Phillips 66 claims the ARX-06 will serve as a rolling test bed for its lubricants during the 2025 IMSA season while HRC aims for the title.
During the Roar Before the 24 unified testing session for the 24 Hours of Daytona, Phillips 66 Lubricants announced it would be the primary sponsor of the number 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing GTP. This sponsorship, according to both HRC and Phillips 66, will be more than just money changing hands in exchange for the rolling billboard. As both companies have put it, the 2025 ARX-06 will be a “rolling laboratory” for lubricants manufacturer.
That’s not to say that this isn’t a straight up promotion. Phillips 66 will fully utilize the partnership as part of promotions throughout the 2025 IMSA season with activities to include business-to-business (B2B) opportunities, accessories, and merchandise sales.
Rolling Test Bed
The other benefit is that new lubricants will find use on the number 93 Meyer Shank Racing GTP car, which will be the ARX-06 to carry the Phillips 66 branding. Additionally, HRC will be the primary engineering team for the 93 while Acura Meyer Shank Racing personnel will oversee the 60, the second team under this umbrella.
The Acura ARX-06 and IMSAs GTP program presents unique challenges for lubricant producers. First is the endurance aspect of IMSA racing at Daytona, Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Road America. All five of those tracks will see racing between 6 and 24 hours in race length. The rest of the 11 round season are between 100 to 160 minutes in length.
Why Development Matters
Regardless of race length, the only time these engines shut down—for those uninitiated to IMSA racing—are during pit stops. The stop itself is only around 40 seconds for parity between the cars via “virtual energy” filling. Once the stop is done, the engine remains off and the electric motor is the only power to the rear wheels to launch the car away from the pit stall. After pit road speed is reached—around 38 mph, or 60 kph for you metric types—the engine is then “bump started” by popping the clutch via a button on the steering wheel. This then fires the engine just like you would a manual transmission car with a bad starter or a dead battery. Stopping and then starting a hot engine can also create many problems and potential failures during those endurance events.
In many ways, this is like many hybrid systems found on road cars. When you come to a stop, the engine shuts off while still warm. In some cases, the starter is activated just after releasing the brake pedal, leading to a quick but sometimes harsh start before accelerating away. In a few other cases—where the vehicle uses an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) unit—the electric motor will drive it before starting the internal combustion engine.
The Race-to-Road Pipeline?
That means there is some truth to the rolling laboratory claim. I still wanted to see what the pipeline between race car development to road car—your everyday street car—is like. I asked Phillips 66 for comment on this idea and their reply was, “Phillips 66 manufactures cutting-edge, high-performance lubricants designed for a wide range of racing applications, from drag strips and Baja races to circle tracks. Our partnership with HRC provides a unique opportunity to test and refine the next generation of racing lubricants under the extreme demands of endurance racing. We are thrilled to partner with HRC and Meyer Shank Racing in this exciting venture.”
I pressed for a clarification on the road car portion that was included in the original release by HRC and Phillips 66, but no further comment was offered at the time of publication. Still, it’s not hard to see how this will eventually benefit our road cars as those continue down the same path of electrification and the challenges those present. Hopefully we’ll be able to get examples of these improvements as the series moves forward into 2025.
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