HRC President on Benefits of Hybrid Race CarsJosh Hernandez/Penske Entertainment (Josh Hernandez/Penske Entertainment)In a roundtable interview with Car and Driver, the president of the Honda Racing Corporation USA, David Salters, directly tied Honda's hybrid race cars to its street-legal models.The comments followed the launch of the company's new television ad showcasing the brand's "relentless spirit," making the same comparison.Salters explained how race cars' dependence on software helps tie them to modern road cars, specifically modern hybrids.Despite recently announcing that it will be withdrawing the Acura brand from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the end of the 2026 season, Honda re-committed to the NTT IndyCar series on a multi-year deal in February. According to Honda Racing Corporation U.S. (HRC U.S.) President David Salters, the automaker's ability to lend a hand in shaping the future of IndyCar's engine regulations is "critical" to Honda staying in the sport. After all, as Salters pointed out to Car and Driver several times ahead of the 2026 Indy 500, racing is a business, and somebody needs to make sure the ledgers are balanced.Honda, like every automaker that goes racing, does so for myriad reasons. According to Salters, Honda's presence in IndyCar is incredibly important to the brand and is something that he hopes will continue for years to come. Our conversation with the HRC leader took place the day before the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, which, coincidentally, was won by a car using a Honda engine.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe same day that we sat down with Salters, Honda released a new television campaign that directly ties Honda's roadgoing hybrids (the Accord, Civic, CR-V, and Prelude) to the brand's race cars. The tie-in makes sense, given that Honda's two premier racing championships, Formula 1 and IndyCar, both use hybrid powertrains.Marc Urbano - Car and Driver (Marc Urbano - Car and Driver)Salters referred to the discussions surrounding the new IndyCar powertrains as a balancing act between Honda, Chevrolet, and the series itself. "It's gotta be relevant," Salters told C/D. "We have to be able to afford it, otherwise our series will stop. Make it sensible. Make it sustainable over time. We also need to be responsible; we're trying to make things that are more efficient, save energy, all that sort of stuff. We've got to put all that together and come up with something that works."Like any high-level sport, racing requires you to be open to quick changes, which is fairly similar to running a successful car company, it turns out. "Remember, a racing car is a software-defined vehicle," Salters said. He explained how race cars have been defined by software for decades now. "If you want to change it overnight, change it," Salters said. That mentality tracks with a shortcoming Honda corporate recently confirmed it suffers from. In a March announcement, Honda was surprisingly blunt about how newer Chinese automakers were able to offer a better value through their software-defined vehicles.Salters also brought up how racing can be used to develop not just relevant technologies, but to develop skilled workers as well. According to Salters, the fast-paced environment of the racing world, coupled with relevant hybrid technology, offers Honda a perfect proving ground for both staffers and technology.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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