A third-place finish for RealTime Racing's HPD Civic Si Sunday at Long Beach, California launched the latest effort in the expanding grassroots motorsports program managed by Honda Performance Development (HPD), the North American racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Driving the RealTime-entered Honda, Nick Wittmer completed the 50-minute race in third, after starting from the pole, in the competitive Touring Class of the SCCA World Challenge Series.
A joint effort by Honda Performance Development and Honda R&D Americas, the HPD Civic Si utilizes a variety of components from HPD's racing parts line, approved for competition by both the SCCA and Grand-Am's Continental Tire Challenge. They include HPD-designed brake ducts and camber/caster plates; a lightweight competition wiring harness developed by Honda R&D; a racing fuel cell produced to HPD specifications; and the Honda 2.0-liter K20 Type R race engine.
The HPD Civic Si will also serve as a platform for confirmation of the quality and performance capabilities of HPD-designed racing parts and branded components, available to racers through the Honda Racing Line. HPD will rigorously test parts and components to confirm their performance and reliability, giving other Honda racers the confidence that comes from HPD's years of success at the top levels of motorsport.
"Today's result is a great reward for all the thought and effort from our associates in California and Ohio that resulted in the HPD Civic Si," said Marc Sours, Manager, Production Division, for HPD. "One of the cornerstones of our grassroots motorsports initiative has been to establish a connection between our passenger cars and the racing cars developed from these models by the hundreds of competitors who support Honda through the club and entry-level professional racing ranks.
"We believe the HPD Civic Si and its competition components will demonstrate the competitiveness of HPD's performance parts, while reinforcing the connection between our racing and passenger cars."
The white-and-red HPD Civic Si raced by RealTime features HPD's checkered-flag logo, graphics designed by Honda R&D's Los Angeles styling studio; and the same Honda Racing/HPD quarter-panel logos required for display by all Honda Racing Line members. The Civic carries number 93, referencing of the founding of Honda Performance Development in 1993.
The HPD Civic Si will be campaigned by RealTime Racing in both SCCA World Challenge and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge events in 2010. Individual components developed from this program will be available from HPD through the Honda Racing Line.
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 www.HondaRacingLine.com.
Founded in 1993, and located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for American Honda's high-performance racing cars and engines. In addition to its new grassroots motorsports business, HPD is the single engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series and spearheaded Acura's championship-winning efforts in the 2009 American Le Mans Series.
For more information on the Honda Racing Line, interested racers can explore the HPD website, http://hondaracing.com/hpd, or contact the company at:
Honda Performance Development, Inc.
661-702-7777
grmsadmin@hra.com