These two racing drivers swapped race cars; here’s what they learned

Enlarge / On the left, the Acura NSX GT3 Evo. On the right, the Acura ARX-05.

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Thanks to COVID-19, the 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona could be the only International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) race of the year to take place outside of iRacing. Like many other professions, “race car driver” is not considered an essential occupation, so young hot shoes like Ricky Taylor (who races for Acura Team Penske) and Trent Hindman (who competes with Meyer Shank Racing) are stuck at home.

One of the last opportunities for track time for either of them was in early February at a test session at Florida’s Sebring Raceway, a bumpy WWII bomber base turned race course that hosts a difficult 12-hour race each March. Unusually for drivers who race for different teams and in quite different classes, they were fortunate enough to get a little time in each other’s cars—an Acura ARX-05, and an Acura NSX GT3 Evo. We caught up with them a few days ago to learn more, and we got some interesting insights into what it’s like to be behind the wheel of each of these race cars.

About those cars

And they are two very different race cars. The ARX-05 is a lightweight (2,050lb/930kg) carbon-fiber prototype, purpose-built to race in IMSA’s DPi category. Its wings produce a ton of downforce—actually, about a ton and a half, or 3,000lbs (1,360kg) at 150mph (241km/h). And it tops out at

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