A daring late-race pass, while negotiating slower GT traffic, secured the win Sunday for Acura, Wayne Taylor Racing, and drivers Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor. Acura’s fifth WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win of the year has unofficially secured a sweep of the 2022 IMSA Manufacturers’, Drivers’ and Teams’ titles for the manufacturer and its partner teams.
Battling fellow Acura team Meyer Shank Racing with drivers Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis for the race win and championship lead, Albuquerque in the #10 WTR ARX-05 pulled off a daring, two-wheels-in-the-grass pass on Jarvis in the #60 MSR Acura as both prototypes weaved their way through GTD traffic on the downhill run from Turn 3 to Turn 5.
The two Acuras, and a competing prototype from Chip Ganassi Racing, continued to battle for the race win into the closing laps of the two-hour, 40-minute contest – which was marked by frequently changing weather conditions. With just a few minutes remaining, Jarvis lost control exiting the high-speed Road America “Kink” and made heavy contact with the inside wall.
With the caution flag waving for the final two laps, Albuquerque and co-driver Taylor went on to record their fourth victory of the season, while Jarvis was able to nurse his damaged MSR Acura home in fourth, despite heavy front end damage and a deflating left front tire.
With just one race remaining, Acura has unofficially clinched the 2022 IMSA DPi Manufacturers’ Championship, and will formally claim the title when the field takes the green flag for the season finale at Road Atlanta in October. Meanwhile, the drivers’ and teams’ titles will be decided between Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing, with all other contenders also mathematically eliminated with the start at Road Atlanta.
