{"id":274948,"date":"2026-04-19T01:33:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T01:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274948\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T01:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T01:33:13","slug":"van-der-zandes-acura-holds-off-cadillac-to-win-long-beach-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274948\/","title":{"rendered":"van der Zande’s Acura holds off Cadillac to win Long Beach race"},"content":{"rendered":"

It had been a long time coming. On Saturday, Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) finally claimed their first overall victory on the streets of Long Beach in the modern IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship era \u2014 and, more importantly, their first since Acura became title sponsor of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u2013by Mark Cipolloni\u2013<\/p>\n

Nick Yelloly earned the Motul Pole Award on Friday and teamed with Renger van der Zande to deliver a commanding performance in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w\/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. The duo largely controlled the 100-minute GTP sprint race, ending years of frustration for the Southern California-based organizations.<\/p>\n

\"\"#93: Acura Meyer Shank Racing w\/Curb Agajanian, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, Podium<\/p>\n

Acura had previously succeeded at Long Beach, winning LMP2 in 2008 and sweeping both LMP1 and LMP2 in 2009 under American Le Mans Series sanctioning. However, Saturday marked the first overall triumph at the legendary 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit in IMSA\u2019s top prototype classes \u2014 first in Daytona Prototype international (2017-22) and now in GTP (2023-present).<\/p>\n

The moment carried echoes of Honda\u2019s long wait for victory on home soil in IndyCar. After years of near-misses at Twin Ring Motegi from 1998 to 2003, Dan Wheldon\u2019s breakthrough win in 2004 sparked celebrations that longtime HRC and Acura associates still talk about.<\/p>\n

Sporting a striking new 76 Gas Station livery, van der Zande brought the No. 93 Acura across the line just 0.818 seconds ahead of the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R shared by Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti, who was making his Long Beach debut as a stand-in for Earl Bamber.<\/p>\n

Porsche Penske Motorsport took third and fourth, with Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 6 Porsche 963 narrowly ahead of the No. 7 sister car of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer. The No. 7 Porsche had opened the 2026 season with victories in the first two rounds.<\/p>\n

Acura\u2019s title sponsorship of the Grand Prix, combined with the \u201chome race\u201d significance for van der Zande and Yelloly, triggered an emotional outpouring from the many Honda and Acura associates on hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the main topic from the day,\u201d said van der Zande, who now boasts 21 wins in top-level IMSA competition, including six of the last 10 street races. \u201cWinning the Acura Grand Prix for Acura as an Acura driver makes it very, very special.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were brought into this program almost to win this one. There\u2019s a lot of effort around Los Angeles to promote the Grand Prix, and this is home ground for Acura, so it\u2019s fantastic to take the win we just did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuck Schifsky, National Motorsport Manager for Honda and Acura, was elated.<\/p>\n

\u201cA spectacular win for Acura!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cNot only is it on our home ground, near HRC\u2019s US headquarters in Santa Clarita, but the HRC group is responsible for the trackside engineering on the No. 93 car. It\u2019s a huge win for that group.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t won since 2008 and 2009 at Long Beach and haven\u2019t won here in IMSA\u2019s modern prototype era, so it\u2019s great to finally present ourselves with the trophy from the Acura Grand Prix.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yelloly led from the start but lost the lead to Aitken on lap 13 after being balked by GTD traffic. While several teams pitted early for driver changes, the No. 93 stayed out longest. Yelloly handed over to van der Zande after 38 minutes, and almost immediately the third of five full-course cautions flew. When racing resumed with 47 minutes remaining, van der Zande was in front and defended stoutly despite tire concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a nail-biting finish, but I knew the guy behind the wheel could do the job, so I wasn\u2019t too worried,\u201d Yelloly said.<\/p>\n

The No. 31 Cadillac extended its strong form with a third straight podium to open 2026, after closing 2025 with two wins.<\/p>\n

\"\"#31: Cadillac Whelen, Cadillac V-Series.R, GTP: Jack Aitken, Frederik Vesti holds off the #6 Penske Porsche to claim 2nd place. LAT Image for IMSA<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a really good day,\u201d said Aitken. \u201cThere\u2019s a few key things you need to do on a street track like this \u2014 you need to have a good start, don\u2019t make mistakes, and I think the No. 31 team ticked all those boxes. It was a really good run so I can\u2019t complain too much, but definitely hungry for that win this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the GTP Drivers\u2019 Championship, Nasr and Andlauer in the No. 7 Porsche continue to lead. Their closest pursuer is now Laurin Heinrich, who is running an expanded program with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm finished sixth at Long Beach \u2014 the team\u2019s best result since the 2025 Rolex 24 \u2014 leaving Heinrich 35 points behind the leaders. Jack Aitken sits three points further back, followed by the No. 6 Porsche pairing.<\/p>\n

Vasser Sullivan Lexus Back on Top of GTD in Long Beach<\/p>\n

The dam was bound to break eventually \u2014 and what better place than the streets of Long Beach?<\/p>\n

After a 22-race winless streak in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (their longest since joining the series), Vasser Sullivan Racing returned to victory lane in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) with the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3. It was the same car and same venue where the team last won in 2024, and the timing couldn\u2019t have been sweeter: team co-owner Jimmy Vasser was celebrating the 30th anniversary of his own IndyCar triumph here in April 1996, the victory that launched his championship season.<\/p>\n

\"\"#12: Vasser Sullivan Racing, Lexus RC F GT3, GTD: Aaron Telitz, Benjamin Pedersen<\/p>\n

Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen delivered the breakthrough for the venerable Lexus program, sharing driving duties for co-owners Vasser and James \u201cSulli\u201d Sullivan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a big win for this Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing organization,\u201d Telitz said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a bit of a drought\u2026 It\u2019s been a couple of years since the RC F went back in victory lane, but couldn\u2019t be more proud to do it here at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.\u201d<\/p>\n

The No. 12 started sixth on the grid. Pedersen handled the opening stint before handing over to Telitz during the scheduled pit stop. Up front, pole-sitter Robert Wickens in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R dominated the early laps, leading for 25 minutes and building a gap of more than five seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a fairytale stint,\u201d Wickens said. \u201cThe Corvette Z06 GT3.R was just so nice to drive around this track. Every lap is a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

A full-course caution for GTP contact reshuffled the field. On the restart, Telitz pounced. He made a decisive move on teammate-turned-rival Mason Filippi (No. 36), diving inside from the left-hander at Turn 6 and completing the pass through the right-hander at Turn 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lexus RC F GT3 fires off really well on restarts; it gets the tires going really quickly, so I felt any restart was my chance to pounce,\u201d Telitz explained. \u201cThe 36 Corvette has been really good all weekend, and I feel like they didn\u2019t turn the tires on as quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Filippi\u2019s afternoon unraveled moments later. Caught behind lapped traffic and then squeezed by a GTP prototype at the fountain, he was pushed hard into the wall, lost his left-side mirror, and dropped four positions in one chaotic sequence through Turns 4-8.<\/p>\n

The beneficiaries of the scramble included Robby Foley (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO), Albert Costa (No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO), and several others who capitalized on the chaos.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that Telitz\u2019s pass on Filippi wasn\u2019t technically for the outright lead at the time. Vasser Sullivan\u2019s sister No. 89 Lexus, driven by Jack Hawksworth, had vaulted into contention thanks to an alternate strategy after a post-qualifying ride-height violation. Hawksworth charged brilliantly from the back, but the car ultimately finished fifth once Frankie Montecalvo took over to fulfill driving time.<\/p>\n

Telitz held firm to the checkered flag, winning by 5.055 seconds over Foley and Patrick Gallagher in the No. 96 BMW. Costa and Manny Franco completed the podium for Conquest Racing, followed by the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari, the No. 89 Lexus, and the No. 36 Corvette.<\/p>\n

With the championship-leading No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin finishing 10th, Eduardo \u201cDudu\u201d Barrichello now holds an unofficial 54-point lead over Foley and Gallagher, and a 103-point cushion over Telitz and Pedersen.<\/p>\n

A long drought is over \u2014 and on the very streets where Vasser Sullivan has written so much of its history.<\/p>\n

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship remains in California for its next event, the Monterey SportsCar Championship on May 1-3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.<\/p>\n

2026 IMSA Long Beach Race Results<\/p>\n

Full Unofficial Race Results \u2013 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Long Beach Street Circuit (1.968 miles) \u2014 April 18, 2026
100-minute GTP\/GTD Sprint Race<\/p>\n

GTP Class Results<\/p>\n

Pos
\nNo.
\nTeam
\nDrivers
\nCar
\nLaps
\nGap<\/p>\n

1
\n93
\nAcura Meyer Shank Racing w\/Curb Agajanian
\nRenger van der Zande \/ Nick Yelloly
\nAcura ARX-06
\n70
\n\u2013<\/p>\n

2
\n31
\nCadillac Whelen
\nFrederik Vesti \/ Jack Aitken
\nCadillac V-Series.R
\n70
\n+0.818s<\/p>\n

3
\n6
\nPorsche Penske Motorsport
\nLaurens Vanthoor \/ Kevin Estre
\nPorsche 963
\n70
\n+2.429s<\/p>\n

4
\n7
\nPorsche Penske Motorsport
\nFelipe Nasr \/ Julien Andlauer
\nPorsche 963
\n70
\n+3.272s<\/p>\n

5
\n24
\nBMW M Team WRT
\nSheldon van der Linde \/ Dries Vanthoor
\nBMW M Hybrid V8
\n70
\n+3.671s<\/p>\n

6
\n5
\nJDC-Miller MotorSports
\nTijmen van der Helm \/ Laurin Heinrich
\nPorsche 963
\n70
\n+4.494s<\/p>\n

7
\n60
\nAcura Meyer Shank Racing w\/Curb Agajanian
\nTom Blomqvist \/ Colin Braun
\nAcura ARX-06
\n70
\n+5.103s<\/p>\n

8
\n40
\nCadillac Wayne Taylor Racing
\nJordan Taylor \/ Louis Deletraz
\nCadillac V-Series.R
\n70
\n+6.022s<\/p>\n

9
\n23
\nASTON MARTIN THOR Team
\nRoss Gunn \/ Roman De Angelis
\nAston Martin Valkyrie
\n69
\n+1 Lap<\/p>\n

10
\n10
\nCadillac Wayne Taylor Racing
\nRicky Taylor \/ Filipe Albuquerque
\nCadillac V-Series.R
\n67
\n+3 Laps<\/p>\n

11
\n25
\nBMW M Team WRT
\nPhilipp Eng \/ Marco Wittmann
\nBMW M Hybrid V8
\n67
\n+3 Laps<\/p>\n

GTD Class Results<\/p>\n

Pos
\nNo.
\nTeam
\nDrivers
\nCar
\nLaps
\nGap<\/p>\n

12
\n12
\nVasser Sullivan Racing
\nAaron Telitz \/ Benjamin Pedersen
\nLexus RC F GT3
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

13
\n96
\nTurner Motorsport
\nPatrick Gallagher \/ Robby Foley
\nBMW M4 GT3 EVO
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

14
\n34
\nConquest Racing
\nManny Franco \/ Albert Costa
\nFerrari 296 GT3 EVO
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

15
\n70
\nInception Racing
\nBrendan Iribe \/ Frederik Schandorff
\nFerrari 296 GT3 EVO
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

16
\n89
\nVasser Sullivan Racing
\nJack Hawksworth \/ Frankie Montecalvo
\nLexus RC F GT3
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

17
\n36
\nDXDT Racing
\nMason Filippi \/ Robert Wickens
\nChevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

18
\n16
\nMyers Riley Motorsports
\nSheena Monk \/ Felipe Fraga
\nFord Mustang GT3
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

19
\n19
\nvan der Steur Racing
\nValentin Hasse Clot \/ Rory van der Steur
\nAston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

20
\n57
\nWINWARD Racing
\nRussell Ward \/ Philip Ellis
\nMercedes-AMG GT3
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

21
\n27
\nHeart of Racing Team
\nDudu Barrichello \/ Spencer Pumpelly
\nAston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

22
\n81
\nDragonSpeed
\nHenrik Hedman \/ Giacomo Alto\u00e8
\nChevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

23
\n13
\n13 Autosport
\nOrey Fidani \/ Matthew Bell
\nChevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

24
\n177
\nAO Racing
\nHarry King \/ Mikkel Pedersen
\nPorsche 911 GT3 R (992)
\n68
\n+2 Laps<\/p>\n

25
\n46
\nPfaff Motorsports
\nAndrea Caldarelli \/ Zachary Vanier
\nLamborghini Temerario GT3
\n67
\n+3 Laps<\/p>\n

26
\n120
\nWright Motorsports
\nAdam Adelson \/ Callum Ilott
\nPorsche 911 GT3 R (992)
\n67
\n+3 Laps<\/p>\n

27
\n66
\nGradient Racing
\nJake Walker \/ Corey Lewis
\nFord Mustang GT3
\n60
\n+10 Laps<\/p>\n

28
\n45
\nWayne Taylor Racing
\nDanny Formal \/ Trent Hindman
\nLamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
\n11
\n+59 Laps (DNF)<\/p>\n

Key Race Notes
\u2013 Pole Position: Nick Yelloly (#93 Acura) \u2013 1:11.626 (98.913 mph)
\u2013 Fastest Lap \u2013 GTP: Laurin Heinrich (#5 Porsche) \u2013 1:12.918 (97.161 mph)
\u2013 Fastest Lap \u2013 GTD: Jack Hawksworth (#89 Lexus) \u2013 1:19.136 (89.526 mph)
\u2013 Five full-course cautions slowed the race.
\u2013 No separate GTD PRO class in this event; all GT3 entries ran in GTD.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It had been a long time coming. On Saturday, Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) finally…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274949,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":["post-274948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}