Farnbacher, McMurry and Meyer Shank celebrate GTD titles
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RACER Staff | November 15, 2020 5:28 AM
Although the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R drivers and crew claimed the GT Daytona spoils of victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3 team of Mario Farnbacher, Matt McMurry and Shinya Michimi played the patient game and brought home the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD team and driver championships (for Farnbacher and McMurry) for the second straight year.
Despite the win, the No. 16 and Long and Hardwick finished two points shy of catching the No. 86. Needing only a fifth-place finish to clinch the GTD championship repeat, the No. 86 NSX accomplished its mission by taking third.
Farnbacher was also the 2019 GTD driving champion with Trent Hindman in the No. 86, while McMurry took home the 2019 title in LMP2 competition. In addition to repeating as the team champion, the No. 86 helped Acura secure the manufacturer crown this year as well.
More IMSA!
“It means a lot,” Farnbacher said. “This year was just amazing, sharing the car with these two amazing gentlemen and also with Jules Gounon at the Rolex 24 (in January). It was a crazy ride this year with COVID and all the compression of the race schedule. Ultimately, to end the Meyer Shank program with the NSX means a lot to finish it and thank them with the constructor title, the team title and the driver championship as well. I’m really privileged and thankful for that.”
McMurry agreed. “It means a ton,” he said. “It was a really challenging year, a really tough field. A new car to learn how to drive but I had the best team and co-driver to do it with. I’m really proud of the team and the co-drivers and myself to do what we did. I don’t think a lot of people have gone from a prototype to a GTD championship and back-to-back. And it’s been my first two full seasons of IMSA, too. All in all it’s pretty great.”
Acura,
Mario Farnbacher,
Matt McMurry,
Meyer Shank Racing,
IMSA,
WeatherTech Sportscar Championship