I started racing karts eight years ago and won my first race on the second day of racing. Since then, I’ve won four state championships and last year won the TaG Junior class in the SKUSA California ProKart Challenge, which I backed up by winning again in 2012. I also won a pair of IKF Grand National titles this summer.

This year, I added SKUSA Junior Stock Moto, or S5, to my schedule. My S5 Tony Kart is powered by a restricted 125cc Honda engine. It’s essentially the same engine the older drivers use, but with restrictors on the intake and exhaust to reduce power. I have done well in that class, winning the California ProKart Challenge for 2012. Now, I’m looking forward to attempting to win a national championship in both S5 and TaG Junior at the SKUSA Supernats in Las Vegas in November.

I think we’ve got a really good shot at winning. We’re third in both championships, and we keep learning more and more every race. I race with the Phil Giebler Racing team, and they’ve been a big help. Not only is Phil an excellent kart racer, but he has a lot of open-wheel car experience as well, and that’s what I’m aiming for. Formula 1 is my ultimate goal.

I’m happy we added the S5 class this year, although my father made me promise that my performance in TaG Junior wouldn’t suffer if we did. My first Honda-powered kart was an 80cc shifter. I loved it and it was a really fun class. When they shut it down, I was disappointed.

When we moved to SKUSA and saw the S5 class, we worked for about a year to try and get an effort together and it’s been really fun. And the competition is only getting better. The drivers in S5 are really good. That’s pushing me to up my game and improve.

While I can’t let my effort in one class of karting take away from another, I also can’t let karting take away from the rest of my life. It’s been tough to be a good racer, play water polo and maintain a 4.0 GPA but, at 14, school has to be my main focus. That’s meant a lot of late nights and a lot of hard work. I’ve been studying on the road and doing homework in whatever time I can find.

Fortunately, we don’t have to do much with the S5 kart. The Honda engine has been so reliable that we haven’t even been able to take advantage of everything that HPD and the Honda Racing Line have to offer.

Perhaps we’ll make use of it more in the off-season. But I hope my biggest improvement will be attaching a No. 1 plate to my karts for the National races!

Look for Carter Williams and the rest of the Honda-powered racers at the SKUSA Supernats in Las Vegas November 14 - 18, 2012 and at California and national SKUSA events in 2013.

The tight battle for the F1600 Formula F Championship Series came down to the final race of the season, as Matias Koykka edged Brandon Newey for the title by a scant seven points after the pair traded wins at Watkins Glen to wrap up the 12-race championship fight.

One week earlier, Connor Ford concluded his dominating run to the Corsa Car Care Pacific Formula F Super Series by sweeping the doubleheader series finale weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The victories gave Ford nine wins out of 12 races in his PR1 Motorsports Mygale Honda.

At the October 19-21 Watkins Glen weekend, Koykka brought a 15-point lead into the finale and helped his cause by winning Saturday’s race in his Cape Motorsports Spectrum Honda after a race-long battle with Newey’s Bryan Herta Autosport Mygale Honda.

On Sunday, Newey had to win to maintain his championship hopes and did so, scoring his fourth victory of the year over Adrian Starrantino, making a strong series debut, and veteran open-wheel racer Neil Alberico. But Koykka came home fourth, and that was enough for the 19-year-old Finn to score his first North American racing title.

Koykka also posted four race wins, but a trio of second-place finishes – against just two for Newey – made the difference in the final points total.

“It was a team effort all the way,” Koykka said. “It was an eventful season, full of ups and downs, but the team made a fantastic job to make us fast all season long. I hope to get to more of what I enjoy [racing] next season. But for now, we’ll take a moment to enjoy, then head straight to next year’s preparations.”

In Las Vegas, Ford came to the final race weekend of 2012 having already clinched his second professional racing title, adding the Formula F crown to the Formula F2000 championship he won in 2011.

Making his Formula F racing debut, 16-year-old Cooper Tire Prototype Lights Champion and Team USA scholarship winner Tristan Nunez qualified second in Saturday’s opening race and battled with Ford throughout the 16-lap contest. After trading the lead with Nunez in the early laps, Ford edged out to a 2.5-second margin he held to the finish.

On Sunday, it was a repeat performance as once again, the duo traded the lead in the early laps before Ford once more edged away to a narrow victory.

Both Ford and Koykka plan to move up racing’s ladder in 2013, as do their rivals, Newey and Nunez. All four are drivers to watch in the future.

The B-Spec Honda Fit of Matthews Motorsports finished first in class and an amazing third overall at the 37th Running of the 8-Hour Enduro of the Cascades, held at Portland International Raceway.

Starting from last position during the Le Mans-style start, a quick sprint and entry by Todd Harris had the Honda Fit rolling down pit lane before any other competitor. In a field of 22 cars – ranging from a Norma M20B Sports Racer to Spec Miatas – and starting on a wet track, Todd was able to work his magic and had the Honda Fit in sixth place by the end of the first lap. Even though the B-Spec Fit was the lowest-horsepower car in the field, it was also the only front-wheel-drive car entered. As the unpredictable weather continued, the Matthews Motorsport Team made smart tire, fuel, and pit stop strategy decisions. “The Honda Fit achieved great mileage, low tire wear, and was very fast in the rain. That gave us the ability to extend our pit windows and gain a big advantage over the competition”, said Leo Matthews. “As the track remained wet for most of the race, the FWD Honda Fit was able to take advantage of the conditions and steadily march to the front of the field. Each of our drivers (Todd Harris, Steve Gatrell, and John Bender) had amazing stints, and were able to gain track time and positions on the racetrack.”

As the race continued into the night, and with the track slowly drying, the Matthews Motorsport Team pushed to the finish, clinching an E4 Class Win, and a third-place finish overall, behind the unlimited class Mustang FR302S and a Turbo Porsche 968.

Matthews Motorsports would like to thank Honda Performance Development, ProFab RaceCars, ProDrive, and 99West Trailers for all their support!

Steve Gatrell, Owner of ProFab Racecars: "I've never had so much fun passing BMWs, Porsches and Mustangs in the wet. It was the little Honda Fit that could…and DID! "

Todd Harris, Owner of Pro Drive Racing School: “The Honda Fit B-Spec was a dream to drive. It ran flawlessly for eight hours straight and never skipped a beat. And driving it in the rain was awesome! Passing car after car on the wet track was a memory I’ll never forget. I can’t wait to do it again!”

John Bender, Owner of 99West Trailers: "The Matthews Motorsport-prepared B-Spec Honda Fit was awesome to race in! It was my first experience racing a front-wheel-drive car, and it was very consistent during my two-and-a-half hour stint in the mixed weather conditions."

The Team Honda Research West Acura ILX build is continuing, as the team prepares the cars for debut in the Acura display at SEMA, and to race in the E1 class at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Project Leader Calvin Liu created the build plan and schedule early in the year and the team not-so-patiently waited for the cars to arrive. Once the new chassis and donor cars arrived in late summer, the bodies were prepped and painted. Next, the roll cages were installed. Once the team received the donor cars from Acura Public Relations, the work began in earnest. After the primal fun of tearing down the donor cars, the suspension, powertrain, interior and electronics needed to be applied to the two new white-body chassis. Team members from Honda R&D, American Honda Motor Company, Honda Access America and Honda Performance Development have been contributing many after-work hours to build these two cars. Members demonstrate their commitment to the team and passion for Honda by coming in every weekend to work on the build.

The team has completed two shakedown tests of the first ILX at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, and plans to test at least once more at Willow Springs International Raceway prior to delivering one of the cars for display at SEMA in Las Vegas, in early November.


The HPD tow strap is a safety device used for reliable race track towing if needed.

 The HPD upper engine mount reduces engine movement to improve the feel of the car and shift accuracy.

The HPD rear stabilizer bar reduces understeer and improves handling balance.

The HPD brake pads and lines improve brake performance and durability.

THRW team members install the front suspension and engine.

THRW Crew Chief David Kirsch works on installing the wiring harness and electrical components.

Mike Tsay cuts the outline for the front splitter.

Project Leader Calvin Liu (the hardest working man in motorsports) envisions enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Justin Chiodo adds Red Line Oil to the new engine.

Team sponsors include Honda R&D Americas, Inc., Honda Performance Development, Acura Motorsports, BF Goodrich, AEM, H&R, Baja Designs lighting, Enkei, Red Line Oil, APR, Bride, Schroth, NRG Innovations, OMP, TireRack.com, Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies, DGauge, Monster Energy Drinks, Design Engineering.

My name is Robert Thorne and last year, driving my Honda S2000CR, I was a participant in one of the closest finishes in the history of the SCCA Solo National Championships - but more about that later.

I’m 22 years old and working on a career as a professional racing driver. I’ve won national karting championships, have raced in a couple of Formula car series with some success, and set a record at Daytona International Speedway for the Grand-Am GT class in the Rolex 24 Hours.

However, as with many other racers, when the economy hit trouble in 2008, the funding ran out. Without sponsorship, it’s tough to race, no matter how good you are. The teams are struggling like everyone else, and they need money to put the cars on track.

Enter my first Honda S2000 in 2009. My plan to keep myself sane while not racing professionally was to build this car for SCCA Solo as a B Stock car and compete with it in 2010. SCCA Solo is a timed competition, held on a course marked by traffic cones in a big parking lot or an unused airport – anyplace there’s a lot of pavement or concrete. It rewards precision, while pushing the car to its limits and, although each run only lasts about a minute, it’s very intense. You’ve got to hit every apex perfectly and come as close to those pylons as possible without knocking them over. The person that does it in the shortest time is the winner.

In 2010, I had a great start to the season while driving the 2001 S2000 in B Stock, a class that allows only minor modifications. I won the first big event I entered, but then suffered a real “beat down” at the National Championship event.

So for 2011, I upped my game. I had a acquired a little sponsorship, so I sold the 2001 S2000 – after driving it for 24,000 miles I sold it for exactly what I paid for it – and found a 2008 S2000CR.

I didn’t start small. I tore the car apart, removing every piece I could replace under the rules of my new class, Street Touring R. First thing was to put a stock radiator back in. Then, the suspension came off, and new Hypercoil springs, new sway bars, wheels, intake and an exhaust flown in from Japan went on the car. I have a nice contact with Penske Racing shocks, and they built me a custom set of two-way shocks, probably the only set in the country on an STR S2000. A reflash of the ECU and a Racetech racing seat completed the transformation.

I had a great year, winning three SCCA ProSolos before heading to Lincoln, Nebraska for the ProSolo Finale and Solo National Championships. But I lost the ProSolo event, something completely unexpected that left me scratching my head. With a day in between the ProSolo and the beginning of the National Championships, I set to making the car ready.

That’s when I discovered that I had no front brake pads left, and I had just swapped new ones in. It turned out that the seals on the calipers had gone out, and enough dirt had gotten in that the pistons were not retracting. So I had a lot of drag, enough that I burned out a whole set of pads during 12 ProSolo runs. That also explained my lack of speed.

It was a struggle to fix the problem in only one day, but I did get it done in time to make my first run in the National Championships. I was a bit in shock by the speeds of the other cars and the competition I was facing. James Yom was in a brand-new, well-prepared CR; while Nicholas Barbato had hopped in another S2000 that had a setup very similar to mine and was very fast.

After the second of three runs on the first day – the Nationals take place over two days on two different courses, with the times being added for the total – I was well behind, sitting in 13th place out of 64 drivers. I found a good shady spot, sat down, closed my eyes and ran through the course in my head over and over. I was able to get myself calm and put down a solid run in my third attempt to get myself into third place behind Barbato and Yom.

Day Two started the same way. I was a bit off the pace on my first run, but the second brought me into the top 10. I still needed quite a flyer on my third and final run, and prepared by doing the same thing I did the day before. I’m sure a lot of people saw me sitting with my head down while I prepped for that final run. The car felt great; it was all up to me. I made a mistake on the first slalom, ending up about three feet off one of the cones. Somehow that kicked me into high gear and I kept my foot down and kept focused.

I crossed the finish line, made the final turn and sat listening for the announcer. There was absolute silence. Then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I could hear the announcer yelling into the microphone. I knew I had either lost or won by a very small margin. It wasn’t until I pulled back into grid and saw people holding up one finger…that’s when I knew. I had beaten Barbato by two thousandths of a second, tied for the closest finish in Solo Nationals history. Yom was only another hundredth of a second back.

For 2012, I have some other racing on my schedule, but I’m definitely continuing with Solo competition. I’m a bit addicted to it and I really love the car. I spent the winter rebuilding the car, removing some weight and adding lighter Wilwood brakes. I can’t wait to get started again!

Team Honda Research West (THRW) was formed by verbal agreement in 1995 during a vehicle development project team dinner with Nobuhiko Kawamoto, CEO of Honda Motor Company Ltd., and future Honda Formula One leader Takefumi Hosaka. Matt Staal, one of the team founders and leaders, secured official Honda R&D support for the 1996 season, and it continues to the present day. The purpose of the team is to 1) increase Honda presence in U.S. motorsports, 2) enable product-development associates to gain motorsports experience and 3) promote teamwork within Honda. Since 1996, THRW has consistently raced in regional and national events sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America and the National Auto Sport Association - earning 53 total wins.

THRW’s first race car was a 1994 Acura Integra GSR that achieved a 4th-place finish in the 1999 SCCA National Championship Runoffs (SSB class) . Next, the team built a Civic Si, which won regional and national SCCA sprint events. In an effort to promote teamwork and strategy, in 2004, THRW expanded its focus to add endurance racing, entering an Acura Integra at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. In 2005, THRW collaborated with Honda R&D Ohio and American Honda Motor Co, Inc. to win the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The combined team drove a 2006 Civic Si to an E1 class win, and achieved 4th place overall. The team repeated a class podium at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 2006, in a Civic Si coupe. A year later, the team resumed its Acura-based efforts by campaigning two RSX Type S models, which won the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Western Endurance Racing Championship. In 2008, the team earned another class podium at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. In 2010, THRW built two Honda Fit B-Spec race cars. The Fit B-Spec racer won the debut of the World Challenge/SCCA Pro Racing B-Spec series at Miller Motorsports Park, and the inaugural season manufacturer championship. The Honda Fits have been displayed and promoted at industry and racing events, including the annual Performance Racing Industry meeting, IZOD Indycar Series races, and on the Honda Performance Development and SCCA websites. In addition to endurance racing, THRW members have a long history of success in SCCA sprint racing. THRW members have won SCCA National Runoffs Championships and class poles racing Honda Civic Si’s, S2000s and Acura RSXs.

Team members include:

Matt Staal (left), driver, team leader and head of driver development. Matt is a Senior Planner in the Honda R&D Americas, Inc. Advanced Product Planning Department.

John Whiteman (right), team/race strategy and sponsorship. John is the Manager of the Honda R&D Americas, Inc. Advanced Product Planning Department.

Calvin Liu (left), driver, Acura ILX racing project and technical team leader. Calvin is a Design Engineer in the Surface Development Department at Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Roy Richards (right), driver, team treasurer. Roy is a coordinator in the Energy and Environmental Research Group at Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Derek Ferretti (left), driver. Derek is a Senior Modeler in the Styling Division at Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

David Kirsch (right), crew chief. David is a Senior Engineer in the Information Technology Research Department of Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Justin Chiodo (left), driver. Justin is a Senior Engineer in the Advanced Product Planning Department at Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Lawrence Hwang (right), driver. Lawrence is a Senior Designer at Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

Lee Niffenegger (left), SCCA National Champion driver. Lee is a Senior Engineer in Business Development for Honda Performance Development.

Sage Marie (right), driver. Sage is the Senior Manager of Public Relations for American Honda Motor Co, Inc.










 





Team sponsors include Honda R&D Americas, Inc., Honda Performance Development, Acura Motorsports, BF Goodrich, AEM, H&R, Baja Designs lighting, Enkei, Red Line Oil, APR, Bride, Schroth racing harnesses, NRG Innovations, OMP, TireRack.com, Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies, DGauge, Monster Energy Drinks, Design Engineering.

Honda and Acura racers won four Sports Car Club of America national titles and claimed a 1-2 finish in the inaugural B-Spec category, run as a exhibition class, in last weekend’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America.

More than three dozen Honda and Acura racers traveled to the classic Road America road course in Wisconsin for this year’s 49th annual Runoffs, September 17-23, taking part in 13 of the 30 competition classes.

Tim Kautz

Five drivers used the Honda L15A7 engine in Formula F at this year’s Runoffs, a record for the manufacturer in this open-wheel, training-ground category. Tim Kautz made history on Friday as the first Honda-powered Formula F National Champion, after a race-long battle with defending class champion Lewis Cooper.

“I was hoping the two of us could [break away from the pack] and make it a two-car fight, and that’s what happened,” Kautz said. “On the last lap, it came down to whoever got the better run out of the last corner and, fortunately, we were able to pull it off. It was a great race. Thanks to Honda. They gave us a great engine. You just put it in and go. That reliability allowed me to focus my efforts on improving the chassis and my racecraft.”

Luke Wilwert

Thursday’s opening event,resulted in a clean sweep for Honda and Acura drivers in the combined race for Showroom Stock B, Showroom Stock C and the new B-Spec class. Luke Wilwert started from the pole and went on to win SSB in his Honda Civic Si, while Michael Crawford piloted his Acura Integra from third on the starting grid to the SSC national title.

“I think I was able to get through traffic a little bit better than [the competition]. Dealing with traffic is part of the art, and I think I just got lucky,” Wilwert said. “This win means a lot. I feel truly blessed, in my second try, to win a National Championship. I didn’t expect it.”

Michael Crawford

Crawford also won an exciting event, avoiding last-lap contact taking place just in front of him to claim his SSC victory. “I saw [Charlie James and Brian Husting] get a little aggressive,” Crawford recounted. “I’m thinking ‘let’s just see what happens’ and they both went wide at the ‘kink.’ I was able to get by at that point, and just kept going!”

In the new, non-championship B-Spec category, Sage Marie came out of top of a wild three-car fight in his Honda Fit, which also earned him the Sunoco “Hard Charger” award for his efforts. Marie, fellow Honda driver Joel Lipperini, and Shawn Young in a Mazda2 ran within tenths of a second of one another throughout the 13-lap contest, frequently running three abreast on the long Road America straightaways, before Marie eked out a narrow victory over Lipperini.

Moser & Gauper on the podium

The fourth Honda championship of the weekend came in H Production, where Michael Moser won his first Runoffs title, with defending class champion Greg Gauper making it a 1-3 finish for Honda. Moser and Gauper were part of a four-car train that broke away from the field in the early laps, before Moser edged away to his first national championship.

“Mike Origer passed me, and I figured I’d let him lead for a bit, but then I got a really good run out of Turn Three and into Five,” Moser said. “I out-braked him, went to the inside, and was able to get ahead. He was still in my mirror for a couple of laps, but once I got a little distance, I settled down a bit and ran my race. It all turned out good.”

Honda Performance Development [HPD], through the Honda Racing Line, offered contingency awards of up to $2,500, along with additional support to help offset travel costs for the racers. HPD also hosted catered, trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their team members, providing a buffet lunches September 18-22 and a television monitor showing a live feed of on-track activities.
2012 Honda/Acura SCCA National Championship Runoffs Highlights:

Showroom Stock B:	1st Place	Luke Wilwert	Honda Civic Si
Showroom Stock C:	1st Place	Michael Crawford	Acura Integra
B-Spec:*	1st Place	Sage Marie	Honda Fit
	2nd Place	Joel Lipperini	Honda Fit
Formula F:	1st Place	Tim Kautz	Piper DF3D Honda
GT-Lite:	3rd Place	Jim Hargrove	Honda Civic
Touring 3:	3rd Place	Chad Gilsinger	Honda S2000
H Production:	1st Place	Michael Moser	Honda CRX
	3rd Place	Greg Gauper	Honda Civic Si

* Exhibition class classified as a Runoffs event but not a National Championship class

Ford Clinches Pacific Formula F Title, Eastern Series To Be Decided at Finale

Connor Ford continued his nearly perfect season in the 2012 Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series with another pair of race wins September 8-9 at Buttonwillow Raceway in California, scoring his seventh and eighth victories in 10 starts this season and clinching the championship with two races remaining.

Meanwhile, the Eastern US-based F1600 Formula F Championship will go down to the wire, as title contenders Brandon Newey and Matias Koykka traded victories – and some contact – August 25-26 at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia.

In the West Coast series, Ford and his PR1 Racing Honda Mygale were untouchable at Buttonwillow, qualifying on the pole for both races, and leading Ed Erlandson – his most consistent rival this season – to the checkers each day.

Ford’s first victory of the weekend was enough for the teenager to clinch his first Formula F title, and his win on Sunday pushed his championship points total to an insurmountable 318, to Erlandson’s 199.

Ford also won the Pacific Formula 2000 Championship in 2011, and is one of eight finalists in the 2012 Team USA Scholarship program.

Back east, the Summit Point race weekend opened with no fewer than four cars battling for the lead, with young Canadian Garrett Grist and Australian Shae Davies taking turns at the front along with Koykka and Newey, another 2012 Team USA finalist.

Last-lap drama resulted in contact between Newey – leading at the time – and the second-running Davies. Newey spun, but recovered to finish a disappointed third behind Koykka and Grist, while Davies was unable to continue.

For Sunday’s race, a brief but heavy rain shower prior to the start added even more drama. Newey took the early lead, but was one of many front-runners to spin at least once during the 30-minute event. Jeremy Grenier took over at the front in his Citation Honda, but also spun – as did Koykka, Davies, Steve Oseth and Roberto Lorena. All had a shot at victory in the race’s ever-changing conditions.

In the final laps, Newey returned to the lead to claim his third victory of the season, followed home by Grenier and Koykka. With the win, Newey reclaimed the points lead by a narrow 392-386 edge over Koykka, while Grenier (315 points) and Grist (295) also remain in mathematical contention for the title.

The F1600 Formula F Championship Series concludes next month with another double-header race weekend, October 12-14 at Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York.

The Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series wraps up a week earlier, with its October 5-7 season-finale doubleheader on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway road course.

Mother Nature was in no mood to cooperate as the Spec:RaceAtom drivers gathered for Race #3 of the championship season at the 3.27 mile VIR full course.  Practice sessions were all that were able to run on this day, as the event day was cut short due to heavy rain and lightning. This forced the corner workers off course for safety reasons,  Race #3 of the season was canceled. 

In an effort to make up the missing race session, a decision was made to promote Race #4 on Sunday as a double-points feature race.  This double-points race added excitement to the Sunday event, with many drivers working frantically on their vehicle set-ups to try and achieve their best possible results.

A 25-minute qualifying session would set the field, with the top five positions being taken by Aaron Elsner, Tyson Bytzek, Ben Sinnott, Justin-Barry Jerome, and Christian Shield.

Sunny, hot, and humid conditions greeted the racers as they began to grid for the 20-minute race. Cars rolled on track with the green flag flying at 1:49 p.m. 

As the racers hustled toward Turn One, it became very exciting as Justin-Barry Jerome worked hard to improve on his fourth-place starting position by going three-wide into the turn.  Bytzek was briefly shuffled back to the fourth position, while Sinnott held steady in the middle of the action in third place.

Lap 4 brought a complete change of position, as the weather had quickly changed, but only on the south section of the long VIR full course.  Heavy rain was falling on the course between Turns 10 and 12, but the rest of the course was dry.  These conditions caught a few drivers by surprise and shuffled the running order significantly.

Notable drivers who made excellent use of the changing conditions were Steve Gugenheim, who drove from his ninth-place starting position to fifth, and Peter Heffring, who drove from sixth at the start to a brief third, prior to settling back to fourth at the finish.

As the checkered flag was thrown, it was Aaron Elsner (Summersfield, NC), Ben Sinnott (Fairfield, CT), and Tyson Bytzek (King City, ON) taking the podium positions, respectively.

The action heats up again in August, with the Spec:RaceAtom presented by Honda Racing/HPD series moving to the technical, and twisty, VIR North Course for Races 5 and 6 on August 18-19.

Founded in 1996, Team Honda Research –West (THR-W) is the officially sanctioned employee road-racing team of Honda R & D Los Angeles. The team, which undertakes its racing efforts as an after-hours activity, is comprised entirely of Honda associates who strive to exhibit in themselves and their vehicles the challenging spirit first demonstrated by company founder Soichiro Honda.

The team (and its sister team, THR-Ohio), is an expression of the racing spirit that is a fundamental part of the Honda DNA. Operating under the mantra, “We develop what we race, and race what we develop,” THR-W strives to translate lessons learned on the track into new-vehicle development as part of the “fun-to-drive” character found in Honda products. The fact that Honda associates are themselves enthusiasts and racers is an indication that they have the interests of enthusiasts in mind when they bring new vehicles to market.

In 2011, THR-W approached Gary Robinson (Acura Public Relations Manager) with a proposal to campaign two Acura ILXs in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, as a way of showcasing Acura racing spirit and durability. THR-W focuses on endurance racing because of the teamwork, strategy and durability that is required to succeed. The team aspect of endurance racing gives many associates an opportunity to work together outside of their normal development roles.

Honda R & D associates foster relationships and expand their skills from endurance racing which can be directly applied to developing fun-to-drive and dependable road cars. Because the ILX is built in Indiana, it seemed like a great platform for THR-W, because the team could work with the factory and local development experts on the campaign.

The initial concept calls for an evolution of the traditional THR-W livery in signature Acura colors.

THR-W has taken delivery of two new Acura ILX bodies-in-white (HPDTX7001 and HPDTX7002) produced at the Honda Manufacturing Indiana facility specifically for THR-W and Honda Performance Development (HPD).

With the collaboration of Solo Motorsports, the two chassis arrived at HRA Los Angeles reinforced with a bespoke CAD-designed roll cage.

Today, the two Acura race cars met their production donor vehicles, and the ground-up build has begun.


Please be sure to check the Honda Racing/HPD blog for updates about the build over the coming weeks, as THR-W and its two Acura ILXs head toward the 10th annual 25 Hours of Thunderhill!

Additional information about the team can be found at http://thrw.hra.com/

My name is Jim Goughary, and I raced a Piper-Honda Formula F in the 2011 U.S. F1600 Championship.

I’ve raced a bunch of stuff – most recently in the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series. But most of my career has been in ‘spec’ cars, both of the sports racer and open-wheel variety. The F1600 Championship is anything but ‘spec,’ featuring a variety of chassis and, with the introduction of the Honda Fit engine to the Formula F class – both at the amateur and professional levels – a choice of power plants, too.

Years ago, when I was racing a ‘spec’ formula car, I got involved with a company called Raceworks out of Gainesville, Ga. While I had previously owned my own car, doing a deal with Raceworks made more financial sense. I ended up winning two SCCA Club Racing National Championships with them. After that, I competed in GT-1 and Trans-Am. Then I found myself with nothing to do for 2011.

I got a call out of the blue from Raceworks. They had just ordered a brand-new Piper chassis with a Honda engine for Formula F. They wanted to know if I wanted to race it. I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ It turned out pretty well for us, with a victory in the opening race at Virginia International Raceway and a third-place finish in the championship.

Going in, we expected that it was going to be an uphill battle, because we’d heard that the air restrictor that SCCA had chosen for the new engine was a little on the small side. But we also knew that, the more people that raced the Honda, the quicker we could get SCCA to equalize the class and give the car the right restrictor. We took the car to an early-season double National at Sebring International Raceway. The car hadn’t even seen the track yet. We poured a seat for it when we got there, and we raced the next day. We did OK, but we were well off the track record. I feel like we got up to speed relatively quickly, but we clearly had a tough battle ahead of us.

When the new class for the pro series was announced – sanctioned by SCCA, but using different rules – it offered a clear avenue for us, because the SCCA committed to equalizing the engines pretty quickly. It’s pretty close now. We’re able to run up front and with most of the Ford engines, only losing ground to the very best.

While the class isn’t the ‘spec’ variety that I’m used to, there is a similarity. In ‘spec’ classes, you take the engine out of the equation. That’s actually almost the case with the Honda Fit engine in Formula F, because there’s virtually nothing you do with the motor other than start and drive it. There’s nothing that goes wrong with it. For the guys that we’ve talked to that have a lot of time on it …Mike Scanlan, for instance, has well over 4,000 race miles on his engine … it’s never missed a beat. The fuel injection is nice because there’s no worrying about the air density or tuning the carburetor. It allows you to focus on driving.

I enjoyed racing the F1600 Championship. It’s extremely well-organized and the guys in charge make really good, common-sense decisions at the track. These guys are at the top of their game and they’ve got good venues. I also love it from a sheer driving standpoint. It’s hard not to run at ten-tenths the whole time if you want to be up front.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the series is the support from Honda. Tom Grosart from Honda Performance Development was at every single race to help diagnose any problems that came up. He was a big help throughout the season. And at Mid-Ohio – which might be considered Honda’s home track in the U.S. because of their several Ohio manufacturing facilities, including the plant in Marysville – American Honda brought its IndyCar Series catering bus and served lunch to every competitor in the paddock throughout the weekend. That was a nice touch. There’s also the contingency money available, which can really help.

For 2012, I’m working with a new team, BlackWatch Racing Group, driving a Honda-powered Van Diemen. We contested the first SCCA National race of the year at Sebring and fared well, now that SCCA has given the Honda engine a larger restrictor. Our chances look really good for the F1600 Championship and SCCA National Racing.

The 2012 Spec:RaceAtom Series Presented by Honda Racing/HPD is in full swing, with Race 1 and Race 2 in the books. The season opener was greeted by fantastic weather, great track conditions, and an excited group of racers ready to hit the track.

The Virginia International Raceway South Course was the location for both races. This 1.65-mile course is very well-suited to the quick and nimble SRA racecars, providing some of the closest racing action in series history.

Race 1 took the green flag later in the day, just before 5 p.m., in what proved to be difficult conditions for many drivers, as track grip levels had changed from previous sessions. Ben Sinnott and David Chen quickly locked into a battle for third and fourth positions, while Aaron Elsner and Tyson Bytzek were pushing for the top spot. An error at the mid-point of the race cost Bytzek a shot at the win, as he dropped to fifth in the running order. Bytzek would eventually push himself back into the third position. After 16 laps of caution-free racing, the checkered flag fell with Elsner, Chen, Bytzek, Sinnott, and Christian Shield filling the top five finishing positions.

Race 2 was held under hot, sunny conditions, which provided some heated battles. The green flag fell at 2:12 p.m. with the #09 of Tyson Bytzek jumping to an early lead and Aaron Elsner and David Chen hot on his trail. Lap 3 saw a brief change in position at the front end of the field, as Elsner got a run coming onto the main straight. Bytzek quickly put himself back in the front spot on Lap 4. Great racing took place throughout the field with the 10th, 11th, and 12th-place drivers consistently running lap times within 100ths-of-a-second of each other. Sixteen laps of racing once again went caution-free and provided a first-time winner to the SRA series, with Tyson Bytzek beating Aaron Elsner to the line by 1.034 seconds. The top five finishers for Race 2 were Bytzek, Elsner, Chen, Shield, and Lee Watterworth.

Close racing has become a common theme in the Spec:RaceAtom series; Race 2 saw the fastest lap times of the top three competitors separated by only 0.03 seconds!

Fastest South Course Race Lap: Aaron Elsner 1:13.90 (Race 1)

Race 3 and Race 4 of the Spec:RaceAtom Series Presented by Honda Racing/HPD will be held July 14-15, on the fast and flowing Virginia International Raceway Full Course.

Professional Formula F racing has ramped up throughout North America during the past month, with Honda-powered open-wheel racers competing in two Canada series, as well as in California and Connecticut in the U.S. The category continues to expand following the introduction of the Honda L15A7 Formula F engine in 2010.

Formula F at the Canadian Grand Prix

The Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600 made its traditional, featured stop at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the center of Montreal for back-to-back race days in support of the June 8-10 Canadian Grand Prix.

More than 30 Formula F drivers contributed to a pair of event-filled races on the Ile Notre Dame, with defending champion Nathan Blok and former series title-holder Olivier Bonnet splitting the victories. On Saturday, Bonnet took the win in his Vector Ford after Blok was penalized for passing under a yellow flag. Garrett Grist was second in his Bryan Herta Autosport Mygale Honda.

On Sunday, Blok and Bonnet continued their intense duel. But in this race, it was Bonnet who was penalized for on-track misconduct, which resulted in Blok taking the win. Matt Di Leo, making a one-off appearance during a break from his Star Mazda program, finished second.

Significant changes made to the Formula Tour 1600 series for 2012 include the addition of the Honda L15A7 Formula F engine alongside the traditional Kent power plant, and a switch to Toyo R888 tires for all competitors.

The Quebec-based series opened its season in May with the first of three doubleheader race weekends at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, where Blok and Xavier Coupal traded race victories and series rookie Jean-Philippe Jodoin made his Honda-powered Formula F debut with a third-place finish in Saturday’s race.

The Formula Tour 1600 now returns to Mont Tremblant for Rounds 5-6 of the12-race championship on July 7-8. The series website can be found at http://www.siteformulatour1600.com/.

Formula F Super Series at Auto Club Speedway

In California, the Corsa Car Care Presents the Pacific Formula F Super Series held a pair of races at the 2.9-mile Auto Club Speedway road course in Fontana for Rounds 7-8 of the 12-race championship.

Conner Ford and Ed Erlandson had another of their frequent battles for supremacy in Saturday’s race, with Ford’s Honda-powered Mygale edging Erlandson’s Swift-Kent by less than a second in the run to the checkers. Neil Roberts rounded out the top three finishers in his Swift DB-6 Honda.

Sunday’s race featured another slipstreaming run from Turn 4 of the oval track to the finish, with Ethan Shippert taking the victory over Ford, while Erlandson recovered from an early-race spin to round out the top three finishers.

With six victories this season, Ford holds a healthy lead in the drivers’ championship, with 250 points to 149 points for Erlandson. Piper Honda racer Sage Marie is third with 97 points, followed by Roberts with 64 points.

Next up for the Pacific Formula F Super Series is the September 8-9 doubleheader weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway. More information on the series is available at www.pacificF2000.com.

Toyo Tires F1600 Championship at Shannonville

The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship – formerly known as the Ontario Formula Ford Championship – continued its 2012 season May 26-27 at Shannonville Raceway.

As in the Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600, Honda engines and spec Toyo tires are now included in the Toyo F1600 Championship, and the modern, fuel-injected 1.5-liter Honda is permitted to compete alongside the 1.6-liter overhead valve Kent engine. Veteran racers Steve Bamford and Caitlin Johnston are among the first to race the Honda in Canada, Bamford in a new Mygale and Johnston in her trusty Van Diemen chassis.

At Shannonville, Michael Adams extended his championship lead with a perfect two wins from two starts, but neither was a runaway victory. On Saturday, both former series champion Shane Jantzi and Bamford supplied the pressure, while, just a bit further back, Johnston fought with impressive series rookie Jack Mitchell, Jr.

Eventually, Adams pulled out a slight advantage to claim his second win of 2012, followed by Jantzi and Bamford. Mitchell finished fourth, just ahead of Johnston.

On Sunday, Jantzi started from the pole, but Adams battled back and the pair exchanged the lead several times before Adams took the win to complete his clean sweep of the weekend. In a repeat performance from the previous day, Mitchell and Johnston renewed their battle – this time for third place – but once again, it was the rookie Mitchell coming out on top.

After four of eight races, Adams leads the title fight with 388 points to 354 for Jantzi, with Honda-powered racers Bamford and Johnston third and fourth with 294 and 282 points, respectively. The Toyo F1600 championship resumes this weekend, June 22-24, at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly Mosport Park). More information can be found at http://www.offcseries.com/.

F1600 Formula F Championship Series Thrills at Lime Rock Park

Back in the eastern U.S., the F1600 Formula F Championship Series conducted its second race weekend of 2012 May 25-26 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

In Race 1, budding Formula F star Matias Koykka started from the pole and never looked back, leading all 30 laps to score his second win of the young season in his Cape Motorsports Spectrum Honda.

It was a textbook perfect race for the 17-year-old Finnish karting graduate, as Koykka led every lap and set the fastest race lap en route to the victory over Brandon Newey’s Mygale Honda, with the Citation Honda of Jeremy Grenier rounding out the top three finishers.

In Saturday’s second race of the weekend, it was Newey on top at the finish for his second victory of 2012. Newey, a 19-year-old Indianapolis native and Purdue University freshman, wheeled a Bryan Herta Autosport Mygale to first place at the checkers.

As in the weekend opener, Newey and Koykka dueled throughout the opening laps in the 20-lap run. But this time, it was Newey’s car that proved stronger in the second half of the race as he eventually pulled away from Koykka, who ultimately dropped to ninth after contact with a lapped car. Grenier finished a career-best second, while Joe Colasacco rounded out the victory podium by virtue of a third-place finish in his Van Diemen Honda.

After four of twelve races, Newey leads the championship with 181 points, followed by Grenier at 139 and Koykka with 137. The series continues with Rounds Five and Six, June 29-July 1 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Additional information on the F1600 Formula F Championship Series can be found at http://www.f1600series.com/.

Winners Wear Red

It’s a Honda Racing/HPD tradition: the red cam cover that signifies commitment to excellence and performance. Red cam covers have been found on Honda Racing Indy car engines since HPD began Championship Auto Racing Teams competition in 1994.

Today, HPD employs red cam or valve covers on its entire line of racing engines, from pinnacle efforts in the IZOD IndyCar Series and World Endurance Championship to grassroots karting and club racing programs.

As a “thank you” to Honda-powered Formula F racers, complimentary red cam covers have been shipped by Honda Performance Development to drivers and teams running the Honda L15A7 engine in North America. It is HPD’s aim to make the competition “see red” at every opportunity!

For the second time in three attempts, Honda Performance Development has won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the American-based Starworks Racing claiming the category victory in its first Le Mans start.

Starworks, which earlier this year won LMP2 at the 12 Hours of Sebring, made it’s 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in the most impressive way possible, with drivers Ryan Dalziel, Tom Kimber-Smith and Enzo Potolicchio piloting their HPD ARX-03b to a seventh overall finish, one lap ahead of the next LMP2 entry.

In 2010, HPD’s first attempt at Le Mans, it was British-based Strakka Racing winning LMP2 in its HPD ARX-01c with a commanding margin of seven laps and LMP2 record fifth overall finish.  This year’s race was far more dramatic, but just as rewarding for HPD.

Starting ninth in LMP2 and 22^nd overall after electing to focus on race preparation rather than making an outright qualifying run, the Starworks trio also made a conservative start to the 24-hour endurance racing classic.  But by the six-hour mark, the team had moved into the top-10 overall and third in LMP2.  As night settled over the Circuit de la Sarthe, LMP2 settled into a multi-car battle between the HPD and several Nissan-powered teams

But three hours later, at midnight, the Starworks HPD ARX-03b chassis and HPD HR28TT twin-turbo V6 engine combination was in the LMP2 lead and – although challenged for the remaining 12 hours by several Nissan-powered teams – Starworks was more than capable of defending it’s hard-won advantage, and maintained a steady, if narrow lead for the remaining 12 hours to take the LMP2 victory over TDS Racing.  

For the first time, HPD also fielded a pair of entries in the headline LMP1 class, utilizing the new ARX-03a chassis and normally aspirated HR-LM V8 engine.  Strakka Racing moved up from LMP2 for 2012 and driver Danny Watts qualified the new combination seventh overall on Thursday, fastest of the “privateer” teams doing battle with the full manufacturer-supported teams from Audi and Toyota.  Another British team, JRM Motorsports, started 11^th in their ARX-03a.

JRM had a steady run in their first Le Mans attempt, after winning the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2011.  The driving trio of David Brabham, Karun Chandhok and Peter Dumbreck moved into the top-10 in the opening hours, and seventh overall at the 16-hour mark.  Other than a few minor delays, JRM pressed on for an excellent sixth-place finish, behind only the four “works” entries from the winning Audi effort and the first of two Rebellion entries.

Meanwhile, for Strakka, it was a drama-filled 24 hours.  A transmission oil leak discovered shortly before the race start left drivers Jonny Kane, Nick Leventis and Watts still in their garage area as the green flag waved, with Kane finally starting 22 minutes later, six laps down on the leaders.  The team rapidly went to work making up that deficit, climbing through the GT field, making up 35 positions in the first six hours. 

At the 18-hour mark, Strakka was up to 10^th overall, behind JRM and the Lolas of Rebellion Racing in the battle for independent team honors.  But overheating issues slowed Strakka’s pace in the final hours, and the team settled for an eighth-place finish in LMP1.

HPD’s second LMP2 entry, the Level 5 Motorsports HPD effort of Christophe Bouchut, Luis Diaz and Scott Tucker, suffered early disappointment in its effort to build on a third-place class finish in 2011.  Communication problems during the night led to the car missing its scheduled pit stop, and running out of fuel midway around the eight-mile circuit. Unable to make it back to pit lane, the ARX-03b was retired.

Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans:  “What an incredible day.  I believe Starworks has confirmed their status as a world-class racing team, their effort both here at Le Mans and earlier this year at Sebring is a real testament to [team owner] Peter Baron’s dedication and ability; as well as the skill and hard work from everyone in Starworks organization.  We are proud to have them as a partner.  All four of our teams put in an outstanding effort this year, with Strakka’s exciting early-race charge and the consistent race-long performance from JRM Racing just two of the highlights.  Level 5 also again produced a very competitive effort prior to their unfortunate problem.  Congratulations to all of our teams for their efforts, and to everyone at HPD and our technical partner Wirth Research on our second LMP2 victory in just three starts.  We’re already looking forward to defending our win here next year!”