HPD to become HRC

Honda Performance Development, the California-based racing arm of American Honda, will change its name on January 1 to Honda Racing Corporation US to align itself with Honda Japan’s international factory Honda Racing Corporation organization.

The change from HPD, which was founded in 1993 to support the brand’s new IndyCar engine supply program, to HRC US, is more than a shift in naming.

“With this change, HRC US will play an integral role in Honda’s global motorsports activities, which includes contributing to the company’s Formula 1 program,” the company stated in its announcement. “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.”

For HRC, which was created in 1982 to support Honda Japan’s motorcycle racing activities, the new and direct links to HRC U.S. will allow HRC to involve its colleagues in the U.S. in its global competition plans and allow HRC US to function more easily in programs that go beyond North American borders.

“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.”

The concept of uniting Honda’s two independent racing divisions as one was proposed by HPD president David Salters, which was met with an enthusiastic response from Watanabe.

“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 Salters, 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.”

Everything from taking the Acura ARX-06 IMSA GTP hybrid overseen by HPD/HRC US to compete on an international stage in the FIA World Endurance Championship to involving the brand’s Californian-based engine experts in Honda’s return to Formula 1 in 2026 with the Aston Martin team is expected to come from the new HRC and HRC US coalition.

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