2 Acura Pro Drivers Swap Cars At The Race Track

Acura pro drivers Ricky Taylor and Trent Hindman hit the famous Sebring International Raceway to swap vehicles in a newly released video from Acura racing. Both drivers wanted the opportunity to expand their racing knowledge by using different equipment.

While the two conducted this experiment in February, the newly released footage captures the candid reactions and experience each driver had behind the wheels of an Acura ARX-05 DPi and Acura NSX GT3 Evo, respectively.

While the Acura ARX-05 DPi and Acura NSX GT3 Evo are both racecars, that is about as much as the two have in common.

The NSX GT3 Evo is based on the production NSX supercar, sharing more than 80 percent of its underlying parts, including the engine block, turbochargers, and multi-material space frame.

Comparatively, the ARX-05 DPi is a purpose-built race car constructed of lightweight carbon fiber. The car is capable of generating 3,000 lbs. of downforce. And it is powered by a 600-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 based on the production J35-series engine found in the Acura MDX, TLX, and RLX.

Taylor and Hindman certainly learned a lot after given the opportunity to trade places on the track. Typically, Taylor is behind the wheel of the ARX-05 DPi while Hindman commands the NSX GT3 Evo. Acura’s racing team believes that this unique experience allows both drivers to become more rounded in their driving expertise, and lead to more team wins.

We always wondered what would have happened in the 2006 comedy film, “Talladega Nights” if Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Junior swapped seats on the test track instead of waiting for egos to boil over.

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, Ricky (played by Will Ferrell) is a self-centered race car driver who is obsessed with winning and going fast. His sidekick, Cal (played by John C. Reilly), consistently plays second-fiddle until he finally gets a taste of being in the spotlight.

The two characters, who used to be good friends, flip on each other and a newfound rivalry is born. As the former teammates are pitted against one another, we are left to think that all of that unpleasantness could have been avoided by taking a play out of Acura’s book.