Shank Confirms Honda Power for 2015 TUSC Season

Michael Shank Racing has confirmed its engine partnership with Honda, where it will power the team’s new Ligier JS P2 chassis in the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season.

The official confirmation came Friday during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis.

Additionally, the team has revealed a new livery, which is actually a reincarnation of a prior orange and black livery run more than five years ago.

Last week, Shank took delivery of the chassis campaigned Stateside by OAK Racing the last two TUDOR Championship races this season.

The switch to the Honda-powered Ligier comes after more than 230 Daytona Prototype starts, and more than 32,000 laps completed since 2004.

“Moving to the Ligier JS P2 should not only be an asset for our TUDOR campaign this year, but it is also a step toward being in a position to compete at Le Mans in 2016,” Shank said.

“This is a great package and has already proven itself, not only here in TUDOR, but also in the World Endurance Championship. This is a big move for our team, and I’m really excited about the future.”

The engine partnership sees Honda come in to replace Ford, Shank’s longtime partner since 2008.

“We’re very much looking forward our new partnership with Michael Shank Racing in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship,” said Allen Miller, prototype project leader for Honda Performance Development.

“Michael Shank Racing has established itself as one of the premier teams in American endurance racing, and we believe their switch to an LMP2 chassis and Honda turbocharged V6 engine positions them well for 2015 and the seasons to come.”

With Extreme Speed Motorsports running a full season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Honda now has its first full-season TUDOR Championship entry confirmed with this news.

No additional drivers for any of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup rounds were named. The expanded lineup, set to be announced in the coming weeks, could include MSR team veterans.