hypercar racing prototype, under drivers Helio Castroneves, Colin Braun, Simon Pagenaud, Tom Blomqvist. However, after the race, the team and drivers were penalized all the points and prize money, due to infringement on the rules concerning tire pressure. The tire pressure data had been manipulated, leading to a $50,000 team fine, and the expulsion of the race engineer Ryan McCarthy the season and team, and probation for the team. The team and drivers kept the win, but without any Michelin Endurance points and reduced championship points.

After the 2023 IMSA Sports Car Championship season, MSR would not return for 2024. In 2025, MSR is returning to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the GTP category, with both the 60 and the 93 GTP cars making an appearance for the season opener 2025 24 Hours of Daytona. The 60 will be piloted by Tom Blomqvist, and Colin Braun. The 93 will be piloted by Renger van der Zande, and Nick Yelloly. The team will be fielding two Acura lmdh powertrains.

IndyCar

The team purchased a 2012 Dallara IndyCar, with the goal of adding a full-time IndyCar program in 2012 while continuing its Grand-Am programs. The original intention for the IndyCar program was to run under the name "MSR Indy", with A. J. Allmendinger and Brian Bailey as co-owners. The program was intended to use the Lotus engines (later revealed to be uncompetitive) and field Jay Howard for the 2012 Indianapolis 500; however, despite having full sponsorship from Jim Beam, the failure to secure a competitive engine lease kept it from doing so.

MSR announced that it had sold its Dallara chassis to Sam Schmidt Motorsports in February 2013 and declared its intention to collaborate with another team on a 2013 Indianapolis 500 entry. No such program was finalized in time for the race. For the 2017 Indianapolis 500, the team partnered with Andretti Autosport for an entry driven by Jack Harvey.In the 2018 IndyCar Series, in a partnership with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, the team entered Jack Harvey in 6 events, including the 2018 Indianapolis 500, and in 2019 in 10 races, obtaining the first podium, the 3rd place in the IndyCar Grand Prix.

On October 2, 2020, it was announced that Liberty Media's Formula One Group was making a minority equity investment in the team.

On May 30, 2021, Hélio Castroneves won the 2021 Indy 500 with the team. This marked Castroneves' 4th Indy 500 victory (tied for most all time), and the team's first career victory in the IndyCar Series. Hélio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud competed for Meyer Shank in 2022 and will continue racing with the team for the 2023 season.

Racing results

IndyCar Series

( key)

* Season still in progress
# Non-points-paying, exhibition race.

IMSA SportsCar Championship

Prototype

GT Daytona

24 Hours of Le Mans

IndyCar wins

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wins

Overall

Class

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael Shank Racing
American auto racing teams
IndyCar Series teams
Auto racing teams established in 1989
1989 establishments in Ohio
American Le Mans Series teams
FIA World Endurance Championship teams
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams
Atlantic Championship teams
24 Hours of Le Mans teams