British driver Nick Yelloly has praised outgoing Honda Racing Corporation USA president David Salters for cultivating a rookie IMSA engineering crew into formidable championship contenders.
Salters officially vacated his executive role on 12 September to join a technology startup outside of motorsport, concluding a highly successful tenure that included the 2022 IMSA sweep. Former vice president Kelvin Fu has immediately stepped in to lead the operation through the final rounds of the 2026 campaign.
Trusting A Green Engineering Crew
While Salters leaves behind multiple IndyCar and endurance titles, Yelloly believes his greatest legacy lies in the structural risk taken on the #93 Acura ARX-06 GTP entry. Rather than relying on veteran hires, HRC USA assembled an entirely fresh trackside staff.
Speaking to motorsport.com, the driver highlighted this developmental culture. “For me, the thing that would stand out the most is taking our rookie team in terms of engineering crew on the #93 car,” Yelloly said.
That inexperienced collective quickly navigated a steep learning curve following their initial test in late 2024 to become regular frontrunners in the current season.
Seamless Transition For Fu
The departure arrives at a critical juncture, with Yelloly and co-driver Renger van der Zande sitting third in the overall GTP standings. Fu, who originally joined Honda in 2015 alongside Salters, now inherits a battle-tested roadmap to sustain their competitive edge.
Discussing his promotion via Motorsport Week, the incoming chief acknowledged the weight of the position. “When I joined HRC US, I never imagined that one day I would have the privilege of leading this extraordinary organization,” Fu confirmed.
Fu will oversee his first race weekend as president during the upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fixture.
