Contact Dents Honda, Michael Shank Racing Effort in Texas
• Minor impact results in cut tire, unscheduled pit stop
• Tight Manufacturers’ Championship battles continue to season finale

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Lone Star Le Mans
Circuit: Circuit of the Americas (3.40-mile road course) Austin, TX
Weather: Partly sunny, hot, 90 degrees F

AUSTIN, TX (September 17, 2016) – A strategic approach by Michael Shank Racing to a hot and humid IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race Saturday at the Circuit of the Americas was blunted by mid-race contact that prevented a potential podium finish for the Honda-powered effort.

Starting the two hour, 40-minute contest at the rear of the combined Prototype and Prototype Challenge field so that non-qualifying driver Ozz Negri could start the race, the MSR Ligier JSP2 Honda quickly worked through the PC class entries in the opening laps. Continue reading Contact Dents Honda, Michael Shank Racing Effort in Texas →

Rahal, Hunter-Reay Head Honda Qualifying at Sonoma
• Rahal to start fifth in best qualifying result of 2016
• Hunter-Reay posts fifth top-six qualifying run of the season
• Sonoma Raceway weekend wraps up 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season

Honda’s Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay both advanced to the final round of Verizon IndyCar Series “knockout” qualifying Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, with Rahal recording his top qualifying performance of the season to start Sunday’s season-finale fifth.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, fourth-quickest in Friday’s practice sessions, will start sixth, with his Andretti Autosport teammate, Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi, qualifying eighth after advancing to the second round. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda of Mikhail Aleshin also made it to second-round qualifying and will start 11th.

Sunday’s 85-lap Indy car season finale starts at 6:30 p.m. EDT, with live network television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

GRAHAM RAHAL (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda): “It was a really solid end to the day for the Steak ‘n Shake team. We have had to work very hard to get ourselves into a good [starting] spot. I don’t think any session was smooth for us, but to come out of qualifying as the top Honda is something that makes us very proud. We’re fifth, and have [just] four Penskes ahead of us. My guys have worked very hard; we’re the little team that can. Tomorrow, hopefully, we can get a victory. It would mean a lot to end the season strong. Obviously we’ve got championship contenders in front of us, and we’ve got to be smart about what we’re doing tomorrow. But we’re here to win. I’m not going to sit around and wait for someone else to do it. We just have to have a good, solid race.”

Hunter-Reay, Rossi Post Top-Five Times Friday for Honda at Sonoma
• Munoz joins Andretti Autosport teammates in the top seven
• Sonoma Raceway weekend wraps up 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season

Led by Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport placed three Honda drivers in the top seven Friday at Sonoma Raceway, in practice for Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, the final race in the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

Hunter-Reay, who finished second at Sonoma in both 2014 and ’15, ended the day fourth fastest, with teammate and Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi posting the fifth-quickest time. Carlos Munoz completed the top-seven runners on Friday in his Andretti Autosport Honda.

Activities at Sonoma continue Saturday with final practice and qualifying. Sunday’s 85-lap Indy car season finale starts at 6:30 p.m. EDT, with live network television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28 Andretti Autosport Honda): “It was a positive day overall. I think we left some time on the table. We know where we have some [handling] imbalances to sort out tonight, [so we can] come back and start Practice Three and carry on into a qualifying effort. It’s a good platform – we’re fourth right now, and it’s encouraging for the DHL team. We’ve finished second here the last two years in a row, so we’re really hoping to climb one more step up that podium this weekend.”

RealTime Racing Acuras Looking To Stay in Top Five at Sonoma

• Acura TLX GT has earned top-five finishes in six of last seven races
• Ryan Eversley stands fifth in series driver points
• Acura in top five in Manufacturers’ Championship with three races remaining
• Eversley leads the series in points scored over last eight races

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (September 16, 2016) – Acura’s Pirelli World Challenge GT program rounds the clubhouse turn and heads for home this weekend, as the RealTime Racing Acura TLX GTs look to continue their late-season surge at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA.

Second-year PWC driver Ryan Eversley has taken his blue-and-white #43 RealTime Acura TLX GT to top-five finishes in six of the last seven races, strengthening his grip on the fifth spot in the drivers’ championship. Eversley’s charge has seen him lead the series in points scored over the last eight races, aiding Acura’s move into fifth place in the competitive Manufacturers’ Championship. Continue reading RealTime Racing Acuras Looking To Stay in Top Five at Sonoma →

Michael Shank Racing, RealTime Racing To Lead 2017 Acura NSX GT3 Effort

• Twin turbocharged NSX supercar to campaign in both WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge in 2017
• Two-car efforts in each series
• NSX slated to complete FIA GT3 homologation this year

TORRANCE, CA (Sept. 16, 2016) – Acura Motorsports today announced that Michael Shank Racing will lead the company’s effort in the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while RealTime Racing will continue to head the manufacturer’s attack in the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge. Each team will field a pair of new Acura NSX GT3 race cars, now being prepared for FIA homologation. Continue reading Michael Shank Racing, RealTime Racing To Lead 2017 Acura NSX GT3 Effort →

Honda, Red Bull GRC Civics Set to Compete in Seattle

• Honda Racing Duo Return to Seattle for the First time since 2014
• Debut Event at Evergreen Speedway
• Olsbergs MSE Looking to Bounce Back from Atlantic City Results

SEATTLE, W.A. (September 14, 2016) – Olsbergs MSE, with drivers Joni Wiman and Sebastian Eriksson, returns to Seattle, WA. for Round 10 of the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross championship for the first time in two years.

The event takes place on the grounds of Evergreen Speedway at The Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA., just 30 miles outside of the Emerald City. At .791 miles, the Seattle circuit is the third-shortest of the year, ahead of both Daytona International Speedway and Marine Corps Air Station New River.

The track’s tight and technical corners, along with its unique, high-speed Turn One, will test the Honda Civic Coupe’s agility and adaptability. For Wiman, this short course bodes well, as he collected a top-five finish at a similar-style circuit in Dallas. “This track seems rather simple on paper with it only having eight corners, but they will be slower and narrower corners,” he noted. “Corner entry and consistency will be the key to getting out front early in the heats.”

Two of Eriksson’s three podium finishes this season came on the second-shortest circuit of the year, at Daytona International Speedway. When it comes to attacking the 77.5-percent paved section of the Seattle course, Eriksson believes the start will be the key to a successful heat. “With the long, left-hand oval Turn One, we’ll need to have an exceptional start to get out and lead the pack. It looks like what the Honda IndyCar Series drivers experience at their oval races, so it will be fast and a lot of fun!”

The team hopes to rebound from its Atlantic City results in Seattle this weekend. Television coverage of the event can be seen on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with online coverage beginning at 2pm on RedBull.TV.

Daly Stretches Fuel to Finish Fourth for Honda at Watkins Glen
• Enerson brings second Dale Coyne Racing Honda home ninth in just second start
• Heartbreak for Hinchcliffe as fuel starvation on last lap costs podium finish

A day that started out with several Honda podium contenders, ended in disappointment for most in the final laps of Sunday’s IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen, as Conor Daly alone was able to stretch his fuel run to the checkers, finishing fourth for Dale Coyne Racing in a race dominated by Scott Dixon.

Running second with just two laps to go, James Hinchcliffe ran out of fuel less than two turns from the finish, dropping him to 18th in the final results. Also saving fuel during the last stint, Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi fell from sixth to eighth in the final laps. Continue reading Daly Stretches Fuel to Finish Fourth for Honda at Watkins Glen →

Penalites Block Honda Qualifying Effort at Watkins Glen
• Aleshin, Hinchcliffe, Rahal, Sato lose advancements due to penalities
• Contested calls affect Honda qualifying results

A.J. Foyt Racing’s Jack Hawksworth continued to impress as the Verizon IndyCar Series returned to Watkins Glen International Raceway, qualifying ninth on Saturday for Sunday’s IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen, while a series of contentious rulings from race officials prevented other Honda drivers from advancing through the three rounds of knockout qualifying.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ Mikhail Aleshin was sixth fastest in the second round, but was judged to have impeded Juan Pablo Montoya and had his two fastest laps taken away. That ruling dropped Aleshin out of the Fast Six and promoted Will Power into the final group. Continue reading Penalites Block Honda Qualifying Effort at Watkins Glen →

Eriksson Leads the Honda Racing Team in Atlantic City
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• Sebastian Eriksson Overcomes Heavy Damage to Finish
• Joni Wiman Paces the Honda Racing Team in Preliminary Heats
• Honda Remains in Third Place in the Season-Long Manufacturers’ Championship

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (August 28, 2016) – Olsbergs MSE driver Sebastian Eriksson powered his Honda Civic Coupe to a sixth-place finish at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ on Sunday, in the manufacturer’s inaugural season of Red Bull Global Rallycross competition.

Eriksson and his teammates, Joni Wiman and newcomer Kevin Eriksson (no relation), showcased the Civic Coupe’s power and grace while navigating the temporary 10-turn airport circuit near the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk. Continue reading Eriksson Leads the Honda Racing Team in Atlantic City →

Rahal, Honda Stand Tall in Texas
• Graham Rahal edges James Hinchcliffe for thrilling 1-2 Honda finish
• Hinchcliffe dominates until late-race yellows set up dash to the checkers
• Closest finish in Texas Motor Speedway history

After a series of late-race cautions bunched the Verizon IndyCar Series field for the closing laps Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, Graham Rahal passed fellow Honda driver James Hinchcliffe on the final lap to win the Firestone 600 by just eight-thousandths of a second, the closest finish in the history of the 1.5-mile oval. Continue reading Rahal, Honda Stand Tall in Texas →

Honda, Olsbergs MSE Set to Contend in Atlantic City
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• Joni Wiman and Sebastian Eriksson Ready to Compete on the Longest Course of the Season
• Wiman and Eriksson Look to Claim Honda’s First Victory in Red Bull Global Rallycross
• Honda Remains in Third Place in the Season-Long Manufacturers’ Championship

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (August 23, 2016) ¬– The Olsbergs MSE Honda-powered outfit continues its bid for the manufacturer’s first victory in Red Bull Global Rallycross this weekend, when drivers Joni Wiman and Sebastian Eriksson compete in their Honda Red Bull OMSE Civics at Atlantic City’s Bader Field. Continue reading Honda, Olsbergs MSE Set to Contend in Atlantic City →

Aleshin, Hunter-Reay Star for Honda at Pocono
• Aleshin starts from pole, leads a race-high 87 laps, finishes second
• Hunter-Reay charges through field twice to finish third
• Munoz, Hinchcliffe, Rossi all contend

Mikhail Aleshin and Ryan Hunter-Reay were among five Honda drivers to contend for victory in Monday’s rain-delayed Verizon IndyCar Series at Pocono Raceway. But at the end of 500 hard-fought miles, Aleshin finished 1.1459 seconds behind race winner Will Power, while Hunter-Reay finished third after two thrilling charges from the back of the field.

Capitalizing on his first Indy car pole, Aleshin took his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda to the front of the 22-car starting field at the green flag. Meanwhile Hunter-Reay, starting 22nd and last following a crash in the opening practice session on Saturday, picked up eight positions in the opening lap alone as he began working his way to the front. Continue reading Aleshin, Hunter-Reay Star for Honda at Pocono →

Following in the wheel tracks of James Hinchcliffe at Indianapolis and Carlos Munoz in Texas, Mikhail Aleshin claimed his first Verizon IndyCar Series pole Saturday at Pocono Raceway in qualifying for Sunday’s ABC Supply Co. Inc. Pocono 500. It is the third Indy car pole of 2016 for Honda, all scored at super speedway circuits. Continue reading Aleshin, Honda Claim Pocono Pole →

Aleshin, Honda Claim Pocono Pole
• Career-first IndyCar Series pole for Aleshin
• Third consecutive superspeedway pole for Honda
• Honda drivers claim five of top seven qualifying positions

Following in the wheel tracks of James Hinchcliffe at Indianapolis and Carlos Munoz in Texas, Mikhail Aleshin claimed his first Verizon IndyCar Series pole Saturday at Pocono Raceway in qualifying for Sunday’s ABC Supply Co. Inc. Pocono 500. It is the third Indy car pole of 2016 for Honda, all scored at super speedway circuits. Continue reading Aleshin, Honda Claim Pocono Pole →

Sunday Troubles End Top-Five Streak For RealTime Acuras in Utah
• Ryan Eversley finishes fourth in Saturday’s opener
• Saturday’s finish extends streak of top-five finishes to six straight races
• Both Acuras fail to finish in Sunday’s finale
• Eversley earns Best Start and Hard Charger Awards for Saturday efforts

TOOELE, Utah – (August 14, 2016) – The RealTime Racing Acura TLX GT squad kept its march toward the front of the Pirelli World Challenge grid going on Saturday at Utah Motorsports Campus, but Sunday’s event showed that all good things must come to an end.

Ryan Eversley had another one of his vaunted starts on Saturday, taking advantage of some contact to gain 10 places on the opening lap on his way to a fourth-place finish in Round 16 of the PWC GT championship – marking his sixth consecutive top-five result. Meanwhile, new Acura driver Spencer Pumpelly fought tooth-and-nail with Jon Fogarty on Saturday to earn his second eighth-place run in his first three races in the Acura TLX GT.

But as strong as Saturday was for the Wisconsin-based RealTime Racing squad, Sunday was every bit as disappointing for the hard-charging Acuras. Pumpelly suffered an uncharacteristic drivetrain problem that kept his #34 machine from completing a single lap of the 3.048-mile course, while Eversley saw a chance at a seventh consecutive top-five go by the wayside when his #43 machine was felled by a left-rear suspension problem.

“Overall, a tough weekend in Utah. A rare mechanical issue on Sunday in the driveline of Pumpelly’s car turned into a double mechanical when a small component in the left rear broke on Eversley’s TLX GT,” said Senior Program Engineer/Honda Performance Development, Lee Niffenegger. “Ryan had some heads-up driving to move to second early in Race 1, then held on with a great drive against cars that were faster this weekend to pull off a fine fourth place. Unfortunately, our run of good finishes ended, and now we need to start a new one to finish the season strong in California.”

Eversley ran as high as second in Saturday’s opener before settling for a hard-fought fourth-place finish. The second-year Acura pilot fought off a last-lap charge from Colin Thompson’s McLaren to keep the fourth spot, beating Thompson to the line by a microscopic .008 seconds. Pumpelly battled back after losing ground due to early contact ahead of him, and fought equally hard on the final lap of the weekend’s first race, finishing just .101 seconds behind Fogarty in the battle for seventh.

“The #34 car was very good this weekend, but two competitors took each other out ahead of me in the first race,” Pumpelly reported. “The crash forced me to take evasive action going wide in Turn 1. Once I got back on track the field had gone by, relegating us to the back. We never recovered. Today [Sunday], the car had a drive-line issue before the race started, so we were not able to take advantage of the car’s pace in Race Two.”

“I’m really proud of how well we got the car handling today,” Eversley said. “I felt like I was able to move into the top five and hold my position and pace. I’m bummed we couldn’t get the Acura the result it deserved.”

The RealTime Acuras will have a full month to recover from Sunday’s disappointment, as the series does not compete again until September 17-18 at Sonoma Raceway, where Rounds 18 and 19 of the 20-race season will be contested on the California road course.

F4 U.S. TEAMS WILL PUT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEST IN SECOND EVENT AT MID-OHIO

F4 U.S. Championship returns to Mid-Ohio for three races from Aug. 11-13

INDIANAPOLIS (August 10, 2016)- With the opening race weekend in the books, the teams in the Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda will put their adjustments to the test when they race again at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course from this weekend. Continue reading F4 U.S. TEAMS WILL PUT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEST IN SECOND EVENT AT MID-OHIO →

RealTime Racing Acuras Carry Momentum Into Season’s Homestretch

• Acura TLX GT has scored five consecutive top-five finishes in World Challenge
• Ryan Eversley climbs to fifth in series driver points
• Acura in top five in Manufacturer’s Championship with five races to run
• Eversley leads the series in points scored over last six races Continue reading RealTime Racing Acuras Carry Momentum Into Season’s Homestretch →

Statement on the passing of Bryan Clauson

Art St. Cyr, president, Honda Performance Development:

“The highest praise we can give Bryan Clauson is that he was a ‘racer’s racer’. Whether on a quarter-mile dirt oval or at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his talent and personality was appreciated by fans and respected by competitors throughout the racing world.

“All of us at Honda and Honda Performance Development mourn his passing, and extend our heartfelt sympathies to his fiancée, Lauren Stewart; his parents, Tim and Diana; his sister Taylor; and his many, many friends and fans.”

F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP ATTRACTS NEW DRIVERS FROM CHINA AND GEORGIA
Field continues to grow heading into second F4 U.S. race weekend

INDIANAPOLIS (August 4, 2016) – The Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda continues to attract drivers from all over the world, expanding its field for the second event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Two newly signed drivers, Jackie Ding of Shenzhen, China, and Skylar Robinson of Augusta, Georgia, will join the series during its second stop at Mid-Ohio scheduled for Aug. 11-13. Continue reading F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP ATTRACTS NEW DRIVERS FROM CHINA AND GEORGIA →