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Back-to-back engine titles for Honda

Honda Performance Development continued its run of victories in the 2013 American Le Mans Series at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, clinching its second consecutive LMP1 Engine Manufacturers' Championship.

The all-conquering Muscle Milk Pickett Racing entered HPD ARX-03c Honda of Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr led all 83 laps of Saturday's (21 September) race to post their record-extending seventh consecutive victory of the season.

HPD is also on course to defend its LMP1 Chassis Manufacturer title with a successful race finish in the next event, at Virginia International Raceway (5 October).

In the LMP2 category, Ryan Briscoe and team owner/driver Scott Tucker finished third overall and first in class, heading a 1-2 LMP2 class finish for Level 5 Motorsports in its pair of HPD ARX-03b Hondas. Team-mates Guy Cosmo and Marino Franchitti were just over five seconds behind at the finish of the two-hour, 45 minute encounter staged at the latest home of the United States F1 Grand Prix.

MORE SUCCESS FOR HONDA TOURING CARS AT SUZUKA
Having captured the FIA World Touring Car Championship Manufacturers' Championship two weeks earlier, at the Sonoma Speedway in the United States, Honda savoured more success on Sunday (22 September) as the WTCC action moved to Suzuka in Japan.

The privately-entered Honda Civic WTCC, of young Hungarian star Norbert Michelisz, took full advantage of a stunning performance in qualifying to win the opening race from pole position.

The second reverse-grid race saw the two Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team entries of Tiago Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini bounce back from various issues in the opening encounter to claim strong third and fourth place finishes.

With two rounds and four races remaining on the 2013 WTCC calendar, Tarquini has consolidated his second place in the Drivers' Championship.

WTCC DRIVERS VISIT HONDA R&D CENTRE
Honda's three FIA World Touring Car Championship drivers were guests of honour at the Honda Research and Development Centre in Tochigi, Japan, en route to last weekend's races at Suzuka.

Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro and Norbert Michelisz met the team responsible for the development work on the current Honda HR 412-E 4-cylinder 1.6l turbo engine used in the championship winning Honda Civic WTCC.

Following the tour the drivers signed autographs for members of the Honda R&D team and thanked the technical staff for the hard work that has been carried out to make the Civic such a competitive car in its very first year racing in the WTCC.

"It was an honour to visit the Honda R&D facilities here at Tochigi and to experience the total enthusiasm of absolutely everyone involved in the WTCC engine project," reported Monteiro. "It is easy to see the dedication and the highest level of technical research that goes into this type of project from a global manufacturer."