Acura taps Comptech history for 2019 ARX-05 DPi liveries
Acura Team Penske will pay tribute to the championship-winning Comptech Racing IMSA prototypes from the early 1990s throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with throwback white and orange liveries.
The unmistakable dayglo orange, featured on the factory IMSA GTP-Light entries from California’s Comptech, helped the Acura NSX-powered prototypes built by Spice to stand out from its rivals as the team and brand dominated its class from 1991-1993.
Image by Marshall Pruett
“This is a natural look for Acura prototypes, and a salute to our heritage as a performance brand,” said Acura executive creative director Dave Marek, who brought the liveries forward to its ARX-05 DPis. “The Acura brand was founded in 1986, and its debut in motorsports soon followed.
“Today, we’re proud to unveil a livery that accurately reflects our long, successful history in North American racing – and look forward to adding new chapters to the story of Acura Precision Crafted Performance.”
In addition to Acura's GTP-Lights and DPi, the white and dayglo orange theme was also carried on Comptech's initial Honda-powered CART IndyCar program, and got its start in the 1980s within IMSA's International Sedan series -- a forerunner to today's Michelin Pilot Challenge championship. More recently, the RealTime Acura team employed the livery on an Acura NSX GT3 fielded in the former Pirelli World Challenge series.
Marshall Pruett
The 2026 season marks Marshall Pruett's 40th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
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