Hondanews Online Newsroom

Honda Racing: Honda Announces Major USAC Partnership Program

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:06:00 -0700

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today announced a comprehensive motorsports partnership program with the United States Auto Club (USAC), including title sponsorship of several USAC racing series and a new role as Official Engine Supplier to the Ignite Midget Series. Implementation of these programs will begin this year, and will be fully in effect for the 2014 race season.

Under terms of the multi-year agreement, Honda will become title sponsor for USAC's National Midget, Ignite Midget (to be renamed Honda Midget) and .25 Midget racing series. Honda K24 "crate" engines, sold and distributed by USAC, will become the new spec engine for the Honda Midget Series.

Honda K- and F-series engines, also supplied by HPD, are currently being utilized by individual teams in the USAC National Midget Series, and Honda GX-series engines remain a popular choice for .25 Midget competition.

Honda will become the official vehicle of USAC, as well as the Official Side-by-Side and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) supplier; Official Generator and Official Pit Bike for the sanctioning body. In addition, Honda will become the presenting sponsor of all USAC National race broadcasts, via live streaming through USAC.TV, Ustream and USACRacing.com.

"Historically, USAC has occupied a leadership role in oval-track racing and grass roots motorsports nationwide," said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President, Automobile Operations, for American Honda. "We're pleased to be able to greatly expand our role in USAC competition, while taking the next significant step in advancing HPD's grassroots motorsports initiative. We look forward to a long and successful association."

Honda will supply USAC with Honda Civic Si pace cars for the National Midget and Honda Midget series. Honda Side-by-Sides and ATVs also will be utilized by series officials. Signage rights for the sponsored series, including Victory Circle, will be provided to Honda for the length of the agreement; and the iconic Honda "Circle H" logo will be placed on all Quarter Midget and Honda Midget entries.

"USAC is extremely pleased to announce the new partnership with Honda today," says USAC CEO/President Kevin Miller. "Honda's new level of participation throughout USAC's racing programs brings new energy with its national marketing footprint. USAC and Honda have partnered today to create an expanded level of excitement in the Midget racing community and we look forward to a mutually rewarding motorsports experience for all involved."

Honda To Sponsor USAC Racing – 2

Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in Indy car competition – as both a Manufacturers' Championship competitor and single engine supplier – since 1994.

In competition with other auto companies, Honda has won six championships, more than any other manufacturer. In years of multi-manufacturer competition, Honda-powered drivers have won eight titles, again more than any other. Honda has a total of 197 race victories in open-wheel racing, 65 in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) competition and 132 in IndyCar.

As engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series from 2006-2011, Honda supplied racing engines to the full, 33-car Indianapolis 500 field, and for a record-six consecutive years, the '500' ran without a single engine failure.

Honda scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; and the 2012 race, won by Dario Franchitti, was Honda's ninth consecutive "500" triumph – both against competition from other manufacturers and as sole engine supplier.

Founded in 1993, HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines, and competes at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California. The company is marking it's 20th anniversary as American Honda's racing arm in 2013.

In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2012 American Le Mans Series, and in the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2012. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

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Honda Racing: Honda Performance Development Opens Tech Center in Brownsburg

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:14:00 -0700

Featuring a state-of-the-art driving simulator rarely seen outside of Formula One, Honda Performance Development officially opened its Indiana Tech Center Wednesday, in the Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg, Ind.

Driver-in-the-Loop [DIL] simulator technology has been employed successfully by HPD's sports-car racing program since 2007 at a facility in England. HPD's new Tech Center brings that capability to the mid-west, a location central to the American racing community.

A DIL Simulator can save racing teams both time and money, as extensive test programs can be run through the simulator, with the team's driver at the wheel and engineers monitoring "lap times", prior to going to the expense and time-consuming process of actual on-track testing.

"Because [setup] changes can be done so quickly, the DIL Simulator allows you to run through many more [chassis geometry and track condition] changes than you could perform with an actual race car," said Gil de Ferran, Indianapolis 500 winner, Indy car champion and now a consultant to HPD. "It also allows you to perform experiments that would be completely impractical – or highly expensive – on an actual race car."

Design and construction of this latest-generation DIL Simulator began in the summer of 2012, and a site in the Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg was selected for its central location and proximity to racing teams and drivers.

After construction and initial testing, the DIL Simulator was installed at the new HPD Tech Center in Brownsburg and began operations earlier this month. In the future, in addition to Honda-powered IndyCar and sports-car racing teams, the Simulator and HPD Tech Center facilities will be available for use by teams taking part in other series. HPD offers in-house engineering support for drivers and teams utilizing the DIL Simulator. Customized simulations can be established to meet the specific needs of the teams.

"Similar to the decision to design, develop and build the new Acura NSX in Ohio, the HPD Tech Center is another example of Honda bringing R&D activities to the heart of the North American motorsports community, said Steve Eriksen, HPD vice president and chief operating officer. "This is a development tool that will bring benefits to all of our motorsports activities, through a focus on total vehicle performance encompassing both engine and chassis."

The HPD DIL Simulator provides a cost-effective means of testing chassis setup changes, aerodynamics, engine mapping and future development paths, prior to turning a wheel on the race track. It also allows teams to replicate and experience many on-track situations, including changing track temperatures, surface grip, air temperature and wind direction/strength.

The Simulator provides an opportunity for drivers and engineers to strengthen their working relationships and understanding of one another, without the expense and time required by on-track testing. In addition, drivers can learn circuits and configurations prior to arriving at a new track. It can also be used as a coaching tool, and aid in driver development programs.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. The company is marking it's 20th anniversary in 2013.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and has scored 197 race victories in both CART and IZOD IndyCar Series competition since 1994.

HPD takes part in both the American Le Mans Series – where the company swept all manufacturer, engine, team and driver awards in the 2012 ALMS LMP1 and LMP2 categories – and the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the inaugural LMP2 championship during a year where it again took an LMP2 class win at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, the company's second class win at Le Mans in just three consecutive attempts.

HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

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Honda Racing: Honda Chases 10th Consecutive Indy Triumph

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:29:00 -0700

An accomplished 16-driver lineup, including two previous race winners and 11 graduates of open-wheel training-ground series, make up the Honda-powered effort for the 2013 Indianapolis 500, as the company seeks its 10th consecutive "500" victory – and fourth-in-a-row with engine-manufacturer competition.

In 2012, Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti scored his third Indy triumph in a thrilling battle to the finish with fellow Honda drivers Takuma Sato and Scott Dixon, Sato hitting the Turn One wall in a last-lap passing attempt for the victory and Franchitti leading Dixon to the checkers in a 1-2 result for Honda.

Last year marked the return of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis, after six years of Honda supplying engines to the full Indy car field – also the only six times in "500" history with no in-race engine failures.

Prior to Franchitti's victory, manufacturer competition last took place at the fabled "Brickyard" in 2005 – a race won by the late Dan Wheldon, the first of his two Indianapolis 500 triumphs with Honda power. Previously, Buddy Rice had scored Honda's first Indy 500 victory in 2004.

"Last year's win by Dario and 1-2 finish for Honda was a milestone event for Honda Performance Development," said Art St. Cyr, president of HPD. "While we take a great deal of pride in the unprecedented record of performance and reliability achieved by HPD during our six-year run as sole supplier, the challenges provided by manufacturer competition validate Honda's reason for racing. Once again, Chevrolet has presented a stern challenge for our engineers and partner teams, but that simply encourages us to redouble our efforts. We're looking forward to another exciting race on Sunday."

Seven teams will utilize the Honda HI13RT Indy V6 engine, which is designed, manufactured, developed and maintained by HPD, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The Chip Ganassi Racing organization serves as Honda's anchor team, and is led by three-time '500' winner and four-time series champion Franchitti, All of Franchitti's 31 career IndyCar wins have come with Honda power, making him the manufacturer's most successful driver in North American open-wheel racing. He is partnered by two-time series champion Dixon, who also includes an Indianapolis 500 (in 2008) victory among his 29 race wins.

The four-car Ganassi lineup is rounded out by veterans Ryan Briscoe and Charlie Kimball. Briscoe, the Indy pole qualifier in 2012, rejoins his former team for this year's "500", in addition to his full-season role with the HPD-equipped Level 5 Motorsports team in the American Le Mans Series. Kimball is making his third Indianapolis start for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing after a strong eighth-place finish in 2012.

Current IZOD IndyCar Series Championship points leader and Long Beach race winner Takuma Sato will be making his fourth Indy start, but his first driving for the legendary A.J. Foyt's Texas-based team. He is joined at A.J. Foyt Racing by second-generation racer Conor Daly, making his first start at Indianapolis.

Veteran Justin Wilson made his Indianapolis debut in 2003, but not on the famous 2.5-mile oval. Instead, Wilson's first race at Indy was on the circuit's road course, in the U.S. Grand Prix, driving for the Jaguar Formula One team. Now an established IndyCar veteran with seven career wins, most recently at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012, Wilson returns to the Brickyard with Dale Coyne Racing. He is teamed in 2013 by a pair of Indy Lights graduates, Ana Beatriz and Pippa Mann.

Alex Tagliani will be seeking to follow up his 2011 pole run at Indianapolis with his first trip to victory lane at the speedway. He is once again driving for Team Barracuda-Bryan Herta Autosport. Another strong single-car entry is fielded by Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, with one of 2012's outstanding rookies, Josef Newgarden, making his second start at the "500".

Simon Pagenaud, the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, returns with Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports for his second Indianapolis start, and is partnered with one of 2013's outstanding rookies, Tristan Vautier, and Katherine Legge, also making her second "500"appearance.

The Honda effort at Indianapolis is rounded out by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, fielding Honda-powered Dallaras for Graham Rahal, a third generation racer and son of team co-owner Bobby Rahal, and veteran British racer James Jakes.

Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series – as both a Manufacturers' Championship competitor and single engine supplier – since joining the series in 2003.

The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. Honda supplied racing engines to the full, 33-car Indianapolis 500 field every year from 2006-2011, and for a record-six consecutive years, the '500' ran without a single engine failure. The 2010 Indianapolis 500, won by Dario Franchitti, marked Honda's 100th race win as a manufacturer and engine supplier in IZOD IndyCar Series competition.

Founded in 1993, HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.

In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009, 2010 and 2012 American Le Mans Series; 2010 Le Mans Series; and triumphed in the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2012. HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

Honda-Powered Indianapolis 500 Winners
Year	Driver	Team	Car
2004	Buddy Rice	Rahal Letterman Racing	#15 Honda G-Force
2005	Dan Wheldon	Andretti Green Racing	#26 Honda Dallara
2006	Sam Hornish Jr.*	Team Penske	# 6 Honda Dallara
2007	Dario Franchitti*	Dario Franchitti	#27 Honda Dallara
2008	Scott Dixon*	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	# 9 Honda Dallara
2009	Helio Castroneves*	Team Penske	# 3 Honda Dallara
2010	Dario Franchitti*	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	#10 Honda Dallara
2011	Dan Wheldon*	Bryan Herta Autosport	#98 Honda Dallara
2012	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi Racing	#10 Honda Dallara
* Honda sole engine supplier era

2013 Honda Indianapolis 500 Lineup
Team	Car	Driver	Ladder Experience
Chip Ganassi Racing	# 9 Honda Dallara #10 Honda Dallara # 8 Honda Dallara #83 Honda Dallara	Scott Dixon (W) Dario Franchitti (W) Ryan Briscoe Charlie Kimball	Formula F, Indy Lights Formula F, Indy Lights

Dale Coyne Racing	#18 Honda Dallara #19 Honda Dallara #63 Honda Dallara	Justin Wilson Ana Beatriz Pippa Mann	Indy Lights Indy Lights

A.J. Foyt Racing	#14 Honda Dallara #41 Honda Dallara	Takuma Sato Conor Daly (R)	Indy Lights

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	#15 Honda Dallara #16 Honda Dallara	Graham Rahal James Jakes	Formula Atlantic

Sarah Fisher Hartman	#21 Honda Dallara	Josef Newgarden	Formula F, Indy Lights

Schmidt Hamilton Peterson Motorsports	#77 Honda Dallara #55 Honda Dallara #81 Honda Dallara	Simon Pagenaud Tristan Vautier (R) Katherine Legge	Formula Atlantic Indy Lights Formula Atlantic

Barracuda Racing/BHA	#98 Honda Dallara	Alex Tagliani	Formula Atlantic
(W) – Previous Indianapolis 500 Winner		(R) – Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Honda Racing: American Le Mans Monterey Race Report

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:24:00 -0700

Circuit: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (2.24-mile road course) Monterey, CA
2012 Winner: Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr (Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03a Honda)
Weather: Mostly sunny, mild, 78 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. LMP1	Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr	Muscle Milk Pickett	HPD ARX-03c Honda	150 laps
2.	2. LMP1	Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	+6.352 seconds
3.	1. LMP2	Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	146 laps
4.	2. LMP2	Ryan Briscoe/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	+5.578 seconds
5.	1. LMPC	Luis Diaz/Mike Guasch	PR1 Mathiasen	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	145 laps
6.	2. LMPC	Jonathan Bennett/Colin Braun	CORE Autosport	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	+4.106 seconds
7.	3. LMPC	Tristan Nunez/Charlie Shears	Performance Tech	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	144 laps
8.	4. LMPC	Chris Cumming/Kyle Marcelli	BAR1 Motorsports	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	+1.054 seconds
9.	1. GT	Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen	Corvette Racing	Chevrolet Corvette ZR1	142 laps
10.	2. GT	Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers	Team Falken Tire	Porsche 911 GT3 RSR	+0.982 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

16.	3. LMP2	Guy Cosmo/Scott Sharp	Extreme Speed	HPD ARX-03b Honda	142 laps-running
34.	4. LMP2	Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek	Extreme Speed	HPD ARX-03b Honda	64 laps-did not finish

Muscle Milk Prevails in Hard-Fought Laguna Contest; Level 5 Dominates LMP2 As HPD Sweeps Again

In a four-hour event that included multiple lead changes and unintentional contact late in the race that helped decide the contest, the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing duo of Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf prevailed to win an exciting American Le Mans Series Monterey at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, taking their HPD ARX-03c Honda to the overall and LMP1 victory over the Toyota-powered Lola of Rebellion Racing and drivers Nick Heidfeld and Neel Jani.

In addition, Level 5 Motorsports made it a clean prototype sweep for Honda Performance Development-equipped teams in California, claiming a 1-2 finish in LMP2 for drivers Marino Franchitti, Scott Tucker and Ryan Briscoe in their pair of HPD ARX-03b Hondas. This weekend's victories at Laguna Seca followed wins in April at the Grand Prix of Long Beach for Muscle Milk Pickett and HPD-equipped Extreme Speed Motorsports in the LMP2 category, the second consecutive season that HPD has swept both California rounds of the American Le Mans Series.

Starting third, Graf quickly passed the Mazda-powered Lola of Chris Dyson to move into second behind Rebellion's Heidfeld, setting up a race-long duel around the hilly, 2.4-mile Laguna circuit. The pair swapped the lead both on track and in pit lane, including a pair of thrilling passes by the Muscle Milk HPD entering the famous Laguna Seca "corkscrew". The deciding moment came with just over 37 minutes remaining in the contest, when leader Luhr and Rebellion's Jani, who was just behind, split their way around a slower GTC class Porsche. Luhr passed on the left, and Jani on the right, then the pair made heavy side-to-side contact as they prepared to enter the right-hand Turn 3.

At first, it appeared the Luhr's HPD had received the brunt of the collision, as he continued in second place with visible damage to the right front fender. But soon it became apparent that Jani had damaged his left front tire, and he was forced to pit for a replacement before continuing to a second-place finish. Now back in the lead, Luhr took the checkers for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing's second victory of 2013, an early lead in the LMP1 championship, and his own American Le Mans Series-record 43rd race win.

In LMP2, Level 5 romped to a 1-2 finish in their HPD ARX-03bs after early race problems hobbled the similar cars from Extreme Speed Motorsports. Level 5 owner/driver Tucker started in the team's #551 HPD, then handed it off to Franchitti, who went on to the win. Briscoe started the team's #552 HPD, which also enjoyed a trouble-free run to second with Tucker driving the final stint.

A pair of punctures blunted the LMP2 challenge of Extreme Speed's #01 HPD and starting driver Guy Cosmo, although the team and co-driver Scott Sharp persevered to finish third in class. Teammates Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek battled electrical issues that ended their race after 64 laps.

After a two-race swing through California, the American Le Mans Series has a one-month layoff as several leading teams – including Level 5 – take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The series resumes June 6 with the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

At Le Mans, HPD will field single-car efforts from World Endurance Championship regulars Strakka Racing in the LMP1 privateer category, and Level 5 in LMP2. The 2013 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on June 22-23.

Lucas Luhr (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03c) 1st in LMP2 with co-driver Klaus Graf: "In sports car racing, it's not always about who has the quickest car in perfect conditions, but it's who has the quickest car under all circumstances – like in traffic. I took a big risk when I had to get by [Rebellion Racing driver Neel Jani], but for me it was clear that was our only chance and I took it. Later on, we had a coming together, but [it was not intentional], it was just an unlucky race situation. I have to pay a big compliment to our team. It's so comforting to come into the pits and you know not to worry, that the guys will get it done, that the right decisions have been made. As a driver, inside the car you don't always get the [full] picture and you get fired up. But our engineer Brandon [Fry] is the calmest. He was on the radio and said ‘Don't worry. We got it buddy'. A big thanks to them; it's an awesome win."

Marino Franchitti (#551 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b) 1st in LMP2 with co-driver Scott Tucker: "It was a perfect weekend and a great way for Level 5 to bounce back after a tough weekend at Long Beach. Especially going into Le Mans, this is what we needed. The guys have been working day and night preparing for this race. Scott [Tucker], myself and Ryan [Briscoe] have worked really hard with the engineers on the setup of the car and I think it showed today."

Roger Griffiths (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's double victory at Laguna Seca: "Congratulations to both Muscle Milk Pickett Racing for their exciting overall win at Laguna Seca and to Level 5 for their 1-2 finish in LMP2. LMP1 is proving to be very competitive this year, but we welcome the challenge at HPD and Muscle Milk/Pickett Racing is doing an incredible job. In LMP2, Level 5 had a nearly flawless weekend, although Long Beach winners Extreme Speed encountered issues with tire punctures on one car, while the other suffered a recurring issue in the wiring that the team and HPD will investigate. Level 5 has again demonstrated why it is one of the top teams in LMP2 worldwide, and the team should be well-prepared for next month's 24 Hours of Le Mans, as HPD seeks its third class victory in our fourth appearance at this great event."

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Honda Racing: Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 Race Report

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:09:00 -0700

Circuit: Parque Anhembi (2.54-mile street circuit) Sao Paulo, Brazil
2012 Winner: Will Power (Team Penske Chevrolet) 88.945 mph average
Weather: Partly sunny, warm, 82 degrees F

Top-10 Race Results:

Fn.	St.	Driver	Team	Engine - Chassis	Laps	Average Speed/Notes
1.	5.	James Hinchcliffe	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	75	88.070 mph avg,; led 1 lap
2.	12.	Takuma Sato	A.J. Foyt Racing	Honda Dallara	75	+0.3463 seconds; led 21 laps
3.	10.	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	75	+1.1376 seconds; led 6 laps
4.	13.	Oriol Servia	DRR Panther Racing	Chevrolet Dallara	75	+1.1745 seconds
5.	25.	Josef Newgarden	Sarah Fisher Hartman	Honda Dallara	75	+1.6516 seconds
6.	2.	E.J. Viso	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	75	+2.8119 seconds
7.	3.	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	75	+3.5961 seconds
8.	8.	Simona de Silvestro	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet Dallara	75	+4.2772 seconds
9.	23.	Simon Pagenaud	Schmidt Hamilton	Honda Dallara	75	+7.6331 seconds
10.	17.	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	75	+9.5135 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

12.	15.	Alex Tagliani	Barracuda Racing/BHA	Honda Dallara	75	+10.4393 seconds
16.	21.	Tristan Vautier-R	Schmidt Peterson	Honda Dallara	75	+14.3517 seconds
17.	24.	James Jakes	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	75	+19.8585 seconds
18.	6.	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	75	+29.4261 seconds
19.	9.	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	72	Running
22.	19.	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	71	Running
25.	16.	Ana Beatriz	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	6	Did not finish-mechanical

Sato and Newgarden Star in Thrilling Sao Paulo Finish

In an epic battle, Honda-powered Takuma Sato fought tooth-and-nail with fellow Honda driver Josef Newgarden and Chevy's James Hinchcliffe, with only a last-lap, last-turn pass by Hinchcliffe preventing Sato from winning his second consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series race Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Starting 12th, Sato took advantage of continued excellent pit work from his A.J. Foyt Racing team, jumping from 10th to fourth among the "in sequence" group that pitted on Lap 21. That became an actual fourth on the race track when the out-of-sequence runners pitted just 10 laps later. Passes of local favorite Tony Kanaan and defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay put Sato in the lead, as the Japanese driver sought to follow up his Long Beach victory two weeks ago with a second consecutive win.

Electing to pit out of the lead on Lap 36, Sato then committed to running the remaining 39 laps on a single set of soft compound "red" tires, making just a quick final pit stop under caution on Lap 51 to top off his fuel supply. Resuming in fourth place on the Lap 54 restart, Sato quickly passed both Marco Andretti and Hinchcliffe, then took over at the front when leader JR Hildebrand pitted.

Starting last in the 25-car field after mechanical problems in practice on Saturday, Newgarden took his Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda through the field, going "out of sequence" and pitting on Lap 6 during an early caution, and making the strategy pay off as he emerged in second place behind Sato when the green flag waved for the final time on Lap 59.

Matching Sato move for move while searching for his first IndyCar win, Newgarden repeatedly challenged the leader around the 2.54-mile Sao Paulo street circuit while Simon Pagenaud, running third for Honda in his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports machine, faded to a ninth-place finish with handling issues.

As Pagenaud dropped back, both Hinchcliffe and Andretti closed on the leaders, with the first four cars taking the white flag side-by-side and nose-to-tail. As the quartet headed into the final hairpin corner, Hinchcliffe moved to the outside of Sato, then ducked inside in a classic "over/under" pass to claim the victory by just over three-tenths of a second. At the same time, Newgarden was unintentionally caught out in the last-turn shuffle, and dropped to an unrepresentative fifth at the checkers, still the best career finish for the second-year IndyCar racer.

After four road and street-circuit races to start the 2013 season, the IZOD IndyCar Series now returns to the U.S. for the season's signature event: the Indianapolis 500, where Honda will be seeking its 10th consecutive victory. Practice gets underway at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Opening Day on Saturday, May 11. The 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 26.

IZOD IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship (after 4 of 19 rounds):

1. Takuma Sato	136 points (1 win)	6. Ryan Hunter-Reay	94 (1 win)
2. Marco Andretti	123	7. Justin Wilson	91
3. Helio Castroneves	116	8. Oriol Servia	89
4. James Hinchcliffe	112 (2 wins)	9. Simona de Silvestro	86
5. Scott Dixon	101	10. Charlie Kimball	80

Manufacturers' Championship:
1. Chevrolet		33
2. Honda		27

Takuma Sato (#14 A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) started 12th, finished 2nd, his second consecutive IndyCar podium in 2013; moves to the lead in the drivers' championship going into the Indianapolis 500: "We were just hanging on in the final laps. We chose the strategy to pit while leading, with nearly 40 laps remaining, and that was a lot to ask of the tires, along with a slight issue I was having with the brakes at the end. It [the battle for the win] was very close, but we had respect for each other and 'Hinch' [winner James Hinchcliffe] pulled off a great maneuver, so congratulations to him. I didn't think we had a car to win today, but we still got a great result and that is the result of all the hard word from the team and Honda, they never gave up."

Josef Newgarden (#67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda Dallara) started 25th, finished 5th, his career-best IndyCar result: "I truly think we had the winning car today, but things just didn't go our way at the end. We had fantastic work from the entire Sarah Fisher Hartman team and from Honda this weekend. We recovered from our early problems and, even though we were starting at the back, I knew we had a great car today. It's just a shame we weren't able to seal it off at the finish."

Roger Griffiths (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on today's race: "We missed a victory today by just a single corner! Still, it was another great result for A.J. Foyt Racing, and demonstrates that their Long Beach win was not a fluke. This is a team and driver that can contend every race weekend. A first and second in back-to-back races is how you win championships. Josef Newgarden also deserves special mention. He drove a very mature race, coming through the field to challenge for the victory. It's disappointing not to win, particularly after coming so close, but everyone at HPD is working really hard and it's shaping up to be a very competitive season between manufacturers."

Honda Racing: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Report

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:38:00 -0700

Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (4.35-mile road course) Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium
Weather: Sunny, mild, 67 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. P1	Loic Duval/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	168 laps
2.	2. P1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	+1:05.815
3.	3. P1	Lucas di Grassi/Marc Gene/Oliver Jarvis	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	+1:54.992
4.	3. P1	Sebastien Buemi/Anthony Davidson/ Stephane Sarrazin	Toyota Oreca	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	167 laps
5.	5. P1	Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani/Nicolas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	165 laps
6.	6. P1	Andrea Belicchi/Mathias Beche/Cong Fu Cheng	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	+22.207 seconds
7.	7. P1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03c Honda	164 laps
8.	1. P2	Pierre Kaffer/Nicholas Minassian/Luis Perez-Companc	Pecom Racing	Oreca 03 Nissan	157 laps
9.	2. P2	Alex Brundle/David Heinemier-Hansson/ Oliver Pla	OAK Racing	Morgan Nissan	+12.581 seconds
10.	3. P2	Simon Dolan/Lucas Luhr/Oliver Turvey	Jota Sport	Zytek Z11-SN Nissan	+28.571 seconds

Solid Run for Strakka Run at Spa

A consistent and solid World Endurance Championship effort from Strakka Racing saw the British team finish seventh overall and third in the privateer LMP1 category in Saturday's Six Hours of Spa, the final WEC race prior to June's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Strakka driving trio of Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Danny Watts had a nearly trouble-free run in the Honda-powered ARX-03c throughout six hours of racing at the challenging Spa circuit. Only an unfortunately-timed safety car period, and light contact from an LMP2 car in the closing hours requiring additional time for repairs during the team's final pitstop, cost the team vital track position in relation to rival privateer squad Rebellion Racing.

The World Endurance Championship continues with next month's signature event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Strakka's LMP1 ARX-03c and 2012 American Le Mans Series LMP2 champions Level 5 Motorsports both will return to the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Jonny Kane (Strakka Racing HPD ARX-03a) finished 7^th in LMP1 and 3^rd in the privateer category: "Our race pace was a bit closer than we had in qualifying and the car felt really good, so a lot of positives have come out of the Spa race and it's very encouraging. The car was very well balanced, had good grip, ran faultlessly and I had no issues whatsoever. Le Mans will be a different story, because anything can happen in a 24-hour race. I can't wait to go testing there, because the low-drag kit has always been very strong around there and we're confident that will bring us another step closer."

Steve Eriksen (Vice President and COO, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's WEC race at Spa: "The solid effort from Strakka Racing at Spa is encouraging, and good preparation for next month's 24 Hours of Le Mans. There, the team's consistency and excellent preparation should be a strong factor in its favor. Our Le Mans configuration is very encouraging for both LMP1 and LMP2, and we look forward to Level 5 joining the HPD effort, as we seek to build on our previous successes there in 2010 and 2012."

# # #

Honda Racing: Honda IndyCar Brazil Talking Points

Thu, 02 May 2013 07:17:00 -0700

Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300
May 5, 2013
11 a.m. EDT
NBC Sports Network

ENGINE MANUFACTURER COMPETITION

Honda posted its first victory of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season April 21 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, sweeping the victory podium and scoring a 1-2-3-4 finish just a few miles south of American Honda's corporate headquarters in Torrance, California.

With his victory at Long Beach, A.J. Foyt Racing's Takuma Sato became the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. Graham Rahal recorded his best finish, second, since joining his father's Rahal Letterman Lanigan team for 2013; and Justin Wilson came from the back of the starting grid to finish third for Dale Coyne Racing. All three podium finishers were powered by Honda. Four-time series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti started on the pole, and finished fourth for Honda and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

The 2013 season marks the second season of manufacturer competition in the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier. Chevrolet and Honda will again battle for supremacy throughout the 19-race season and at the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

On Monday, April 22, the day after the Grand Prix of Long Beach, all 12 Honda-powered IZOD IndyCar Series drivers and several ALMS drivers visited Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita and American Honda's corporate headquarters in Torrance to celebrate the Long Beach podium sweep and the 20-year anniversary of the founding of HPD.

Honda will field 12 drivers and teams this weekend at the Itaipava Grand Prix of Sao Paulo, anchored by the three-car Chip Ganassi team, which includes Franchitti, 2008 series champion Scott Dixon, and rising star Charlie Kimball.

Other drivers and teams using the turbocharged Honda Indy V6 engine this weekend include Long Beach winner Sato; veteran Canadian Alex Tagliani with Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta Autosport; Wilson and Ana Beatriz with Dale Coyne Racing; Rahal and James Jakes with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing; Simon Pagenaud and IndyCar rookie Tristan Vautier with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports; and Josef Newgarden with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

MARKETING

"Inside the Indy Challenge", a series of documentary-style webcast videos featuring the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Honda-powered IndyCar drivers Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier, debuted this week on www.insidetheindychallenge.com and a variety of social media channels, including Tumblr, YouTube, Ustream, Facebook and Twitter.

To produce the videos, the film makers were imbedded with the team throughout the Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend to provide an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at Honda's IndyCar racing program.

Additional webcasts will be produced around this weekend's Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 and this year's Indianapolis 500.

HONDA CIVIC PACE AND SAFETY CARS

A fleet of Honda Civic coupes and sedans have been prepared by Honda Brazil for use as Safety Cars and Pace Cars at the Sao Paulo Indy 300. The Civics made their debut at the 2012 Sao Paulo Indy 300, replacing the Honda Accords used previously.

Modifications installed by Honda Brazil are similar to the changes made to the U.S.-based Honda safety cars. They include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; high-performance brakes with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit, consisting of front, side and rear under spoilers; installation of a Borg-Warner K16 turbocharger; performance engine mapping and an IZOD IndyCar Series graphics package.

HONDA PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY

In April, 1993, Honda Performance Development was founded in Santa Clarita, California as the competition arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. HPD is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a variety of events and activities.

In 20 years, HPD has grown from just a handful of staffers to approximately 150 associates; and from an engine-rebuilding facility to a complete motorsports Research & Development organization, engaged in programs ranging from pinnacle racing series including the IZOD IndyCar Series, FIA World Endurance Championship and American Le Mans Series to grassroots and entry-level categories including karting, Quarter Midgets and Formula F competition.

Drivers and teams using HPD products have won 197 Indy car races and the last nine Indianapolis 500s, both in years with multi-manufacturer competition (2004-05, 2012); and as single engine supplier to IndyCar from 2006-2011.

In years of multi-manufacturer competition, Honda has claimed six Manufacturers' Championships in Indy car racing; and Honda-powered drivers have won eight drivers' championships. No other manufacturer has won as many titles in the past 20 years.

HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009, 2010 and 2012 American Le Mans Series; the 2010 Le Mans Series; and powered the LMP2-winning team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2012. Last year, the Florida-based Starworks team became the first American racing organization to win an FIA World Championship since 1969, claiming LMP2 honors in the 2012 World Endurance Championship using an HPD ARX-03c chassis and Honda HR28TT V6 engine, prepared and developed by HPD.

Honda Racing: Honda Gives Insider View of IndyCar Teams with 'Inside the Indy® Challenge'

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Honda unveiled the 'Inside the Indy® Challenge' social media initiative today, highlighting the adrenalin-charged journey of Honda-powered IndyCar® teams, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports as they strive for success at the ultra-competitive "Greatest Spectacle in Racing", the Indianapolis 500.

Originating at www.insidetheindychallenge.com, which aggregates #HondaRacing conversation, the program includes an original documentary-style series of video vignettes that show a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at the teams, featuring drivers Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier. Producers are embedded with the team as they compete in three IndyCar races including the Long Beach Grand Prix, the Sao Paulo Indy 300 and culminating at the Indianapolis 500.

Following each race, the documentary-style video vignettes can be viewed and shared via Honda, Honda Performance Development and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports social media channels and websites. Honda is revealing the content via Facebook, Twitter, Ustream, and YouTube. In addition, today the company launched its latest foray on Tumblr at hondaracing.tumblr.com.

"We knew that we were in a position to offer an interesting, first-hand perspective on the IndyCar Series and share what racing means to Honda." said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for American Honda, Inc. "Through the 'Inside the Indy Challenge', we are able to join the Honda racing conversation and interact with fans in a meaningful way through an engaging social media experience."

Along with hosting the original video episodes, the Inside the Indy Challenge website curates #HondaRacing consumer-generated content from Twitter as well as from the brand and team's Twitter handles including @Honda, @HondaRacing_HPD, @SimonPagenaud, @TristanVautier and @SPMIndyCar. The same features found on the Inside the Indy Challenge site are also available on a mobile optimized fan hub for use on handheld devices.

For more information and to join in the #HondaRacing conversation, visit www.insidetheindychallenge.com.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

About Honda Performance Development, Inc.
Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. As one of two engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): http://www.hondanews.com
Website: http://automobiles.Honda.com and hpd.honda.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda and http://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Honda
Tumblr: HondaRacing.tumblr.com
Twitter: twitter.com/Honda and twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD
Instagram: instagram.com/Honda
Google+: plus.google.com/+Honda
Pinterest: pinterest.com/Honda

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Honda Racing: Honda To Be Partnering Sponsor in 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:00:00 -0700

As a further extension of its growing commitment to grassroots racing in North America, Honda announced today that it is making a major commitment to the 2013 running of the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, as both a sponsor and race participant, with plans to field products in nine race classes, a first for any OEM in a single Pikes Peak event.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will serve as the Partnering Sponsor for the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the first time the company has participated as a corporate sponsor of the legendary race event. The 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled for June 30, 2013 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Pikes Peak presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase Honda's diverse product lineup and to energize Honda fans around world, as we work to further strengthen Honda's presence in racing at all levels," said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for American Honda. "Our associates will be working hard between now and Race Day to prepare this diverse field of race vehicles and showcase the Honda racing spirit."

With support from Honda's North American R&D and motorsports companies – Honda R&D Americas, Inc. and Honda Performance Development, Inc. – the company will campaign a broad range of Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as Honda motorcycles and ATVs. Honda will showcase its diverse range of fun-to-drive/ride products and will field 10 products in nine race classes, the most ever for a single race participant.

Along with Honda IndyCar team Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports pilot Simon Pagenaud, the vehicles will be developed and piloted by Honda's North American associates, under the banners of Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Team-Honda Research (THR). Pagenaud's Pikes Peak vehicle entry and racing class will be announced at a later date.

As a further extension of Honda's sponsorship effort, Honda Power Equipment will be supporting race operations, with Honda generators providing electricity and light to the pits and staging area.

Honda 2013 Pikes Peak entries:

Category	Class	Vehicle	Driver / Rider	Honda Company
Car	Pikes Peak Open	Acura NSX [1st gen. NSX]	James Robinson	Honda R&D
	Time Attack	Acura TL SH-AWD	Brian Shanfeld	Honda R&D
	Exhibition	Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe	Sage Marie	Honda North America
	EV	Honda Fit EV	Roy Richards	Honda R&D
Motorcycle	250	Honda CRF250R	Nick Robinson	Honda R&D
	250	Honda CRF250R	Dane Marsack	Honda R&D
	450	Honda CRF450R	Jeff Tigert	American Honda
	Exhibition	Honda CBR1000RR	Alex Moreno	Honda R&D
	750SS	Honda CBR600RR	Erik Dunshee	Honda R&D
ATV	450 ATV	Honda TRX450	Keith Steidl	Honda R&D

Honda has competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on a less ambitious scale in the recent past. In 2011, Honda campaigned a Fit hatchback that was built and piloted by Honda engineers from North America. In 2012, the company fielded an Acura NSX powered by an ALMS P2 twin-turbo V-6 engine supplied by Honda Performance Development (HPD), and outfitted with an ex-Le Mans body and wide body kit, with support from members of the Ohio-based Honda of America Race Team (HART). Prior to that, Honda set records in the EV class in 1994 and 1999 with the Honda EV Plus. This year also marks the return of advanced Honda EV technology to America's second-oldest race, in the form of a 2013 Honda Fit EV.

About Honda Performance Development, Inc.
Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. As one of two engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. In addition to its Fit and NSX entries, HPD has also previously entered the Pikes Peak event in 2011 with its Desert Pilot racing machine. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

About Honda Power Equipment
Honda Power Equipment, a division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including generators, lawnmowers, tillers, trimmers, pumps, snowblowers, outboard marine engines, and general purpose engines for commercial, rental and residential applications. Its comprehensive product line is powered exclusively by 4-stroke engines.

About Team Honda Research
Founded in 1996 and covering both Ohio and Los Angeles, THR has a record of success racing Honda and Acura products in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), NASA, and Rally-America competition, with more than 50 race victories in a variety of classes.

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Honda Racing: Grand Prix of Long Beach Race Report

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:02:00 -0700

Circuit: Grand Prix of Long Beach (1.986-mile street circuit) Long Beach, CA
2012 Winner: Will Power (Team Penske Chevrolet) 88.021 mph average
Weather: Sunny, mild, 78 degrees F

Top-10 Race Results:

Fn.	St.	Driver	Team	Engine - Chassis	Laps	Average Speed/Notes
1.	4.	Takuma Sato	A.J. Foyt Racing	Honda Dallara	80	85.763 mph avg.; led 50 laps
2.	11.	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	80	+5.3612 seconds
3.	24.	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	80	+8.2386 seconds
4.	1.	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	80	+12.3573 seconds; led 27 laps
5.	12.	JR Hildebrand	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	80	+28.2402 seconds
6.	25.	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	80	+29.4683 seconds
7.	17.	Simon Pagenaud	Schmidt Hamilton	Honda Dallara	80	+30.2703 seconds
8.	19.	Simona de Silvestro	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet Dallara	80	+31.8674 seconds
9.	6.	Helio Castroneves	Team Penske	Chevrolet Dallara	80	+33.1224 seconds
10.	26.	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	80	+33.6278 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

11.	13.	James Jakes	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	80	Running
12.	16.	Josef Newgarden	Sarah Fisher Hartman	Honda Dallara	80	Running
13.	22.	Ana Beatriz	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	80	Running
16.	27.	Tristan Vautier-R	Schmidt Peterson	Honda Dallara	80	Running
19.	21.	Alex Tagliani	Barracuda Racing/BHA	Honda Dallara	79	Running
21.	9.	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	78	Running
25.	5.	Mike Conway	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	38	Did not finish-electrical

Sato Stars As Honda Rolls Through Long Beach

Takuma Sato made IZOD IndyCar Series history Sunday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, leading a 1-2-3-4 sweep of the top finishing positions by Honda drivers and becoming the first Japanese driver in history to win in IndyCar competition. The victory capped an incredible weekend of racing for Honda Racing and Honda Performance Development, as the manufacturer also claimed the LMP1 and overall victory in Saturday's American Le Mans Series race, and also won the LMP2 category in the same event.

Starting fourth, Sato ran in the lead group for the first third of the race, passing Will Power for third on the opening lap, and defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay for second on Lap 7. Sato then emerged in the lead on Lap 31 after a superior pit stop by his A.J. Foyt Racing crew.

From there, Sato and his crew continued to run a perfect race, maintaining and at times extending the gap from his pursuers, many of them also Honda-powered as at the halfway point in today's 80-lap race the top six competitors were all Honda drivers. At the checkers, Sato crossed the finish line 5.36 seconds ahead of Graham Rahal, with Justin Wilson third and Dario Franchitti rounding out the top four for Honda.

Behind Sato, Rahal completed his strongest performance of the young season as he matched the leader's pace throughout the second half of the 80-lap contest to finish second, his best result since finishing second at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012. Meanwhile, Wilson stormed through the field after failing to post a qualifying time, passing Dario Franchitti for third on a Lap 59 restart for his best result since winning at Texas last year.

The IZOD IndyCar Series now heads to South America for its first international race of 2013, the May 5 Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Honda's popular "Fastest Seat in Sports" sweepstakes continued this weekend in Long Beach, with two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk driving Annie Kouba of West Chicago, Illinois, in the Honda two-seat IndyCar for the ride of a lifetime at the front of the full IZOD IndyCar Series field just prior to the green flag starting today's race. For more information on how you can receive the ride of a lifetime in the Honda Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes, go to www.shophonda.com.

IZOD IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship (after 3 of 19 rounds):

1. Helio Castroneves	99 points	6. Ryan Hunter-Reay	73 (1 win)
2. Takuma Sato	93 (1 win)	7. Graham Rahal	68
3. Scott Dixon	89	8. Will Power	62
4. Marco Andretti	87	9. Simona de Silvestro	62
5. Justin Wilson	81	10. James Hinchcliffe	61 (1 win)

Manufacturers' Championship:
1. Chevrolet		24
2. Honda		21

Takuma Sato (#14 A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) started 4th, finished 1st, his first IndyCar victory, first IndyCar win for a Japanese driver, first IndyCar victory for A.J Foyt Racing since 2002; first Honda IndyCar win of 2013, first win for A.J. Foyt Racing with Honda power: "I can't find the words....just fantastic, an incredible feeling. The team did a tremendous job. The pit stops were perfect, I just had to put my head down and do my job, then everything came together and it was an easy win. Obviously, I've been though a couple of unlucky times these past three years, I'm just grateful to all our sponsors for staying with us, and the A.J. and Larry [Foyt] for giving me this opportunity."

Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda Dallara) started 11th, finished 2nd: "I think we just performed the way we ought to, each and every weekend. We were in the top five almost every session, which is what I thought we were capable of coming into Long Beach. What a day for Honda! They responded in a big way at what is in many ways their home race. I'm really happy for them. They've done a phenomenal job. We as drivers have pushed them extremely hard, and their response has been incredible. At times, it would have been easy for them to get down on themselves. But I have never seen that. In the here and now, Honda is doing a terrific job. Congratulations to them."

Justin Wilson (#19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda Dallara) started 24th, finished 3rd: "The team did a great job with the strategy. We went out and pushed hard the entire race. I think it helped for us to have an extra set of 'reds' [softer, option tires] as we weren't able to use them in qualifying. That gave us a bit of an edge. The determination to come back strong is what Honda has always been about. They give us all the same opportunity and chance to win. That's what I've noticed about them since I started watching Honda race years ago. They absolutely never give up until they have won."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today's race: "A great day and a great weekend for the entire Honda Racing program. Congratulations to Takuma, A.J., Larry and the ABC A.J. Foyt Racing team on the first of hopefully many race wins with Honda. They ran an absolutely flawless race. Everything from the race strategy to pit stops to Takuma's job behind the wheel was perfect today. Graham Rahal also deserves mention for an outstanding job, and Justin Wilson for driving from the back of the grid to finish on the podium today. The 1-2-3-4 result for Honda is the perfect cap to an outstanding weekend, including our overall LMP1 win and LMP2 class victory in yesterday's American Le Mans Series race. This is a great lead-in to tomorrow, which is a special day for HPD, as we mark our 20th anniversary as Honda's racing arm in the USA. All of our IndyCar and several other Honda Racing drivers will help us celebrate what will be a very special event tomorrow."

Honda Racing: HPD ALMS Streets of Long Beach Race Report

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:03:00 -0700

Circuit: Long Beach Convention Center (1.986 mile street circuit) Long Beach, CA
2012 Winner: Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr (Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03a Honda)
Weather: Sunny, mild, 75 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. LMP1	Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr	Muscle Milk Pickett	HPD ARX-03c Honda	80 laps
2.	2. LMP1	Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	+36.329 seconds
3.	1. LMPC	Jonathan Bennett/Colin Braun	CORE Autosport	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	79 laps
4.	2. LMPC	Luis Diaz/Mike Guasch	PR1 Mathiasen	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	79 laps
5.	1. LMPC	Duncan Ende/Bruno Junqueira	RSR Racing	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	79 laps
6.	1. LMP2	Guy Cosmo/Scott Sharp	Extreme Speed	HPD ARX-03b Honda	79 laps
7.	1. GT	Bill Auberlen/Maxime Martin	Rahal Letterman	BMW Z4 GTE	78 laps
8.	2. LMP2	Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek	Extreme Speed	HPD ARX-03b Honda	78 laps
9.	2. GT	Joey Hand/Dirk Mueller	Rahal Letterman	BMW Z4 GTE	78 laps
10.	3. GT	Dominik Farnbacher/Marc Goosens	Riley SRT	Dodge Viper GTS-R	78 laps

Other Honda-powered Results:

28.	3. LMP2	Ryan Briscoe/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	66 laps
30.	4. LMP2	Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	57 laps

HPD Sweeps the Streets of Long Beach

Honda Performance Development-equipped teams swept Saturday's Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series race at Long Beach, with the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing duo of Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr claiming the overall and LMP1 victory in commanding fashion in their HPD ARX-03c Honda. Making just its second start in the prototype ranks, Extreme Speed Motorsports bested fellow HPD team Level 5 Motorsports to finish 1-2 in LMP2 with a pair of HPD ARX-03b Hondas.

Starting third, Luhr quickly passed the Mazda-powered Lola of Chris Dyson, then took advantage of an early full-course caution to make a pit stop and sole driver change, with Luhr handing off driving duties to Graf. When racing resumed, Graf continued to close on the race-leading Toyota Lola of Rebellion Racing until the next round of pit stops at the one-hour mark. Entering the pits together, the Muscle Milk team took the lead with a quick, fuel-only stop, while Rebellion performed a full service and driver change.

Once in front, it was clear sailing for Graf, as he continued to extend his advantage for the remainder of the race, eventually pulling out a lead of more than 36 seconds at the checkers.

The victory was the third consecutive Long Beach "home" victory for California-based Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, and the fourth consecutive American Le Mans Series win for HPD, which is based in nearby Santa Clarita, California.

In LMP2, it was Guy Cosmo and Scott Sharp taking the victory in their HPD ARX-03b, as they were quick to take advantage of problems that struck both entries from defending class winners Level 5 Motorsports. Cosmo moved in front of pole-starting Scott Tucker's HPD at the 15-minute mark, and continued in the lead until the 40-minute mark, when he handed off to owner/driver Sharp.

A brief delay in re-starting left Sharp second, behind teammate Johannes van Overbeek in the #02 Extreme Speed HPD. But differing fuel strategies soon had Sharp back in the class lead and the series veteran went on to a comfortable, one-lap victory over teammates van Overbeek and Ed Brown.

A series of incidents, including contact and a pit-lane infraction, a delayed both Level 5 HPDs, with the #551 Honda of Ryan Briscoe and Scott Tucker finishing third, while the sister #552 car of Tucker and Marino Franchitti crossed the line fourth after a long pit stop to repair left-front suspension damaged by wall contact.

The American Le Mans Series continues its California swing next month, with the American Le Mans Monterey at Laguna Seca Raceway on May 11.

Lucas Luhr (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03c) 1st in LMP2 with co-driver Klaus Graf: "We went down the wrong road [with chassis setup] a little bit on Friday, but within five laps of the race start, we were already running a half-second quicker than in qualifying, so I knew from the start we had a really good car. On the second lap, I passed Chris [Dyson] and I was able to stay with [Rebellion Racing's Neel] Jani and save fuel. We had our strategy, and the single set of Michelin tires that we used did great. I think overall we did everything well – and had the right strategy. Klaus drove well, as always, and everyone did a heck of a job. That makes it three in a row for us, it's awesome."

Scott Sharp (#01 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b) 1st in LMP2 with co-driver Guy Cosmo: "It feels great! With the strength and experience of Level 5, we thought it would take longer than this [to win]. We really did a great job as a team coming together. The team has been flat out for about two months [since making the late decision to switch from the GT category to LMP2]. We knew as a team it would take a while to figure this car out, and get some testing mileage. It's great to be back and winning in a prototype car."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's double victory at Long Beach: "The Long Beach event is very much a "home town" race for us, with many of our associates from HPD's headquarters in Santa Clarita here this weekend with their families and friends. It's very satisfying to successfully defend both our LMP1 and LMP2 wins here. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing is proving to be the team to beat here at their own home race, and they did a superior job of preparation and execution to score their third consecutive LMP1 victory. Of course, LMP2 this year is an 'all HPD' affair, and we look forward to many more exciting races between our teams. Congratulations to Scott Sharp and the entire Extreme Speed team for winning in just their second start in LMP2."

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Honda Racing: Gil de Ferran Named Technical Consultant To Honda Performance Development

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:01:00 -0700

Gil de Ferran, a two-time IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500, will join Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. as a technical consultant and advisor, de Ferran and HPD officials announced Saturday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Associated with HPD and the Honda Racing program since 1996, de Ferran won his first Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Indy car race for Honda at the 1996 Cleveland Grand Prix. He went on to score another six wins and 16 poles with Honda power, and claimed the 2000 and 2001 CART Indycar World Series championships.

In qualifying for the 2000 CART season finale at California Speedway, de Ferran set a world closed-course speed record of 241.426 mph, a record that still stands as the fastest ever recorded at an official race meeting.

De Ferran won the 2003 Indianapolis 500, then retired from open-wheel competition at the end of that season. But he returned to racing, with HPD, in 2008 as owner/driver of an Acura ARX-01b sports car in American Le Mans Series competition, More race victories followed, along with the ALMS championship in 2009 driving the new LMP1 category Acura ARX-02a.

In addition to his success as a driver and team owner, de Ferran also served as Sporting Director for the Honda Formula One team from 2005-07.

"We're thrilled to have Gil rejoin the HPD family as a technical consultant and advisor," said Art St. Cyr, HPD president. "It feels like a homecoming for us, as Gil has played such an important role for the Honda Racing effort in both open-wheel and sports-car racing for such a long time. His skills and expertise are almost impossible to duplicate, and we look forward to his continuing contributions to HPD's racing programs."

"I have always had the utmost respect and admiration for Honda and its role in motorsports," said de Ferran. "Honda has been a common thread in my racing career since we first worked to develop their Indy car engines in 1996, which led to winning races and championships, followed by my time in Formula One and the amazing Acura ARX-02a. Throughout our long and storied history, whatever role I played, we have developed a great, successful, enjoyable and effective working relationship. I look forward to contributing to Honda's efforts once again."

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and has scored 196 race victories in both CART and IZOD IndyCar Series competition since 1994.

HPD takes part in both the American Le Mans Series – where the company swept all manufacturer, engine, team and driver awards in the 2012 ALMS LMP1 and LMP2 categories – and the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the inaugural LMP2 championship during a year where it again took a LMP2 class win at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, the company's second class win at Le Mans in just three attempts.

HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

###

Honda Racing: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Long Beach Talking Points

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:35:00 -0700

Grand Prix of Long Beach
April 21, 2013
4 p.m. EDT
NBC Sports Network

HONDA PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY

In April, 1993, Honda Performance Development was founded in Santa Clarita, California as the competition arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Starting this month, HPD will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with a variety of events and activities.

In 20 years, HPD has grown from just a handful of staffers to approximately 150 associates; and from an engine-rebuilding facility to a complete motorsports Research & Development organization, engaged in programs ranging from pinnacle racing series including the IZOD IndyCar Series, FIA World Endurance Championship and American Le Mans Series to grassroots and entry-level categories including karting, Quarter Midgets and Formula F competition.

Drivers and teams using HPD products have won 196 Indy car races and the last nine Indianapolis 500s, both in years with multi-manufacturer competition (2004-05, 2012); and as single engine supplier to IndyCar from 2006-2011.

In years of multi-manufacturer competition, Honda has claimed six Manufacturers' Championships in Indy car racing; and Honda-powered drivers have won eight drivers' championships. No other manufacturer has won as many titles in the past 20 years.

HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009, 2010 and 2012 American Le Mans Series; the 2010 Le Mans Series; and powered the LMP2-winning team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2012. Last year, the Florida-based Starworks team became the first American racing organization to win an FIA World Championship since 1969, claiming LMP2 honors in the 2012 World Endurance Championship using an HPD ARX-03c chassis and Honda HR28TT V6 engine prepared and developed by HPD.

On Monday, April 22, the day after the Grand Prix of Long Beach, all 12 Honda-powered IZOD IndyCar Series and several ALMS drivers will visit Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, followed by a visit to American Honda corporate headquarters in Torrance.

ENGINE MANUFACTURER COMPETITION

The 2013 season marks the second season of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier. Chevrolet and Honda will again battle for supremacy throughout the 19-race season and at the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Honda will field 12 drivers and teams this weekend at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, anchored by the three-car Chip Ganassi team, which includes four-time series champion and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, 2008 series champion Scott Dixon; and rising star Charlie Kimball.

Other drivers and teams using the turbocharged Honda Indy V6 engine this weekend include Takuma Sato with A.J. Foyt Racing; veteran Canadian Alex Tagliani with Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta Autosport; Justin Wilson and Ana Beatriz with Dale Coyne Racing; Graham Rahal, James Jakes and 2011 Long Beach winner Mike Conway with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing; Simon Pagenaud and IndyCar rookie Tristan Vautier with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports; and Josef Newgarden with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

From 2006-2011, Honda supplied engines to every IndyCar Series competitor. A total of 98 drivers raced with the Honda Indy V-8 during that period, with 15 drivers recording race victories. Honda engines logged approximately 1.2 million miles of practice, qualifying and racing in the series; and nearly 500,000 actual race miles.

During the six years that Honda served as IndyCar engine supplier, the company also provided engines to the full 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field - and for the only six times in Indy 500 history (2006-2011), there were no engine failures recorded in the Memorial Day weekend classic.

MARKETING

Honda's popular "Fastest Seat in Sports" sweepstakes continues at Long Beach, with two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk at the wheel of the two-seat Indy car. He will take Annie Kouba of West Chicago, Illinois, on the ride of a lifetime around the challenging Long Beach street circuit in advance of the green flag for Sunday's race. Interested fans can find out more information on the "Fastest Seat in Sports" at shophonda.com.

HONDA ACCORD SAFETY CAR

The new 2013 Honda Accord Coupe made its debut as an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car at the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. This Accord was originally built by Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio, and developed into a series Safety Car at Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The new Accord joins an existing fleet of IZOD IndyCar Series Honda Civic Si coupe and sedan Pace Cars; and Pilot and Ridgeline trucks utilized by IndyCar officials and safety team members throughout the 2013 season.

Modifications installed on the Accord by HPD include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; an HPD high-performance brake system, with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit; Firestone Firehawk high-performance tires mounted on Enkei alloy wheels; and an IndyCar Series graphics package.

Honda Racing: Honda Grand Prix of Alabama Race Report

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:23:00 -0700

Circuit: Barber Motorsports Park (2.3-mile road course) Birmingham, AL
2012 Winner: Will Power (Team Penske Chevrolet) 102.081 mph average speed
Weather: Sunny, mild, 76 degrees F

Top-10 Race Results:

Fn.	St.	Driver	Team	Engine - Chassis	Laps	Average Speed/Notes
1.	1.	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	90	110.818 mph avg.; led 53 laps
2.	4.	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	90	-0.6363 seconds
3.	6.	Helio Castroneves	Team Penske	Chevrolet Dallara	90	-17.6821 seconds; led 25 laps
4.	5.	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	90	-20.6166 seconds; led 3 laps
5.	2.	Will Power	Team Penske	Chevrolet Dallara	90	-26.6469 seconds; led 9 laps
6.	13.	Simon Pagenaud	Schmidt Hamilton	Honda Dallara	90	-27.2995 seconds
7.	7.	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	90	-27.7175 seconds
8.	8.	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	90	-30.5504 seconds
9.	22.	Josef Newgarden	Sarah Fisher Hartman	Honda Dallara	90	-41.1029 seconds
10.	3.	Tristan Vautier-R	Schmidt Peterson	Honda Dallara	90	-50.6449 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

11.	15.	Alex Tagliani	Barracuda Racing/BHA	Honda Dallara	90	-58.0458 seconds
12.	12.	Takuma Sato	A.J. Foyt Racing	Honda Dallara	90	-63.1151 seconds
21.	21.	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	90	-74.0385 seconds
23.	11.	James Jakes	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	86	Running
24.	25.	Ana Beatriz	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	65	Did not finish - mechanical
25.	17.	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	42	Did not finish - exhaust

Dixon Stars in Battle at Barber

In an exciting finish that left many in the near sellout-crowd standing throughout the final 15 laps, Honda-powered Scott Dixon battled defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay throughout the closing stages of Sunday's Honda Grand Prix of Alabama, coming up just six-tenths of a second short of the victory at the checkers.

After starting on the outside of the second row, fourth, Dixon lost two positions at the start while avoiding contact with Will Power, who had gone wide and briefly off-track at the first turn. He remained near the front of the field throughout the first two-thirds of the 90-lap contest moving from sixth to second and back to fourth as several other competitors - including Power, Helio Castroneves and fellow Honda driver Simon Pagenaud - committed to "off-sequence" pit strategies in a bid to move to the front.

After the final round of pit stops on Lap 70, Castroneves led, followed by Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Power and an impressive Charlie Kimball, having his best run since finishing second at the Honda Grand Prix of Toronto in 2012. Hunter-Reay, and then Dixon, passed Castroneves by Lap 76, and for the remainder of the race, Dixon closed in on Hunter-Reay, but was unable to get by.

It was Dixon's fourth consecutive second-place finish in the four-year history of the race which, coupled with a fifth-place result at the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, puts Dixon second in the drivers' championship, just nine points behind early-season leader Castroneves.

Alabama native, Auburn graduate and sports legend Bo Jackson, a former Heisman trophy winner and the first athlete to be named an "all star" in both Major League Baseball and the NFL, led the field prior to the race start in the two-seat Honda IndyCar driven by Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk. For more information on how you can receive the ride of a lifetime in the Honda Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes, go to www.shophonda.com.

Behind Dixon, Kimball led three laps today and passed Will Power - a two-time winner at Barber - to finish fourth. Pagenaud recovered from a disappointing 13th starting position to finish sixth for Schmidt-Hamilton Motorsports. Justin Wilson recovered from a problematic first pit stop - which dropped him from fifth to 19th when the car was dropped off the jacks before the tire change was completed - to finish eighth; while second-year Honda-powered racer Josef Newgarden finished a career-best ninth for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

After opening the 2013 season with a pair of races in the Southeast, the IZOD IndyCar Series now goes cross-country, continuing in two weeks time with the April 21 Grand Prix of Long Beach in Southern California.

Founded in April, 1993, Honda Performance Development will mark its 20th anniversary as the North American racing subsidiary of American Honda Motor Company, Inc., during the Long Beach race weekend.

IZOD IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship (after 2 of 19 rounds):

1. Helio Castroneves	79 points	6. Charlie Kimball	51
2. Scott Dixon	70	7. Tony Kanaan	49
3. Ryan Hunter-Reay	66 (1 win)	8. Will Power	47
4. Marco Andretti	61	9. Justin Wilson	46
5. James Hinchcliffe	56 (1 win)	10. Alex Tagliani	44

Manufacturers' Championship:

1. Chevrolet	18
2. Honda	12

Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) started 4th, finished 2nd, moves to 2nd in the drivers' championship standings: "I think we had the fastest car today, for sure, but never got a long run in clean air. Spending so much time in traffic, especially in the middle part of the race, hurt us. It left us with too much ground to make up after the final round of pit stops. Congratulations to Ryan [Hunter-Reay], he did a hell of a job today. Our car was very quick, but clearly I have to go out and buy a bridesmaid's dress tonight [after four consecutive second-place finishes at Barber]."

Charlie Kimball (#83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara) started 5th, finished 4th: "The whole team did a great job this weekend, from the guys in the pits to the engineering staff working on race strategy. I just had to get it done on the race track. We started to see some real improvement at St. Petersburg, but didn't really get the result we deserved [finishing 12th]. But it all came together for us today and it feels great."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today's race: "After the disappointment we all felt at St. Petersburg, it was good to see several Honda cars battling at the front of the field. Scott Dixon appeared to have the fastest car in the closing laps, but came up a few laps short of victory. Still, his relentless pursuit of Ryan [Hunter-Reay] was inspiring to watch. Charlie Kimball also produced a great drive today, and it was fun to see Josef Newgarden come from 22nd on the grid to his first top-ten finish. It was great to see all the Honda supporters in the crowd, both in the 'H-Block' fan zone and the large group attending from Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. Now, we go on to Long Beach even more determined to win."

For photographs from today's race, go to:

http://www.sportssystems.com/hosting/display.cfm?key=101661

Honda Racing: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Talking Points

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:05:00 -0700

Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
April 7, 2013
1:30 p.m. EDT
NBC Sports Network

MARKETING

This weekend's Honda Grand Prix of Alabama will be the fourth IZOD IndyCar Series event at the scenic, 2-3-mile Barber Motorsports Park circuit, and marks the third year American Honda has served as title sponsor of the event.

American Honda also sponsored last month's season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg; and will again be the title sponsor of the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. In addition to these three events, Honda Canada entitles the Honda Indy Toronto.

On Thursday, April 4, Honda drivers Graham Rahal, Alex Tagliani, Tristan Vautier and Justin Wilson will visit the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama auto assembly plant in nearby Lincoln, AL. With approximately 4,000 associates, HMA has the capacity to build up to 300,000 Honda cars and trucks annually.

The H-BLOCK Honda Fan Section, an exclusive, dedicated grandstand area for devoted Honda fans to cheer on their favorite drivers, will be located in the Red Diamond Fan Zone this weekend at Honda Grand Prix of Alabama. In addition to a reserved seat in the reserved H-BLOCK grandstand, Honda Fan Section ticket holders will receive a Honda Fan Pack, including a hat, rally towel and cinch bag, and the chance to win other exclusive Honda prizes.

HONDA ACCORD SAFETY CAR

The new 2013 Honda Accord Coupe made its debut as an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car at last month's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. This Accord was originally built by Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio, and developed into a series Safety Car at Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The new Accord joins an existing fleet of IZOD IndyCar Series Honda Civic Si coupe and sedan pace cars; and Pilot and Ridgeline trucks utilized by IndyCar officials and safety team members throughout the 2013 season.

Modifications installed on the Accord by HPD include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; an HPD high-performance brake system, with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit; Firestone Firehawk high-performance tires mounted on Enkei alloy wheels; and an IndyCar Series graphics package.

ENGINE MANUFACTURER COMPETITION

The 2013 season marks the second season of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier. Chevrolet and Honda will again battle for supremacy throughout the 19-race season and at the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Honda will field 12 drivers and teams this weekend at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, anchored by the three-car Chip Ganassi team, which includes four-time series champion and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, 2008 series champion Scott Dixon; and rising star Charlie Kimball.

Other drivers and teams using the turbocharged Honda Indy V6 engine this weekend include Takuma Sato with A.J. Foyt Racing; veteran Canadian Alex Tagliani with Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta Autosport; Justin Wilson and his younger brother Stefan with Dale Coyne Racing; Graham Rahal and James Jakes with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing; Simon Pagenaud and IndyCar rookie Tristan Vautier with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports; and Josef Newgarden with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

From 2006-2011, Honda supplied engines to every IndyCar Series competitor. A total of 98 drivers raced with the Honda Indy V-8 during that period, with 15 drivers recording race victories. Honda engines logged approximately 1.2 million miles of practice, qualifying and racing in the series; and nearly 500,000 actual race miles.

During the six years that Honda served as IndyCar engine supplier, the company also provided engines to the full 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field – and for the only six times in Indy 500 history (2006-2011), there were no engine failures recorded in the Memorial Day weekend classic.

Honda Racing: Streets of St. Petersburg Racing Report

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:02:00 -0700

Circuit: Bayfront Park (1.8-mile temporary street circuit) St. Petersburg, FL
2012 Winner: Helio Castroneves (Team Penske Chevrolet) 90.113 mph average speed
Weather: Overcast, windy, 71 degrees F

Top-10 Race Results:

Fn.	St.	Driver	Team	Engine - Chassis	Laps	Average Speed/Notes
1.	4.	James Hinchcliffe	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	110	83.539 mph avg.; led 26 laps
2.	5.	Helio Castroneves	Team Penske	Chevrolet Dallara	110	-1.0982 seconds; led 42 laps
3.	7.	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	110	-16.3664 seconds
4.	11.	Tony Kanaan	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet Dallara	110	-19.6083 seconds
5.	20.	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	110	-20.7627 seconds
6.	3.	Simona de Silvestro	KV Racing Technology	Chevrolet Dallara	110	-20.7890 seconds
7.	22.	E.J. Viso	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	110	-20.8229 seconds
8.	2.	Takuma Sato	A.J. Foyt Racing	Honda Dallara	110	-21.1878 seconds
9.	13.	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	110	-21.6832 seconds
10.	17.	Alex Tagliani	Barracuda Racing/BHA	Honda Dallara	110	-22.5569 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

12.	14.	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	110	-24.5429 seconds
13.	15.	Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	110	-37.5324 seconds
15.	18.	James Jakes	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	110	-45.7793 seconds
21.	6.	Tristan Vautier-R	Schmidt Peterson	Honda Dallara	69	Did not finish – exhaust
22.	25.	Ana Beatriz	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	55	Did not finish – exhaust
23.	16.	Josef Newgarden	Sarah Fisher Hartman	Honda Dallara	50	Did not finish – differential
24.	19.	Simon Pagenaud	Schmidt Hamilton	Honda Dallara	26	Did not finish – exhaust
25.	10.	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	18	Did not finish – crash

Dixon Fights Back to Fifth at St. Petersburg

After a troubled qualifying that left him starting from an uncharacteristic 20th on the grid, Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon charged through the field to run as high as fourth on Sunday at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, then held on to finish fifth despite a broken exhaust wastegate in the closing laps, passing Simona de Silvestro in the run from the final corner to the checkers.

Dixon gained 10 positions in the first segment of the season-opening IZOD IndyCar Series event, and broke into the top five on Lap 75 of 110. Five laps later, he passed Marco Andretti for fourth. On Lap 85, Dixon began to feel the effects of the failed wastegate, and fell back behind Andretti and Tony Kanaan. But on the final lap, Dixon caught a slowing de Silvestro to claim fifth in a side-by-side finish.

Takuma Sato started on the outside of the front row, second, and ran just behind early leader Will Power in the opening laps. But his A.J. Foyt Racing Honda Dallara received minor front wing damage that slowed his pace as Sato fell to 13th mid-race. A late-race change to a new nose and front-wing assembly restored the handling, and Sato recovered to finish eighth.

A promising debut from IndyCar rookie Tristan Vautier came to a halt on Lap 69 after he had run as high as fifth, when a broken exhaust ended his race. A similar problem also eliminated his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammate, Simon Pagenaud, earlier in the contest.

Jen French, winner of the Silver Medal in sailing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and U.S. Sailing's Yachtswoman of the Year, led the field prior to the race start in the two-seat Honda IndyCar driven by racing legend Mario Andretti. For more information on how you can receive the ride of a lifetime in the Honda Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes, go to www.shophonda.com.

The IZOD IndyCar Series now takes a week off for the upcoming Easter weekend, then resumes with the first permanent road course race of 2013, the April 7 Honda Grand Prix of Alabama, at the scenic Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Ala.

IZOD IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship (after 1 of 19 rounds):

1. James Hinchcliffe	61 points (1 win)	6. Simona de Silvestro	28
2. Helio Castroneves	43	7. E.J. Viso	26
3. Marco Andretti	35	8. Takuma Sato	24
4. Tony Kanaan	32	9. Justin Wilson	22
5. Scott Dixon	30	10. Alex Tagliani	20

Manufacturers' Championship:
1. Chevrolet		9
2. Honda		6

Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) started 20th, finished 5th: ";After our struggles earlier this weekend, the car was really good in the race, especially on the 'red' [optional, softer tires]. On the reds, the balance was really good. We made up a lot of ground for the first two-thirds of the race, but on that last caution [Lap 85], it looks like we broke the left-hand side [exhaust] wastegate. That cost us a lot of power and I wasn't able to move up. On the final laps, it seemed like some of the cars [in front] started to come back a bit, and everyone was all over the road on the last lap, so we were able to get around Simona [de Silvestro] right at the finish."

Takuma Sato (Driver, #14 A.J. Foyt Racing Honda Dallara) started 2nd, finished 8th: "It was a tough race, a very busy day. The race started well for us, but on the second re-start [on Lap 26] there was a contact in front of me and unfortunately, it damaged my front wing. The car was not as good after that, and made it a bit difficult for us. Later in the race, we were able to change the nose, and then I was able to pick up the pace and regain some positions. That was good fun. It was not a perfect day for us, but we were able to run up front for most of the weekend and I think that is a good sign for us for the rest of this season."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today's season-opening race: "Obviously, it was a disappointing start to our IndyCar season, but we will learn from this and everyone at Honda Performance Development will work, together with our teams, to get back to the top of the podium. Congratulations to Scott Dixon for an inspiring drive in today's race, and to Takuma Sato and the A.J. Foyt team for their weekend-long performance. They have certainly stepped up a level this season, and that is encouraging."

For photographs from today's race, go to:

http://www.sportssystems.com/hosting/display.cfm?key=101660

Honda Racing: 2013 IZOD IndyCar Teams and Drivers Lineup

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:39:00 -0700

Team	Driver	Car No.
A.J. Foyt Racing	Takuma Sato	#14
Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta	Alex Tagliani	#98
Chip Ganassi Racing	Scott Dixon	#9
	Dario Franchitti	#10
	Charlie Kimball	#83
Dale Coyne Racing	Justin Wilson	#18
Dale Coyne Racing	Ana Beatriz / Stefan Wilson	#19
Rahal Letterman Racing	Graham Rahal	#15
Rahal Letterman Racing	James Jakes	#16
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing	Josef Newgarden	#67
Schmidt Hamilton Peterson Racing	Simon Pagenaud	#77
Schmidt Hamilton Peterson Racing	Tristan Vautier	#55

Honda Racing: 2013 Honda North American Motorsports Overview

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:17:00 -0700

Introduction

Earlier this year, Honda Motor Co., Ltd announced Honda's worldwide motorsports overview for 2013. With the company racing in more than 100 motorcycle and automobile racing categories around the world, Honda feels confident in its ability to meet the needs of its customers and expand the joys of racing. Today, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) and its subsidiary, Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), announce the North American overview for 2013.

Our founder, Soichiro Honda, believed that the "racing spirit" should live within every Honda associate. The "racing spirit" embodies the will to be the best, to make the highest-quality products for our customers, and to be a company that society wants to exist. This spirit fuels our company's passion for competition, quest for innovation, and preparation for the performance necessary to achieve success. Our 2013 motorsports programs demonstrate that the "racing spirit" is alive and well through their continued support of our motorsport customers.

Motorsports Strategy

Honda's success in the marketplace and on the racetrack derives from its joy in building products that are fun to drive. In 2013, AHM and HPD will expand their commitment to motorsports, a platform embodying the exciting, innovative, and youthful essence of Honda products.

AHM continues Honda's tradition of competing at the highest levels of North American motorsports.
HPD furthers development of an entire spectrum of Honda products for enthusiasts at all levels of motorsports.
HPD continues its focus on racetrack innovation.

Pinnacle Competition

Around the world, Honda competes with other manufacturers to serve customers with the most reliable, dependable, and high-quality products. Symbolic of this competition, Honda also competes at the highest, pinnacle level of motorsports in North America. With 12 cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series and multiple customer programs in sports-car racing, including Le Mans, American Le Mans, and Grand-Am, AHM and HPD will continue the quest to cross the finish line ahead of their competition.

"A Complete Ladder of Products"

Honda currently competes in – or provides support for – more than 100 race categories around the world. This expansive vision of racing derives from Honda's passion for meeting customer expectations, while expanding their enjoyment of motorsports. HPD reflects that vision in its quest to develop a complete ladder of products for Honda customers.

From entry level (karting and quarter midgets) to the pinnacle of INDYCAR racing and sports-car racing, HPD has expanded its strategy to meet the needs of the customer in all forms of motorsports. Since 2009, HPD's grassroots motorsports racing programs have put new products on the racetrack and extended their availability to Honda's customers. In 2013, this strategy will be strengthened and further expanded.

A Passion for Innovation

In 2012, HPD deployed a variety of innovations on the racetrack. In several instances, the company was recognized as a leader in the area of automotive innovation. This passion derives from Honda's "racing spirit."

In 2013, the spirit of innovation will continue, with new approaches that create new technologies or make existing technologies better. It's this continuous focus on making products better that supports Honda's success on race tracks and highways alike.

Motorsports Programs

AHM's and HPD's motorsports programs will continue Honda's commitment to pinnacle competition, providing products to motorsports customers, and demonstrating Honda's passion for innovation.

The Honda Racing Line

The Honda Racing Line is the place where fun begins for Honda racing enthusiasts. Through this program, Honda makes its HPD and Honda products available to the widest array of racers, "from grassroots to pinnacle."

With a comprehensive catalog of engines, parts and chassis components, The Honda Racing Line will support its customers throughout the North American motorsports scene. Their motorsports endeavors include:

QMA and USAC Quarter Midgets
SKUSA and WKA Karting
Pro Formula F Championships
Formula Atlantic competition
NASA Honda Challenge
SCCA Club Racing
SCCA World Challenge
Grand-Am Continental Challenge
SCCA Pro Solo

In the diversity of racing classes and series served, The Honda Racing Line has become a virtual ladder to success for America's young race car drivers. However, HPD will not rest until every Honda customer everywhere has the opportunity to use high-performing Honda products to increase their enjoyment of racing. In 2013, HPD will offer products to an expanded number of race series and racing classes for our Honda Racing Line customers.

Open-Wheel Racing

INDYCAR

In 2012, Honda was joined by Chevrolet- and Lotus-branded engines in the battle for the INDYCAR Manufacturers' Championship. For its first year of multi-manufacturer IndyCar competition since 2005, HPD campaigned its 2012 Honda HI12RT IndyCar engine, a turbocharged, aluminum alloy V6 with 2.2 liters of displacement, featuring electronic combined direct and indirect fuel injection.

The year featured continued success at the Indy 500, with a 1-2 finish led by Target Chip Ganassi Racing and driver Dario Franchitti. It was Honda's ninth consecutive win in the Memorial Day Classic. Victories at Detroit, Texas, and the Honda-sponsored Mid-Ohio race also highlighted this first year of multi-manufacturer competition.

In 2013, HPD's new HI13RT engine will service seven teams and 12 cars in IndyCar competition. Honda's lineup of elite IndyCar Series teams includes Chip Ganassi Racing, AJ Foyt Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Bryan Herta Autosport, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. Leading the Honda family of drivers are IndyCar champions and Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, who have won six IndyCar Series driving championships and four '500s' between them.

HPD has also been charged with development of the new 2013 Honda Accord Pace Car that will lead the IndyCar field at several events.

Formula Atlantic

HPD is pleased to support Formula Atlantic competitors in the SCCA's U.S. Majors Tour in 2013. Formula Atlantic has a rich history stemming from the Sports Car Club of America's launch of the Formula B class in 1965. Honda hopes to create a niche for itself in that legacy and plans to showcase the HPD K20 engine as a cost-effective Atlantic power plant.

Formula F

The HPD L15A7 engine continues its growth as the engine of choice for FF competitors in North America. Since its introduction in 2010, the engine has powered numerous drivers to victory in SCCA Formula F club racing, the F1600 Formula F Championship Series, and the Pacific Formula F Super Series. In 2012, HPD powered three champions, including the F1600 Formula F Champion (Matias Koykka), Pacific Formula F Super Series Champion (Conner Ford), and SCCA Formula F Runoffs Champion (Tim Kautz). In 2013, HPD engines will continue to be featured in these three Formula F classes.

Karting

AHM and HPD make Honda CR125 engine parts and rebuild kits available to kart racers and builders throughout the United States via The Honda Racing Line. The Honda two-stroke engine is used in the popular Spec Honda/Stock Moto classes by a variety of karting sanctioning bodies. The Honda Racing Line offers racers a new source for CR125 parts, engine-rebuild kits and technical support. HPD works with sanctioning bodies to ensure the Honda CR125 program continues to grow and succeed.

As in 2012, HPD will again offer support programs for competitors using the Honda CR125 engine package during the SKUSA ProTour and WKA Dunlop Tire Road Race series seasons, as well as all SKUSA PKC series.

HPD also offers an exciting and innovative new package, a fuel-injected, four-stroke CRF250 engine, featuring a complete engine/chassis install kit to help get racers on track. The CRF250 provides longer intervals between top-end changes, and offers the ease of using pump gas, resulting in an unmatched driving experience.

Quarter Midget

HPD provides a variety of engines and parts utilized by quarter-midget competitors, including complete "crate" GX120 and GX160 engines; individual engine parts such as cylinder heads and pistons; and technical support via e-mail and phone.

Honda is pleased to continue its quarter-midget participation in 2013. HPD looks forward to competition in the Quarter Midget Association (QMA), including its Eastern, Western, and Dirt Grand Nationals. Additionally, HPD participates in the United States Auto Club's (USAC) .25 Next Gen Series and its Battle of the Brickyard. HPD will also be offering contingency/support for select QMA and USAC races.

Oval racing remains a cornerstone of the American motorsports scene. Honda looks forward to broadening its participation in this format, as well as the other grassroots oval-racing formats so popular with our customers.

Closed-Wheel Racing

American Le Mans Series / FIA World Endurance Championship

In 2012, HPD enjoyed great success with its sports-prototype racing programs in both the American Le Mans Series and the World Endurance Championship.

In the ALMS, HPD-powered teams garnered wins at ten races in the LMP1 category and eight races in the LMP2 category. This dominance brought HPD honors as engine manufacturer and chassis manufacturer champion in both LMP1 and LMP2. Additionally, reflecting Honda's environmental commitment, HPD and its LMP1 team also won the 2012 ALMS Michelin GreenX Challenge Prototype Championship.

In the inaugural year of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the HPD 2.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine powered the Starworks HPD ARX-03b to the 2012 LMP2 championship. Starworks built its title on three race victories – including both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring – as well as four pole positions.

For 2013, HPD's efforts in LMP1 will again be led by defending champion Muscle Milk Pickett Racing in the American Le Mans Series, and privateer team Strakka Racing in the World Endurance Championship. The title-winning ARX chassis has been updated to '03c' specifications, which include wider Michelin front tires, new front-suspension geometry, improvements to the steering system and updated bodywork.

As with its multiple race and championship-winning HPD ARX predecessors, the latest ARX-03c has been designed and developed with Wirth Research, taking full advantage of the company's renowned all-digital aerodynamic and chassis development processes. Power comes from HPD's efficient, AR6-LM V8 naturally-aspirated 3.4-liter V8 gasoline engine, running on E10 fuel.

Coming off its LMP2 title-winning seasons in both the World Endurance Championship and the American Le Mans Series, the ARX-03b will be campaigned by two returning and two new teams in 2013. All will be powered by Honda's production-based, HR28TT twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 engine, also configured to run on E10 fuel, and named "Race Engine of the Year" for 2012 by Race Tech International.

Fresh from its second consecutive championship-winning LMP2 season with HPD power in the American Le Mans Series, Level 5 Motorsports returns to defend its team and drivers' championships, and HPD's engine and chassis manufacturers' titles. The team is also expected to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Level 5 will be joined in the American Le Mans Series by Extreme Speed Motorsports, which is moving up from the GT category to campaign a pair of ARX-03b chassis in LMP2.

The Florida-based Starworks Motorsport team is also expected to return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2013 to defend its LMP2 title; while the new British-based Northstar/OREX Competition team will campaign an ARX-03b in the 2013 European Le Mans Series.

Touring Car

HPD's road-racing program for production-based automobiles continues to grow as the 2013 season begins, with customer Honda and Acura teams racing in a variety of sprint and endurance series in both the United States and Canada.

Developed from the popular "Showroom Stock" club-racing formula of the 1970s, today's professional series take that level of performance one step further, allowing limited engine and suspension modifications. The SCCA Pro Racing Pirelli World Challenge, Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) all feature large fields, with fierce competition throughout.

Peter Cunningham's Wisconsin-based RealTime Racing has waved the Acura "Caliper A" banner in World Challenge competition since 1996, winning a record 10 manufacturers' championships with an assortment of race-tuned Acura products. In 2013, RTR will continue campaigning a pair of V6-powered Acura TSXs in the GTS category, looking to build on the successes of 2012. Participants in The Honda Racing Line program will also be competing in World Challenge GT and TC-B classes this season.

In Grand-Am, the Honda Civic Si continues to be the weapon of choice in the Street Tuner (ST) division, led by Toronto-based Compass360 Racing, RSR Motorsports, LRT Racing, and the Honda of America Racing Team (HART), made up of associates from Honda of America Manufacturing in Ohio.

Spec Showroom Stock Racing

In 2010, Honda Performance Development announced its intention to work with other manufacturers to create a new segment of race cars called "B-Spec", which would target the sub-compact market. B-Spec refers to all cars meeting a common set of rules, which can be adopted by any race circuit or sanctioning organization. Several sanctioning bodies have adopted B-Spec regulations for classes from club to pro racing.

Designed to be an entry-level category, B-Spec cars feature Showroom Stock racing cars utilizing stock engines and chassis, fitted with competition roll cages, racing seats and other safety equipment; and manufacturer-approved suspension components, tires and wheels. In February 2012, HPD began offering B-Spec kits for the Honda Fit, which include a coil-over kit, front and rear race springs, camber bolts, cat-back exhaust system, brake line set (braided stainless), front brake-pad set, air filter and air-conditioning delete belt. By season's end, the package had won the World Challenge TC-B Manufacturers' Championship.

In 2013, B-Spec becomes an official SCCA Club Racing class, which will allow competitors to race with the same car in their local club events and on an IndyCar weekend with the World Challenge series.

Pikes Peak

American Honda has taken a limited sponsorship of the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and will campaign vehicles in multiple classes with an eye toward challenging for the overall victory, as well as setting a record for the number of classes entered by a single OEM. A total of 10 Honda vehicles – cars, motorcycles and ATVs – have been accepted by Pikes Peak organizers for competition in the 2013 event.

Associate Clubs

Racing is in the DNA of Honda associates, no matter where they are throughout North America. The 2013 season will see Honda associates continuing to spend their off-work hours and weekends feeding this passion.

The Honda R&D (HRA)-based teams of Team Honda Research (THR) in Ohio and Team Honda Research-West (THR-W) in California will compete on road courses in SCCA National and Regional Club Racing, and the NASA HPD Honda Challenge series. Additionally, these teams once again expect to field their annual combined effort in the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill. THR will also field a B-Spec Rally version of the Honda Fit in the Rally America series in 2013.

The Velocity Motorsports Club (VMC) from Honda of Canada Manufacturing (HCM) is busy preparing its Civic Si entry for the Canadian Touring Car Series. VMC will be utilizing much of the know-how from HPD's 2012 Civic Si touring-car development program.

The Honda Manufacturing of Alabama factory also boasts its own distinct version of "racing spirit" by utilizing the Alabama-built Honda Odyssey and Honda Pilot models for its associate race team. The Odyssey is a unique and highly competitive entry in the One Lap of America event, while the Pilot is used for SCCA Rallycross competition.

The HART Drag Racing Team will compete with two vehicles in the NHRA - North Central Division. A twin-turbocharged Accord, powered by an NSX engine, which has completed the quarter mile in 7.07 seconds at 193.77 mph, will compete in the Competition Eliminator CC/AT class. A Civic with a supercharged NSX engine will compete in the Super Street Class with a 10.90 index, currently running 153 mph.

The HART Autocross Team will compete with four vehicles at local, regional, and national Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo 2 autocross events. Competing in the Prepared class will be a heavily modified Civic Si and RSX. A pair of S2000s will also compete, one in Stock class and the other in the Street Touring class.

Honda Performance Development associates have started their own after-hours race club. The program serves as a learning tool for associates so that they can experience different roles within the racing field, helping them grow professionally. The club will compete primarily in SCCA B-Spec events on the West Coast, and will provide information to racers about HPD products and race safety, communicating with future customers at the track, and discussing the Honda engines available for use in these particular classes.

Street Performance Concepts

Honda's unwavering dedication to engineering a street car for which every detail is tuned to perfection is at the root of every Honda brand impression. The heart of the HPD brand is the expression of the passion and innovation that is Honda performance. In 2012, HPD announced at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas that it will expand activities related to street performance, while continuing direct-to-the-dealer dialogue about the HPD performance brand.

HondaRacingStore.Com

Starting in 2009, HPD began a new commercial program offering officially licensed HPD and Honda Racing products for sale in the United States. In 2012, the Honda Racing Store expanded its reach to consumers, including introduction of an online wholesale program for Honda dealers throughout the country.

In 2013, HondaRacingStore.com, the official source of licensed Honda Racing products and apparel, will expand its reach with a new website offering products which celebrate Honda's racing heritage and the success it continues to enjoy on the racetrack.

Conclusion

Honda's "Racing Spirit" guided the company through a successful season of motorsports competition in 2012. However, the successes attained are not the final step for AHM and HPD. 2013 will see HPD redouble its efforts to help customers land in the Winner's Circle at such prestigious events as the Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 12 Hours of Sebring.

For our customers competing in hundreds of grassroots categories across North America, HPD will broaden access to The Honda Racing Line program in order to provide more products as conveniently as possible. In 2013, HPD will also introduce innovations for our customers, as we seek to race better, faster, and more cost-effectively.

Pinnacle racing, product innovations and a comprehensive ladder of products provide the foundations of our motorsports strategy. Working in harmony, these components will result in 2013 programs supporting the passions of race fans and competitors alike.

# # #

Honda Racing: 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Schedule

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:39:00 -0700

Click on date to see results from that race

Date	Track
Sun 24-Mar	Streets of St. Petersburg
Sun 07-Apr	Barber Motorsports Park
Sun 21-Apr	Streets of Long Beach
Sun 5-May	Streets of Sao Paulo
Sun 26-May	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sat 01-Jun	Raceway of Bell Isle Park*
Sun 02-Jun	Raceway of Bell Isle Park
Sat 08-Jun	Texas Motor Speedway*
Sat 15-Jun	Milwaukee Mile*
Sun 23-Jun	Iowa Speedway
Sun 07-Jul	Pocono Raceway
Sat 13-Jul	Streets of Toronto*
Sun 14-Jul	Streets of Toronto
Sun 04-Aug	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sun 25-Aug	Raceway of Sonoma
Sun 01-Sept	Streets of Baltimore
Sat 05-Oct	Reliant Park*
Sun 06-Oct	Reliant Park
Sat 19-Oct	Auto Club Speedway*
* Saturday race

Honda Racing: Honda Ready as 2013 IndyCar Season Opens

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:32:00 -0700

Seven teams and a dozen full-time entries will lead the Honda effort as the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series opens Sunday with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The manufacturer and its Honda Performance Development racing arm are seeking their seventh competitive manufacturers' championship and 10th consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory.

Honda's expanded 2013 IndyCar lineup has combined for four Indianapolis 500 victories, six IndyCar drivers' championships and 68 - over one third - of Honda's 196 IndyCar race victories, as the manufacturer closes in on its milestone 200th win since entering open-wheel competition in 1994.

The Chip Ganassi Racing organization serves as Honda's anchor team, and is led by four-time series and defending Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti, Honda's most successful driver in IndyCar competition with 31 race wins. All of Franchitti's IndyCar successes have come with Honda power, making him the manufacturer's most decorated driver in North American open-wheel racing.

Franchitti is partnered at Target Chip Ganassi by two-time series champion Scott Dixon, who also includes an Indianapolis 500 victory (2008) among in his 29 race wins, all but five of them scored with Honda power. Dixon's series championships came in 2003 and '08. He and Franchitti are the only active drivers with multiple IndyCar titles to their names.

The three-car Ganassi lineup is rounded out by the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Charlie Kimball, who returns for his third season with the team and Honda power after a career-high second-place finish at the Honda Indy Toronto in 2012.

Simon Pagenaud, the 2012 IndyCar Rookie of the Year, returns to lead an expanded two-car effort from Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Pagenaud will be partnered by fellow French driver Tristan Vautier, who graduates to IndyCar competition after claiming the Indy Lights championship last year with the Schmidt organization.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing also expands to field a full-time two-car effort led by Graham Rahal, son of team principal Bobby Rahal and the youngest race winner in IndyCar history. The younger Rahal was just 19 when he won his IndyCar series debut at the 2008 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. James Jakes will undertake his third year of IndyCar competition driving the second RLLR entry. Mike Conway, the 2011 Grand Prix of Long Beach winner, will join the team in a third entry at Long Beach and selected other events.

With seven career IndyCar victories to his name - including the 2012 race at Texas Motor Speedway - veteran Justin Wilson returns to Dale Coyne Racing. The second Coyne entry will be shared by both Brazilian veteran Ana Beatriz, who will start the season at St. Petersburg, and by Justin's younger brother, Indy Lights graduate Stefan Wilson, who will launch his IndyCar rookie season at select road-course and street-circuit events.

Takuma Sato, who battled Franchitti in a thrilling finish to the 2012 Indianapolis 500, continues with Honda for a fifth season of IndyCar racing, but moves to the A.J. Foyt team, as the two-time pole winner seeks his first IndyCar race win.

After an impressive rookie season in 2012, promising young American racer Josef Newgarden returns with Honda power to Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. Returning to Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta Autosport with Honda power is Canadian veteran and previous race winner Alex Tagliani.

All will utilize the all-new Honda Indy V6 engine, which is designed, manufactured, developed and maintained by HPD. Designated the HI13RT, the turbocharged, direct-injected engine is a development of the power plant that made its racing debut in 2012.

"We've been encouraged by the performance of the new Honda Indy V-6 and the improvements we've made during the off-season," said Roger Griffiths, HPD Technical Director. "We believe we have a great lineup of teams and drivers, including a good balance of both proven champions, race winners, and promising new stars. We're looking forward to the start of the 2013 season on the streets of St. Petersburg, and taking on the challenge presented by Chevrolet in the battle for the Manufacturers' Championship."

An extensive fleet of Honda pace cars, safety cars and support vehicles are used in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series, led by a new 2013 Honda Accord Coupe, which will lead the field to the green flag at St. Petersburg and throughout the season, driven by three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Johnny Rutherford. The 278-horsepower, 3.5-liter Honda Accord Coupe was transformed by HPD into an official IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car to join and complement the existing IndyCar series fleet.

Modifications to the already high-performance standard Accord include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; an HPD high-performance brake system, with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit, consisting of front, side and rear under-spoilers; and Firestone Firehawk high-performance tires, mounted on Enkei alloy wheels. An exclusive graphics theme completed the conversion from a showroom Accord Coupe to an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car.

"The high-performance new Honda Accord Coupe is the perfect match for the IndyCar Safety Car fleet," said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President of Auto Operations for American Honda. "With its larger and more powerful 3.5-liter engine, featuring enhancements provided by HPD, it is perfectly suited to lead the IZOD IndyCar Series field."

Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series - as both a Manufacturers' Championship competitor and single engine supplier - since joining the series in 2003.

The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. Honda supplied racing engines to the full, 33-car Indianapolis 500 field every year from 2006-2011, and for a record-six consecutive years -- and the only six times in event history - the ‘500' ran without a single engine failure.

The 2012 Indianapolis 500, won by Dario Franchitti, was Honda's ninth consecutive "500" triumph - both against competition from other manufacturers and as sole engine supplier. Honda has a total of 196 race victories in open-wheel racing, 65 in Championship Auto Racing Team (CART) competition and 131 in IndyCar.

Founded in 1993, HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and competes at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.

In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2012 American Le Mans Series, and in the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2010 and 2012. HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

2013 Honda IZOD IndyCar Series Lineup

Team	Car	Driver
A.J. Foyt Racing	#14 Honda Dallara	Takuma Sato

Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta	#98 Honda Dallara	Alex Tagliani

Chip Ganassi Racing	# 9 Honda Dallara	Scott Dixon
	#10 Honda Dallara	Dario Franchitti
	#83 Honda Dallara	Charlie Kimball

Dale Coyne Racing	#18 Honda Dallara	Justin Wilson
	#19 Honda Dallara	Ana Beatriz/Stefan Wilson

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	#15 Honda Dallara	Graham Rahal
	#16 Honda Dallara	James Jakes

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing	#67 Honda Dallara	Josef Newgarden

Schmidt Hamilton Racing	#77 Honda Dallara	Simon Pagenaud
Schmidt Peterson Racing	#55 Honda Dallara	Tristan Vautier

Honda HI13RT Specifications

Engine Type	Turbocharged, fuel-injected, aluminum alloy V6
Displacement	2.2 liters (134.25 cubic inches)
Valve Train	Dual overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder
Crankshaft	Alloy steel, four main bearing caps
Pistons	Forged aluminum alloy
Connecting Rods	Machined alloy steel
Engine Management	McLaren Electronics Engine Control Unit (ECU); Honda fuel injection driver control unit and Drive-By-Wire (DBW) electronic throttle control
Ignition System	Inductive
Injection System	Electronic combined direct and indirect fuel injection
Lubrication	Dry sump system, featuring both pressure and multi-stage scavenge pumps, with a front-mounted oil tank
Cooling	Single mechanical water pump feeding a single-sided cooling system
Transmission	Six-speed sequential, paddle-operated, with a hand-operated clutch
Fuel	IZOD IndyCar Series-mandated E85 race fuel
Weight	Approximately 250 lbs. (112.5 kg.), series-mandated minimum weight

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Honda Racing: Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Race Report

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:25:00 -0700

Circuit: Sebring International Raceway (3.74 mile road course), Sebring, Fla.
Weather: Sunny, warm, 82 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. LMP1	Marcel Fassler/Oliver Jarvis/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Sport Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	364 laps
2.	2. LMP1	Lucas di Grassi/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish	Audi Team Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-7.679 seconds
3.	3. LMP1	Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani/Nicholas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	359 laps
6.	4. LMP1	Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr/Romain Dumas	Muscle Milk Pickett Racing	HPD ARX-03c Honda	358 laps
5.	5. LMP1	Mathias Beche/Andrea Belicchi/ Congfu "Frankie" Cheng	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	354 laps
6.	1. LMP2	Ryan Briscoe/Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	346 laps
7.	2. LMP2	Ryan Hunter-Reay/Simon Pagenaud/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	345 laps
8.	3 LMP2	Tom Kimber-Smith/Eric Lux/Christian Zugel	Greaves Motorsports	Zytek Z11SN Nissan	342 laps
9.	2. LMPC	David Cheng/Mike Guasch/David Ostella	PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	336 laps
10.	1. LMPC	Chris Cumming/Stefan Johansson/ Kyle Marcelli	BAR1 Motorsports	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	-15.798 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

13.	4. LMP2	Ed Brown/Anthony Lazzaro/Johannes van Overbeek	Extreme Speed Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	335 laps
37.	5. LMP2	David Brabham/Guy Cosmo/Scott Sharp	Extreme Speed Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	281 laps

HPD Opens 2013 with LMP2 Victory at Sebring

Honda Performance Development and its partner teams began their defense of multiple American Le Mans Series championships Saturday at the 12 Hours of Sebring, scoring a commanding 1-2 finish in the LMP2 class for Level 5 Motorsports, a fight-from-behind effort from Muscle Milk Pickett Racing in LMP1 and a promising debut in LMP2 from Extreme Speed Motorsports.

The Level 5 trio of Ryan Briscoe, Marino Franchitti and Scott Tucker brought their HPD ARX-03b Honda home first in LMP2, and sixth overall, after besting challenges from their own teammates, in an HPD ARX-03b co-driven by IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud and Tucker (who drove both Level 5 entries); the Zytek Nissan of Greaves Motorsport; and an HPD ARX-03b, fielded by class newcomer Extreme Speed Motorsports.

After 12 hours of racing around the historic Sebring airport circuit, the Briscoe/Franchitti/Tucker HPD took the checkers one lap ahead of teammates Hunter-Reay/Pagenaud/Tucker, with the Greaves entry of Tom Kimber-Smith, Eric Lux and Christian Zugel another three laps further back, in third.

In LMP1, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing drivers Klaus Graf, Lucas Luhr and Romain Dumas had to fight back after a series of setbacks, including a lost front wheel after an early-race pit stop, and two penalties for "avoidable contact", to finish fourth overall.

Although the factory-entered Audi coupes were alone at the front of the field, the Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03c battled the Lola Toyotas of expected season-long rivals Rebellion Racing throughout the 12 hours, catching and passing one of the Rebellion entries for the final time as the race entered its ninth hour, and ending up less than one lap short of catching the lead Rebellion car for the final step on the podium.

Extreme Speed Motorsports has made the switch from the GT category to LMP2 for 2013, and briefly led the class in the HPD ARX-03b of David Brabham, Guy Cosmo and Scott Sharp. However, a broken input shaft just after the six-hour mark sent the ESM car behind the wall for nearly two hours for repairs. The trio returned for the final four and a half hours to finishe fifth in LMP2, behind fourth-place LMP2 teammates Ed Brown/Anthony Lazzaro/Johannes van Overbeek is the second ESM entry.

Today's 61st running of the 12 Hours of Sebring opened the 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron season. Honda Performance Development and its partner teams will return to defend their 2012 LMP1 and LMP2 titles at the April 20 Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Marino Franchitti (driver, #551 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b) 1st in LMP2 with co-drivers Ryan Briscoe and Scott Tucker: "This has been a huge week for us. My darling wife Holly presented us with baby Luca last weekend, and now my first Sebring victory. Both cars were fantastic, and hats off to Scott [Tucker], the entire Level 5 team, HPD and Honda for the incredible effort it took today. I've finished second here three times, and to finally get a win is delightful!"

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring: "It was a successful start to the defense of our 2012 LMP1 and LMP2 chassis and engine manufacturers' championships. It is great to see the improvements that have been made to our engines and chassis during the off-season come to life on the race track. Congratulations to Scott Tucker and the entire Level 5 organization for a very impressive 1-2 finish here tonight as they seek a repeat of the team and drivers' titles. Greg Pickett and his Muscle Milk team have a never-say-die attitude, which is what won the LMP1 championship for them last year. There is more competition in LMP1 this season with Rebellion Racing, but the Muscle Milk Pickett team is up to the challenge. Finally, it was a most impressive debut for Scott Sharp and his Extreme Speed Motorsports team, leading the 12 Hours of Sebring in their first attempt in LMP2. We expect to see more good things from them as the season continues."

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Honda Racing: Honda Performance Development To Form Technical Partnership With Magneti Marelli

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:50:00 -0700

Honda Performance Development and Magneti Marelli S.p.A. have announced a technical partnership to develop powertrain components for use in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

The partnership between HPD and Magneti Marelli will see the two companies utilize their extensive research and development resources to assist the HPD effort in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Plans call for the two companies to extend the program to include other pinnacle racing series, such as the World Endurance Championship and North American road racing that will combine the American Le Mans Series with the Grand-Am Championship starting in 2014.

"We believe the partnership between HPD and Magneti Marelli will be rewarding for both organizations," said Steve Eriksen, vice president of HPD. "Magneti Marelli has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in motorsports R&D, and its capabilities are well matched with our own R&D efforts. We believe the combination will quickly provide improvements to our IndyCar Series program, and grow with HPD's other pinnacle racing efforts."

In the IZOD IndyCar Series, HPD produces, prepares and develops the Honda HI13RT turbocharged V6 engine for competition in the world's fastest closed-course racing championship. Seven teams and 12 drivers will utilize Honda power in the 2013 series, as the manufacturer seeks its seventh Manufacturers' Championship (with competition), tenth consecutive Indianapolis 500 win and 200th IndyCar race victory.

Features of the HI13RT V6 engine include direct fuel injection, a single Borg-Warner turbocharger and "Drive-by-Wire" throttle technology.

"We are proud to supply our best motorsport technology to HPD, who can exploit it at the maximum level on Honda engines," said Roberto Dalla, Head of Magneti Marelli Motorsport. "We are fully committed to the development of high-technology solutions for the new engines and new powertrain configurations that will characterize future races and top motorsport championships. The partnership with HPD will be the ideal environment to convey our deep R&D activity and apply our high-end solutions".

About HPD:

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Founded in 1993, HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.

HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2012 American Le Mans Series, 2010-11 European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 and 2012. HPD developed and supplied the ARX-03b whjch Starworks Motorsport raced to the LMP2 title in the inaugural World Endurance Championship in 2012, the first FIA World Championship for an American-based organization since 1968.

The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. The 2012 season marked the return of manufacturer competition to IndyCar racing, and Honda again won the Indianapolis 500, powering Dario Franchitti's third triumph at the American racing classic, which marked HPD's ninth consecutive "500" victory.

HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

For more information about American Honda's motorsports activities and Honda Performance Development, contact:

T.E. McHale, Motorsports Manager, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
1.310.783.3169
Thomas_mchale@ahm.honda.com

Dan Layton, Honda Racing/HPD Public Relations
1.314.614.9763
danlayton47@earthlink.net

About Magneti Marelli:

Founded in Italy in 1919 and headquartered near Milan, Magneti Marelli is a leader in component manufacturing electronics and the production of other technologically advanced automotive products. With an established presence in the U.S. since 1976, the company operates more than 80 locations in 19 countries, with 36,900 employees worldwide. Its business areas include: Electronic Systems, Lighting; Powertrain, Suspension Systems and Shock Absorbers, Exhaust Systems, Aftermarket Parts and Services, Plastic Components and Modules and Motorsport. Magneti Marelli is part of Fiat S.p.A..

Innovation and quality are at the core of Magneti Marelli. The company invests heavily in research, development and engineering. The company has a long list of accomplishments in both motorsports and the passenger car industry, and supplies all the leading carmakers in the world.

Magneti Marelli USA coordinates the activities of all Magneti Marelli divisions in the NAFTA region from its North American headquarters, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Magneti Marelli can rely on a longstanding presence in North America with Powertrain, Lighting, Electronic Systems, Suspension Systems (Shock Absorbers) and Motorsport businesses.

In the Auburn Hills Headquarters, Magneti Marelli houses all the engineering development, application engineering, testing labs and administrative support functions and sales for all the North American business lines, including Magneti Marelli After Market North America. The Magneti Marelli Motorsports NA team is also located in the Auburn Hills offices.

Magneti Marelli has industrial operations in Sanford, North Carolina (Powertrain); Pulaski, Tennessee (Suspensions Systems, Exhaust Systems, Lighting); El Paso, Texas: (logistics and warehouse); Juarez, Mexico (Automotive Lighting) and Tepotzoplan, Mexico (Electronic Systems and Automotive Lighting).

For more information about Magneti Marelli please contact:

Marc W. Harlow
Rohatynski-Harlow PR
810-599-2558 (mobile)
Marc@harlowpr.com

Maurizio Scrignari
+39 02 972 27262
maurizio.scrignari@magnetimarelli.com

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Honda Racing: Honda Engineering Team Honored by Race Tech International for Le Mans Prototype Engine

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:23:00 -0800

Honda Performance Development's Roger Griffiths and Allen Miller, leaders of the Honda engineering team that developed the multiple-championship winning HPD HR28TT V6 engine for endurance racing competition, were honored Monday night with the "Race Engine Designer of the Year" award, presented by Race Tech International at the organization's World Motorsport Symposium in Birmingham, England.

Introduced in 2011 as part of the new, cost-capped regulation package for endurance racing's LMP2 category, the HR28TT features the stock block and cylinder heads as well as many other components from Honda's ubiquitous V6 engine offered in many popular Honda production vehicles. The HR28TT engine's winning streak continued in 2012 as it powered championship-winning efforts in both the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship and the American Le Mans Series.

The production-based HR28TT was developed for worldwide endurance racing by a team of engineers and technicians from both HPD in California and Ohio-based Honda R&D Americas, where the original production engine was developed. The endurance engine project activity is led by Large Project Leader Miller, and Griffiths, HPD Technical Director with responsibility for HPD's pinnacle racing programs.

"This award is well-earned recognition for the collaborative efforts of everyone at both HPD and HRA in Ohio, to adapt an already great passenger car engine for the rigors of endurance racing," said Griffiths, who accepted the award on behalf of Miller and the rest of the development team. "We take enormous pride in producing a powerful and reliable engine that still meets the cost cap and other requirements set forth by the FIA and ACO for international endurance racing."

The HPD 2.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine powered the Starworks HPD ARX-03b to the LMP2 championship in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship with three race wins – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and four pole positions.

In the 2012 American Le Mans Series, Level 5 Motorsports campaigned a pair of HPD ARX-03b chassis, winning eight of ten races in the LMP2 category, including the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, as HPD and Level 5 combined to sweep the LMP2 engine, chassis, teams' and drivers' championships.

Founded in 1993, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.

HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2012 American Le Mans Series, 2010-11 European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 and 2012.

The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. The 2012 season marked the return of manufacturer competition to IndyCar racing, and Honda again won the Indianapolis 500, powering Dario Franchitti's third triumph at the American racing classic, which marked HPD's ninth consecutive "500" victory.

HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

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Honda Racing: HPD Announces 2013 Contingency Program

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 07:30:00 -0800

Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., has announced an expanded contingency program for grassroots and entry-level professional racing in 2013.

Significant additions to the program include the new Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Majors series, which will debut in 2013 as an eventual replacement for SCCA National race weekends; and support for 250cc shifter karts, where a new HPD-developed package will be available for one of the quickest categories in karting.

In professional Touring Car racing, HPD will continue its support for teams taking part in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge and Grand-Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. Contingency awards will be offered to competitors racing the Honda Civic Si (2012 and newer model year) in both championships, and for racers campaigning Honda Fits in the B-Spec category of the Pirelli World Challenge. HPD will also award contingency for the NASA US Touring Car Championship for competitors racing the 2006 or newer Honda Civic Si.

Contingency awards will be offered in all four North American professional-level Formula F championships for racers utilizing the Honda Fit-based FF engine, including the F1600 Formula F Championship Series in the eastern United States; the West Coast-based Formula F Super Series; and the Canadian Formula Tour F1600 Series in Quebec and Ontario Formula F Championship. The contingency program for Honda Formula F racers in SCCA Club Racing also continues.

HPD's popular club-racing programs continue for both SCCA and National Auto Sport Association (NASA) events. Support will be offered for Honda and Acura racers in both SCCA National and new Majors events; the NASA Honda Challenge; the SCCA National Championship Runoffs and divisional/conference championships; and the NASA National and Regional championships. The Spec Race Atom Series at Virginia International Raceway will be presented by Honda Racing/HPD in 2013 as this popular series continues to grow.

In karting, HPD will now offer support for 250cc shifter karts, a new HPD karting package for 2013, and will continue support for the WKA, Rock Island Grand Prix and a variety of SKUSA events, including the SuperNats, Pro Tour, ProKart and Texas rounds.

Quarter Midget racers will be eligible for HPD contingency awards in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Next Gen series and Battle of the Brickyard, as well as in Quarter Midget Association (QMA) events.

HPD will provide contingency awards to autocross competitors in both SCCA Pro Solo and the Solo National Championships; and in both individual SCCA Rallycross events and the Rallycross National Championships.

To be eligible for the HPD Contingency Program, competitors must be registered members of the Honda Racing Line program. To register, visit http://hpd.honda.com/racing-line/become-a-member/.

Launched in July 2009, the Honda Racing Line is a program targeted at licensed participants in sanctioned amateur and entry-level professional racing. The Honda Racing Line was formed to provide its members with a direct connection to Honda Performance Development and its unparalleled record of success at the highest levels of motorsport. Competitors may register for the Honda Racing Line through HondaRacingLine.com.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship, where it again took a P2 class win at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans and swept all manufacturer, engine, team and driver awards in the ALMS LMP1 and LMP2 categories.

HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

2013 Honda Performance Developments Contingency Program Highlights:

Pirelli World Challenge:	TC class Honda Civic Si (2012 and newer model year) B-Spec Honda Fit
Continental Tire:	ST class Honda Civic Si (2012 and newer model year)
Formula F:	F1600 Formula F Championship Series; Pacific Formula F Super Series; Ontario FF Championship; Canadian Formula Tour 1600; SCCA Club Racing
NASA:	Honda Challenge events, National and Regional Championships; US Touring Car Championship (2006 and newer Honda Civic Si)
SCCA:	National Championship Runoffs, Division and Conference Championships; National and Majors events
Spec Race Atom:	Honda-powered Atom racers
Karting:	SKUSA SuperNats, Pro Tour, ProKart and Texas; WKA 250cc Shifter; Rock Island Grand Prix
Quarter Midgets:	USAC Battle of the Brickyard, Next Gen; QMA
Autocross:	SCCA Pro Solo, Solo National Championships
Rallycross:	SCCA Rallycross season, National Championships

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Honda Racing: Acura ILX Endurance Racers Prove Their Speed at 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:09:00 -0800

Developed and prepared by Team Honda Research-West, the competition version of the new 2013 Acura ILX proved its speed at last weekend's 10th annual 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, leading qualifying in the competitive E1 class and setting fastest race lap in the class en route to a fifth-place finish.

Two Acura ILX sedans were entered by THR-W for the traditional 25-hour endurance race that annually concludes the NASA season at the challenging three-mile Thunderhill road course north of Sacramento, California. THR-W is primarily made up of Torrance, California-based associates from Honda R&D Americas, Inc., who work after hours to showcase Honda and Acura products on the track.

The blue-and-silver Acura ILXs immediately demonstrated their speed, as drivers Scott Nicol and Edward Sandstrom qualified first and second in E1, with Nicol's final qualifying lap claiming the class pole in a time of 2:00.851 in the #25 Acura ILX.

"Qualifying went well. Better than I expected. We had a good set of tires and I made my way through traffic, putting in a good time right at the end of the session," said Nicol, an associate with Honda of Canada Manufacturing. Sandstrom, a guest driver with the team from the multi-media auto enthusiast "Speedhunters" group and a regular in FIA GT3 competition, led qualifying for much of the session in the #27 ILX before slipping to second behind his teammate.

A series of issues delayed both cars during the course of the 25-hour run, but the #27 ILX still set fastest race lap, a sub-two minute time of 1:59.926 set by Sandstrom in the early morning hours of the race.

The first delay for the Acura effort took place at the three-hour mark, when the #25 ILX slipped off course and became stuck in soft ground and mud, resulting in a 20-minute delay. An exhaust problem delayed the #27 car early, but the team fought back from that issue to claim fast-lap honors and regain the class lead at the 10-hour mark.

Later, a transmission problem delayed the #27 a second time, resulting in a fourth-place finish in E1, 24th overall in the 70-car starting field. The team's #25 car lost more time with a broken exhaust and finished ninth in the E1 class, and 46th overall.

"As expected, the K24 powerplant in the Acura ILX proved to be a great endurance engine. It had excellent torque off the corners and ran without a hiccup," said Lee Niffenegger, senior engineer for Honda Performance Development (HPD).

"At different times in the race, both cars suffered a similar exhaust issue, but we learned how to deal with it for the future," Niffenegger added. "Unfortunately, the lead car was sidelined by a transmission problem that we need to investigate, but the gearbox in the second car was flawless. That's really the point of these events for us: to push the new models before our customers do, so we can make them even better race vehicles and more reliable passenger cars."

Founded in 1996, THR-W has a long record of success racing Honda products in both Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and NASA competition, with more than 50 race victories in a variety of classes. THR-W first raced at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 2004 with an Acura Integra, and just a year later joined its sister THR team from Ohio in taking a pair of Honda Civic Si's to the E1 class 1-2 sweep, including a fourth-place finish overall. In 2006, THR-W took another podium finish in a Honda Civic Si and in 2010 debuted a Honda Fit in the new B-Spec category with a fantastic fourth-place E3 class finish.

Honda Performance Development (HPD), responsible for Honda racing programs ranging from entry-level categories to the IZOD IndyCar Series and World Endurance Championship, contributed several racing-specific components to the ILX project. These included an HPD-lightened flywheel and racing clutch package, limited-slip differential, motor mounts, anti-roll bars and rear upper suspension control arms. All of these parts are available to racers through the HPD Honda Racing Line program.

For a photo of the #27 THR-W Acura ILX at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, go to:
http://www.sportssystems.com/hosting/display.cfm?key=101654

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Honda Racing: Honda Performance Development to Feature Oval-Track Products, Support at IMIS Debut

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:26:00 -0800

Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will showcase its products and support programs for grassroots oval-track racers at the 2012 International Motor Sports Industry Show (IMIS), December 6-8 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is HPD's inaugural appearance at IMIS; however, Honda has a long history of grassroots oval-racing participation, having supported Quarter Midget racers in the Midwest for the past decade. Through HPD, Honda also provides a broad program of contingency awards for this entry-level category.

"We are proud to be able to use IMIS to showcase our support for oval racing," said Marc Sours, Commercial Division Senior Manager at HPD. "We are happy to complement that support by reaching out directly to the racing community and featuring a sampling of oval classes in which competitors use Honda engines and components. The IMIS show provides an ideal platform for accomplishing this goal."

Featured at the HPD display stand, IMIS booth #261, will be a HPD-branded Quarter Midget, powered by a Honda GX-series engine, along with several Honda generator models, which are found in pit lanes throughout the racing world.

A United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget car, powered by a Honda hybrid engine utilizing a K20 cylinder head with a K24 engine block, will also be on display at the HPD booth.

In addition, registration forms to join the Honda Racing Line will be available at the HPD IMIS booth. Competitors may also register for the Honda Racing Line through the HPD website. To register, visit http://hpd.honda.com/racing-line/become-a-member/.

Launched in July 2009, the Honda Racing Line is a program targeted at licensed participants in sanctioned amateur and entry-level professional racing. The Honda Racing Line was formed to provide members with a direct connection to Honda Performance Development and its unparalleled record of success at the highest levels of motorsport.

HPD Makes IMIS Debut – 2

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series, sweeping all manufacturer, engine, team and driver awards in the 2012 ALMS LMP1 and LMP2 categories; and the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the inaugural LMP2 championship during a year where it again took a P2 class win at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

# # #

Honda Racing: Early Start for HPD's 2013 Sports Prototype Program

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:16:00 -0800

The first 2013-spec Honda Performance Development, (HPD) ARX-03c LMP1 car – incorporating larger front tires as well as other significant performance upgrades – will test for the first time at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in Spain, November 18-20.

British team Strakka Racing will conduct this inaugural test. Strakka's ARX-03a, which achieved considerable success in this year's FIA World Endurance Championship, has been subjected to an exciting upgrade package taking it to '03c' (2013) specification. This upgrade includes wider Michelin front tires, plus new front-suspension geometry, steering configuration and bodywork.

Strakka's regular drivers, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis, as well as Klaus Graf – who won the ALMS LMP1 crown in a Muscle Milk Pickett Racing-run HPD ARX-03a – will be behind the wheel at the test. Graf will fill the seat vacated by Danny Watts, who will be away in Asia on Macau Grand Prix duties during the Aragon test.

The test will almost certainly be viewed with great interest by privateer teams currently competing at LMP1 level, as well as others looking to graduate to the premier class of sports prototype racing.

HPD Vice President Steve Eriksen commented: "In 2009, HPD showed the future direction of LMP1 car design by pioneering the use of large rear tires on all four wheels of its radical, championship-winning LMP1 Acura ARX-02a prototype.

"Since then, all rival LMP1 manufacturers have adopted this concept, and the 2013 HPD ARX-03c will feature this large front-tire format, along with a raft of aerodynamic and mechanical updates, boosting all-around performance."

Located in Santa Clarita, California, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. In 2012, HPD teams and drivers swept both the LMP1 and LMP2 sports prototype championships in the American Le Mans Series, and won the FIA World Endurance Championship in LMP2 – along with the LMP2 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – in partnership with Starworks Motorsport. In the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti.

Honda Racing: Six Hours of Shanghai Report

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:04:00 -0700

Circuit: Shanghai International Speedway (3.387-mile road course) Shanghai, China
Weather: Hazy, mild, 73 degrees F

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. P1	Nicolas Lapierre/Kazuki Nakajima/Alexander Wurz	Toyota Oreca	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	191 laps
2.	2. P1	Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish/Lucas Di Grassi	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-58.570 seconds
3.	3. P1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-1:42.814
4.	4. P1	Andrea Belicchi/Harald Primat/Con Fu Cheng	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	185 laps
5.	5. P1	David Brabham/Karun Chandhok/Peter Dumbreck	JRM	HPD ARX-03a Honda	-8.711 seconds
6.	6. P1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03a Honda	182 laps
7.	1. P2	Tor Graves/John Martin/Shinji Nakano	ADR-Delta	Oreca 03 Nissan	180 laps
8.	2. P2	Ryan Dalziel/Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin	Starworks	HPD ARX-03b Honda	-36.901 seconds; P2 champion
9.	3. P2	Mathieu Lahaye/Jacques Nicolet/Olivier Pla	OAK Racing	Morgan Nissan	179 laps
10.	4. P2	Luis Perez Companc/Nicolas Minassian/ Pierre Kaffer	Pecom Racing	Oreca 03 Nissan	-56.214 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

14.

7. P1

Bertrand Baguette/Dominik Kraihamer/Takuma Sato

OAK Racing

OAK Pescarolo Honda

131 laps

HPD Concludes World Championship Season
With Podium Finishes in Shanghai

After clinching its first FIA World Championship title two weeks ago in Japan, Honda Performance Development wrapped up its inaugural season of World Endurance Championship competition with class podium finishes in both the P1 privateer and P2 categories Sunday at the season-ending Six Hours of Shanghai in China.

For the second consecutive race, the British JRM team led the way for HPD, finishing second in the privateer class and fifth overall to equal its best result of the season, scored two weeks ago at the Six Hours of Fuji.

The JRM trio of David Brabham, Karun Chandhok and Peter Dumbreck started its Honda-powered HPD ARX-03a from the privateer category pole and fourth overall, their best qualifying result of 2012. The team fought both fellow HPD team Strakka Racing and a pair of Lola Toyotas from the Swiss Rebellion Racing organization for the opening two hours.

The Strakka HRX-02a was delayed first by a puncture, then contact from a factory Audi P1 entry required a second unscheduled pit stop to replace the rear bodywork, dropping the team several laps off the pace and putting drivers Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Danny Watts into recovery mode for the remainder of the race.

In the final hour, a series of dramatic events determined the result. Following contact while passing a GT-category Corvette, JRM had to pit to replace damaged bodywork, resulting in a long final pit stop, while mechanical failure ended the day for the Rebellion entry of Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost with just minutes left in the race. Brabham chased down the second Rebellion Lola in the closing laps, but took the final checkered flag of the season in second, just 8.7 seconds short of the class win, with Strakka rounding out the privateer podium, third.

Running the final two WEC races of 2012 with Honda power, the French OAK Racing team of Bertrand Baguette, Dominik Kraihamer and IZOD IndyCar Series regular Takuma Sato were delayed by brake issues, but completed 131 laps for an seventh-place finish.

In P2, the Florida-based Starworks team followed their world championship-clinching finish at Fuji with another second-place run for drivers Ryan Dalziel, Enzo Potolicchio and Stephane Sarrazin. The trio crossed the finish line in its HPD ARX-03b Honda just 36 seconds behind the class winning ADR-Delta team, after six hours of trouble-free racing.

In 2012, the first year for both HPD and Starworks on the world championship stage brought P2 class victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Sao Paulo in the eight-race series. It is the first world championship for engine and chassis supplier HPD of Santa Clarita, California, and the first FIA world championship for an American-based organization since1968, when Ford won the FIA International Championship for Manufacturers.

Today's race in China concluded the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. The 2013 season opens on April 14 with the Six Hours of Silverstone in England and will once again include eight races in Europe, North and South America, and Asia.

David Brabham (#22 JRM HPD ARX-03a) finished 5th overall and 2nd in the privateer P1 category, their second consecutive private team podium finish: "It was a good way to end the season. I think the momentum we gained towards the end of the year was very good. The team has been learning about this car and this type of racing, so to run strongly at the end is very pleasing. This race came down to tire management, and I just didn't have enough at the end to hold off the [class winning] Rebellion [Racing team], but finishing second was another solid result. It's been a good season. It always takes a while for a team to get it together with a new project, but I think we caught up very well and made a lot of progress."

Roger Griffiths (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on Sunday's Six Hours of Shanghai and HPD's first World Endurance Championship season: "Today's race concludes a long, successful season for all HPD associates, in our first foray into world championship competition. Starting with the opening race, back at Sebring last March, there have been many significant race wins along the way, including P2 category victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans that highlighted the first World Championship for HPD. Everyone at HPD and Wirth Research deserves accolades for what was a significant effort to achieve this success. Congratulations also go out to all of our partner teams: Starworks for its first world championship in P2; and our P1 teams Strakka Racing, JRM and Oak Racing, who all played such strong roles in the privateer P1 title fight. This year's racing has ended, but our attention has already turned to our off-season development program, to ensure a continuation of the success we have all enjoyed this year in 2013."

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Honda Racing: Petit Le Mans Race Report

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:39:00 -0700

Circuit: Road Atlanta (2.54 mile road course), Braselton, Ga.
Weather: Mostly sunny, mild, 65 degrees F

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. LMP1	Neel Jani/Andrea Belicchi/Nicholas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	394 laps
2.	1. LMP2	Christophe Bouchut/Luiz Diaz/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	391 laps – clinched P2 championships
3.	2. LMP2	Dario Franchiti/Marino Franchitti/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	390 laps
4.	3. LMP2	Mathias Beche/Pierre Thiriet/Christophe Tinseau	Thiriet by TDS Racing	Oreca Nissan	-22.39 seconds
5.	-	Gunnar Jennette/Lucas Ordonez	Highcroft Racing	DeltaWing Nissan	388 laps
6.	1. LMPC	Ryan Dalziel/Alex Papow/Mark Wilkins	CORE Autosport	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	385 laps
7.	5. LMP2	Jacques Nicolet/Bertrand Baguette/Olivier Pla	Oak Racing	Morgan Nissan	383 laps
8.	2. LMPC	Tomy Drisi/Bruno Junqueira/Ricardo Vera	RSR Racing	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	-48.39 seconds
9.	3. LMPC	Rudy Junco/Kevin Dobson/Elton Julian	PR1Mathiassen	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	382 laps
10.	4. LMPC	Colin Braun/Jonnathan Bennett/ Ricardo Gonzalez	CORE Autopsort	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	381 laps

Other Honda-powered Results:

34.

3. LMP1

Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr/Romain Dumas

Muscle Milk Pickett

HPD ARX-03a Honda

334 laps – clinched P1 championships

* DeltaWing Nissan run as an unclassified, demonstration prototype entry

HPD Sweeps American Le Mans Series Titles

Honda Performance Development wrapped up an outstanding season of American Le Mans Series competition Saturday at the season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, finishing first and third in LMP2; and claiming both the LMP1 and LMP2 class championships in the 1,000-mile endurance race.

Saturday's LMP2 win, and second overall finish, for the Level 5 Motorsports trio of Christophe Bouchut, Luis Diaz and team owner/driver Scott Tucker was more than enough to secure the class driver, team, engine and chassis manufacturers championships for Level 5 and HPD.

In LMP1, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing drivers Klaus Graf, Lucas Luhr and Romain Dumas overcame an early-race collision with a GTC-category Porsche 911 to lay claim to their own set of American Le Mans Series championships.

Level 5's triumph marked the 50th victory for HPD's ARX family of sports-prototype chassis since the debut of the original ARX-01a – a class win combined with a second-place overall finish – at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring. It also was the 17th win of the 2012 season for HPD's ARX chassis in both the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Saturday's twin American Le Mans Series manufacturer championships are the fifth and sixth for the ARX chassis line, and come one week after HPD won the WEC LMP2 title in Fuji, Japan, the first World Championship for the company since it was founded in 1993.

Previously, HPD won American Le Mans Series LMP1 and LMP2 manufacturer titles in 2009; and the combined LMP category in 2010. HPD also won LMP2 engine manufacturer championship honors in 2011.

In addition, the year-long Michelin Green X Challenge, for going the furthest while using the least fuel, was won by the Muscle Milk Pickett team, which collected four individual Green X challenge awards this year, at Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mosport and Virginia International Raceway. Level 5 Motorsports made it a 1-2 result for HPD in the Green X Challenge by claiming the honor at three races this year: Sebring, Baltimore and today's Petit Le Mans. HPD teams also won the Green X Challenge in both 2009 and 2010.

The 10th and final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series season got off to an exciting start, as Luhr in his ARX-03a battled hard in the early laps with the pole-starting Lola Toyota of Rebellion Racing, driven by Neel Jani. The pair ran nose-to-tail for the first hour, rapidly pulling away from the rest of the 37-car starting field.

But contact with a slower car while exiting Turn One sent Luhr's ARX-03a hard into the barriers, delaying the car for nearly an hour while it was towed back to the paddock and extensive repairs were completed. While the Rebellion Lola would go on to record its first LMP1 overall victory, the Muscle Milk team returned to battle for the final class podium positions with the two Lola Mazdas of Dyson Racing, both of which had been delayed by mechanical issues. As the race entered its final stages, it appeared as if the Muscle Milk team would hold on to second place in LMP1, but a late-race stop to replace a damaged rear suspension pushrod dropped Luhr, Graf and Dumas to third in LMP1, 34th overall – but still more than sufficient to sweep the LMP1 titles.

In LMP2, Level 5 covered its bets by setting the car of Dario and Marino Franchitti, along with Tucker, off to challenge for the class victory, while the team car of Bouchut, Tucker and Diaz ran a more conservative pace, as completing 70 percent of the overall race distance would earn them the class championships. Once that milestone was achieved, both Level 5 entries became class contenders.

A series of penalties for the Franchitti/Tucker entry, including avoidable contact and passing under caution, dropped it from the lead lap, but the second Level 5 team then came through for the victory, taking advantage to a late-race cut tire and pit-lane speeding penalty for Conquest Racing to finish first in LMP2. Meanwhile, Marino Franchitti thrilled the large crowd at Road Atlanta with a relentless charge in the final 30 minutes to claim second in LMP2 – and third overall – after catching and passing the Oreca Nissan of leading European Le Mans team Thiret by TDS Racing on the final lap.

Today's Petit Le Mans concluded the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron season. Honda Performance Development and its partner teams will return to defend their sports prototype championships in 2013, starting with the 61st running of the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 16.

Greg Pickett (owner, #6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03a) started 1st, finished 3rd in LMP1 to claim the class team and drivers' championships, with HPD winning the LMP1 chassis and engine manufacturer titles; first title for team owner Greg Pickett since he won the SCCA Trans-Am championship in 1978: "This feels great. Winning the championship is a goal we set for the organization last year after this race. The team fought really hard today, the drivers have done a great job all year long and we couldn't have done this without the help of our partners HPD and Michelin. Today, it was about perseverance. We were more than just a race team, we were a championship-winning race team because the guys did it like champions and I respect that a lot. I'm very proud of them. I'm already looking forward to Sebring and the start of the 2013 season. We don't want this to be a one-time deal."

Scott Tucker (owner/driver, #95 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b) 2nd overall and 1st in LMP2 with co-driver Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz, also credited with 3rd in LMP2 co-driving with Dario and Marino Franchitti; Level 5 also won the Michelin Green X Challenge for fast, clean and efficient performance for the 3rd time this year: "We knew it would be a tight, difficult race. Conquest [Racing] are great competitors, we knew [completing] 70 per cent [of the overall race distance to clinch the championship] would be no easy task. My hat's off to my teammates here [Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz]. What a great day for us. I'll let it soak in. I'm really proud of the effort of the team and the drivers. I was just talking to Martin [Plowman, Conquest Racing driver] and we agreed – some of the best European teams came over for this event, and we proved we are as good or better."

Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta: “What a fantastic day, and one that caps our most successful season ever in sports-car racing on a world-wide stage: two more North American titles to go with our first world championship; repeat LMP2 victories at Sebring and Le Mans; and 17 wins this season to bring our victory total for the ARX chassis to 50. It's just been an incredible year for HPD in sports-car racing. In the last week alone, we've clinched three manufacturer titles for the ARX to double our championship total! There's no doubt that the ARX has proven to be an outstanding line of race cars. Congratulations to everyone at both Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports for a near-perfect season in 2012, culminating in well-earned championships for both. At HPD, we all realize the incredible level of hard work, with long hours of preparation, that are required to produce seasons like this one, so these championships are a great reward for the efforts of everyone at HPD, our technical partner Wirth Research, and all of our partner teams in both the American Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship. In addition, Level 5 won the Michelin Green X Challenge for the third time this year, and it is the seventh Green X award for an HPD team in 2012, an accomplishment of which we all can be proud."

###

Honda Racing: Six Hours of Fuji Racing Report

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 11:21:00 -0700

Circuit: Fuji International Speedway (2.835-mile road course) Oyama, Japan
Weather: Mostly sunny, mild, 74 degrees F

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. P1	Nicolas Lapierre/Kazuki Nakajima/Alexander Wurz	Toyota Oreca	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	233 laps
2.	2. P1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-11.233 seconds
3.	3. P1	Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish/Lucas Di Grassi	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-92.565
4.	4. P1	Neel Jani/Nicolas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	227 laps
5.	5. P1	David Brabham/Karun Chandhok/Peter Dumbreck	JRM	HPD ARX-03a Honda	226 laps
6.	6. P1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03a Honda	-8.405 seconds
7.	7. P1	Andrea Belicchi/Harald Primat	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	225 laps
8.	1. P2	Tor Graves/John Martin/Shinji Nakano	ADR-Delta	Oreca 03 Nissan	220 laps
9.	2. P2	Ryan Dalziel/Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin	Starworks	HPD ARX-03b Honda	219 laps, clinches P2 championship
10.	3. P2	Mathieu Lahaye/Jacques Nicolet/Olivier Pla	OAK Racing	Morgan Nissan	-56.890 seconds
Other Honda-powered Results:
17.	8. P1	Bertrand Baguette/Dominik Kraihamer/Takuma Sato	OAK Racing	OAK Pescarolo Honda	210 laps

Starworks, Honda Performance Development Clinch FIA World Endurance Championship in Japan

Finishing second Sunday in the P2 category at a thrilling Six Hours of Fuji in Japan, the Florida-based Starworks team clinched the 2012 P2 teams title in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the first world championship in the 19-year history of Honda Performance Development.

Starworks drivers Ryan Dalziel, Enzo Potolicchio and Stephane Sarrazin enjoyed a trouble-free run to second place in P2, ninth overall. The Honda-powered HPD-03b crossed the finish line almost a minute ahead of the third-place finishing OAK Racing Morgan Nissan, but more important, three positions ahead of the Pecom Racing Oreca 03 Nissan, the closest competitor to Starworks for the P2 title.

The result clinched the championship for Starworks with one race remaining, and caps a year that also saw the team win the P2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Sao Paulo in its first year of world championship competition. It also is the first world championship for engine and chassis supplier HPD of Santa Clarita, California, and the first FIA world championship for an American-based organization since the 1968, when Ford won the FIA International Championship for Manufacturers.

In the P1 category, the British-based JRM team had its strongest outing of 2012, finishing fifth overall and second in the privateer category for independent teams in its HPD ARX-03a. After six hours of intense competition, the JRM trio of David Brabham, Karun Chandhok and Peter Dumbreck finished just eight seconds ahead of fellow HPD-equipped private team of Strakka Racing and drivers Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Danny Watts.

Making its debut with Honda power in LMP1, the French OAK Racing team of Bertrand Baguette, Dominik Kraihamer and IZOD IndyCar Series regular Takuma Sato completed 210 laps for an eighth-place finish.

The World Endurance Championship now heads to China for the season-ending Six Hours of Shanghai on October 27.

Ryan Dalziel (#44 Starworks HPD ARX-03b) finished 9th overall and 2nd in P2 to clinch the P2 Teams' Championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the first world title for Honda Performance Development: "It will probably take a little while for our Championship win to sink in. It was a program that I felt kept getting stronger and stronger. When you look at the results we have had, it is incredible that a first-year team with no experience in motorsports outside of North America – and with engineers that had never been outside America – could come here and do this. It all comes down to having the right people in place. We took the decision in going for the Honda HPD chassis, then the Dunlop tires worked really well with the car. A lot of our success came from having a reliable car, not necessarily the fastest car. It is incredible to put your name next to a world championship. I don't care whether it is a team championship or a driver championship, in racing it is a team and we all deserved to win this."

Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's Six Hours of Fuji and HPD's first world championship: "This evening we achieved our very first World Championship as Honda Performance Development. Winning the World Championship caps a season where we also won the P2 class at the Sebring 12-hour race and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This accomplishment is a result of hard work by everyone at HPD, our technical partners at Wirth Research and Dunlop, and the Starworks team that put trust in our associates and our products. The P2 field in this year's World Endurance Championship was a very competitive one. Despite fielding just a single entry in the class, we were able to come out on top in all of the key races, and now the championship. Clinching the championship here in Japan was also nice icing on the cake, as it allowed Honda fans and associates to savor the victory alongside our partners. There is still one race left in the WEC season, so let's do our best to end it with another success in Shanghai."

# # #

Honda Racing: Six Hours of Bahrain Race Report

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 11:31:00 -0700

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes
1.	1. P1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	191 laps
2.	2. P1	Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish/Lucas Di Grassi	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	190 laps
3.	3. P1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03a Honda	185 laps, top privateer team
4.	4. P1	Neel Jani/Nicolas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	184 laps
5.	5. P1	Andrea Belicchi/Harald Primat	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	181 laps
6.	1. P2	Soheil Ayari/Pierre Kaffer/Luis Perez Companc	Pecom Racing	Oreca 03 Nissan	179 laps
7.	2. P2	Franck Mailleux/Olivier Lombard/Jordan Tresson	Signatech	Oreca 03 Nissan	177 laps
8.	3. P2	Thomas Kimber-Smith/Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin	Starworks	HPD ARX-03b Honda	-6.35 seconds
9.	4. P2	Antonio Liuzzi/James Rossiter/Kevin Weeda	Lotus Kodewa	Lola B12/80 Lotus	-39.098 seconds
10.	5. P2	Nelson Panciatici/Pierre Ragues/Roman Rusinov	Signatech	Oreca 03 Nissan	175 laps

Other Honda-powered Results:

27.

7. P1

David Brabham/Karun Chandhok/Peter Dumbreck

JRM

HPD ARX-03a Honda

61 laps

Podium Finish, Privateer Honors for Strakka in Bahrain

Posting their best run to date in World Endurance Championship, Strakka Racing and drivers Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Danny Watts dominated private team competition and finished third overall in their Honda Performance Development ARX-03a at Saturday's Six Hours of Bahrain.

The Honda-powered Strakka trio survived both high temperatures that at times exceeded 100 degrees F – and late-race contact with the works Toyota TS030 of Nicolas Lapierre – for it's first overall podium finish and privateer victory of 2012.

Today's result at Bahrain International Circuit ensures that Strakka remains in contention for the Privateers' Championship, with two races remaining. Strakka trails the Swiss Rebellion Racing squad by 27 points as the series heads to Japan and China for the final two events of 2012.

In P2, the American Starworks team of Thomas Kimber-Smith, Enzo Potolicchio and Stephane Sarrazin came out on top of a five-car battle for the class lead in the opening hours in their HPD ARX-03b, and appeared headed for its fourth class victory of the season.

But with approximately 45 minutes remaining, during the team's final scheduled pit stop, starter motor failure sent the car to the garage area for repairs. With repairs completed, Sarrazin returned to complete the race and closed significantly on the second-place Signatech entry of Franck Mailleux, but settled for a third-place finish.

Despite the disappointing finish, Starworks increased its lead in the P2 championship to 23 points over the class-winning Oreca Nissan of Pecom Racing, which had come to Bahrain ranked third in the standings. The ADR-Delta team, which came to Bahrain second in the standings to Starworks, suffered a suspension failure early in the race and as a result fell to third in the championship.

Fielding a second privateer P1 category HPD ARX-03a, the British-based JRM team qualified sixth in P1 and had a strong start, but electronics issues resulted in a return to the garage area after just one hour, and a long stop for repairs. The team returned to competition with just over one hour remaining in the contest, but additional issues with the wiring loom resulted in the car's retirement.

The World Endurance Championship now heads to Asia for the final two rounds of 2012: the Six Hours of Fuji in Japan on October 13; and the season-ending Six Hours of Shanghai, China, on October 27.

Danny Watts (#21 Strakka HPD ARX-03a) started 5th, finished 3rd overall and 1st in the private P1 category: "It's a fantastic achievement to finish third overall, but of course we weren't really racing the works Audis and Toyota, we were very focused on trying to win the Privateers' battle. We are a small team [compared to the manufacturer-run teams], and all the guys put in a huge amount of work to make sure the car is fast and reliable. The [very high heat] conditions this week have been extremely difficult, not just for the drivers, but for all the team members working on the car. They deserve all the credit for this race result, and it will give us the confidence to go to Japan knowing exactly what dedication and hard work can achieve."

Allen Miller (Principal Engineer and Large Project Leader, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's race at The Bahrain International Circuit: "What a fantastic effort by the entire Strakka Racing team! It was a faultless run, despite the extreme conditions, and a well-earned privateer victory and first WEC podium finish. Starworks also deserved a class victory today, as they steadily built a significant lead after the first three hours. Unfortunately, it appears the high ambient temperatures resulted in a problem with the starter motor during their final pit stop. Third place seems like poor reward for their outstanding performance today. Electrical problems also prevented JRM from achieving a good result today. We'll look over the data from today's race to prevent these problems in the future, and to help all our teams achieve the best possible results as they continue racing for WEC Championships at the remaining two events in Japan and China next month."

Honda Racing: Honda, Acura Racers Claim Titles at SCCA Runoffs

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:30:00 -0700

Honda and Acura racers won four Sports Car Club of America national titles and claimed a 1-2 finish in the inaugural B-Spec category, run as a exhibition class, in last weekend's SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America.

More than three dozen Honda and Acura racers traveled to the classic Road America road course in Wisconsin for this year's 49th annual Runoffs, September 17-23, taking part in 13 of the 30 competition classes.

Five drivers used the Honda L15A7 engine in Formula F at this year's Runoffs, a record for the manufacturer in this open-wheel, training-ground category. Tim Kautz made history on Friday as the first Honda-powered Formula F National Champion, after a race-long battle with defending class champion Lewis Cooper.

"I was hoping the two of us could [break away from the pack] and make it a two-car fight, and that's what happened," Kautz said. "On the last lap, it came down to whoever got the better run out of the last corner and, fortunately, we were able to pull it off. It was a great race. Thanks to Honda. They gave us a great engine. You just put it in and go. That reliability allowed me to focus my efforts on improving the chassis and my racecraft."

Thursday's opening event,resulted in a clean sweep for Honda and Acura drivers in the combined race for Showroom Stock B, Showroom Stock C and the new B-Spec class. Luke Wilwert started from the pole and went on to win SSB in his Honda Civic Si, while Michael Crawford piloted his Acura Integra from third on the starting grid to the SSC national title.

"I think I was able to get through traffic a little bit better than [the competition]. Dealing with traffic is part of the art, and I think I just got lucky," Wilwert said. "This win means a lot. I feel truly blessed, in my second try, to win a National Championship. I didn't expect it."

Crawford also won an exciting event, avoiding last-lap contact taking place just in front of him to claim his SSC victory. "I saw [Charlie James and Brian Husting] get a little aggressive," Crawford recounted. "I'm thinking 'let's just see what happens' and they both went wide at the 'kink.' I was able to get by at that point, and just kept going!"

In the new, non-championship B-Spec category, Sage Marie came out of top of a wild three-car fight in his Honda Fit, which also earned him the Sunoco "Hard Charger" award for his efforts. Marie, fellow Honda driver Joel Lipperini, and Shawn Young in a Mazda2 ran within tenths of a second of one another throughout the 13-lap contest, frequently running three abreast on the long Road America straightaways, before Marie eked out a narrow victory over Lipperini.

Honda Drivers Star at SCCA Runoffs – 2

The fourth Honda championship of the weekend came in H Production, where Michael Moser won his first Runoffs title, with defending class champion Greg Gauper making it a 1-3 finish for Honda. Moser and Gauper were part of a four-car train that broke away from the field in the early laps, before Moser edged away to his first national championship.

"Mike Origer passed me, and I figured I'd let him lead for a bit, but then I got a really good run out of Turn Three and into Five," Moser said. "I out-braked him, went to the inside, and was able to get ahead. He was still in my mirror for a couple of laps, but once I got a little distance, I settled down a bit and ran my race. It all turned out good."

Honda Performance Development [HPD], through the Honda Racing Line, offered contingency awards of up to $2,500, along with additional support to help offset travel costs for the racers. HPD also hosted catered, trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their team members, providing a buffet lunches September 18-22 and a television monitor showing a live feed of on-track activities.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship, where it again took a P2 class win at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

2012 Honda/Acura SCCA National Championship Runoffs Highlights:

Showroom Stock B:		1. Luke Wilwert, Honda Civic Si
Showroom Stock C:		1. Michael Crawford, Acura Integra
B-Spec:*		1. Sage Marie, Honda Fit
		2. Joel Lipperini, Honda Fit
Formula F:		1. Tim Kautz Piper DF3D Honda
GT-Lite:		3. Jim Hargrove, Honda Civic
Touring 3:		3. Chad Gilsinger, Honda S2000
H Production:		1. Michael Moser, Honda CRX
		3. Greg Gauper, Honda Civic Si

* Exhibition class classified as a Runoffs event but not a National Championship class

# # #

Honda Racing: HPD ALMS Virginia International Race Report

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:46:00 -0700

Circuit:Virginia International Raceway (3.27 mile road course), Danville, Va.
Weather:Mostly sunny, warm, 82 degrees F

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes

1.	1. LMP1	Klaus Graf/Lucas Luhr	Muscle Milk Pickett	HPD ARX-03a Honda	135 laps
2.	2. LMP1	Chris Dyson/Guy Smith/Johnny Mowlem	Dyson Racing	Lola B12/60 Mazda	132 laps
3.	1. LMP2	Christophe Bouchut/Scott Tucker	Level 5 Motorsports	HPD ARX-03b Honda	131 laps
4.	2. LMP2	Martin Plowman/David Heinemeier-Hansson	Conquest Racing	Morgan Nissan	-27.92 seconds
5.	1. LMPC	Jonathan Bennett/Colin Braun	CORE Autosport	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	128 laps
6.	2. LMPC	Rudy Junco/Marino Franchitti	PR1Mathiassen	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	127 laps
7.	3. LMPC	Thomas Kimber-Smith/Alex Papow	CORE Autosport	Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet	-34.14 seconds
8.	1. GT	Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner	Corvette Racing	Chevrolet Corvette C6	126 laps
9.	2. GT	Jorg Bergmeister/Patrick Long	Flying Lizard Mtspts	Porsche 911 GT3	-19.54 seconds
10.	3. GT	Scott Sharp/Johannes van Overbeek	Extreme Speed	Ferrari F458 Italia	-22.28 seconds

Other Honda-powered Results:

31.

3. LMP2

Luis Diaz/Ricardo Gonzalez/Scott Tucker

Level 5 Motorsports

HPD ARX-03b Honda

Excluded – failed post race stall test

HPD Teams Sweep VIR

Both Honda Performance Development teams in the American Le Mans Series closed in on their respective championships Saturday with victories at Virginia International Raceway. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing won the VIR 240 overall and LMP1 for its sixth victory of the season with drivers Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr; while the Level 5 Motorsports duo of Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker followed up its overall win two weeks ago on the streets of Baltimore with an LMP2 class win in Virginia.

It was a perfect race weekend for Muscle Milk Pickett, as the team set a new outright VIR lap record with its HPD ARX-03a in securing the pole on Friday, with Graf at the wheel around the challenging 17-turn, 3.27-mile road course located in the hill country of southern Virginia.

Saturday's race saw the Muscle Milk pair lead from start to finish, avoiding issues with slower traffic and including a new race lap record by Luhr, to pull away to a dominating three-lap victory over the Lola-Mazda of Dyson Racing. The team once again claimed the Michelin Green X Challenge, its fourth MGXC award of the year.

The victory also moved the Muscle Milk Pickett team one step closer to the LMP1 championship. Unofficially, the team needs only to complete at least 70 per cent of the race distance at next month's Petit Le Mans season finale to secure the championship.

In LMP2, it was another exciting race-long battle between the pair of HPD ARX-03bs, against the fast Morgan-Nissan of Conquest Racing, with all three cars leading the race at different points – and all three involved in contact with other cars during the course of the four-hour contest.

At the end, Level 5's superior pit strategy appeared to make the difference, as the #055 HPD of Christophe Bouchut exited the pits for the final time with a narrow margin over the Morgan of David Heinemeier-Hansson. That proved decisive, as Bouchut skillfully worked his way through the slower GT field to pull away to a 28-second victory and the fifth win of 2012 for Bouchut and team owner/driver Scott Tucker.

The team's second HPD, driven by Tucker, Ricardo Gonzalez and Luis Diaz, finished third in LMP2 on track, but was later excluded from the results when it failed the post-race "stall test", as the engine did not shut off when the air intake was sealed.

With one race remaining in the 2012 season, HPD and its partner teams and drivers continue to lead their respective driver, team and manufacturer championships in both LMP1 and LMP2. The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron concludes Saturday, October 20 with the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, near Gainesville, Georgia.

Klaus Graf (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03a) started 1st, finished 1st, the team's sixth race win of 2012; also won the Michelin Green X Challenge for fast, clean and efficient performance for the 4th time this year: "It was a difficult race to manage from a traffic standpoint. There are certain places [here] where you just can't get around another car without taking too much risk. So I pushed hard, but at the same time I was conservative with the moves I made in traffic. For us, we had a trouble-free race, which is what we really came here to do. It was a perfect race for Muscle Milk Racing. Now we go back to the shop and prepare [for Petit Le Mans], where [finishing 70 per cent of the race] is not the easiest thing to do. It will be a big team effort."

Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's race at Virginia International Raceway: "Congratulations to everyone at both Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports for a near perfect weekend at Virginia International Raceway. It takes a great deal of hard work with long hours of preparation and planning to produce a 'clean sweep' weekend like this one, so this is a great reward for the efforts of everyone at HPD and our partner teams. In addition to their dominating weekend, Muscle Milk also won the Michelin Green X Challenge for the fourth time this year, and it is the sixth Green X award for an HPD team in 2012, an accomplishment of which all of us at HPD can be proud. Now, the championships in LMP1 and LMP2 once again come down to the always-challenging Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, where HPD certainly has had more than its share of 'exciting moments' over the years. But we all look forward to the challenge, and to successfully defending our string of prototype titles."

# # #

Honda Racing: Six Hours of Sao Paolo Race Report

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:45:00 -0700

Circuit: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (2.676-mile road course) Sao Paulo, Brazil
Weather: Mostly clear, warm and humid, 80 degrees F

Top 10 Overall Race Results:

Ps.	Class	Drivers	Team	Chassis/Engine	Laps/Notes

1.	1. P1	Nicolas Lapierre/Alex Wurz	Toyota Oreca	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	247 laps
2.	2. P1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	-60.778 seconds
3.	3. P1	Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish/Lucas Di Grassi	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 TDi Ultra	-1:14.679
4.	4. P1	Neel Jani/Nicolas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	242 laps
5.	5. P1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03a Honda	240 laps
6.	6. P1	Andrea Belicchi/Harald Primat	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	-3.110 seconds
7.	1. P2	Ryan Dalziel/Enzo Potolicchio/Stephane Sarrazin	Starworks	HPD ARX-03b Honda	234 laps, wins P2
8.	2. P2	Soheil Ayari/Pierre Kaffer/Luis Perez	Pecom Racing	Oreca 03 Nissan	231 laps
9.	7. P1	David Brabham/Karun Chandhok/Peter Dumbreck	JRM	HPD ARX-03a Honda	230 laps
10.	3. P2	Mathieu Lehaye/Jacques Nicolet/Olivie Pla	OAK Racing	Morgan Nissan	230 laps

Starworks Wins Again for HPD in Sao Paulo

The American Starworks team once again led the way for Honda Performance Development Saturday in FIA World Endurance Championship competition, taking the P2 class victory in its HPD ARX-03b at the Six Hours of Sao Paulo in Brazil, after a long mid-race battle with the Morgan Nissan of OAK Racing.

In P1, the contest between private teams once again featured the HPD ARX-03a of the British Strakka Racing organization against a pair of Lola Toyotas fielded by the Swiss Rebellion Racing team, while a second ARX-03a run by JRM Motorsports had its most promising run of the season.

The Starworks HPD started from the pole in the strong, 11-car P2 field after an outstanding performance on Friday by Stephane Sarrazin, but the #35 OAK Racing Morgan produced a formidable challenge, as the teams traded the lead throughout the first four hours. The Oreca Nissan of ADR-Delta Racing also figured during the contest's opening hour, but then fell off the pace with mechanical issues that resulted in a long pit stop.

Two hours into the race, Ryan Dalziel in the HPD and Alex Brundle in the OAK Morgan put on a thrilling battle for the P2 lead, trading places several times and running side-by-side up the long Sao Paulo front straight for three consecutive laps before Dalziel finally established an advantage.

Once in front, Dalziel and teammates Sarrazin and Enzo Potolicchio extended their lead over the remaining two hours to a three-lap margin at the finish, helped by a mechanical problem with the #35 OAK Morgan and a pair of pit-lane speeding penalties for the sister #24 car. It was the third P2 win of the season for Starworks, on the heels of previous triumphs at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and extended its class points lead after five of eight races.

In the "privateer" portion of the P1 contest, late-race contact between the Nick Leventis in the Strakka HPD and the #13 Rebellion Racing Lola of Harald Primat while fighting for second place sent both cars spinning off course. Both resumed, but with Strakka well down in third place.

That set the stage for yet another come-from-behind charge from Strakka as, first Leventis, then Jonny Kane began to close the 40-second gap to the #13 Rebellion car. The margin was halved after the last round of pit stops, and Kane was relentless in his pursuit, finally catching and passing the Lola at the start of the final lap to finish second among the private P1 entries and fifth overall.

Fielding a second HPD ARX-03a, JRM produced its best effort of the season, qualifying strongly and featuring in the early race fight with Rebellion and Strakka, but an off-course excursion and extended pit stop at the two-hour mark dropped JRM to an unrepresentative seventh-place finish.

Having finished its 2012 European and American rounds, the World Endurance Championship now heads to the Bahrain International Circuit on the Arabian Peninsula on Saturday, September 29, for the 6 Hours of Bahrain.

Ryan Dalziel (#44 Starworks HPD ARX-03b) started 1st, finished 1st in P2, 3rd class win of 2012: "I think the Starworks HPD was the car to have this weekend! It's a great package, but we have great people, too. We turned up here and found that we were competitive straight away – we have an extremely fast and reliable car. Most places seem to come down to tire wear, and we're extremely conservative on what we do to the car to make sure we can double-stint [the tires] consistently. A lot of other cars seem to be falling off in their second stints and I think we've been strong at that all year. Today was definitely won by strategy, hard work, and a well-prepared car."

Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Saturday's WEC race in Brazil: "Another fine effort from Starworks was rewarded with another P2 win, further cementing its reputation as one of the top teams in the series this season, with three wins in five races – including the ‘big two' at Le Mans and Sebring. We're pleased to see the points lead extended, and of course, its pole position in qualifying. It was quite an accomplishment for an American team in this quality P2 field. In P1, it was encouraging to see JRM continuing to improve and start the race in such a strong fashion, and Strakka produced yet another thrilling finish. It seems to be becoming a habit for them! Now, it's on to Bahrain and the races in Japan and China. We're looking forward to them."

# # #

Honda Racing: Auto Club Speedway Race Report

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:54:00 -0700

Circuit:Auto Club Speedway (2.0 mile oval), Fontana, Calif.
Weather: Clear, warm, 98 degrees F at race start

Top-10 Race Results:

Fn.	St.	Driver	Team	Engine - Chassis	Laps	Average Speed/Notes
1.	5.	Ed Carpenter	Ed Carpenter Racing	Chevrolet Dallara	250	168.939 mph avg.; led 62 laps
2.	9.	Dario Franchitti	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	250	-1.9132 seconds; led 15 laps
3.	15.	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	Honda Dallara	250	-2.6091 seconds; led 25 laps
4.	22.	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	250	-3.0477 seconds
5.	17.	Helio Castroneves	Team Penske	Chevrolet Dallara	250	-4.1933 seconds; led 2 laps
6.	18.	Graham Rahal	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	250	-5.4383 seconds
7.	21.	Takuma Sato	Rahal Letterman Lanigan	Honda Dallara	249	Did not finish – crash; led 6 laps
8.	1.	Marco Andretti	Andretti Autosport	Chevrolet Dallara	249	Running; led 3 laps
9.	7.	Katherine Legge-R	Dragon Racing	Chevrolet Dallara	249	Running
10.	23.	Charlie Kimball	Chip Ganassi Racing	Honda Dallara	249	Running

Other Honda-powered Results:

12.	12.	James Jakes	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	248	Running; led 10 laps
14.	24.	Wade Cunningham-R	A.J. Foyt Racing	Honda Dallara	246	Running
15.	20.	Simon Pagenaud-R	Schmidt Hamilton Racing	Honda Dallara	246	Running
16.	14.	Josef Newgarden-R	Sarah Fisher Hartman	Honda Dallara	244	Running; led 1 lap
20.	16.	Alex Tagliani	Bryan Herta Autosport	Honda Dallara	229	Did not finish – mechanical; led 21 laps
23.	25.	Justin Wilson	Dale Coyne Racing	Honda Dallara	80	Did not finish – contact

R – IndyCar Series Rookie

Franchitti Finishes Second in California Season Finale

A thrilling conclusion to Saturday night's MAVTV 500 saw a closing-lap duel between Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti and Ed Carpenter end just after Carpenter claimed the lead, as Takuma Sato crashed and yellow flags froze the field through the final corners on the 250th – and final – lap of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-ending event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Franchitti and Carpenter traded the lead several times over the last six laps, a repeat of their closing-lap battle for victory at Kentucky Speedway last year – a race also won by Carpenter in a photo finish.

In addition to Franchitti, his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, Takuma Sato and Alex Tagliani all had extended runs at the front of the 26-car starting field. As the race approached Lap 200, Honda-powered drivers were running first through fourth, led by Dixon; and at the Lap 125 mid-point in the 500-mile run, Tagliani, Sato and Franchitti were 1-2-3 for Honda.

A crash by Tony Kanaan on Lap 240 set up the wild finish. Race officials briefly halted the race to clear the track and then restarted on Lap 244 with a six-lap dash to the checkers. When the green flag waved for the final time, Franchitti was in front, with Carpenter and Ryan Hunter-Reay – who needed to finish fifth or better to claim the IZOD IndyCar Series drivers' championship – rounding out the top three. Sato, in fourth, Dixon and a charging Helio Castroneves rounded out the potential race winners.

Franchitti and Carpenter quickly pulled out an advantage of several car lengths over the rest of the front-runners, who staged their own equally fierce battle for third through sixth. At the start of the final lap, Carpenter made one final pass on Franchitti as the pair exited Turn 2 and, just an instant later, Sato spun and crashed without injury to end the race. As a result, Dixon grabbed third, while fourth place was just enough for Hunter-Reay to edge Will Power for the series title.

Tonight's MAVTV500 concludes the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series with Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay claiming his first IndyCar drivers championship. Honda-powered Simon Pagenaud is the 2012 IndyCar Rookie of the Year and Honda finished second in the Manufacturers' Championship.

Final IZOD IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship:
1. Ryan Hunter-Reay	468 points (4 wins)	6. Ryan Briscoe	370 (1 win)
2. Will Power	465 (3 wins)	7. Dario Franchitti	363 (1win)
3. Scott Dixon	435 (2 wins)	8. James Hinchcliffe	358
4. Helio Castroneves	431 (2 wins)	9. Tony Kanaan	351
5. Simon Pagenaud	387	10. Graham Rahal	333

Manufacturers' Championship:		Rookie of the Year:
1. Chevrolet	123	1. Simon Pagenaud	387
2. Honda	102	2. Josef Newgarden	200
3. Lotus	60	3. Katherine Legge	137

Dario Franchitti (#10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) started 9th, finished 2nd: "Ed [Carpenter] just got a big run around the outside. I was down low, and that had been working for me all night, but this time the car started to push up the track and it was either lift or wreck us both, so I lifted. He got by and out came the yellow flag [for Sato's crash, to end the race]. So that happens. Ed drove a great race and I can't take anything away from him. And 'well done' to [new series champion] Ryan [Hunter-Reay], he drove a great race. Congratulations to him and all the Andretti Autosport guys."

Simon Pagenaud (#77 Schmidt Hamilton Racing Honda) started 20th, finished 15th, 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year: "It was a long race, for sure. It started out to be a good race. As soon as the sun went down, the car was really dialed-in. It was super fast with a good setup, I never had any surprises. We definitely had a shot at a top-five finish, but we collected some debris in the radiator that led to overheating, and it cost us a couple of laps in the pits to correct. But it was a great first year for me and the team, and it is an honor to win Rookie of the Year. We will come back even stronger in 2013."

Roger Griffiths (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on tonight's season-ending race: "Obviously, it was a disappointing end to the season, following a significant effort from all the associates at Honda Performance Development to finish on a high note. Had it not been for the two late-race cautions, I believe tonight's results would have been very different. But we will learn from this, and apply those lessons and everything else we've learned this year to improve the Honda IndyCar program next year. Winning the Indianapolis 500 was certainly a positive for us, and the engine manufacturer competition we had from Chevrolet and Lotus certainly injected new interest into the series this year. Thanks to everyone at HPD and our partner teams for their extraordinary effort throughout the season."

For photographs from today's race, go to:
http://www.sportssystems.com/hosting/display.cfm?key=101651

Honda Racing: Honda and Acura Racers Going For Gold At SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:16:00 -0700

The gold medal – a worldwide symbol of excellence for amateur athletes – will be the goal for Honda and Acura racers from across the country as they travel to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, next week to take part in the Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs.

Each year, SCCA racers from New York to California take part in 70 "national" club racing events to qualify for one final, winner-take-all race in each of 28 classes, known simply as the "Runoffs". Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the first three finishers in each race, where previous winners have included Bobby Rahal, Paul Newman and Jimmy Vasser.

In addition, Honda and Acura drivers are eligible for contingency awards, offered by Honda Performance Development [HPD] through the Honda Racing Line, of up to $2,500, along with additional support to help offset travel costs for the racers.

Honda Performance Development will also host a catered trackside hospitality tent exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their team members. The tent will offer a buffet lunch from Tuesday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 22, at which a monitor will show a live feed of on-track activities.

Drivers to watch this year include defending H Production Champion Greg Gauper, returning with his Honda Civic in search of a second consecutive title; and defending Formula F Champion Tim Kautz, now running with Honda power in his Piper open-wheel racer.

In addition to the 28 championship categories, two new SCCA classes will be on display at this year's runoffs: B-Spec, an entry-level racing class featuring the Honda Fit; and Super Touring Light, a mid-level preparation category that includes both Honda and Acura models.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship, where it again took a P2 class win at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive products" for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

Honda Racing: Honda MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championship Talking Points

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 09:47:00 -0700

MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championship
September 15, 2012
7:30 p.m. EDT
NBC Sports Network

COMPETITION

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series concludes with Saturday's MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.

This will mark INDYCAR's first appearance at Auto Club Speedway since 2005, when Dario Franchitti drove a Honda to victory during the most recent year of IndyCar Series multi-manufacturer competition prior to this season.

The 500-mile season finale will be contested under the lights on the two-mile, D-shaped Auto Club Speedway oval, with the final green flag of the 2012 season scheduled to wave at 8:50 p.m. EDT.

After winning the Indianapolis 500 with Franchitti, Honda comes to this weekend's race second in the Manufacturers' Championship, with 96 points, to 114 for Chevrolet. Lotus is third, with 56 points.

Honda's most recent IZOD IndyCar Series victory was recorded last month at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon posted his second win of the season at the Honda Indy 200.

Franchitti's victory at Indianapolis 500 was his third triumph at the Memorial Day weekend classic, and led a 1-2 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, with teammate Dixon second. The '500' was the first of three consecutive victories for Honda-powered drivers in May and June.

One week after Indy, Dixon dominated the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, qualifying on the pole and leading every lap, followed by Franchitti in second and Schmidt Hamilton Racing's Simon Pagenaud third in a podium sweep for Honda in the “Motor City”.

Honda-powered drivers finished 1-2 at Texas Motor Speedway in June. Justin Wilson claimed the victory after leader Graham Rahal brushed the Turn 4 wall with just two laps remaining. Rahal held on to finish second.

HONDA AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY

Including Franchitti's victory in 2005, Honda-powered IndyCar drivers have won three previous times at Auto Club Speedway, all in events featuring multi-manufacturer competition.

In 2004, Honda drivers swept the top three, and claimed five of the top six finishing positions. Team owner/driver Adrian Fernandez won the 200-lap event, followed by Tony Kanaan and the late Dan Wheldon, both driving for Andretti Green Racing. Buddy Rice finished fifth for Rahal Letterman Racing and Franchitti rounded out the top six.

In 1998, former series champion Jimmy Vasser won the 500-mile Championship Auto Racing Teams event in Fontana, with his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate – and future paralympic gold medal winner – Alex Zanardi finishing third during his second consecutive CART championship season.

Honda Racing: Honda Racers Star at NASA National Championships

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:26:00 -0700

Five Honda National Auto Sport Association (NASA) racers closed out their 2012 racing seasons in the best possible manner, winning six class titles at the NASA National Championships, September 8-9 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

More than three dozen Honda and Acura racers made the annual trek to Lexington, Ohio, for this year's national championship races, with the majority taking part in the Honda Challenge classes.

In Honda Challenge 1, Jason Kohler led the field from the green flag in his Honda S2000 and was never challenged to claim his first NASA National Championship. Driving a newly race-prepared Acura Integra – a job that was completed only just before the race start – Jonathan Meris came from the back of the starting field to record an incredible second-place finish.

"I was able to get a great start. I think the open track in front of me really helped me get a gap to second place, as everyone had to sort themselves out behind me," Kohler said. "The car was really good. The tires were getting greasy at the end, but that happens when you push it really hard."

Kohler doubled his championship tally on Sunday, with a victory in the TTB class in the Group F Time Trial event.

Jeremy Croiset took the Honda Challenge 2 crown in his Honda CRX after an early-race battle with Egidijus [Eddie] Sadauskas until Lap 5, when Sadauskas went off track in the Mid-Ohio Carousel and Croiset broke away from the rest of the H2 field to claim his first NASA Championship trophy.

"My crew chief helped me put together a dynamite car," Croiset said. "The CRX was perfect from the beginning to the end. I got a good start and that helped me get a gap, which was critical in my race. Egidijus was fast all weekend, but I got the jump at the start and that is what I needed. I had to drive a little defensively for a few laps until Eddie went off. That allowed me to get a gap to the end of the race."

Members of the Honda Racing Line taking part in the Honda Challenge races were eligible for up to $2,500 in contingency awards at Mid-Ohio. In addition, American Honda provided catered trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their crew members.

Sadauskas rebounded from his H2 disappointment on Saturday with a victory the following day in his PTB-class Honda Civic.. "It was definitely tough. They gave me a race for my money. Coming through the corners and passing [slower] traffic was a hassle, but I made it and I'm really happy," Sadauskas said at the finish.

Other Honda winners on the weekend included Eric Waddell, victorious in his Honda Civic in PTE, and Aaron Byram, who claimed TTS honors in the Group H Time Trial. "Everything just worked out today. There were a couple of 'moments' at the start, but traffic worked to my advantage and I just brought it home," Waddell recounted of his victory.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Founded in 1993, and located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases 'fun-to-drive' products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

2012 Honda NASA National Champions:
Honda Challenge 1:     Jason Kohler, Honda S2000
Honda Challenge 2:     Jeremy Croiset, Honda CRX
TTB:                             Jason Kohler, Honda S200
TTS:                             Aaron Byram, Honda
PTB:                             Egidijus Sadauskas, Honda Civic
PTE:                             Eric Waddell, Honda Civic

###

Honda Racing: Honda Racers Chase Titles At NASA National Championships

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:39:00 -0700

Honda and Acura racers from across the country will journey to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend in pursuit of club-racing glory at the September 5-9 National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Championships, Presented by Toyo Tires.

Contingency awards of up to $2,500, offered through the Honda Racing Line, will be available to Honda and Acura drivers taking part in the Honda Challenge classes. In addition to the Honda Challenge, other events with Honda and Acura entries include the Performance Touring and Time Trial categories.

Honda Performance Development will once again provide catered trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their crews. The hospitality tent will offer a buffet lunch from Thursday, Sept. 6 through Saturday, Sept. 9.

Drivers to watch this year include defending Honda Challenge 1 title-holder Kevin Helms of Charlotte, N.C.; Manny Coats, H2 winner in 2011; and two-time NASA champion Jonathan Meris, who will debut a new Acura Integra at the National Championships.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases 'fun-to-drive' products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

Honda Racing: Statement from Art St. Cyr, President, Honda Performance Development, on today's announced merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand Am:

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:58:00 -0700

"In much the same way as unification provided a way forward for open-wheel racing, today's news announcing the merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am has the potential to grow and improve the sport.

Honda has participated in sports car racing, under a variety of sanctioning bodies and formats, since the mid-1980s. As a company, we have always sought out series where races and championships could be won – or lost – on engineering merit.

Since 2007, we have been continuous participants in the American Le Mans Series under both the Acura and Honda Performance Development banners. HPD is the reigning American Le Mans Series LMP champion, having won class titles for the past three years.

In 2012, HPD and its partner teams continue to take part in both LMP1 and LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series; and launched an ambitious multi-team prototype effort in the World Endurance Championship.

We look forward to taking part in a new, combined North American road-racing series, featuring a defined rules package that maintains sports car racing's traditional role as a technological leader and innovator."