Category Archives: Honda Racing

Honda Racing–RealTime Racing Acuras Earn Top-10 Runs In Utah Doubleheader

RealTime Racing Acuras Earn Top-10 Runs In Utah Doubleheader
• RealTime Racing Acura TLX GT has finished in top 10 in 13 of year’s 17 races.
• Peter Cunningham places eighth on Saturday, Ryan Eversley was ninth Sunday
• Cunningham qualifies seventh for weekend’s opening race

TOOELE, Utah – (August, 23, 2015) – RealTime Racing hung another pair of solid finishes on the board this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, putting one of its Acura TLX GT racers in the top-10 for each of the weekend’s Pirelli World Challenge events at the Utah road course. Continue reading Honda Racing–RealTime Racing Acuras Earn Top-10 Runs In Utah Doubleheader

Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay, Honda Win Crash-Marred Pocono

Hunter-Reay, Honda Win Crash-Marred Pocono
• Wilson injured in late-race crash
• Veteran Honda driver suffers severe head injury

Ryan Hunter-Reay scored his second Verizon IndyCar Series victory of 2015 Sunday at Pocono Raceway in northeastern Pennsylvania, powering his Andretti Autosport Honda through the field to win the ABC Supply 500, but his triumph was overshadowed by a late-race crash that left teammate Justin Wilson hospitalized with a severe head injury. Continue reading Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay, Honda Win Crash-Marred Pocono

Honda Racing–Honda Announces HPD-Powered Factory Off-Road Racing Initiative, First Race in SCORE Baja 1000

Honda Announces HPD-Powered Factory Off-Road Racing Initiative, First Race in SCORE Baja 1000

• Honda unlimited off-road race vehicle, powered by Honda Performance Development
• Factory off-road race initiative kicks off with Baja 1000 in November; continues into 2016

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (August 24, 2015) – Honda will make its 4-wheel off-road factory racing return this November in the SCORE Baja 1000 desert race, with an unlimited off-road race vehicle powered by Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Company, Inc. The manufacturer teased images of its race vehicle today, featuring a twin-turbocharged Honda HR35TT V6 engine, Albins ST6 sequential transmission, Fox racing shocks, and rugged General Grabber tires. More information will be available in the days leading up to the Baja 1000 event in November.
This return to the SCORE Baja 1000 marks Honda’s first 4-wheel desert race since the HPD Desert Pilot competed in Class 6 in 2012. For more information about HPD and the company’s racing product lines, please visit http://hpd.honda.com.

Honda Racing–Rahal Qualifies Fifth at Pocono

Rahal Qualifies Fifth at Pocono
• Honda driver continues fight for IndyCar Series championship
• Five Honda drivers post top-10 qualifying runs
• Third of three 500-mile races in 2015

Honda’s Graham Rahal continued his late-season run for the Verizon IndyCar Series championship Saturday at Pocono Raceway in northeastern Pennsylvania, qualifying fifth for Sunday’s ABC Supply Company Pocono 500. With two races remaining in the 2015 season, Rahal is currently ranked second in the drivers’ championship battle, nine points behind Juan Pablo Montoya, who struggled with handling issues in qualifying, leaving him 19th in the 24-car starting field. Continue reading Honda Racing–Rahal Qualifies Fifth at Pocono

Honda Racing–Acuras, past and future, star at 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Acuras, past and future, star at 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
• Parker Johnstone takes Spice Acura from museum to pole, podium finishes
• Next-Generation Acura NSX supercar on display
• Winning 2009 Acura ARX-02a LMP1 also featured

MONTEREY, California (August 15, 2015) – Capping a week-long celebration of Acura’s motorsports heritage, highlighted by multiple appearances of the new NSX supercar, former IMSA champion Parker Johnstone started from the pole and scored a pair of second place finishes Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in a return to the cockpit of his multiple title-winning Spice Acura. Continue reading Honda Racing–Acuras, past and future, star at 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Honda Racing–TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase

HPD Racing Report
Sunday, August 9, 2015

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase
Circuit: Road America (4.0-mile road course) Elkhart Lake, WI
2014 Winner: Joao Barbosa / Christian Fittipaldi (Action Express Chevrolet)
Weather: Partly sunny, mild, 76 degrees F

Honda, Michael Shank Racing Finish Fourth at Road America
• Honda-powered team scores fourth top-four finish of 2015
• Eversley, Gilsinger combine to win Continental Tire Challenge race for Honda Continue reading Honda Racing–TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase

Honda Racing–Acura Motorsports Race Report

Acura Motorsports Race Report
Sunday, August 2, 2015

StopTech Grand Prix Presented by MOMO
Circuit: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.258-mile road course) Lexington, Ohio
Weather: Sunny, mild, 78 degrees F

RealTime Racing Acuras Run in Tandem in Dual Mid-Ohio Weekend
• RealTime Racing Acura TLX GT has finished in top 10 in 12 of year’s 15 races.
• Peter Cunningham wins Hard Charger Award in Sunday’s race.
• Both Acura TLX GTs gain eight positions in Sunday’s race Continue reading Honda Racing–Acura Motorsports Race Report

Honda Racing– Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio

Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio
• Iowa race winner will start Honda Indy 200 from seventh
• Eleven drivers better existing lap record
• Sunday’s race to be broadcast on the CNBC Network

Ryan Hunter-Reay led the Honda field in qualifying Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and will start seventh in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. Hunter-Reay, winner of the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series race, two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway, was one of 11 drivers to break the existing Mid-Ohio track record during the three-round “knockout” qualifying sessions. The old mark of 1:05.347 was set by Dario Franchitti 1999 and matched a year later by Gil de Ferran, both in Honda-powered Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy cars. Continue reading Honda Racing– Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio

Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio

Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio
• Iowa race winner will start Honda Indy 200 from seventh
• Eleven drivers better existing lap record
• Sunday’s race to be broadcast on the CNBC Network

Ryan Hunter-Reay led the Honda field in qualifying Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and will start seventh in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. Hunter-Reay, winner of the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series race, two weeks ago at Iowa Speedway, was one of 11 drivers to break the existing Mid-Ohio track record during the three-round “knockout” qualifying sessions. The old mark of 1:05.347 was set by Dario Franchitti 1999 and matched a year later by Gil de Ferran, both in Honda-powered Championship Auto Racing Teams Indy cars. Continue reading Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay Heads Honda Qualifying at Mid-Ohio

Honda Racing–Rahal, Sato Head Honda Practice Effort at Mid-Ohio

Rahal, Sato Head Honda Practice Effort at Mid-Ohio
• Championship challenger Rahal runs fourth for Honda, Sato fifth
• Five Honda drivers post top-10 times
• Qualifying for Honda Indy 200 set for Saturday

Hometown favorite Graham Rahal led the way for Honda in practice Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, posting the fourth quickest time in preparation for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. A race winner earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway in California, Rahal is currently ranked second in the Verizon IndyCar Series drivers’ championship, 42 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya, who was 22nd on the time sheets today in a 24-car field. Continue reading Honda Racing–Rahal, Sato Head Honda Practice Effort at Mid-Ohio

Honda Racing–An interview with: ART ST. CYR

T.E. McHALE: Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us for the latest in a series of Honda media briefings that we’ve conducted periodically throughout the 2015 season.
Our guest today is the president of Honda Performance Development, Art St. Cyr. Art, thanks for making the time for us today.
ART ST. CYR: Thanks for having me, everybody.
T.E. McHALE: I want to start by talking about how the season has turned a little bit more pleasantly for Honda of late with victories in two of the past three races, kind of get your thoughts on any ideas you have related to the reason for that success.
ART ST. CYR: Well, I must say that, you know, the last few races we’ve been pretty happy. Winning two of the last three races was really good for HPD and the Honda teams and Honda in general.
I mean, honestly, it’s been no real secret that we’ve had some struggles with our aero kit this year and trying to deal with some of the sensitivities and drivability with that aero kit.
The last few races IndyCar has put some rules in that has kind of limited the, let’s say, options. They’ve specified specific amounts of downforce at some of those races. Quite frankly, having less options allowed our teams to play in a little narrower box and they were able to be much more competitive in those races.
Like I said, we’ve been really happy with Honda, HPD. The team’s working really hard to figure that out. They’ve shown great competitiveness over the last few weeks.
T.E. McHALE: I wanted to dig a little deeper and give you an opportunity to share some thoughts about the teams themselves. It has been a difficult season for Honda and HPD in a lot of ways. But the fact remains that as we sit here right now, we have a driver who is second in the championship, we have three teams with race victories, we have the only driver in the series who has completed every lap of every race. It isn’t really a lost season by any means. Talk a little bit about the performance of our team so far this year.
ART ST. CYR: Actually we’ve been really proud of our teams this year. As I mentioned, again, it’s not a real secret, our aero kits have been a little bit hard to drive this year. Particularly the Rahal camp, they really upgraded their engineering staff this year and they have shown a really good affinity to match the good performance of the engine and the aero kits and their team performance, really put in a string of good performances.
But it’s not just the Rahal guys. The Andretti team, they have two race victories. Sam Schmidt, the Schmidt Peterson boys have a race victory. As T.E. said, Marco has completed every lap this season. So we’ve had some really good performances and our teams have done a really good job figuring things out. As the season has gone on, they have really taken to what they have available and really maximized that.
I think it’s a real testament to our teams and the strengths of their engineering abilities.
T.E. McHALE: I think it’s pretty common knowledge under this canopy that we are in negotiation with IndyCar for an extension to our current engine supply agreement which expires at the end of this season or in roughly another month. Give us an update on the status of those negotiations, if you would, please.
ART ST. CYR: I’m not going to give too many details about that one.
But, yes, it is true. Everybody knows we’ve been in active negotiations with IndyCar on a contract extension. Back when we started this, we had a lot of discussion about some of the technical issues and the technical vision moving forward. I’m happy to say that we have resolved and we have written in writing resolution on a lot of those technical issues. Some of them we have verbal agreement. There’s still one or two issues that we’re still trying to work through.
Like any company, we want to make sure that we have all of the I’s dotted and T’s crossed before we move forward. But our intent and our wish is to resolve those issues obviously before the end of this season so we can move forward with an extension.
T.E. McHALE: Finally, just your thoughts about the news that came out yesterday regarding the resignation of Derrick Walker as the president of competition at IndyCar. I know you and Derrick worked closely. He was probably your primary point of contact on the resolution of the technical terms you just mentioned.
ART ST. CYR: First of all, I just want to say that Derrick and I have a very good working relationship. I’m going to think he has spent an extraordinary amount of energy and passion dealing with the issues that have surrounded IndyCar over the last couple years.
I’ve really enjoyed working with him. I think it’s going to be a loss not having him around. I view Derrick as a friend. Pretty straight shooter, as things go.
Hopefully the work that he has put in place will continue, but I wish Derrick the best of luck. On a personal note, I’m going to be sad to see him go. Hopefully he sticks around the paddock in the years to come.
T.E. McHALE: We’ll open it up to questions from the floor.

Q. With Derrick’s departure, does that pose a setback for the negotiations for the extension of the engine supply agreement?
ART ST. CYR: Well, I guess my first answer to that is, I sure hope not on that one.
But the negotiations aren’t with Derrick. It’s not with Derrick and Honda. It’s with IndyCar and Honda. The other people involved in that process know the details. We expect it to move forward seamlessly.
Derrick is still going to be around through the end of August. So I fully expect everything to be continuing on as it was before.

Q. You said earlier you struggled in the beginning of the season. Can you give some more details as to the reason for that.
ART ST. CYR: About why we struggled at the beginning of the season. As I mentioned before, one of the issues that we had this year was that our car was just hard to drive. When we bolted the aero kit package on the old suspension settings, it just behaved differently.
We started the process pretty late in developing the aero kit. So part of our plan was to push that as far as possible. We talked to the teams and we explained the way it was going to be. They agreed that to push the design as late as possible, get as much performance out as possible.
The negative side of that is they got the kit right before St. Pete. With the lack of testing, the rules in IndyCar, we really put them behind the eight ball trying to figure out how best to utilize the kit, how best to utilize the downforce, how best to operate their racecars, especially in the early races of the season.
Now as the season has gone on, they’ve learned more. The engineers on each of the teams have figured out where the strengths and weaknesses are, how they want to run the cars.
Like I said, we’ve had success doing that, especially as of late. So I think from my perspective that explains why we had such a struggle at the beginning part of the season, is that the teams were trying to figure out basically a brand new car without any testing.

Q. The rules, clarify what’s allowed during the off season for improvement to the aero package for 2016.
ART ST. CYR: There is some development that’s allowed for 2016. Right now the scope of that one is still under a little bit of discussion. But to directly answer your question, no, we are not frozen with the same aero kit for next year as we are this year.

Q. Have you done already testing with new parts?
ART ST. CYR: Well, we’re not allowed to do any testing on anything for 2016 until the middle of September.
But the rules have always stated there’s going to be some limited development allowed. We have been doing the design process moving forward on that. We will be testing that shortly.

Q. You can’t test the car. Can you test (indiscernible)?
ART ST. CYR: Absolutely. We’ve done our CFD analysis, we’ve done some scale model testing, we’ve done full scale testing of both our 2015 kit and our 2016 kit.

Q. If this thing stays close and Graham is still in contention at the end of this race, would Honda consider funding a second car to help the team gather data for his stretch run?
ART ST. CYR: I’m not going to be able to answer that question directly.
We have talked to Bobby and the rest of the Rahal guys to find out what it is they need. Obviously we’re in a championship hunt, and we want to give them all the support that we possibly can to help them.
I mean, we have two street courses or two road courses, and one superspeedway. There is a pretty wide varying degree of help we can give.
But we have offered to help. I’m not sure we’re going to say we’re going to go as far as funding a second car, because we don’t typically do that at Honda. We will support them however we can to try to get them at the front of the race.

Q. What do you think is a reasonable testing schedule that you’d like to see IndyCar allow next year, even in season, for 2016?
ART ST. CYR: I’m going to get myself in a little bit of trouble if I answer that too straight up.
But, you know, honestly, the amount of testing from mine and Honda’s viewpoint should be commensurate with how much change is allowed.
Now, the rationale behind limiting testing is really to make sure that the lesser funded teams aren’t put at a disadvantage, which I very much support.
If you look around the paddock, there are some well funded teams, there are some teams that are really struggling. I think it’s important to fill out a grid here. We definitely want to have at least 22 cars running every week.
We have to look at the balance between what we want to do and what we can do to make sure we put on a good product for the fans, honestly.

Q. What would be a reasonable number of engine leases for 2016, in your estimation?
ART ST. CYR: Honestly, Honda and HPD has been a supporter of open wheel racing continuously for 22 years. We want it to grow. We want it to thrive. We also want to make sure that there’s not teams that have the capability of being strong and running here and not have an engine.
So really the answer to that question depends on how many teams actually want to run in the IndyCar Series. We are absolutely ready to run at least as many engines as we are running this year. Again, that is predicated on us signing an extension with IndyCar.
T.E. McHALE: With that, we’ll wrap it up. I want to thank you all for taking the time to join us.

Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay, Honda Reign Supreme On Iowa Oval

Hunter-Reay, Honda Reign Supreme On Iowa Oval
• Hunter-Reay scores third Iowa victory, sixth consecutive Iowa win for Andretti Autosport
• Rahal prevails over gearbox issues, moves to second in drivers’ championship
• Honda drivers claim three of the top five finishing positions

In another thrilling Iowa Corn 300, Ryan Hunter-Reay successfully defended his 2014 victory, holding off Josef Newgarden Saturday night at Iowa Speedway for his first – and Honda’s fourth – Verizon IndyCar Series win of 2015. Continue reading Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay, Honda Reign Supreme On Iowa Oval

Honda Racing–INDYCAR–Iowa Practice

Hunter-Reay, Wilson Head Honda Practice Effort in Iowa
• Defending race winner leads both practice sessions for Honda
• Qualifying, final short oval race of 2015 take place Saturday

Two-time and defending Iowa Speedway race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay posted the third-fastest speed among Honda drivers in the first of two practice sessions Friday at the high-banked, 0.894-mile oval, in preparation for Saturday nights’s Iowa Corn 300. Hunter-Reay, winner in Iowa in both 2012 and 2014 – and second-place finisher in 2013 to then-teammate James Hinchcliffe – was 12th quickest in the evening session that concluded the day.

New addition to the Andretti Autosport lineup, Justin Wilson, posted the second-fastest Honda speed, finishing the pair of practice sessions 13th overall, just behind Hunter-Reay and ahead of 2011 Iowa race winner Marco Andretti. Wilson, who ran the Month of May for Andretti at Indianapolis, rejoined the team last week in Milwaukee for the remainder of the 2015 season.

Activities at Iowa Speedway, the second and final short oval race of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, continue Saturday with qualifying, followed by the 300-lap race at 8 p.m. EDT, with live network television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

Justin Wilson (#25 Andretti Autosport Honda): “I’m really pleased with the way the Honda feels – it’s driving well, can change lanes and run all over the track. We have to find a little bit more speed, but it’s definitely in the ballpark to be a challenger. Now it’s just a case of putting it all together and get ready. We’re the first car out for qualifying tomorrow. We’ll see what happens.”

Honda Racing–Rahal Finishes Third for Honda at The Milwaukee Mile

Rahal Finishes Third for Honda at The Milwaukee Mile
• Climbs to third-place tie in drivers’ championship
• Chaves solidifies rookie points lead with 11th-place result

A valiant charge by Graham Rahal in the final 18 laps came up just short of victory Sunday at The Milwaukee Mile, as the Honda-powered driver finished third at the ABC Supply Co. Wisconsin 250, his fifth podium finish of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series.

Following his victory two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway in California, Rahal started sixth in today’s first short-oval race of the season, and ran in the lead pack through much of the 250-lap contest, including five laps led. But starting on Lap 114, two cautions in rapid succession led to multiple pit strategies being employed throughout the field. As a result, Rahal and Helio Castroneves were among the last to make their final stops on Lap 225. Continue reading Honda Racing–Rahal Finishes Third for Honda at The Milwaukee Mile

Honda Racing–Sato, Rahal Head Honda Practice Effort at The Milwaukee Mile

Sato, Rahal Head Honda Practice Effort at The Milwaukee Mile
• First short oval race of 2015
• Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Jakes also post top-10 speeds
• Qualifying, race take place on Sunday

Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal led the way for Honda Saturday at The Milwaukee Mile, finishing the sole practice session of the day in third and fourth, respectively, in preparation for Sunday’s ABC Supply Wisconsin 250, presented by the Metro Milwaukee Honda Dealers.

Rahal, winner of the series’ most recent race at Auto Club Speedway, spent most of the 75-minute session solidly in third, while Sato briefly went to the top of the charts in the final 20 minutes, slipping down to third – with Rahal fourth – as most of the field made gains just prior to the checkers. Continue reading Honda Racing–Sato, Rahal Head Honda Practice Effort at The Milwaukee Mile

Honda Racing–Honda Earns Three Class Victories at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Honda Earns Three Class Victories at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
• Jeff Tigert’s CBR 1000 tops all motorcycles with a time of 10:02.735
• SuperGT racer Tetsuya Yamano wins exhibition class in CR-Z
• Nick Robinson rides CRF250R to top of 250 Challenge class
• Honda/Acura entries score class victories for 14th consecutive year

PIKES PEAK, CO (June 28, 2015) – The 93rd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb started with the roar of a brand-new Acura NSX, and ended with the rumble of a Honda side-by-side. Between those runs, 13 members of the Honda Performance Development and Honda Research and Development team made successful runs up the mountain in 11 different classes, claiming three class victories. Continue reading Honda Racing–Honda Earns Three Class Victories at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Honda Racing–Acura Motorsports Race Report– DeVilbiss Grand Prix of Road America

Acura Motorsports Race Report
Sunday, June 28, 2015

DeVilbiss Grand Prix of Road America
Circuit: Road America (4.048-mile road course) Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Weather: Partly Cloudy, mild, 74 degrees F

Acura, RealTime Racing Score Top-10 Results In Three Road America Races
• RealTime Racing Acura TLX GT has finished in top 10 in 11 of 13 races this season
• Eversley wins Best Standing Start and Hard Charger Awards in two races
• Cunningham runs as high as fourth in Sunday’s race

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 28, 2015) – Wisconsin-based RealTime Racing celebrated its return to the team’s home circuit by taking their Acura TLX GTs to a trio of top-10 finishes over a three-race Pirelli World Challenge GT weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Continue reading Honda Racing–Acura Motorsports Race Report– DeVilbiss Grand Prix of Road America

Honda Racing– TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen

HPD Racing Report
Sunday, June 28, 2015

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen
Circuit: Watkins Glen International Raceway (3.4-mile road course), Watkins Glen, NY
2014 Winner: Richard Westbrook/Michael Valiente (Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP)
Weather: Overcast, intermittent rain showers, 73 degrees F

Disappointment for Honda, Michael Shank Racing at Watkins Glen
• Contact, suspension issue force retirement
• Ligier-Honda combination again proves fast, leading three practice sessions

Honda-powered Michael Shank Racing proved it had the performance to win Sunday at Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York, once again leading the time sheets in all three practice sessions prior to qualifying for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. But damage after contact while passing a GT Le Mans category entry led to the eventual retirement of the Honda-powered Ligier JS P2, just past the mid-point of the six-hour TUDOR United SportsCar Championship event. Continue reading Honda Racing– TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen

Honda Racing–Rahal Rules for Honda at Auto Club Speedway

Rahal Rules for Honda at Auto Club Speedway
• Marco Andretti completes 1-3 result for Honda drivers
• Six Honda drivers combine to lead 101 laps
• Series-record 75 lead changes in 250-lap race

After knocking on the door of victory circle several times this season, Graham Rahal came through Saturday at Auto Club Speedway, winning a frantic MAVTv500 for his second career Verizon IndyCar Series win and first on an oval.

Despite starting only 19th, Rahal was confident his Honda would be strong on race day, and made his pre-race prediction come true by moving into the lead pack in the first 25 laps, and continuing to run at or near the front of the field for the rest of the day, leading 15 laps, including the final sprint to the checkers. That ended on the penultimate when fellow Honda drivers Ryan Briscoe and Ryan Hunter-Reay collided on the front stretch, sending Briscoe tumbling into the infield. Continue reading Honda Racing–Rahal Rules for Honda at Auto Club Speedway