IMSA: MSR Acura breakthrough in Detroit on single set of Michelin tires

Tire management played a key role in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic with every race car in contention using just one set of Michelin tires.  

The No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura with Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly and No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang with Mike Rockenfeller and Seb Priaulx earned their first wins of the season.

“Detroit is a special place to me and we were not the strongest car out there,” van der Zande said. “But I think, you know, kind of managing the rear tires was key.”

Van der Zande found himself third on a late-race restart with less than 30 minutes to go. He pushed to the front making the race-winning pass over Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac’s Ricky Taylor with less than four minutes left.

I was just waiting for traffic to get a move on Ricky,” van der Zande said. “We need this victory within the group. It's a brand new team, really, from the HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) side.”

This breaks Porsche’s hot streak of four straight GTP victories to start the 2025 season.

Now the last five overall winners of 100-minute races in IMSA have won on just one set of Michelin tires.

Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic Results:

GTP: No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura, Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly

GTD PRO: No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang, Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller

Up Next:

The IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship heads to upstate New York next for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. Watch Sunday, June 22 on Peacock from 12:00–6:30 PM ET or NBC from 12:00–3 PM ET.