HISTORY

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Michael Shank Racing was formed in 1989 when Mike Shank first began driving racing cars professionally. Shank retired from the cockpit in 1997 to focus his efforts on running the team, which quickly found success in the Champ Car Toyota Atlantic Championship.

With several race wins under his belt, Shank was named as Team Owner of the Year twice in four years. Michael Shank Racing joined the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in 2004 in the Daytona Prototype ranks as the team proved as quick in endurance racing as in the sprint formula car format. The team scored a dramatic victory in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona, winning the race and also finishing third.

In December of 2013, Michael Shank Racing set a new speed record when Colin Braun turned the fastest lap ever recorded on the Daytona International Speedway oval in the team’s Ford Ecoboost-powered Daytona Prototype. The 222.971mph, 40.364 second lap was enough to secure a spot in the record books. The effort also set new records for 10 km from a standing start and 10 miles from a standing start.

When the GRAND-AM Series and American Le Mans Series merged to form the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014, Michael Shank Racing became the first team to utilize Ford’s new 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 Ecoboost engine. The Shank organization completed the season sixth in the championship with a best finish of second at Road America.

2015 opened a new era for Michael Shank Racing when the squad transitioned to a P2 car after 10 years of Daytona Prototype competition. The 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona marked the team’s debut with its new Ligier JS P2 car as well as its new engine platform with Honda. Longtime Michael Shank Racing driver Ozz Negri put the new Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 package on the pole for the classic 24-hour race to open the season in a big way.

After finishing fifth in the Rolex 24, Michael Shank Racing went on to claim three podium results at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Grand Prix of Detroit, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015. The team finished sixth in the IMSA Championship standings with six top-five finishes.

The 2016 season was a big one for Michael Shank Racing in its second year with the Honda-Ligier. The team made its debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with John Pew, Ozz Negri and Belgian racer Laurens Vanthoor. The group took ninth in their debut event – a culmination of the huge effort put forth by every single team member.

Likewise it was a big year for the team in IMSA competition. Pew and Negri combined to take victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and followed that up with a third place podium result in the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen when they were joined by the team’s endurance driver Olivier Pla of France. Pla put the Honda-Ligier on the pole at both Sebring and Petit.

The 2016 Petit Le Mans marked Michael Shank Racing’s 250th Prototype start and was also longtime Michael Shank Racing driver John Pew’s final race with the team before retiring from IMSA racing. The team could not have closed out the era in a better way. After starting from the pole, Michael Shank Racing dominated the race and claimed victory in the 2016 season-ending event. Michael Shank Racing placed fourth in the championship standings which marked the team’s best championship finish in its history.

The 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship saw Michael Shank Racing embark on a new project with the Acura NSX GT3. Competing in the GTD category for the first time after 13 years in the Prototype ranks, Michael Shank Racing fielded a two-car Acura NSX GT3 effort. The team delivered a strong showing in its debut year by taking two victories at Detroit and Watkins Glen, a pole position, four podium finishes and leading 515 laps during the year. The team’s victory at Detroit – in just its fifth event outing – marked the very first win for the Acura NSX GT3.

Returning to GTD competition with two Acura NSX GT3s, MSR scored two wins and five podium finishes during the 2018 IMSA season – bringing the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 to finish runner up in the IMSA championship. The team also entered its first partial season of six races in the NTT Indycar Series with driver Jack Harvey who had a best finish of 12th at the Long Beach Grand Prix.

2019 MSR came back strong in the GTD category. Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher combined to start on pole three times, capture a big win at the Sahlen’s Six Hours fo Watkins Glen, and earn four additional podium finishes on the way to winning the IMSA GTD Championship. MSR also continued in the NTT Indycar Series, competing in 10 races with Harvey who also earned is first podium finish at the INDYCAR Grand Prix in Mar.

2020 MSR will once again contend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a new lineup of driver pairings. The season will see the return of Jackie Heinricher as team principal of the No. 57 Heinricher Racing with MSR Acura NSX GT3. MSR will also be competing in its first full season of IndyCar competition with Jack Harvey.

Trent Hindman / Mario Farnbacher
2019 IMSA GTD Champions
Competing in its third year of GTD competition with the Acura NSX GT3, Meyer Shank Racing claimed its first ever championship after drivers Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher scored a victory at Watkins Glen and four additional podium finishes. The championship is the first for MSR, Hindman, Farnbacher, and for the Acura NSX GT3.

Accomplishments

2004: Launched Rolex Series effort, finished Rolex 24 at Daytona in first try. Scored podium finish in the next race (Homestead Miami Speedway) and added a second podium finish at Watkins Glen.
2005: Paul Mears and Mike Borkowski full time drivers, with Ozz Negri and Mark Patterson running select schedule that netted a pole and podium.
2006: Runner-up finish in Rolex 24 At Daytona with AJ Allmendinger, Ozz Negri, Mark Patterson, and Justin Wilson
2007: Penske drivers joined MSR for Rolex 24, but contact from another car thwarted chance at return to podium
2008: Ozz Negri set track record in Rolex 24 At Daytona qualifying for Michael Shank Racing before team closed out season by winning two final races.
2009: Two-car Daytona Prototype effort (Michael Valiante & John Pew, No. 6 Ford-Riley, Mark Patterson & Ozz Negri No. 60 Ford-Riley) with podium results for both teams.
2010: Two-car Daytona Prototype program once again claimed podiums, and the team staged a huge come back following a disaster Glen 6 Hour fire to score its best-ever result of second the next weekend at Michael Shank Racing’s home track of Mid-Ohio
2011: Three-car Rolex 24 At Daytona effort saw all three entries finish in the top-10 with no mechanical issues; Pew and Negri added to podium tally with Memorial Day run to second place at Lime Rock Park.
2012: The team scored a breakthrough victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with drivers Ozz Negri, John Pew, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Wilson in the No. 60 Ford-Riley. It was a double podium for the team in the prestigious event as the sister Michael Shank Racing No. 6 Ford-Riley finished third with drivers Michael McDowell, Gustavo Yacaman, Jorge Goncalvez, and Felipe Nasr. Pew and Negri nabbed three podiums and five top-five results.
2013: Michael Shank Racing returned to a full-season two-car effort and took home three podium finishes. The year kicked off with a return trip to the Rolex 24 podium for John Pew, Ozz Negri, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Wilson who finished third after having won the historic event in 2012. Pew and Negri rebounded from a practice crash with the No. 60 Ford-Riley when GRAND-AM debuted at Kansas Speedway to ultimately take third in the race. Gustavo Yacaman teamed with Justin Wilson in the No. 6 Daytona Prototype at Lime Rock Park and delivered Michael Shank Racing’s best finish of the year when the duo finished runner-up in GRAND-AM’s final race.
2014: Fielded the No. 60 Ford Ecoboost Riley with full season drivers Ozz Negri and John Pew. Three top-five finishes during the year with a runner-up podium finish at Road America
2015: Transitioned to an LMP2 Honda-Ligier and scored the pole at Daytona with Ozz Negri at the wheel. The team claimed two podium finishes of third at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
2016: Second year for the team with the LMP2 Honda-Ligier. Olivier Pla put the car on pole at both Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Michael Shank Racing scored victories at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans (250th Prototype start for the team and John Pew’s final race with the team). The organization made its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut and led two laps en route to a ninth place finish.
2017: Debut year for the team in the GTD ranks with the new Acura NSX GT3 platform. Katherine Legge and Andy Lally scored victory in the No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 twice – delivering the first-ever victory for Acura at Detroit and then following that up with a win in the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen. Lally also scored the pole position at the Glen. Together the No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 and the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 Michael Shank Racing entries combined to lead 515 laps during the 2017 season with 12,439 miles completed.
2018: Three wins and five podiums on board the Acura NSX – finished second in the IMSA championship. The team also participated in its first partial season of NTT Indycar Series competition – competing in 6 races with Jack Harvey.
2019: MSR earned its first championship title after Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher clinched the 2019 IMSA GTD Championship – winning at Watkins Glen with podiums at Mid-Ohio, CTMP, Lime Rock and VIR. The team also participated in 10 NTT Indycar Series events with Harvey. Harvey also scored his first ever IndyCar podium finish at the INDYCAR Grand Prix in May.
2020: 2020 will see a new lineup of drivers as the team returns with 2 Acura NSX GT3s. Jackie Heinricher returns as Team Principal of the No. 57 Heinricher Racing with MSR entry. MSR will also be competing in its first full season of IndyCar competition.