Honda Confirms Daytona Prototype Racing

Honda is joining the likes of Ford and Chevrolet in the manufacturer ranks of the Daytona Prototype (DP) class of the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship. The automaker has confirmed that its new. Honda Riley DP package, powered by a new twin-turbocharged version of its familiar 3.5-liter V-6, will be run by Star works Motorsport at the Sebring 12 Hours this weekend. Key components shared between the racing version of the engine and the production unit includes the block and heads, crankshaft, direct injection fuel system, valve train components, drive-by-wire throttle, alternator, sensors, and fasteners. The engine even utilizes a stock Honda oil filter.

The automaker isn’t exiting the LMP2 class though, with Extreme Speed Motorsports set to continue fielding a pair of Honda-powered prototypes in the LMP2 class, which features fellow manufacturers Nissan and Mazda. This combination results in an impressive five-manufacturer lineup vying for Prototype honors in the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship this season. Honda is expanding its motorsport activities in the United States, specifically in the 2014 TUDOR United Sports Car Championship, announcing a new entry in the Daytona Prototype category. To this end, Star works Motorsport will field a V6-powered Honda Riley race car at the 62nd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Honda Performance Development (HPD) has developed a new 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged Daytona Prototype version of the production J35 engine for the Daytona Prototype racer. The engine I very close to the production V6 you find in many Honda and Acura road cars. Key production-based components utilized in the racing engine include block and heads, crankshaft, direct injection fuel system, valve train components, drive-by-wire throttle, alternator, sensors, fasteners, even a stock Honda oil filter. Other variants of the same engine, the 2.8-liter HR28TT twin-turbo V6, compete in LMP2 prototype category, as well as Japan’s Autobacs Super GT Championship, the One Lap of America competitive rally and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. In the Daytona Prototype campaign, the Honda-Riley DP chassis car will be fielded by Star works, while Extreme Speed Motorsports will continue to field a pair of HPD ARX-03b Hondas created to LMP2 specifications.