Race Engine Technology magazine, a respected British technical publication, has named the Honda Indy V8 engine as its "North American Race Engine of the Year" for 2011.
In its latest issue, the Honda Indy V8 engine was recognized by Race Engine Technology for its combination of reliability, performance and equality during its just-concluded six-year run as the engine supplied to every team taking part in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Honda took on the role of single engine supplier to IndyCar racing in 2006, after scoring back-to-back Manufacturers ' Championships the previous two seasons. Throughout six years as single engine supplier, 98 different drivers completed more than one million miles (1,188,366) of practice, qualifying and racing, with only six in-race engine failures. No in-race failures were reported during the entire 2008, 2010 and 2011 race seasons.
In 2011 alone, 41 drivers completed 206,113 miles of IZOD IndyCar Series competition without a single race-day failure.
From 2006-2011, Honda also powered the entire 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field. For a record-setting six consecutive seasons - and the only six times in Indy history - there were no engine-related retirements during the running of the Memorial Day classic.
"The Honda Indy V8 engine had quite a run, and we are honored to be recognized for its accomplishments by Race Engine Technology," said Roger Griffiths, technical director of Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "In addition to its well-deserved reputation for reliability, we take pride in the effort made by our associates at HPD, and our technical partners at Ilmor Engineering, to ensure equality and reliability to all teams and drivers throughout our time as engine supplier to the IndyCar Series, during which performance levels of all the engines varied by less than one per cent."
In 2012, manufacturer competition returns to the IZOD IndyCar Series with both Chevrolet and Lotus joining Honda. All three companies have produced new, turbocharged V6 engines to new series specifications. Honda 's new engine, the HI12R, will make its competition debut March 25 at the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida.
Features of the new design include a combined direct/indirect fuel injection system, single Borg-Warner turbocharger, "drive-by-wire" throttle technology and a series-spec McLaren Electronics Engine Control Unit (ECU).
Established in 2003 and published eight times a year, Race Engine Technology is a professional review and technical journal, covering contemporary racing power-train developments and technologies. Under the direction of publisher Simon Moss, the magazine is read by professional power-train designers, engineers and industry professionals throughout the global racing community.
Founded in 1993, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.
Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series - as both a Manufacturers' Championship competitor and single engine supplier - since joining the series in 2003.
The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. The 2010 Indianapolis 500, won by Dario Franchitti, marked Honda's 100th race win as a manufacturer and engine supplier in IZOD IndyCar Series competition.
In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2010 American Le Mans Series, 2010 Le Mans Series and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.
HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.
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