Honda have announced a limited end-of-season appearance in 2012 in the WTCC (all Asian rounds) as a precursor to full involvement in 2013 with the new European Civic. Heres' the PR from the official WTCC website:
Today during a press conference in Tokyo, Honda announced they will join the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito explained: “We took the decision to enter in the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge.”
For this project, Honda formed a joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport. Mugen will manufacture a 1.6-litre turbo bespoke racing engine developed by Honda R&D and will maintain it at the races along with the team. J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda Civic 5-door produced in Honda’s manufacturing plant located in Swindon, UK.
Honda’s ambition is to join the WTCC as early as this season, with a string of “inaugural rounds”. Discussions are currently being held with the FIA, but these rounds would include Japan (on 21 October at Suzuka), China and Macau. Honda will then enter a two-car team, managed by J.A.S. Motorsport, in the full 2013 championship season.
Honda’s commitment in motor sport dates back to Fifties (Isle of Man’s Tourist Trophy) and the Sixties (fist F1 programme) and resulted several successes that include five F1 world titles in both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ championships.
Honda press release also reads: “The FIA WTCC is the next chapter in Honda’s on-going commitment to world motor sport and provides a perfect platform to demonstrate its racing spirit to Honda’s numerous fans around the world.”
Olivier Fisch, Managing Director of Eurosport Events commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Honda in WTCC. Their commitment is a great reward for the huge, joint effort the FIA and Eurosport Events have done all these years to make the championship growing and become popular worldwide. We wish Honda to be successful in this new racing programme.”
And in BTCC news (from the official BTCC website) there will be four Civics on the grid in 2012 with last year's title winners building customer cars ...
Jordan raises game for team
Andrew Jordan says he’s raised his own personal game in response to the support for him from his Pirtek Racing team ahead of the new Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.
Staffordshire ace Jordan and Wellingborough team-mate Jeff Smith will race Honda’s new Civic model built to the latest Next Generation Touring Car regulations by Team Dynamics which runs the Japanese manufacturer’s official BTCC programme.
The 22-year-old, sixth in last year’s standings, has just released the above photo of his car being built in Dynamics’ workshop in Pershore and told btcc.net: “Our team, including Adam Hardy who’s back from Australia as my engineer, have been down at Dynamics building the car with them which makes sense as we’ll be working closely with them in 2012.
“The work they’ve done on it is mind blowing. This will be the best car I’ve ever driven in the BTCC. I’m more focused than I’ve ever been and have increased my fitness regime even more. When I see all the hard work other people have put into this project I’m not going to let it down by not being in top shape or not raising my game.
“Obviously we’ve also got a stable two-year contract in place with Pirtek which is very good for the mind, plus I’ve just bought my first house near Lichfield to give myself more space. I’m in a happy place right now.”
Meanwhile the works team has new cars in the build as well ...
New Civic "work of art"
Reigning Champion Matt Neal has called the new Honda Civic that he’ll use to defend his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown in 2012 “a work of art”.
Pershore-based Team Dynamics, behind the Honda Racing Team’s hat-trick of titles in 2011 with the previous shape Civic, is building the car (pictured) to the BTCC’s latest Next Generation Touring Car regulations.
Having released fresh images today of the car during its build process Worcestershire’s Neal admitted to btcc.net: “Those pictures are from a little bit back. The car is actually not far away from completion and it looks absolutely stunning. If it goes as well as it looks we’ll be right in the hunt.
“I’ve been in the BTCC 20 years now so you’d think I’d be a bit ‘same old, same old’ but this has got me so excited. Dynamics have always turned out fantastic cars but this time they’ve surpassed themselves. It’s a work of art. Just wait until the fans and media see this car.”
In VTEC Challenge news ...
Lots of new cars being readied including this one
Peter
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