American Honda Motor Co has announced that it will be the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next July, tying in with the open-wheel series' double-header with the American Le Mans Series, which will feature Acura power for the first time in 2007.

The 22 July race marks the return of Indy-style competition to Mid-Ohio for the first time since 2003, and American Honda's John Mendel believes that it is the perfect event for his company to back.

"There are many reasons why this monumental racing weekend is such a great fit for Honda and Acura," Mendel explained, "There is our long-time presence in Ohio as a manufacturer, Honda's tradition in open-wheel racing - currently as the single engine supplier to the IndyCar Series - and now in the American Le Mans Series, where Acura will be powering multiple teams in its first year of competition. Add to that our decade-plus partnerships with both the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Mid-Ohio School and you can see why this works."

Honda operates three manufacturing plants in central and western Ohio, employing more than 15,000 workers, approximately two-thirds of all Honda associates in the United States.

"We're bringing Honda's and Acura's highest-profile domestic racing programmes virtually into the backyards of more than 15,000 company associates who are based at our plants in Marysville, East Liberty and Anna," Mendel continued, "We're thrilled to play a significant role in this historic racing weekend, and we are extremely grateful to our partners at IndyCar, the American Le Mans Series and Mid-Ohio for helping to make it happen."