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Honda Racing: Honda Teams and Drivers Enter Indy With Depth and Experience

Wed, 23 May 2012 06:46:00 -0700

As Honda-powered teams and drivers head into the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile race, they do so with the depth and experience of teams and drivers who have conquered racing's most prestigious and unpredictable event.

Four of Honda's seven teams have won the prestigious Memorial Day classic. Target Chip Ganassi Racing owns three '500' victories, in 2000, 2008 and 2010. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing brought Honda its first Indy 500 victory in 2004. A.J. Foyt has recorded three Indianapolis 500 victories as a team owner, in 1967, '77, and '99; while Bryan Herta Autosport won the Centennial Indianapolis 500 in 2011 with the late Dan Wheldon.

Honda's stable of drivers includes Indy 500 champions Dario Franchitti (2007 and 2010) and Scott Dixon (2008), who between them have won the last five IZOD IndyCar Series drivers' championships.

"Many times, victory at the Indy 500 depends on a bit of good luck," says Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Company, Inc. "However, the Indy 500 demands that teams and drivers have a certain level of experience and depth in order to contend for a victory. We are extremely confident in being able to call upon this level of strength in our garages."

Founded in 1993, Honda Performance Development (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.

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. 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.

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

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Honda Racing: Honda Indy 500 Talking Points

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:04:00 -0700

Indianapolis 500-Mile Race
May 27, 2012
11 a.m. EDT
ABC Television Network

COMPETITION

Fifteen starters in this year's Indianapolis 500 will use the Honda HI12RT turbocharged V-6 engine. Eleven are full-season competitors: Mike Conway, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, James Jakes, Charlie Kimball, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato, Alex Tagliani and Justin Wilson.

In addition to the regular-season drivers, drivers utilizing Honda power at Indianapolis include Townsend Bell, Bryan Clauson, Wade Cunningham and Michel Jourdain, Jr.

The 2012 season marks the return of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier. Chevrolet and Lotus now join Honda in providing engines to the 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field.

HONDA HERITAGE AT INDY

Honda has powered the last eight Indianapolis 500 race winners, versus manufacturer competition in 2004-05, and as single engine supplier from 2006-11. Winners have included Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005 and 2011), Sam Hornish, Jr. (2006), Dario Franchitti (2007 and 2010), Scott Dixon (2008) and Helio Castroneves (2009).

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 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's first competitive appearance at Indianapolis took place in 1994, but the company first put a car on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in November, 1968, when Honda conducted an evaluation test using a Formula One car with driver Ronnie Bucknum.

MANUFACTURING

Located approximately 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis in Greensburg, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana (HMIN) is Honda's newest North American auto assembly plant. HMIN employs approximately 2,000 associates from Greensburg, Indianapolis and nearby communities; and has the capacity to produce 200,000 cars each year, including the Honda Civic, the Civic Natural Gas and the new Acura ILX sedan.

The 1,600-acre HMIN site also features state-of-the-art environmental protection, including lakes around the facility designed to serve as natural aquatic filters to protect local aquifers, rehabilitation of the area floodplain with new creek-side forest growth, and a zero waste-to-landfill policy, meaning nothing from the site is sent to landfills.

On Thursday, May 10, four Honda Indianapolis 500 drivers visited Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, including two-time race winner and Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti, A.J. Foyt Racing's Mike Conway; Dale Coyne Racing's Justin Wilson, and Graham Rahal of Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing. Drivers received a guided tour of the facility, met associates at their individual work stations, and held a two-hour autograph session for plant associates.

MARKETING

Honda's popular "Fastest Seat in Sports" sweepstakes makes its fifth stop of the 2012 season at the Indianapolis 500 this weekend. Legendary racer Mario Andretti will take Thomas Patton of Celina, OH for the ride of a lifetime around the historic 2.5-mile oval in a two-seater IndyCar, in advance of the green flag for Sunday's 96th Indianapolis 500. Interested fans can find out more information on the "Fastest Seat in Sports" at shophonda.com.

SUPPORT RACE

For the second consecutive year, American Honda will support Starting Grid, Inc.'s diversity-based driver development program. Chase Austin will again compete in the Freedom 100 Indy Lights race on May 25, this year driving for Juncos Racing. In 2011, Austin finished ninth in the 18-car field in his Indy Lights debut.

Honda Racing: Statement From Steve Eriksen, Vice President, Honda Performance Development, Following Wednesday's Ruling by an Appeals Judge Concerning a Protest Filed with Indycar by General Motors:

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:35:00 -0700

"We are pleased that Justice Boehm's ruling has again confirmed INDYCAR's initial step to address parity of the Series-mandated single and twin turbochargers. This has been INDYCAR's intention ever since the matter first came under discussion in late 2010.

We eagerly look forward to continuing our battle with Chevrolet and Lotus as practice sessions for the Indianapolis 500, 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing', begin this weekend."

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Honda Racing: Honda Readies Robust Indy 500 Challenge

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:10:00 -0700

An accomplished 15-driver lineup, including two previous race winners and nine graduates of IndyCar training-ground series, makes up the Honda-powered effort for the 2012 Indianapolis 500, as the company seeks its third consecutive "500" victory with engine-manufacturer competition.

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 scored Honda's first Indy 500 victory in 2004.

After six years of Honda supplying engines to the full Indianapolis 500 field – marking the only six times in "500" history with no in-race engine failures – manufacturer competition returns to IndyCar competition in 2012, with Chevrolet and Lotus joining Honda to supply new, turbocharged V-6 racing engines for this year's 96th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and the entire IZOD IndyCar Series championship.

"We're excited by the return of competition to the Indianapolis 500," said Art St. Cyr, President, Honda Performance Development (HPD). "We take a great deal of pride in the unprecedented record of performance and reliability achieved by our Indy V-8 engine these past six years, but the challenges provided by Chevrolet and Lotus validate Honda's reason for racing. It would be entirely fitting for Honda to score its first victory in this new era of IndyCar competition at our most important race of the year."

Seven teams will utilize the all-new Honda Indy V-6 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 two-time '500' winner and four-time/defending series champion Dario Franchitti, All of Franchitti's 30 career IndyCar wins have come with Honda power, making him the manufacturer's most successful driver in North American open-wheel racing.

Franchitti is partnered by two-time series champion Scott Dixon, who also includes an Indianapolis 500 victory among his 27 race wins. Dixon's most recent title came in 2008, making the Ganassi organization the team to beat for the past four seasons.

In 2011, a second two-car Ganassi team made its Indianapolis 500 debut, featuring Graham Rahal, a product of the Formula Atlantic Championship, partnered with Indy Lights graduate Charlie Kimball. Both young American racers return with Ganassi and Honda in 2012.

The lineup at Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing includes two of the most recent graduates of IndyCar training-ground series: 2011 Indy Lights champion Josef Newgarden and USAC champion Bryan Clauson. The pair, this year's most promising American newcomers, are both expected to contend for Indy's Rookie of the Year honors.

Another rookie contender, and winner of the 2006 Formula Atlantic Championship, is Simon Pagenaud, driving for Schmidt Hamilton Racing. Pagenaud is currently fourth in the IndyCar Drivers' Championship points standings, highlighted by a second-place finish at the recent Grand Prix of Long Beach. Pagenaud will be paired with veteran '500' racer Townsend Bell, the 2001 Indy Lights champion, who owns a pair of top-ten finishes in five starts at the Brickyard, including a fourth-place run in 2009.

Veteran Mike Conway moves to Indy legend A.J. Foyt's team in 2012 and will be making his second start at Indianapolis, paired with 2005 Indy Lights champion Wade Cunningham, who has won three times in Lights events at Indianapolis, and will be making his 500 debut this year.

A contender for victory in several early-season races this year, Takuma Sato will lead the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing effort at Indianapolis, as team owner Bobby Rahal seeks his third 500 win, his second as a team owner. As Rahal Letterman Racing, the team brought Honda its first Indianapolis 500 victory with driver Buddy Rice in 2004. At Indy, Sato will be joined by Michel Jourdain Jr., an open-wheel racing veteran who will be making his second Indianapolis start.

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 six career wins, Wilson returns to the Brickyard with Dale Coyne Racing. His teammate is the fifth Honda-powered Indy rookie, James Jakes.

The 2012 Honda Indianapolis 500 lineup is completed by Team Barracuda-Bryan Herta Autosport, a team noted for winning last year's 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 in just its second attempt, with the late Dan Wheldon collecting his second Indy victory in an unforgettable finish. Alex Tagliani, the pole qualifier for last year's 500, will drive for the Herta organization in 2012.

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 American Le Mans Series, 2010 Le Mans Series and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases 'fun products' for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

2012 Honda Indianapolis 500 Lineup

Team	Car	Driver
Chip Ganassi Racing	# 9 Honda Dallara	Scott Dixon (W)
	#10 Honda Dallara	Dario Franchitti (W)
	#38 Honda Dallara	Graham Rahal
	#83 Honda Dallara	Charlie Kimball
Dale Coyne Racing	#18 Honda Dallara	Justin Wilson
	#19 Honda Dallara	James Jakes (R)
A.J. Foyt Racing	#14 Honda Dallara	Mike Conway
	#41 Honda Dallara	Wade Cunningham (R)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	#15 Honda Dallara	Takuma Sato
	#45 Honda Dallara	Michel Jourdain Jr.
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing	#67 Honda Dallara	Josef Newgarden (R)
	#39 Honda Dallara	Bryan Clauson (R)
Schmidt Hamilton Racing	#77 Honda Dallara	Simon Pagenaud (R)
	#99 Honda Dallara	Townsend Bell
Bryan Herta Autosport	#98 Honda Dallara	Alex Tagliani

(W) – Previous Indianapolis 500 Winner
(R) – 2012 Indianapolis 500 Rookie

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Honda Racing: Honda to Power Bryan Herta Autosport

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:06:00 -0700

American Honda and its Honda Performance Development (HPD) subsidiary will power a single-car effort from Team Barracuda-Bryan Herta Autosport for veteran Canadian driver Alex Tagliani at the 2012 Indianapolis 500 and for the remainder of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda and the team announced today.

Under terms of the agreement, HPD will provide its new, turbocharged 2.2-liter Honda Indy V-6 engines to Team Barracuda-Bryan Herta Autosport's single, full-time entry for Tagliani, a 12-year IndyCar veteran and the pole qualifier at last year's at Indianapolis 500.

Founded in 2009 by former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta and veteran race engineer Steve Newey, Team Barracuda-Bryan Herta Autosport made its Indianapolis 500 debut in 2010 and last year won a thrilling 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 with the late Dan Wheldon driving.

Bryan Herta Autosport joins multi-car entries from A.J. Foyt Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing as Honda-powered teams at the 2012 Indianapolis 500.

The addition brings the number of Indianapolis 500 entries supported by the manufacturer to 15, a record number of entries for Honda during years of manufacturer competition at the Speedway. The previous high total, 14 Honda-powered Indianapolis entries, was established in 2005, when the manufacturer was in competition with Chevrolet and Toyota.

"We're pleased to be able to renew our relationship with Bryan Herta and his team. Bryan has long been associated with Honda and HPD, and he served as our primary development driver during the last era of IndyCar manufacturer competition," said Steve Eriksen, vice president of HPD. "His team's victory in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was the stuff of legend, and all of us at HPD and American Honda are delighted to have a hand in helping him defend that championship.

"Beyond that, we look forward to a successful partnership with Bryan Herta Autosport through the remainder of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season."

"My time as a Honda driver in both the IndyCar Series, as well as the time spent driving factory Acura LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series, were among my most rewarding and memorable years in racing," Herta commented. "So, it is with great personal pleasure that we are returning to the Honda family for the remainder of the 2012 season. We look forward to joining the other Honda-powered teams on track this weekend in preparation for the 2012 Indianapolis 500, and working to defend last year's memorable and popular win by Dan Wheldon. I know that Alex Tagliani and the entire Team Barracuda - BHA crew are brimming with confidence and excitement going into the 'Month of May.' "

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' has not seen 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, 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.

In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2010 American Le Mans Series, 2010 Le Mans Series and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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

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Honda Racing: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Report

Sun, 06 May 2012 13:13:00 -0700

6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Race Report

Circuit:Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (4.35-mile road course) Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium
Weather:Overcast, scattered showers early, cool, 51 degrees F

Top 10 Race Results:

Ps.	Class.	Drivers	Team	Engine Chassis	Laps/Notes
1.	1-LMP1	Romain Dumas/Loic Duval/Marc Gene	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 TDi Ultra	160 laps
2.	2-LMP1	Marcel Fassler/Andre Lotterer/Benoit Treluyer	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	160
3.	3-LMP1	Marco Bonanomi/Oliver Jarvis	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 e-tron quattro	159
4.	4-LMP1	Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish	Audi Team Joest	Audi R18 TDi Ultra	159
5.	5-LMP1	Nick Heidfeld/Neel Jani/Nicholas Prost	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	156
6.	6-LMP1	Andrea Belicchi/Haral Primat	Rebellion Racing	Lola B12/60 Toyota	155
7.	7-LMP1	Jonny Kane/Nick Leventis/Danny Watts	Strakka Racing	HPD ARX-03a	154
8.	1-LMP2	Simon Dolan/Sam Hancock	Jota Racing	Zytek Z11SN Nissan	151
9.	2-LMP2	Tor Graves/Robbie Kerr/John Martin	ADR-Delta Racing	Oreca 03 Nissan	151
10.	3-LMP2	Jody Firth/Brendon Hartley/Warren Hughes	Murphy Prototypes	Oreca 03 Nissan	151

12.	8-LMP1	David Brabham/K. Chandhok/P. Dumbreck	JRM	HPD ARX-03a	150 Running
34.	12-LMP2	Ryan Dalziel/E. Potolicchio/S. Sarrazin	Starworks	HPD ARX-03b	123 Running

Strakka Trio Leads HPD Effort at Spa

Strakka Racing continues to impress in its first year of LMP1 competition with Honda Performance Development, as the driving trio of Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Danny Watts finished seventh Saturday to lead the HPD effort at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, second round in the 2012 World Endurance Championship.

After qualifying sixth, starting driver Kane moved up to fifth overall – and first in the “privateer” order for non-manufacturer works entries – as Strakka’s HPD ARX-03a ran in a high-downforce configuration that paid dividends during the wet opening hours of the contest.

But when the forecast afternoon showers failed to materialize and the circuit dried mid-race, the Strakka trio lost its setup advantage. Kane, Watts and Leventis continued to battle for privateer honors with the Pescarolo Racing Dome Judd, and a pair of Lolas run by Rebellion Racing throughout the contest. At the finish, Strakka cross the line seventh overall, and third in the privateer category.

JRM Racing, fielding a second HPD ARX-03a, overcame a spin and contact with the crash barrier on the formation lap to finish 12th overall and fourth in the privateer category.

After the glancing contact, starting driver Karun Chandhok was able to pilot his HPD back to the JRM pits, where repairs were quickly completed. But series regulations required the team to take the start from pit lane, one lap down. An hour into the contest, contact with a slower GT car in the “bus stop” chicane resulted in another unscheduled stop for repairs, dropping the JRM squad to 21st overall.

As the 4.35-mile long Spa circuit began to dry, co-drivers David Brabham and Peter Dumbreck combined to claw back some of the ground lost as a result of the early incidents. Brabham had the HPD up to 15th overall at the three-hour mark, with Dumbreck making up additional ground in the final hours to finish eighth in LMP1.

In LMP2, it was a difficult race for the Sebring-winning, US-based Starworks team. Starting driver Enzo Potolicchio lost time with an off-course excursion – the result of possible contact from an LMP1 Audi prototype – in the opening hour. Additional repairs, to replace the engine drive belts, cost the Starworks HPD ARX-03b more than 20 laps, leaving co-drivers Ryan Dalziel and Stephane Sarrazin unable to make up much ground. The trio took the checkers 12th in the large LMP2 field.

The World Endurance Championship continues with next month’s signature event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where all three HPD-equipped WEC teams, plus the American Le Mans Series LMP2 effort of Level 5 Motorsports, are scheduled to compete. The North American-based American Le Mans Series resumes next weekend with the May 13 race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Jonny Kane (#21 Strakka Racing HPD ARX-03a) Started 6th, Finished 7th: "The start was tricky, really wet with a lot of spray. It was difficult to see until it all began to settle down after a couple of laps. The car felt good in the wet and I overtook a Rebellion [Lola-Toyota] and was able to run behind the Audis quite comfortably. We were putting in some good lap times, despite having to look after the wet tires from very early on. We were very competitive with all the other ‘petrol’ cars and finished third privateer, so it was a pretty good day’s work, really.”

Roger Griffiths (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: “It was a race of mixed fortunes for HPD. Well-deserved congratulations to the Strakka team for a solid seventh place; the team didn’t put a wheel wrong all race. They were particularly unfortunate during the caution periods, losing ground to the Audis due to the timing of the yellows. Despite this, they maintain a strong position in the privateer teams’ championship. JRM was extremely unlucky coming the grid, the slippery conditions caught out Karun [Chandhok] and – just as at Sebring in March – they had to start from the pit lane.

“We were hoping for a repeat of the Sebring victory in P2, but unfortunately an early race spin put the team out of contention. Stephane [Sarazzin] was able to display the potential of the HPD car, running very competitive lap times during his stint. In just a month’s time we will be back in Europe, this time for Le Mans, a race that HPD has achieved significant success in the past. Our Le Mans development is very encouraging for both cars and we are optimistic of success there.”

Honda Racing: 2012 IndyCar Sao Paulo