honda will now sell restore and track support its historic race carsHonda isn't just selling its historic race cars - it's sending engineers to help you drive them.For decades, buying a retired factory prototype or championship-winning race car came with a fine-print caveat: you were largely on your own. Beyond the initial exchange of funds, maintaining the bespoke electronics, sourcing obsolete engine components, and keeping complex, high-downforce machinery running safely fell entirely on private mechanics and well-funded collector teams.Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) is changing that dynamic in a clever, highly welcome move for the historic motorsport community.AdvertisementAdvertisementLaunching at Monterey Car Week, the new HRC Heritage Racing Program establishes an official, factory-backed pipeline to buy, restore, and track historic Honda and Acura race cars. Rather than simply offloading chassis from its vault, HRC US is providing end-to-end support - supplying technical data, rebuilding engines at its Santa Clarita headquarters, modernizing electrical architecture, and sending factory engineers to the track to help private owners actually run the cars.It is a savvy operational turn by HRC President David Salters and his team. Motorsport history is littered with brilliant chassis rendered static by missing IP or lost engineering tribal knowledge. By acting as the official custodian and technical service department for its own historical fleet, Honda ensures these cars remain operational where they belong, rather than sitting as static museum pieces.The Headliner: A Debut Winner at The QuailTo inaugurate the program, HRC is putting a heavy hitter up for sale at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering: the 2007 Acura ARX-01a (Chassis #26) in its iconic XM Satellite Radio livery.Designed and developed by HRC US (then HPD) as Acura's first purpose-built endurance prototype, the V8-powered LMP2 machine made a statement on its debut by winning its class at the 2007 Sebring 12 Hours with Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta, and Tony Kanaan at the wheel.AdvertisementAdvertisementEvery car under the Heritage program undergoes a total tear-down and rebuild. Chassis are restored using original homologation documentation, engineering notes, and period telemetry. Upgrades are made strictly where necessary: structural safety materials are refreshed, control electronics are modernized for modern reliability, and the high-revving powertrains are blueprinted back to original specification.honda will now sell restore and track support its historic race carsProof of Concept on TrackThe launch comes after a series of successful trial restorations that serve as proof of concept for the new program:Acura ARX-05 DPi: HRC has already restored four of the high-downforce DPi prototypes, including the 2019 Acura Team Penske championship car, which compete in IMSA's Historic SportsCar Racing series.2010 ARX-01c (Strakka Racing): The LMP2 class winner from Le Mans was recently restored and prepped for current Acura GTP driver Nick Yelloly to run at Laguna Seca before heading to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.2001 Reynard 01i CART IndyCar: McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown acquired the late Gil de Ferran's championship-winning car from Roger Penske, turning to HRC US to supply a period-correct Honda turbo V8, inspect the electronics, and execute trackside engine fire-ups.Acura NSX GT3 (Chassis #5): The winningest NSX GT3 in existence, boasting 38 class wins and its famous "Lady Liberty" livery, has been fully restored by HRC and is currently offered for sale.The Acura NSX GT3 Chassis #5, famous for its "Lady Liberty" livery and recognized as the most successful NSX GT3 with 38 class wins, has been fully restored by HRC and is now up for sale.The Acura NSX GT3 Chassis #5, famous for its "Lady Liberty" livery and recognized as the most successful NSX GT3 with 38 class wins, has been fully restored by HRC and is now up for sale.Extending the LegacyWhile initial efforts center heavily on sports prototypes and GT3 cars, HRC US confirmed plans to expand the program into historic, Honda-powered IndyCars down the line.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlongside the vehicles, HRC is capitalizing on collector demand by offering authenticated memorabilia at Monterey, including display-cased engine components from Gerhard Berger's 1990 McLaren-Honda MP4/5B V10 F1 car, silver jewelry crafted from Formula 1 engine parts, and 1:8 and 1:18 scale models of the 1965 Mexico GP-winning Honda RA272 built by Amalgam Collection.Automakers often struggle to find meaningful ways to leverage their competitive lineage. By combining authentic factory restoration with active trackside support, HRC isn't just selling nostalgia, it's creating a viable ecosystem that guarantees its championship history stays loud, fast, and on track.We'll take a RealTime Racing Integra Type R... to go with our F1 jewelry of course!
