The new multiyear agreement that sees Honda and Chevrolet remain in IndyCar with the benefit of each receiving a charter for 2028 has already seen early developments.
Honda Racing Corporation US President David Salters was asked by Motorsport.com during a media call on Thursday if there was a specific team in mind to support the single-car factory effort, to which he confirmed early talks with Meyer Shank Racing.
“We're in discussions with Meyer Shank on how we would run a car with them,” Salters said.
Salters further expressed familiarity with the organization, with Honda, under the Acura name, already supporting a factory effort with Meyer Shank Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In that series, MSR runs a No. 60 Acura ARX-06 in the GTP class, with a sister car, No. 93 entry, serviced by the majority of HRC representatives.
“We do it already,” Salters said. “We know what to do. We run car No. 93 and we would think of a similar model for IndyCar, really. We're there to build on what we've invested in. We're there to further develop our people. It works very well with MSR.
“Right now, that's how we would envisage proceeding, and those are the types of discussions we're having.”
The new agreement with IndyCar features a unique caveat that both Chevrolet and Honda have an opportunity to field a factory entry with the new car and engine set to debut in 2028.
Current charter rules limit teams to three cars, which leaves both manufacturers looking for either an individual effort alone or partnering with a program with two or less charter entrants. The likes of Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing are locked out with three charters apiece for Honda-backed efforts, while Meyer Shank Racing and Dale Coyne Racing have two
Motorsport.com asked the same question to Jim Campbell, Vice President of General Motors Performance and Motorsports, but did not declare a team at this time.
