IMSA: What may happen to Meyer Shank Racing in 2024?

On the surface, the team has lots of potential directions to go in, but some of those options are problematic

Questions, we have lots of questions about how things are shaping up for IMSA and, in particular, for Meyer Shank Racing in 2024:

What is the future for Meyer Shank Racing in IMSA?

Has the time come? Has Meyer Shank Racing’s IMSA run come to a halt?

Those are now all valid questions to begin asking with the team changes that have been made for the upcoming 2024 season as Tom Blomqvist takes over for Helio Castroneves in IndyCar.

Blomqvist, who has strictly been driving the #60 Acura for Meyer Shank in the GTP class this season, must have caught some eyes in his only race in IndyCar back in July at Toronto to get this opportunity to step in the big shoes for "Spiderman."

However, with Blomqvist seemingly out full-time in IMSA with his switch to IndyCar and with Helio also stepping back his racing schedule in 2024 (he only plans to race in the Indianapolis 500 but how many races he may compete in IMSA remains unclear), the question comes up as to what is next for this team in its sports car ventures.

There are many avenues this team may take, but with the 2023 season dwindling, these decisions must be made soon to allow whoever the next man up will be time to prepare and ready for what may be a rebuild or a reload for Meyer Shank in IMSA.

Option #1: Find New Drivers

While this may be the more obvious pick in terms of how Meyer Shank may handle their IMSA operations, it is not the most concrete one of the options available.

In terms of drivers available in 2024, it may not be the pick of the litter, with new entries being added such as Wayne Taylor, Lamborghini, and others who will be among the bunch in the GTPs. One driver that is a possible option is Conor Daly.

Daly, who filled in for Simon Pagenaud at Mid-Ohio after a devastating wreck during practice, is an intriguing option for Meyer Shank’s IMSA efforts given his previous relationship with the team.

The true kicker to Daly’s potential to be behind the wheel of the No. 60 Acura next season is his desire.

While Daly is a fan favorite and a solid, experienced driver, he was removed from his seat at Ed Carpenter Racing and is now pursuing other forms of auto racing.

The key for Daly will be his desire, and if he wants to take on a full-time schedule in the GTP class, Daly is definitely an option open to the team. But one question that will need to be answered is what does Daly do if he is offered a one-off or several races in IndyCar? And let’s not forget he still has NASCAR aspirations, particularly in Trucks and the Xfinity Series.

Outside of Daly, drivers such as Linus Lundqvist, Kamui Kobayashi, Jimmie Johnson, or Mike Rockenfeller could be options, although some of them may be more stretched than others on this list.

It will be far stretched and in-between as to who is on the market for Meyer Shank, but they may need to think outside the box with this selection as to who will replace Blomqvist and potentially even Helio in IMSA.

Option #2: Part-Time Schedule

While this may not be the direct option that Meyer Shank Racing would like to go towards, it is a possibility that the team could step back on its IMSA efforts.

With the GTP class increasing to beyond 10 cars already here in 2023, and with more to come, the possibility of Meyer Shank not wanting to run a full season is there.

It may allow the team to focus on specific races, such as some endurance races, while also not needing to go out and look for full-time replacement drivers that may be tough to find this offseason.

Although this may not be what the team wants, it could allow the team to focus more on their IndyCar efforts as they try to revitalize their team in America’s open-wheel series while still putting a competitive, focused product out on track in IMSA – but for fewer races.

Option 3: Close the Doors Entirely

Although this would be the most disappointing of the options available for the team, it is also a real reality that Meyer Shank may decide to step away.

Running two programs is not easy, and over the past few recent seasons, it seems as though Meyer Shank’s IMSA program has been much more productive in terms of finishes in races compared to the IndyCar side of the house.

With the IndyCar team stealing Blomqvist away from the IMSA side of things, it could be a sign that the team may want to try to fade out of their IMSA work and focus on developing their IndyCar program.

The unfortunate part of that, though, would be losing such a competitive team in IMSA and in the GTP class.

Since joining the top class, Meyer Shank Racing has been able to win back-to-back victories at Daytona and rack up other wins throughout the season, making it one of the top contenders in the sport.

If they decide on a part-time role, it will at least keep the team somewhat in the sport, which is positive for the class, but the potential of losing Meyer Shank would be disappointing for IMSA and the GTP class.

Final Thoughts

While we do approach the end of the IMSA and IndyCar seasons, respectively, the time for Meyer Shank to figure out what is next for their IMSA program is in a time crunch.

As mentioned, while sometimes making plans for the season comes late in the offseason, for the 2024 IMSA season, there seems to be no time for that to occur with the options that are available, especially for the hunt on adding drivers to their lineup.

The part-time schedule option may be a happy medium for all parties involved and may actually be the more equitable approach; however, the possibility of keeping a full-time slot or even folding their IMSA operations is still on the table.

Only time will tell what is next for Meyer Shank as their IMSA future becomes uncertain quickly.