"This news is the culmination of many years of hard work by all involved," Atherton added. "While there still are some details to be worked out, Acura's entry into the American Le Mans Series will have nothing but positive repercussions in the seasons to come. Acura has made a commitment to us, and we are committed to seeing that Acura receives the same return on its investment as our other teams and manufacturers. This is the start of a wonderful relationship that is only going to grow stronger."
Acura's announcement is the latest in what has been a succession of major announcements regarding manufacturer and team involvement in the ALMS. What started with the announcements of Porsche's return with a factory-backed prototype and Mazda's return to professional sports car racing has been followed by news of Penske Racing's involvement,
BMW's return, new Dyson Racing Lolas, a new factory Lexus effort, the new diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI, the return of
Ferrari with its F430GT and a new Radical LMP2; the good news just keeps coming.
"As Acura marks its 20-year anniversary, I can't think of a better racing series to showcase our technology and performance than the American Le Mans Series," said John Mendel, senior vice president of Honda Automobile Operations. "Our entry as a full factory team in the American Le Mans Series will accurately reflect Acura's position as a leader in automotive performance and technology, and provide us with an arena to compete against other manufacturers in endurance sports car racing."
Advanced technology and cutting-edge innovation are the hallmarks of Honda Performance Development, which will manufacture the engine for the Acura prototype programme. The 3.4-litre, aluminium alloy V8 powerplant will be the first completely designed and developed in-house by Honda Performance Development, which serves as American Honda's wholly-owned racing subsidiary.
