Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) and Honda Performance Development (HPD) in Santa jointly announced Sept. 21 that HPD will formally become Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) starting with the 2024 motorsports season.
With this change, HRC US will play an integral role in Honda’s global motorsports activities.
Collaborating as one global HRC entity, the two independent racing arms of Honda will combine their unique expertise and resources to strengthen Honda’s overall motorsports capabilities.
“Our goal is to increase the HRC brand and sustain the success of our racing activities and we believe that uniting Honda motorsports globally as one racing organization will help achieve that,” said Koji Watanabe, the president of HRC Japan. “Our race engineers in the U.S. and Japan will be stronger together, and I am so happy to welcome our U.S. associates to the HRC team.”
HRC was established in Japan in 1982 as Honda’s motorcycle racing arm and is recognized for more than 40 years of championship racing heritage in pinnacle global racing categories such as MotoGP, World Superbike, motocross, world trial and the Dakar Rally. In 2022, HRC added auto racing, including Honda’s Formula One program, to its responsibilities, with the Sakura Center dedicated for auto racing and Asaka Center focused on motorcycle racing.
HPD was established by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1993, as a separate racing arm to compete in the INDYCAR SERIES. For 30 years, HPD has competed in various racing series, including the INDYCAR SERIES, IMSA, Baja off-road, touring cars and Formula Regional America.
Through HPD, Honda has 280 wins from 510 races in INDYCAR SERIES competition, including 180 wins from 410 events with multiple-manufacturer competitions. At the Indianapolis 500, Honda has won 15 times, nine with multi-manufacturer competition. Honda has won 13 Drivers’ Championships and 10 Manufacturers’ Championships in years with multiple-manufacturer competition.
“Honda’s racing heritage is unparalleled and over the last 30 years, and the talented men and women of HPD have contributed to that success in the U.S.," said David Salters, president of HPD, who will become president of the new HRC US. “We are thrilled and very proud to join forces with our friends and colleagues in HRC Japan and represent Honda Racing as a global racing organization. We will continue to challenge ourselves in U.S. motorsports activities even as we develop our people and technology to compete on a rapidly changing global motorsports stage.”