Acura Shows Speed at Sebring
• Mechanical issues end strong Team Penske Acura prototype effort
• Michael Shank Racing leads Acura NSX GT3 performance
• HART recovers from late-race damage; CJ Wilson Racing makes NSX GT3 debut

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Fielding a six-car effort in two separate IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes – the largest for any manufacturer in the 42-car starting field – Acura Motorsports contended for victory in both the headline Prototype and supporting GTD divisions during Saturday’s 66th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, second round of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Michael Shank Racing led the way for Acura Motorsports, with both of the team’s NSX GT3s contending for the GTD class victory and leading through the first nine hours of the endurance racing classic. Acura Team Penske gave the new ARX-05 prototype another strong outing, leading several times, but separate mechanical failures ended the run for both machines just past the halfway mark in the 12-hour contest. The Honda of America Racing Team also frequently ran in the top five of GTD and the CJ Wilson Racing team made its NSX GT3 debut at Sebring.

Acura Team Penske
Both Ricky Taylor, starting driver for the #7 Penske Acura ARX-05 prototype, and co-driver Helio Castroneves led during the early hours. Along with third driver Graham Rahal, the Acura remained in the top three until the car suddenly lost oil pressure just as the race reached its six-hour midpoint. Continue reading Acura Shows Speed at Sebring →

Taylor Leads Acura Qualifying Runs at Sebring
• Ricky Taylor runs third in qualifying for Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
• Juan Pablo Montoya takes his Team Penske Acura ARX-05 to sixth on the grid
• Tom Dyer, HART lead Acura NSX GT3 effort, qualifying eighth in GTD

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2018) – Ricky Taylor led the way for Acura in qualifying Friday at Sebring International Raceway, and will start his Acura Team Penske ARX-05 prototype from third in tomorrow’s 66th annual running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Driving the Honda of America Racing Team Acura NSX GT3, Tom Dyer will start eighth in the highly competitive GTD class.

Acura Team Penske
Despite a spin early in the 15-minute qualifying session, Taylor rebounded for a quick time of 1:47.773 around the 3.74-mile Sebring road course to place the #7 Acura ARX-05 third, just three tenths of a second off the record pole time set by Tristan Vautier. As at Daytona, Taylor will share driving duties with Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal.

Driving the #6 Acura ARX-05 prototype he will share with Dane Cameron and Simon Pagenaud, Juan Pablo Montoya qualified sixth with a time of 1:48.177 for Acura Team Penske. Continue reading Taylor Leads Acura Qualifying Runs at Sebring →

Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX GT3 Teams Roll into Sebring
• Acura Team Penske seeks to convert Daytona speed to Sebring prototype victory
• Michael Shank Racing looking to build on GTD points lead with Acura NSX GT3s
• CJ Wilson Racing joins Acura NSX GT3 effort; HART makes second GTD start

SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2018) – Acura’s largest effort since rejoining the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2017 will take to the track this weekend for the 66th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, as the manufacturer seeks both overall and GTD class victories on the historic central Florida airfield circuit.

Two Acura Team Penske ARX-05 prototypes and four GTD category Acura NSX GT3s – from Michael Shank Racing, the Honda of America Racing Team [HART] and CJ Wilson Racing – will make up the Acura attack for Saturday’s 12-hour endurance racing classic. Continue reading Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX GT3 Teams Roll into Sebring →

Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Runs Second at Mint 400
• Honda Off-Road Racing Team follows season-opening win with podium finish
• Second-place result at Mint 400 follows victory in February’s Parker 425
• Ridgeline Baja Race Truck takes on Baja 500 in June

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 12, 2018) – The Honda Off-Road Racing Team and its Ridgeline Baja Race Truck backed up their season-opening win at February’s Parker 425 with a second-place finish through the Nevada desert outside of Las Vegas Saturday at the Mint 400.

Starting from the pole in the 10-truck “7200” class for unlimited V6-powered race trucks, team owner/driver Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller pulled away to an early class lead during the Best in the Desert Racing Association event. But while working their way through several slower-spec Trophy Truck entries, the Proctor/Weller Ridgeline struck a large rock that had been obscured by dust, resulting in a flat tire. Continue reading Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Runs Second at Mint 400 →

Bourdais Leads Honda Sweep of Indy Car Season Opener
• Sebastien Bourdais wins in St. Petersburg as Honda sweeps top six positions
• Victory duel between Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi ends with late-race contact
• Bourdais and Dale Coyne Racing score second consecutive St. Petersburg win for Honda

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 10, 2018) – A thrilling late-race battle for victory ended in disappointment for Robert Wickens, and a second consecutive Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg win for Sebastien Bourdais, as Honda drivers and teams swept the season-opening round of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series. Honda drivers claimed the top six finishing positions and eight of the top 10. Continue reading Bourdais Leads Honda Sweep of Indy Car Season Opener →

Wickens Claims Pole for Honda in IndyCar Series Debut
• Robert Wickens, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports score first pole of 2018 season
• Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato also advance to final qualifying in damp conditions

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 10, 2018) – Robert Wickens, a veteran race winner in the highly competitive DTM Championship in Germany but a rookie in Verizon IndyCar Series competition, prevailed in tricky, damp conditions Saturday to claim the pole for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Continue reading Wickens Claims Pole for Honda in IndyCar Series Debut →

An interview with:

ART ST. CYR
President, Honda Performance Development

T.E. McHALE: Welcome to this small but prestigious crowd for the first Honda media briefing of the 2018 IndyCar season. Thanks for joining us this morning.
Our guest by this time needs no introduction, Art St. Cyr, president of HPD. We’re all looking forward to a great event here in St. Pete this weekend and a terrific 2018 season.
Just to get the ball rolling, we’ll start with a few questions for Art. Talk about your personal outlook for 2018 as we head into the start of the season. Continue reading An interview with: ART ST. CYR President, Honda Performance Development →

Honda Drivers, Teams Ready for 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series
• Lineup features eight IndyCar Series race winners, including three series champions, four Indianapolis 500 winners
• 2018 universal aero kit debuts
• Season opens Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida

TORRANCE, Calif. (March 5, 2018) – Eight race winners, four Indianapolis 500 champions and three former series title holders – with a combined nine series championships – make up the talented Honda-powered lineup for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, opening this weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Five Honda teams will field 12 full-season entries at Sunday’s season opener on the Florida Gulf Coast, all utilizing the Honda HI18TT engine and new Dallara IR15 chassis, which features a universal aero kit for all competitors in 2018. Continue reading Honda Drivers, Teams Ready for 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series →

Honda, Sato Lead the Way at Indy Car Pre-Season Open Test
• Takuma Sato quickest in three of four practice sessions
• Graham Rahal and new teammate Sato run 1-2 Friday night as Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan drivers lead every full-field session
• 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series opens March 11 in St. Petersburg, Florida

AVONDALE, Ariz. (Feb. 10, 2018) – Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato dominated the time sheets Friday and Saturday at ISM Raceway, leading three of four full-field practice sessions and finishing second to teammate Graham Rahal in the fourth during the Verizon IndyCar Series Open Test in preparation for the 2018 season. Continue reading Honda, Sato Lead the Way at Indy Car Pre-Season Open Test →

Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Wins Parker 425
• Honda Off-Road Racing Team opens 2018 season with class victory in Arizona
• Ridgeline Baja Race Truck dominates unlimited V6 truck category

PARKER, Arizona (Feb. 4, 2018) – The Honda Off-Road Racing Team and its Ridgeline Baja Race Truck opened the 2018 off-road racing season in the best possible fashion, with a decisive victory in the “7200” class for V6-powered race trucks in Saturday’s Parker 425.

A part of the Best In the Desert Racing Association off-road racing series, the Parker 425 features three laps of a rugged course through the southwestern Arizona desert. Each lap presents competitors with wide-ranging conditions, from sand washes and rough rock sections to wide-open rally roads. This year featured an added element, as the course deteriorated rapidly while a field of over 200 entries made its way around each lap.

Starting fourth in a field of 11 Class 7200 V6 trucks, driver/team principal Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller ran at a rapid pace on the opening lap, gaining two positions in the first 30 miles, then moving into the lead by race mile 80. After their first scheduled pit stop for fuel and rear tires, Proctor and Weller finished the first lap with a 4.5-minute lead on the field.

Although the course began to deteriorate throughout the late afternoon and into the night hours, the Ridgeline continued to widen its gap over the Class 7200 field. At the end of the second lap, Proctor turned over driving duties to Pat Daily during the team’s final scheduled pit stop. Daily continued to build a now substantial lead for the Ridgeline, all the while conserving equipment during a brutal third and final lap. The Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck crossed the finish line in a time of eight hours, 54 minutes, one hour and 15 minutes ahead of the second-place Class 7200 truck.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 produced by Honda Performance Development, the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck features a body designed by Honda R&D Americas’ Los Angeles Design Studio, with inspiration taken from the current Honda Ridgeline, which was also designed and developed by Honda R&D North Americas. Key design cues drawn from the 2017 Honda Ridgeline can be seen in the front fascia, hood, roof, bed and side profile.

Making approximately 550 horsepower, HPD’s 3.5-liter HR35TT engine uses the same block, cylinder heads and crankshaft as the production V6 engine that powers the all-new Ridgeline. Additional, custom elements of the powertrain include an HPD-designed intake plenum and custom Engine Control Unit programming.

Acura Effort Nets Podium Finish, NAEC Win at Rolex 24
• Michael Shank Racing #86 Acura NSX GT3 finishes second in GTD, claims victory and points lead in opening round of the North American Endurance Cup
• Acura Team Penske runs 1-2 at 12-hour mark in company’s return to prototype competition
• All five Acura entries finish grueling 24-hour endurance contest

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 28, 2018) – Michael Shank Racing led the way for Acura Motorsports as the checkered flag flew to end the Rolex 24 Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, with the team’s #86 Acura NSX GT3 finishing second in the competitive GTD division and claiming the win in the first round of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup. Acura Team Penske gave the new ARX-05 prototype a strong debut, the team’s two cars running 1-2 at the 12-hour mark, before both were delayed by separate issues in the early-morning hours.

Fielding a five-car effort in two separate IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes, Acura Motorsports contended for victory in both the headline Prototype and supporting GTD divisions. All five entries, including a pair of new ARX-05 prototypes fielded by Acura Team Penske and a trio of NSX GT3s in the GTD category finished the challenging opening round of the 2018 season.

Acura Team Penske
The new Acura ARX-05 prototypes featured throughout the first half of the 24-hour endurance contest, with Helio Castroneves taking the overall lead in the seventh hour in the #7 Acura Team Penske entry he shared with Ricky Taylor and Graham Rahal. By the 10th hour, the Acura ARX-05s were running 1-2, with Taylor leading teammate Simon Pagenaud, co-driving the #6 Acura with Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron. The pair of Acura prototypes continued to pace the field through the 12-hour mark. Continue reading Acura Effort Nets Podium Finish, NAEC Win at Rolex 24 →

Castroneves Secures Front Row Start for Acura at Daytona
• Helio Castroneves runs second in qualifying for Saturday’s Rolex 24 endurance race
• Dane Cameron takes second Team Penske Acura ARX-05 to 10th on the grid
• Alvaro Parente heads Acura NSX GT3 effort, qualifying sixth in GTD

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 25, 2018) – A thrilling qualifying for Saturday’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway saw Helio Castroneves securing a front-row start in the first race for the Acura ARX-05 prototype, while Alvaro Parente produced a seventh-place run in the ultra-competitive GTD class in his Acura NSX GT3.

Acura Team Penske
After producing a best-of-the-weekend lap of 1:36.090 with less than five minutes remaining in qualifying, Castroneves appeared headed to an inaugural pole for Acura Team Penske. But his time was eclipsed by the narrowest of margins — seven thousandths of a second — in the closing seconds of the 15-minute session by Renger Van Der Zande. Continue reading Castroneves Secures Front Row Start for Acura at Daytona →

Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX GT3 Teams Ready for Rolex 24
• Two-car Penske effort marks Acura’s return to prototype competition
• Expanded Acura NSX GT3 program includes Michael Shank Racing, Honda of America Racing Team in GTD
• Twice-around-the-clock endurance classic opens the 2018 racing season on Saturday

TORRANCE, Calif. (January 22, 2018) – The return of Acura Motorsports to the prototype ranks and an expanded GTD effort highlight the company’s racing program as the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season kicks off this weekend with the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

Acura Team Penske and the Honda of America Racing Team (HART) join the race-winning Michael Shank Racing organization as the combined Acura Motorsports effort takes on the challenge of endurance sports car racing, competing with manufacturers from around the globe. Continue reading Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX GT3 Teams Ready for Rolex 24 →

Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX Teams Complete Rolex 24 Preparations
• “Roar before the 24” three-day open test marks final runs prior to season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway
• Team Penske Acura ARX-05 prototypes run fourth and fifth in qualifying session to determine Rolex 24 pit and garage allocation
• Michael Shank Racing secures fourth, Honda of America Racing Team fifth in GTD qualifying for Acura NSX GT3s

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 7, 2018) – An expanded Acura Motorsports effort for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship made its public debut this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, with a pair of Acura ARX-05 prototypes and three Acura NSX GT3s featuring in final pre-season preparations at the “Roar Before the 24” open test. Continue reading Acura Team Penske, Acura NSX Teams Complete Rolex 24 Preparations →

Honda Performance Development Announces New Civic Racing Products
• Civic Spec Series concept race car debuts at PRI Show
• Fiberglass Civic bodywork available for Touring, GT and drag racing
• Latest additions to growing line of HPD grassroots racing products

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (December 7, 2017) – Continuing the strong racing momentum during 2017 for the new Honda Civic racing platform, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is pleased to announce the debut of the Civic Spec Series Concept Race Car, and the availability of fiberglass Civic bodywork for touring car and drag racing customers. Unveiled at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show today, these products create additional opportunities to utilize the modern, highly capable and aerodynamic Civic in other racing series. Continue reading Honda Performance Development Announces New Civic Racing Products →

Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Continues Baja Podium Success
• Honda Racing Ridgeline team scores fourth Baja podium result
• Finishes second in class at 50th running of the Baja 1000
• Johnson Racing effort completes podium for Honda with third-place run

LA PAZ, Mexico (Nov. 19, 2017) – The Honda Racing Ridgeline Team once again proved to be “Baja Strong” in the 50th running of the classic Baja 1000 off-road race from Ensenada to La Pax, Mexico, leading their class multiple times and finishing second, the fourth podium finish for the Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck in five Baja races.

Following the Honda Racing Ridgeline Team to the checkers in La Paz was a second Ridgeline effort, including Mark Johnson, Norris Brown, Alan Roach and Mike Mitchell. Their third-place result gave Honda two of the three podium positions in the Open Production Mini Truck class.

Starting seventh in class, Jeff Proctor and navigator Evan Weller progressed through the field in the opening segment, taking the lead for the first time at the 75-mile mark. Falling back to second after replacing a drive shaft, the Ridgeline duo regained the lead after the team’s first scheduled pit stop in San Felipe. Continue reading Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Continues Baja Podium Success →

2017 Honda Civic Si Makes Its Mark in Pirelli World Challenge
• Tom O’Gorman, Shea Holbrook each score TCA class wins
• Honda finishes 2nd in Manufacturers’ Championship
• Shea Racing claims 2nd in TCA team standings; O’Gorman 3rd in Drivers’ Championship

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2017) – A successful debut season for the 2017 Honda Civic Si saw the Shea Racing-led effort score a pair of victories in the TCA class of the Pirelli World Challenge, leading Honda to second in the Manufacturers’ Championship in the competitive category. Continue reading 2017 Honda Civic Si Makes Its Mark in Pirelli World Challenge →

Derek Daly To Present “What if It’s You?” Seminar at 2017 PRI Show
• Presents career advice for young drivers and their families
• Includes both on-track and off-track skills development
• Multi-year partnership continues with Honda Racing/HPD

TORRANCE, Calif. (October 25, 2017) – Derek Daly, former Formula One and Indy car driver, broadcaster, author and founder of the Derek Daly Academy, will again present his “What if It’s You?” seminar Saturday, December 9, at the Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis.
Aimed at helping young drivers and their families map out a plan to progress in professional motorsports, “What if It’s You?” provides an explanation of the steps and skill sets needed to succeed in that environment. The one-hour seminar will take place at the Indianapolis Convention Center, beginning at 8 a.m., as part of the annual PRI Show, the country’s largest gathering of grassroots motorsports participants and enthusiasts. Continue reading Derek Daly To Present “What if It’s You?” Seminar at 2017 PRI Show →

Acura NSX GT3s Complete First International Endurance Event
• World Challenge GT3 cars show promise in initial eight-hour event
• #43 RealTime Racing NSX GT3 finishes fourth in endure debut
• #93 Acura retires due to cooling issues

MONTEREY, California (October 16, 2017) – The RealTime Racing Acura NSX GT3 team capped the 2017 season with its most daunting challenge of the year, taking part in the inaugural California 8 Hour Challenge at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Continue reading Acura NSX GT3s Complete First International Endurance Event →