Buddy Rice backed up his pole position performance with a dominating drive to win the 88th Indianapolis 500 in what turned out to be a Honda benefit at 16th & Georgetown.

In a race shortened 20 laps by violent thunderstorms, the rain couldn’t deny Rice’s reign, as the 28-year-old native of Phoenix led 91 laps in his Argent/Pioneer G-Force to score Honda’s initial triumph in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for Rahal Letterman Racing.

So decisive was Honda’s month-long dominance that it swept the top seven spots at Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Bryan Herta, Bruno Junqueira, Vitor Meira and Adrian Fernandez trailed Rice under the checkered flag.

“We were strong all month and we knew it, and I can’t begin to thank Honda enough,” said Rice, who was filling in for the injured Kenny Brack but now has a steady job the rest of 2004. “My car was perfect and Scott (Roembke, team manager) made all the right calls on fuel and my pit crew was fantastic. I thought we had a couple of these deals won but we had little mishaps that weren’t our fault so this just feels great.”

The lone scare of his race came with Buddy stalled on a Lap 94 pit stop and dropped back to 16th.

“We had a little issue on one of the stops but these guys have been fighting hard all year,” he reasoned. “We knew traffic was going to be a problem but there was no reason to panic because we were only halfway through the race so I wasn’t concerned. I knew I had a great car under me.”

He flexed his muscles on a Lap 138 restart by charging from sixth to first in 14 laps. “Once I got back in front, I caught a couple of breaks in traffic. I made a late pass on somebody and that got Tony bottled up and gave me a little cushion,” said Rice, who owned a three-second lead when the skies opened up.

The only other drivers to keep Rice honest all afternoon were Andretti Green Racing teammates Kanaan and Wheldon, but both conceded the right guy would up in Victory Lane.

“Buddy was much stronger today and I thought he deserved it,’ said Kanaan, who led 28 laps in the 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda.

Wheldon paced 26 circuits in his Jim Beam/Klein Tools Dallara/Honda and tipped his cap to the polesitter. “You’ve got to hang it out to win it and Buddy certainly did it today. Other than somebody from our team, you couldn’t have a better winner than him.”

Herta, in the XM Satellite Radio Dallara/Honda, gave Andretti Green Racing a 2-3-4 performance and the 2002 Indy Polesitter Junqueira came home fifth in the Newman/Haas Racing PacifiCare G-Force/Honda.

Meira gave Rahal Letterman a solid sixth place in the Team Centrix G-Force/Honda while Fernandez started sixth and would up seventh in the Quaker State-Tecate-Telmex G-Force/Honda.

Herta pretty much summed up the overall feeling of Gasoline Alley. “It was a great result for our team and for Honda,” he said. “But Buddy had the fastest car and won the race. That’s the way the Indy 500 is supposed to be.”

THR-W drivers Matt Staal and Lee Niffenegger continued their 2012 SCCA National season with a pair of class wins at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in their Honda Racing/HPD BFGoodrich machines.  Staal ran uncontested in his Touring 3 Honda S2000 CR to claim valuable first-place points and complete his qualifications for the 2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs.  Niffenegger bested two other competitors in Showroom Stock B (SSB) to win the prized BFGoodrich Super Tour event on Sunday after missing the Saturday portion of the Double National.

The Sunday event consisted of a late-morning qualifying session, followed by a late-afternoon race.  The schedule worked out well for Niffenegger, who returned at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning from Miami, Florida after performing his official duties as HPD’s representative to the Grand-Am series and teams.  Teammate Staal raced Saturday as well, finishing second in T3, and already had most of the support equipment at the track.

“I can’t thank the THR-W team members enough,” said Niffenegger.  “Matt and I prepped the car prior to my travels to Miami.  The rest of the team hooked up the trailer and loaded the car so I could jump in and go upon my return in the wee hours of the morning.”

Qualifying went without a hitch, as Staal continued to push the envelope in his adaptation to the rear-wheel-driven S2000.  Niffenegger grabbed pole in SSB and the pair then went about its preparations for the afternoon session.

In the race, Staal spent his time chasing a T2 class competitor setting his fastest times of the weekend.  Niffenegger pulled away from the other SSB competitors to post his third race win of the season.

 “This was my second weekend racing the Honda S2000, which gave me more confidence to reach the upper limits of the car.” said Staal.  “I am very grateful to my teammates at THR in Ohio for the opportunity to campaign the S2000 at the Nationals.  I am also looking forward to the intense competition at the Runoffs at Road America in September.”

The SCCA Southern Pacific Division Nationals season continues on the weekend of June 9-10 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. 

Peter Cunningham and his RealTime Racing Acura TSX fought off a determined challenge from the Porsche Cayman S of veteran Jack Baldwin to win the GTS class at the Laguna Seca on May 12, in the fourth round of the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge.

The victory was the first for Cunningham since switching to Acura V6 power at the start of the season, and moved both driver and manufacturer to the top of the GTS championship standings.

In the Touring Car class, it was Todd Lamb coming through to post his second class victory of the season aboard his Compass360 Honda Civic Si, also taking over the drivers’ championship points lead and moving Honda to the top of the TC manufacturers’ championship.

GTS

Starting from the GTS pole for the fourth time this year, Cunningham fell back to second behind Baldwin on the opening lap, but regained the advantage on the second lap. From there, Cunningham was never headed, but Baldwin was relentless in his pursuit, finishing less than a half-second behind at the checkers. Nick Esayian finished fourth in the second RealTime Acura V6.

“I was pleased we had such good speed at the start,” Cunningham said. “We were able to get a good run out of [Turn] Six. We went side-by-side up the hill and we touched a little, but ended up in the lead. From there, it was a controlled pace for awhile. I could do my laps and still be nice to the tires. Then two yellows. Of course, we’ve been there before so we know what can happen. The first restart was great, and I had a good advantage after the first lap. Then the yellow came out again. After the second restart, Jack was coming and he was doing a great job and pressuring pretty hard and I managed to just stay ahead of him to the checker.”

Touring Car

In TC, Lamb started second, but moved around pole qualifier Tristan Herbert’s Volkswagen GTi at the start. Lamb led for the entire race, but was challenged mid-race by the GTi of Jeff Altenburg. Late in the contest, Lamb was able to put a lapped car between his Civic Si and Altenburg’s car, giving him the margin needed for his second TC win of 2012. Teammate Shea Holbrook finished fourth in her Truecar Civic Si for Compass360.

“It was a great [championship] points day,” Lamb said at the finish. “It’s nice to win races, but we’re here to win the championship for Honda, and taking over the points lead today is a huge step forward.”

The Pirelli World Challenge Championships next travel to the streets of Belle Isle Park for the Detroit Grand Prix, June 1-3, with live timing and scoring available at www.world-challenge.com. The Laguna Seca round of the Pirelli World Challenge Championships will be televised on the NBC Sports Network, Sunday, May 27, at 11 p.m. EDT.

B-Spec, a new and more affordable form of Touring Car racing, made its professional debut April 28-29 with multiple events on both the East Coast and in the Western U.S. At Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, Honda’s Sage Marie led a 1-2 finish for Honda in his B-Spec Fit in Sunday’s weekend finale.

An eight-car field, including a pair of Honda Fits, was on the grid at Miller for the inaugural three B-Spec races held as part of the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge weekend. Across the country, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, another eight B-Spec machines turned up for the first “Sportsman Showcase” B-Spec race as part of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Challenge Series.

Marie finished fourth in both of the two races on Saturday at Miller, as he dialed in the handling of his B-Spec Fit. Connor Ford, driving a second Fit in addition to racing in the companion Formula F races, finished fifth in the opener, but did not start the second round.

On Sunday, Marie was part of a four-car battle for the lead in the early laps, but then pulled away to a 3.354-second margin of victory as the others challenged for what became second place. Ford’s Fit prevailed in that battle, just ahead of the Fiesta of Craig Capaldi and Jonathan Start’s Fiat 500, to make it a 1-2 finish for Honda.

“It’s good for Honda Performance Development, it’s good for Honda and it’s good for the class,” Marie said after scoring his first B-Spec victory. “All the difference in the world today, with some fresh tires up front and some [air] pressure changes. The Pirellis worked much, much better today, and made it much easier to balance the car and put down some good, consistent lap times.

“I watched those guys battle behind me, the three of them, and I loved watching them battle back-and-forth, because I was just notching away tenths of a second each lap. I’m very happy,” Marie continued.

“The Fit's top-in-class performance on the track demonstrates that its versatility extends well beyond great packaging and fuel economy,” commented Michael Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations for American Honda.

In addition to the pair of Honda Fits, the eight-car B-Spec field at Miller included a pair of Ford Fiestas, two Kia Rios, a Fiat 500 and a Mazda2. All entries use stock engines and chassis, fitted with a competition roll cage, competition seat and other safety equipment, and manufacturer-approved suspension components, tires and wheels. Weights and other variables are used to balance competition between the manufacturers, and the target cost for a race-ready car is $25,000-$30,000.

“It’s amazing right how close these cars are right out of the box,” Marie noted. “The first time, you can’t get much better than that. Everybody raced clean, and I have to thank my fellow drivers out there for some good racing.”

 B-Spec racing will continue this season at select events in both the SCCA and Grand-Am series. In addition, the category will be part of the Canadian Touring Car Championship and is approved for competition in SCCA Club Racing.

Conner Ford took over the 2012 Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series championship points lead with a pair of victories April 28-29 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

Ford and his PR1 Honda Mygale were untouchable at Miller, qualifying on the pole for both races, leading series rookie Tommy Boileau home on Saturday; and heading Sage Marie, another first-time Formula F competitor, to the checkers in Sunday’s race.

Ford’s pair of wins at Miller, combined with a win at the Willow Springs season opener, have vaulted him to an early-season lead in the Pacific Formula F Super Series standings, with 129 points to 57 for Ed Erlandson, who won the second of the two Willow rounds last month, but did not make the trip to Miller for Rounds 3-4.

On Saturday, Ford went flag-to-flag for the victory over Boileau, a second-generation Honda racer and SCCA Showroom and Touring car veteran, who was making his open-wheel racing debut in a Honda-powered Piper Formula F.

In Sunday’s second round, Ford again dominated, recording his third victory in four starts this year and turning the tables on Marie, who earlier in the day had led Ford to a 1-2 finish for their Honda Fits in the new B-Spec race series at Miller.

Next up for the Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series is the May 19-20 doubleheader weekend at California’s Buttonwillow Raceway. More information on this exciting series is available at www.pacificF2000.com. Meanwhile, the eastern U.S.-based F1600 Formula F Championship Series resumes its own 10-race season May 25-26 at Lime Rock Park.

Strong fields featuring several potential stars of the future grabbed the headlines April 14-15 as the F1600 Formula F Championship Series kicked off its 2012 season at Virginia International Raceway.

The doubleheader race weekend featured a pair of thrilling finishes, including a four-abreast charge to the checkers on Saturday and a battle between young teammates on Sunday decided by just hundredths of a second.

Nearly a third of the 20-car starting field was made up of drivers under the age of 18, including a half-dozen karting graduates from the United States, Canada, Finland and Brazil. 

In Saturday’s season-opening race, Finland’s Matias Koykka gave the Australian-built Spectrum-Honda it’s first US Formula F victory, prevailing in a four-wide charge to the finish line.  Driving for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing, the 17-year-old karting graduate just edged second-year F1600 race Colin Thompson. 

 

With the 18-year-old Thompson in a Swift-Honda, Brandon Newey made it three different Honda-powered chassis in the top three positions as he rounded out the podium in his Bryan Herta Autosport Mygale, just ahead of teammate and Canadian FF graduate Garett Grist.  Just 0.87 seconds covered the first four finishers. 

The excitement continued in Sunday’s race 2, as Newey scored his first win, and the first American victory for the Mygale-Honda combination, after edging out teammate Grist by just 0.021 in another side-by-side finish.

Thompson rounded out the podium in third in an impressive charge through the field after an early-race spin.  Joe Colasacco finished fourth in his Van Diemen-Honda, while for the second consecutive day veteran FF racer Art Foster led the Ford-powered field across the finish, in fifth with his Van Diemen.  He finished sixth in Saturday’s opening race.

The introduction of the Honda L15A7 engine into Formula F has induced karters to move up and challenge themselves in automotive competition.  The engine’s relatively low per-mile running costs have made car racing more affordable than ever before.  This past weekend, the Honda Fit-based Formula F engine was found in six different chassis, ranging from the new Spectrum and Mygales to the popular Swift and Van Diemen.  Even Andy Brumbaugh’s 30-year-old Crossle 35F was converted from Ford to Honda power for the 2012 season.

The 10-race, eastern U.S.-based F1600 Formula F Championship Series continues with Rounds 3-4 at the historic Lime Rock Park circuit on May 24-26.  On the west coast, the Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series continues with its second double-header race weekend of 2012 April 26-29 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

Dave King served American Honda Power Equipment in several capacities during his 29 year tenure with the company; District Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Sr. Engine DSM and Sr. OEM Rep. Dave shared a long relationship with Quarter Midgets of America, working with every tech director elected in QMA since 1994 and attending most, if not all of the Grand Nationals since Honda was introduced as a QMA engine. Dave believed in quarter midget racing and supported the sport through his time and efforts over the last 17 years. Dave was instrumental in helping HPD bring the Honda Racing spirit to Quarter Midget racing.  Dave was looking forward to his pending retirement next month.

Dave was a great asset to American Honda Motors and will be dearly missed.  Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

THR-W drivers Sage Marie and Lee Niffenegger kicked off their 2012 SCCA national season with a 1-2 finish in a pair of identical Honda Racing/HPD BFGoodrich Honda Fit machines prepared for the new B-Spec class. Additionally, THR-W drivers Calvin Liu and Derek Ferretti started the season strong with a 1-2 finish in the same cars at a regional race held the same weekend. Notably, these events coincided with the sales launch of the HPD-developed B-Spec kit, now available through the Honda Racing Line.

Heavy rain during Saturday’s qualifying sessions gave the nimble and forgiving B-Spec Honda Fits a distinct advantage, allowing all four drivers to qualify ahead of some much faster Corvettes that shared their competition groups. “I think these cars are every bit as fun in the wet as they are in the dry,” commented Liu, “Maybe more.” Ultimately, Liu would post the fastest time in regional qualifying, while Niffenegger would post the fastest time in national qualifying.

Ferretti was able to stay within several seconds of Liu through the entire regional event and eventually placed second to Liu after both drivers encountered fierce battles with other cars in their run group.

The national race was characterized by dry, clear conditions and a close nose-to-tail battle between Marie and Niffenegger. Marie was able to squeak by Niffenegger through use of the draft, but Niffenegger remained glued to his bumper. Ultimately a passing Corvette in a tight section of the track mixed things up enough to create a small gap. With such closely matched cars at a fast track like Fontana, passing becomes virtually impossible without benefit of the draft, and Marie maintained his position for the win.

“This weekend served as a great validation of the B-Spec concept,” said Niffenegger. “Now that the cars can run in SCCA, World Challenge and Grand-Am in the same configuration, we’re confident the 2012 season will see a great deal of wheel-to-wheel battles in both the club and pro racing ranks.”

The 2012 Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series opened its season with a doubleheader race weekend at Willow Springs Raceway north of Los Angeles, with series newcomer Conner Ford and veteran West Coast FF racer Ed Erlandson each claiming a victory.

The five-car Formula F field was an encouraging start for the 10-race 2012 season, and included two Honda-powered entries, the Mygale Honda for Ford, fielded by PR1 Racing, and the Piper Honda entered and driven by Mike Simpson.

In Saturday’s opening round, Ford’s near-record lap was more than enough to claim the pole, with Erlandson starting on the outside of the front row. Simpson qualified third, as the oval-track Midget veteran adapted himself to his just-acquired, Honda-powered Piper DF5.

Ford was unchallenged in Race 1, as he steadily pulled away from the field to a six-second victory over Erlandson’s Swift DB-6 Ford. Simpson followed in third.

As often happens in the California high desert, the weather changed overnight, and the Formula F field was greeted by much cooler temperatures and higher winds, gusting up to 30-40 mph, for Sunday morning’s qualifying session. However, the top three were unchanged from the previous day, with Ford claiming his second pole of the weekend, followed by Erlandson and Simpson.

The winds calmed down substantially for the race, leading to an action-filled event. Once again, Ford took the lead at the start, while Simpson jumped ahead of Erlandson, giving Honda the top two positions early. But on Goodyear tires, Erlandson was not to be denied, as the veteran hauled in the Hoosier-shod cars of both Simpson and Ford to claim his first victory of 2012. Ford held on for second, with Simpson rounding out the top three for the second time during the weekend.

Next up for the Corsa Car Care presents Pacific Formula F Super Series is the April 26-29 doubleheader weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. More information on this series is available at www.pacificF2000.com.

Meanwhile, the eastern U.S.-based F1600 Formula F Championship Series starts its own 10-race season April 12-15 at VIRginia International Raceway.

The 2012 Pirelli World Challenge season got off to a promising start at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for both the RealTime Racing Acura TSX V-6 of Peter Cunningham and the Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si of Todd Lamb, as both scored a pair of second-place finishes during the doubleheader season-opening weekend.

The off-season switch to V-6 power paid dividends for the RealTime duo of Cunningham and teammate Nick Esayian, as the pair found their Acura NSXs on a much more equal footing with the V8-powered Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro competition in the GTS category.

Saturday - Race One

Starting second and fifth in GTS, Cunningham and Esayian avoided the early-lap carnage that resulted when a 47-car starting field squeezed into the confines of a 1.8-mile temporary circuit. After leading early, Cunningham finished second to the Mustang of Justin Bell following a fierce battle that was only halted by a race-ending caution flag. After running as high as fourth, contact with another GTS car sent Esayian into the wall and out of the race with suspension damage on Lap 6.

In TC, Lamb started and finished second in his Compass360 Honda, while fellow Civic racer Anthony Rapone rounded out the class podium with a third-place finish in his Durabond Racing Honda. The Civic Si is proving to be a popular choice in the always-competitive TC class. No fewer than seven of the 14 entries in the class are Civic Si’s.

Sunday – Race Two

In Sunday’s race, Cunningham started from the GTS pole, while Esayian rocketed from 14th on the grid to fifth on the opening lap. By mid-race, Cunningham and Bell had renewed their battle from the previous day, with Bell again just able to hold off the Acura at the checkers. Esayian bounced back from his difficulties on Saturday to finish a strong fifth in class.

The TC race also saw a repeat performance from the opening round, with Michael Cooper again claiming the class victory and Lamb leading the Honda contingent with another second-place result.

Next Up

Rounds One and Two of the Pirelli World Challenge Championships at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will air on the NBC Sports Network, Sunday, April 8, at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

The Pirelli World Challenge Championships next travel to the streets of Long Beach, Calif., for the Long Beach Grand Prix presented by StopTech, April 13 – 15. The races will air live on http://www.world-challengetv.com/ April 14 and 15, at 7:15 p.m. EDT, with live timing and scoring available at http://www.world-challenge.com/.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) will support the 2012 Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) with contingency offerings in the Super and Touring classes, as well as the new B-Spec category. Contingency monies will will be paid to first- through third-place finishers who campaign a Honda or Acura in the Super or Touring classes, or a Honda Fit in the B-Spec class, during the 2012 CTCC season. Additionally, HPD will reward championship-winning drivers in all classes during the 2012 CTCC season.

"Honda and Acura models have been well-represented in CTCC since our first event six years ago," noted John Bondar, President of Canadian Touring Car Championship. "They have been Champions in both Super Class and Touring Class, and I look forward to their challenge for supremacy in the B-Spec Class."

“Honda is proud to make fun cars that people really enjoy,” said Marc Sours, general manager of HPD. "Racing has always been very popular in Canada, and HPD is pleased to be a part of the exciting Canadian racing community."

Administered by HPD, the contingency payout structure will reward first, second- and third-place finishers in the Super and Touring classes, as follows:

Payout	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
Parts Credit - All Honda/Acura	$ 250	$ 125	$ 75
Cash Award - 2012 Civic Si only	$ 1,000	$ 750	$ 500

Driver Champion Bonus:  $ 2,500 Cash for 2012 Civic Si; $ 1,000 HPD Credit (all other models)

Additionally, HPD’s contingency payout structure will reward first, second- and third-place finishers with cash prizes in the B-Spec class, as follows:

Payout	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
10 or more class starters	$ 500	$ 300	$ 125

Driver Champion Bonus:  $ 1,000

To be eligible for the HPD CTCC Contingency payout, competitors must be enrolled in the Honda Racing Line program and display the required “Honda Racing/HPD” and “H” decals on their race vehicles. Registration for the Honda Racing Line is available at http://racing.honda.com/hpd/race-for-honda/registration.aspx

All 2012 HPD CTCC Contingency Program award recipients will be able to use their parts credits toward Honda Racing Line purchases.

Team Honda Racing (THR) partnered with HPD to showcase the new B-Spec Fit developed specifically for Rally competition at the second round of the 2012 Rally-America National Championship. "We had heard some great things about The Rally in the 100-Acre Wood and we were excited to run the B-Spec Honda here." stated James Robinson, Honda engineer and driver for THR. "Considering the fast and dry conditions expected for the weekend, we expected to be flat out in the Fit!"

The Rally B-Spec Fit made its debut in 2012 Sno*Drift Rally, but was unable to finish due to an off-road excursion at the end of the first day of competition. "Of course, we were disappointed by the fact that we weren't able to finish the first round,” Robinson said, “especially since we were moving up the two-wheel-drive ranks, but we were able to prove out the setup we've developed and we were also able to get some valuable stage time to confirm the competitiveness of the platform. The damage we sustained was minor, so it was no trouble getting the car ready for The Rally in the 100-Acre Wood."

THR started the fast and flowing second round of the 2012 Rally-America Rally series with the Fit in hopes of shaking off the poor start to the season at Sno*Drift. After a cautious start to the race, the B-Spec Honda Fit was able to build up a six-minute lead over the Factory Ford Fiesta Production car, and move from a starting position of 38th on the road to 28th. "The Fit is well suited to these types of fast, smooth roads - it is very controllable and gives the driver confidence to stay in the throttle," said James at the end of the first day of competition.

Moving into the second day, the roads continued to prove fast and smooth. By the spectator Super Special Stages (Stages 11 and 12), the HPD Fit had extended its lead over the production Fiesta to 10 minutes. Said Robinson, "The roads here are fantastic! This is our first time to challenge this event, and the conditions couldn't be more perfect." Moving into the evening stages, the dust became a major factor, which caused many of the teams to slow their paces. The final stage saw the lead over the Ford B-Spec team extend to 11 minutes, which meant that the HPD / THR Honda Fit succeeded in completing its first full event with no mechanical issues. "We are very pleased with how the car handled the conditions here - between the lessons learned from Sno*Drift and this weekend, we feel confident that the B-Spec rally kit we are developing will be robust and competitive for future B-Spec entries," stated James, at the rally’s completion. "We're looking forward to the rest of the events this year … Look for the THR team and the HPD B-Spec Fit at the next round! "

My name is Greg Gauper and last year I raced a Honda Civic hatchback to the SCCA H Production title at the National Championship Runoffs at Road America.

Road America is my home track – it’s about an hour drive from my home and we were able to sleep in our own beds during the Runoffs, a nice bonus – and the track knowledge that comes with it was certainly an advantage. But I had an extra edge: I really know this track in the wet, and it rained during the H Production National Championship race.

Dick Gagliardi and fellow Honda racer Mike Moser are two of my closest competitors. They are in my Division and I get to race with them year-in and year-out. I’ve raced against Dick in the rain at other tracks, and Mike has an extensive ice-racing background. I did not expect that I would have as much of an advantage as I did in the wet. But I was really able to capitalize on my track knowledge to eke out a small advantage.

There was absolutely nobody that could touch me in the Carousel, the long, sweeping, slightly more-than-180-degree right-hander. In the race, I was the only one that was running right out to the white line. That’s where you have to have the confidence to run, because that’s where the grip is in the wet.

It’s intimidating, though, because if you make a mistake and run wide, there’s no room to recover. But it’s amazing how much difference there is in terms of traction. I was able to build up a gap in that area even though the other cars would gradually reel me in over the course of a lap. That was the difference in the race.

This was a trick I learned, not from driving, but rather from my many years of working corners at Road America as a flagger. Whenever I’ve flagged at the track and it has rained, I’ve made a habit of walking onto the track surface between sessions and scuffing my feet across the track to literally feel the surface. Over the years, I’ve made lots of mental notes as to where the track is slippery and where there is a lot of grip. I really feel this had as much to do with my success at the Runoffs as my driving ability.

Of course, my Honda Civic racecar was a big part of the winning equation as well. It started out as an Improved Touring C car, and I raced it that way until 2003, when I converted it to a G Production car. In the Production classes, it’s classified as a limited prep car, which means the modifications you can make are quite limited compared to the ’60s and ’70s roadsters that had made up the class historically. It was a mid-pack car until SCCA added weight and moved it to H Production, at the same time the G Production class was eliminated.

The Civic does well on some tracks; it’s not as good as a lighter, more nimble full-preparation H Production car like a Sprite, Midget or Spitfire at the tighter, more twisty tracks. But on a longer track like Road America, it does well. It holds its own, it’s been a fun car to drive and it’s absolutely bulletproof in terms of reliability. It is also very neutral and easy to drive in wet conditions. We just keep working on it year after year, trying to find a little bit more speed where we can.

It’s my second Honda racecar. The first was a 1984 CRX that was also my daily driver. I raced this car first in the Showroom Stock class, and later in Improved Touring. The car had minimal modifications and was still street-legal. This allowed me to drive it to the track, change the tires, race, and then hopefully, drive it home. I set racing aside for a few years; when I returned, it was time for a new chassis onto which I could bolt my existing parts, as our Midwest winters had taken their toll on the CRX. Enter my current Civic that has served me well for a more than a decade.

The Honda Racing Line program has been a big help. While the age of my car and the nature of the Production class make it hard to make use of parts discounts, we have certainly taken advantage of the contingency program. I greatly appreciate the support Honda has given to the racers at the grassroots level. It helps offset our expenses throughout the course of the year.

I look forward to using it again in 2012 while I pursue another National Championship.

Look for Greg Gauper in Central Division SCCA events and at the Runoffs as he seeks another H Production National Championship.

And if you’re a racer in a Honda or with Honda Power, don’t forget to register for the Honda Racing Line program at www.hondaracingline.com.

Honda Racing Line is proud to offer original equipment replacement parts, performance parts and crate engines to Honda and Acura grassroots racers in the entry-level through professional ranks.

In December 2010, Honda Performance Development announced its intention to work with other manufacturers to create a new segment of race cars called B-Spec, which would target the sub-compact market. B-Spec refers to all cars meeting a common set of rules , which can be adopted by any race circuit or sanctioning organization. Several sanctioning bodies have adopted B-Spec rules for classes from Club to Pro racing.

Designed to be an entry-level category, B-Spec cars feature showroom stock racing cars utilizing stock engines and chassis, fitted with competition roll cages, racing seats and other safety equipment; and manufacturer-approved suspension components, tires and wheels. For 2012, Honda Performance Development is offering the HPD/B-Spec kits, which include a coil-over kit, front and rear race springs, camber bolts, cat-back exhaust system, brake line set (braided stainless), front brake-pad set, air filter and air-conditioning delete belt.

“A cornerstone of our grassroots motorsports marketing initiative has been to establish a connection between Honda’s passenger cars and the racing cars that evolve from these models,” said HPD General Manager Marc Sours. “The B-Spec category provides a relatively low-cost means for the prospective racer to enter the sport, and the Honda Fit offers a natural point of entry. These are inexpensive, great-handling cars that should provide both excellent competition and help grow the sport at the entry level.”

About Honda Performance Development:

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Founded in 1993 and located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. HPD served as single engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series from 2006-2011 and 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 IndyCar and prototype sports cars to karting; for professional, amateur, and entry-level efforts.

For more information, please contact HPD at (661)702-7777.

I’m Brian Makse, and I race a Honda Civic in the National Auto Sport Association’s (N.A.S.A.) Performance Touring E class.

I recently won my first national championship at N.A.S.A.’s National Championships, held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. That was the culmination of four years of lots of hard work by me and many others. It’s impossible to recognize everyone, but I have to mention our crew chief, Sam Myers of Myers Motorsports, who looks after everything. He makes sure the cars are ready to race when they roll off the trailer. His prep work allowed us to go into the championships with the confidence to perform at the highest level.

The “us” I refer to is me and my friend Faisal Ahmad. We’ve been racing together since 2008 – the latest venture in two decades of on-and-off racing for me – when we bought a used Civic racecar. It took most of that first season to sort it out, but we finally got it sorted by that year’s national championships and won the qualifying race. Then, during a wet race, Faisal, who had been particularly strong in the wet, crashed the car heavily. I took it to a body shop in Columbus that had a frame rack and they straightened it out. I think the car was better after that! If I remember correctly, we qualified fourth or fifth for the championship race and got as far as third, but cut a tire and ended up finishing fourth.

We bought a clean chassis and built a brand new racecar for the 2009 season, and that’s the car that I won the national championship in this year.

We chose the Civic, specifically the 1988-’91 generation, very deliberately. It has those three key things that are otherwise unattainable together. It’s fast, it’s reliable, and it’s relatively inexpensive to operate. In the context of our class, Performance Touring, we were able to configure the car to really take advantage of the platform – which is legendary because it has double wishbone suspension at all four corners, a bit of a rarity. It’s also light and, including the driver, weighs just under 2300lbs.

Performance Touring is a points-based class. Every modification is categorized and assigned a point value, and a car is allowed a certain number of points. We maximize ours, and use every single point available to us. We’ve done some head work to the engine and we use a different intake, header, and camshaft. We use different springs, Koni shocks, change the sway bars, and run Hoosier tires. There’s really no magic, just a lot of testing and development.

We compete against a diverse set of cars, and that’s one of the things I like about PTE. We tend to run against cars like Sentra’s, and we have a strong competitor from Mid-Atlantic in a Ford Probe. There’s also a strong contingent of Miata’s, so we’ve got this little 1.6-litre, front-wheel drive car that competes against – and beats - these rear-wheel-drive two seaters.

I’m based in Canada, so there are some aspects of the Honda Racing Line program of which I’m not able to take advantage. Still, we’re able to get parts that otherwise would not be in stock anywhere else, and get things we need that are on the shelf at HPD in California, rather than having to wait weeks otherwise. And while we have contingency options from other brake manufacturers, we use Cobalt Friction because they’re the best pads we’ve tested, but we’re also able to get them direct from Honda. An order from Cobalt could take up to three weeks.

We’re in the process of refreshing both of our Civics for next year – new bodywork and new paint among other things – but I also hope that 2012 presents some other opportunities for me. I’d love to move up to the Canadian Touring Car Championship or SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge. I don’t want to give up racing in N.A.S.A. PTE either – it’s too much fun!

Photos: Tom Hitzeman/tedtomracing.com

Look for Brian Makse and Faisal Ahmad in their PTE Civics next year at N.A.S.A. Great Lakes Region events. They’ll be gunning for a repeat of their National Championship.

And if you’re a racer in a Honda or with Honda Power, don’t forget to register for the Honda Racing Line program at http://www.hondaracingline.com/.

Honda Racing Line is proud to offer original equipment replacement parts, performance parts, and crate engines to Honda and Acura grassroots racers in the entry-level through professional ranks.

Perfect fall weather greeted the racers for race #9 and #10 of the Spec:RaceAtom series presented by Honda Racing/HPD as they gathered at the beautiful Virginia International Raceway over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. Clear weather was a positive thing because the drivers would be focused on learning a new track configuration Saturday morning. The task at hand was the 4.1 mile Grand course…all 31 turns of it!

Qualifying for race #9 was a great battle between the top 5 competitors. David Chen held the top spot for entire session until there was less than one minute remaining in the session. Aaron Elsner put together a great lap in the closing seconds of the session to take the top spot. The top 5 spots went to Aaron Elsner, David Chen, Tyson Bytzek, Jim Taggart, and Ben Sinnott.

Race action proved to be very exciting with multiple position changes as soon as the green flag dropped. Pole sitter Elsner got to work quickly putting fast laps immediately…eventually bettering the qualifying times. After 20 minutes of racing the checkered flag fell for Elsner, Bytzek, and a new face to the podium – Christian Shield. Ben Sinnott and Jim Taggart rounded out the top 5.

Race #10 was held under equally great weather conditions – this time however the racers were back on the familiar territory of the VIR Full Course. The paddock was a flurry of activity prior to the qualifying session for the final race of the year with many racers making final suspension and tire pressure adjustments to make the most of the session. This strategy paid off for #09 Tyson Bytzek who edged Aaron Elsner for the top qualifying spot by a mere .180 of a second. Top 5 spots went to Tyson Bytzek, Aaron Elsner, Jim Taggart, Ben Sinnott, and David Chen.

Early in the race saw an intense battle for the top 5 positions with Bytzek jumping out to an early lead. Front row starter Elsner was slow at the start and entered turn one in 4th position. Racing was close throughout the entire field – one of the most spirited battles of the day was for 8th position between Justin-Barry Jerome and Steve Gugenheim. Jerome and Gugenheim battled to the checkered flag with Jerome coming out on top. At the front of the field Elsner was putting in one of the best drives of the season; He regained the lead from Bytzek and never looked back. At the checkered flag the top 5 were Elsner, Bytzek, Taggart, Chen, and Sinnott.

Grand Course Fastest Lap = 2:53.222 Aaron Elsner
Full Course Fastest Lap = 2:05.925 Aaron Elsner

The series is gearing up for another fantastic season of SRA racing in 2012 – stay tuned for more exciting details and the 2012 race schedule.

For more information contact:
Mark Swain – TMI AutoTech, Inc.
mswain@arielatom.con 434.822.9130 x303

*translated from a French language post by MaxMarcel

The series FORMULA TOUR 1600 Inc. is pleased to announce a technical change with the arrival of the new, modern 1500cc Honda Fit engine, specially developed by Honda Performance Development. Formula Tour 1600 Series Inc. announces that the Honda Fit 1500cc engine will be allowed for 2012.

More than 61 drivers registered to compete in Formula Tour 1600 in 2011, with an average attendance of more than 35 cars. The new, modern Honda engine will be allowed at each of its 12 races over 6 weekends in 2012. The Ford Kent engine will continue. This engine will always be part of F1600, and will probably continue to be used in most of the chassis. But the more modern Honda engine will be really good to attract new racers coming into the series, from karting and elsewhere. From 2012, the Ford Kent engine will have competition from the Honda Fit for sure.This link between Formula Tour 1600 and Honda/HPD Los Angeles -- already well known for their successful IndyCar engines -- is part of the development strategy the series wants to put forward for the next five years. The questions of some regarding interest in our series can now disappear because they have the choice of two engines. This is a very good news for people who have no interest into Ford Kent engine.

The main specifications / specicications:

	Ford KENT	Honda L15A7 (Fit)
Displacement	1600	1500
Intake	Carburetor	Throttle Body, Restricted
Valve	8	16
Cam Location	Block	Head
Charging	n/a	Alternator
Block Material	Fe	Al
Head Material	Al	Al
HP	115 hp	115 hp
TORQUE	112 ft/lbs.	112 ft/lbs.
Max RPM	7000	6800
Management System	n/a	Honda ECU
Approximate Prices	$12,000	$15,000
Minimum Maintenance	1 Year	3 Years

RESTRICTION: The Honda Fit MUST use a restrictor of 30.5 mm and is original (all parts) and no changes are allowed. This plate is given by Formula Tour / restrictor plate of 30.5 mm IS mandatory for Honda Fit. This one Will Be supply by Formula Tour.Motor sealed: avoid inspection by race and may be done by preparers include: Quicksilver, Britain West, Mortimer Racing, Remillard. This option is not mandatory / Seal engine IS RECOMMENDED Eliminate tech inspection and purpose It is not mandatory.

For more information please contact the Formula Tour Series at 819-350-9750.

####

Already a success in the U.S., the Honda Formula F engine will be introduced to Canadian racing in 2012, as the 1.5-liter Honda Fit-based power plant has been approved for competition in both the Quebec-based Formula Tour 1600 series and the Ontario Formula Ford Championship.

Developed in 2009 as a modern alternative to the long-out-of-production 1.6-liter Ford “Kent” engine, the Honda Formula F engine is based on the L15A7 engine found in the 2009 and newer Honda Fit. It features a modern, fuel-injected design with superior service life, improved parts availability and lower operating costs.

Equipped with a Honda-developed Engine Control Unit (ECU) and 30.5mm air inlet restrictor, it is designed to match Kent engine performance figures and can be installed in a wide variety of new and existing Formula F chassis.

More than 50 Honda-powered Formula Fs can now be found competing in SCCA Club Racing and two separate SCCA-sanctioned professional race series: The F1600 Formula F Championship Series and the Pacific Formula F Super Series.

In Canada, a total of 61 racers took part in the 2011 Formula Tour 1600 Series at circuits including the historic Mont Tremblant, the Trois-Rivieres street circuit and as a supporting event for the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

In the neighboring province to the west, the 14-race Ontario Formula Ford Championship featured up-and-coming stars such as Trent Hindman and Mikhail Goikhberg in 2011, as the young drivers tested their skills against veteran open-wheel competitors. Canadian IndyCar stars Scott Goodyear and Paul Tracy are both graduates of the series.

###

In trying to figure out how we at HPD would honor our friend Dan Wheldon, we all began to search our archives to see if we could find images and stories that would best depict the wonderful and generous man, not just the racer, we all knew. We came across an email that Dan had sent to former HPD President Robert Clarke that Dan asked to be forwarded to HPD and Honda associates. We thought we would share Dan's email with you and allow Dan's own words to truly convey the man we all had the pleasure of working with and more importantly, the pleasure of knowing over the past decade...

(Sent 12/23/2005 at 3:50 PM)

Robert,

Please, could you pass this email on to everyone at Honda and HPD.

I wanted to take the time before this holiday to thank you and everyone at Honda and HPD for all of the effort and continued hard work that was put in to help me attain my goals and realise a dream of winning both the Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IRL Championship. I value my relationship with Honda immensely and understand that you certainly play a huge role in this.

I am also delighted to know that I will be continuing my relationship with Honda and am excited and very motivated to attain more success in a different situation. It will be strange, I must say, knowing that there will not be the competition between us and other engine manufacturers out there, I always enjoyed that.

I would also like to say how proud I was of Matt and “clutch” who worked with me this year. They always pushed me to make sure I had fine tuned everything available to me and because of that I attribute a big part of my success to them also.

I look forward to seeing you all at the track next year and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes and thank you once again, your driver,

Dan

Now, some stories and fond memories of Dan from current and former HPD and Honda associates who had personal relationships with Dan throughout the years...

From Erik Berkman, HPD President:
"Dan was the best ambassador for Honda we could ever hope for. Not only was he a winner, but he was very engaging, and he worked tirelessly to promote Honda.

I have fond memories of meetings with Dan in the pits or engineering trailers at the track, and at HPD. But my favorite memories are from Dan's visit to Honda Hospitality. He felt comfortable there, and made everyone feel comfortable in return. The media, and friends of Honda truly looked forward for Dan and Susie to stop by to visit and relax. They were family. They still are. We will all miss Dan so very much. I hope Susie and the boys will still visit us sometime."

From Robert Clarke, former HPD President:
"My best remembrance with Dan has to be our win at the 2004 Indy Japan event at Motegi. As you know, we had failed to win the event on the 6 previous tries. We (HPD) had tried so hard and for so long to win this very important race and it had become a monkey on our back and for many a joke within the paddock. Many were wondering if we would ever win it. Dan was still a young IRL driver and the other AGR drivers always gave him a hard time (see separate story below) and they (Dario, Tony & Bryan) wanted to be the first to win this coveted race for Honda and thereby winning an even more special relationship with Honda.

Everyone was so happy when Dan won. All at HPD, HM, HGT, AGR, TRM were so happy and it was a huge celebration. When Dan visited the HM hospitality tent after the race there was a ceremony that included champagne and a beautifully prepared cake. The other AGR drivers decided to put Dan's face in it and from there it turned into a huge food fight. I don't think the Honda Japan staff had ever seen anything like it. Their initial reaction was one of horror (that the cake could be destroyed like that), but many soon joined in on the fun. Of all our victory celebrations over the years (including Indy) I do not think any was a larger or more special one. We had finally won Motegi and we were so proud to have done so for the Japanese Honda fans."

Side bar:

2003 - Dan's first IndyJapan

"The drivers always had a dinner with Mr. Kawamoto (former president of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.) and Mr. Amemiya (former president and CEO of AHM) on the Thursday night before the race weekend. Because it was Dan's first he had no experience with what it was like. The AGR guys tricked Dan and told him that it was a very formal dinner and that he needed to wear a coat and tie. Dan didn't bring a tie and ended up buying one from the hotel gift shop for something like $100 - it was all they had. Later when they met at the Japanese restaurant adjacent to the hotel Dan found that all the other drivers, and the Japan staff, were in jeans and t-shirts and he walks in dressed in slacks, sports coat and a tie to huge laughter! It was the joke of the paddock that weekend and was reminisced about at all the remaining Motegi events."

From Jack Spurney:
"I have many colorful and wonderful memories of Dan: Years ago, flirting with my daughter at the Honda Hospitality tent at Indy, much to the amusement of my other daughter; joking about his new “un-Brit-like” (his words) teeth on a Drivers Day at HPD; and his amazing finish and victory at the 2011 Indy 500.

I have friends in the Tampa/St Petersburg area where Dan lived who have no association with racing yet talk about how he was a shining star in the community he called home who selflessly made himself available to support worthy causes, even donating a wing at the local All Children’s Hospital. “Dan Wheldon was a great champion – both in sport and in his community,” said a statement from the Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg on Monday, October 17, the day following the accident.

Anyone who knew Dan talks about his warmth, ebullience, charm and affability. He was one of the most genuine persons I have ever known; a very special person.

I had the privilege of knowing Dan for over five years watching him grow from a young, brash, and highly talented driver into a mature charismatic gentleman, loving husband and father; clearly Susie, Sebastian and Oliver became the center of his universe. Just recently, in the paddock at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before the incident that took his life, with Susie and the kids in tow, he was talking about The Five Million Dollar Challenge; what he was focused on was not the potential for his own personal gain, but rather about how splitting the purse with some lucky fan would instantly change their life for the better. That was Dan Weldon. He was a great driver and wonderful, generous man. God only knows how much we will miss him. RIP Dan."

From Marc Sours, HPD General Manager:
"Dan was a significant contributor to the success that Honda gained with its current IndyCar engine. He was the first to test the engine in the fall of 2002; and, he demonstrated its merits with numerous race victories and Indy 500 wins. Yet it's my memories of him off track that I'll value the most. I first met Dan as an F2000 competitor. He was an amiable young man, frequently smiling; traits which he kept once he made it to the professional ranks. An engaging person who grew up, made it to the big time, and never seemed to loose track of who he was in the process."

From T.E. McHale, American Honda Manager of Motorsports PR:
My Dan Wheldon moment occurred after the Centennial Indianapolis 500 this past May. After winning the prestigious race for the second time, Dan had just concluded an exuberant celebratory victory lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He returned to Victory Circle to begin the Hat Dance -- that incessant procession of ballcaps and photo ops, which, for understandable reasons, lasts about five times as long at Indianapolis as at any other track on the IndyCar Series circuit.

Dan had just stepped into the cockpit, and had the first hat in hand, when he looked to his left and saw me standing along the railing that divided the race car from the rabble.

He placed the hat on the car's nose, got out, walked around to my side of the car and grabbed me. I barely remember what he said to me, but I do remember hearing a loud cheer from the grandstand above us in Victory Circle. And I remember thinking, "That's pretty cool. Some people I know are happy that I'm getting this moment."

It wasn't until we separated, and Dan resumed the headwear ritual, that I looked above me to see that I did not recognize a single face among those who had been doing the cheering. Whether or not it is true, I'm going to continue in the belief that those spectators were paying tribute to the emotion of a moment between the Indianapolis 500 winner and some guy none of them had ever met. And that blew me away.

Just before he returned to his car, Daniel and I spent time crying in each other's arms. We were crying tears of joy, feeling all the pain and all the hard work it took to get to that moment, and celebrating all the promise the future would hold for him.

After last Sunday afternoon, I am not ashamed to admit, I have cried in many other arms, as well.

“For everyone in the Honda family, this is a day of tragedy and incalculable loss. For us, Dan was more than a driver, he was a member of the Honda family. But most of all, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, wife Susie and two young sons. Dan had a passion for motorsports and a wonderful personality that made him a friend to everyone in the racing community. His talent and dedication were an inspiration to us all. We will miss him terribly, and everyone at Honda extends our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fans across the world.”
-Erik Berkman, President, Honda Performance Development

I’m Chris Bovis and I’ve been competing in the Sports Car Club of America’s GT Lite category for about five years now, racing a Honda CRX.

So far, the highlight has been winning the 2007 National Championship in the GT Lite class. But my racing life goes back well before that. In fact, I go back a lot longer than my age would suggest.

My father, George, raced a Sunbeam Alpine and Lotus Cortina before I came along, and got involved in the administrative side of the sport (he was eventually elected to the SCCA Board of Directors and served as Chairman). So, I grew up in SCCA and attended my first racing event, a drivers’ school at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, at around four months old.

When I turned 16, I started doing autocross events – which I was absolutely horrible at, I have to say. At 18, as a rite of passage, I was given the opportunity to attend drivers’ school and figure out what racing is all about. Needless to say, I stuck with it.

There were two avenues that linked me with Honda from the very beginning. One was former National Champion Fred Fiala, a close friend of the family, who was selling a Showroom Stock CRX. The other link was another National Champion, Jim Dentici, and his King Motorsports shop. Jim was building some really good, solid Honda racecars, so we bought the car from Fred and brought it to King Motorsports to prepare. I met my other teammate, Bob Clark, through Jim, and he remains my crew chief today.

The link to Jim Dentici, Bob Clark and Honda is what keeps me on track today. I drive one of the cars Jim built, and he still builds my engines and preps my car. Plus, he keeps me honest on the track by racing me hard and often beating me, as he did recently at the June Sprints.

I raced a variety of cars between that first CRX we bought from Fred Fiala and the GTL CRX I have now. I raced in the Improved Touring category for about eight years, then in E Production with a King Motorsports-built Honda Prelude. But when I had an opportunity to buy one of Jim’s Mugen-built tubeframe CRXs – I now own two – I jumped at it, and that became my National Championship-winning car.

So that link to Jim has been critical to my racing success. He had quite a reputation for building good cars and being one heck of a race driver, so I grew up with a healthy respect for him. Jim always gives me good equipment and I believe he takes a great deal of pride in seeing another generation of racers exploit the work he’s done in the past. I know he views his cars as his legacy in some sense. We fight hard on track, and there’s a huge ego battle between the two of us, but it’s all good-natured, it’s all on the track, it’s all for fun and it’s all for everybody’s success.

We’re looking for more success at this year’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America. To be honest, we have a bit of a battle ahead. The GT Lite rules dictate a smaller engine restrictor plate this year, which has actually slowed our lap times by about eight seconds on the four-mile course. We’ve been struggling to figure out how these single-inlet restrictors work, and what kind of engine configuration we need. I don’t think it’s much of an exaggeration to say we’ve built more engines this year trying to figure it out than we have in my entire prior racing life.

That said, I wouldn’t have entered the Runoffs and committed the time and resources if I didn’t think we’d do well. Until everybody shows up and shows what they have, we don’t really know. But I do have a great deal of faith in Jim’s ability to build engines.

Beyond this year, we might actually look at some type of historic racing. The cars are still competitive in SCCA Club Racing, but these were significant cars with the Mugen input they had. They’re FIA-spec cars, constructed by people who moved into the Formula 1 world. We think it’s time to start showing how exotic these tubeframe cars were, establishing their legacy and how important they were in the history of North American motorsports.

Because they are custom-built, most of the parts are, too. That keeps us from taking advantage of some of the benefits that the Honda Racing Line program offers grassroots racers. But I can’t begin to explain how valuable it is to have help from the Honda guys in lobbying for rules changes, interpreting the rules, and helping us to adapt to whatever adjustments we have to make over the winter.

Having a relationship with somebody like Lee Niffenegger (Senior Engineer at Honda Performance Development), for example … being able to send an e-mail and say, “What do you think about this? Are there better ways of doing it?” is important. Having someone within Honda Performance Development who has greater resources, a greater reach, to bounce ideas off, or to ask for a broader view of products or technology … those kinds of things are very valuable to us.

I hope that, along with a little luck, those kinds of resources, plus having the car- and engine-building expertise of Jim Dentici at my back, are going to lead me to another National Championship in the near future.

If you’re a racer in a Honda or with Honda power, don’t forget to register for the Honda Racing Line program at www.hondaracingline.com.

Honda Racing Line is proud to offer original equipment replacement parts, performance parts and crate engines to Honda and Acura grassroots racers in the entry-level through professional ranks.