View Full Version : Honda extends with IRL
Rest of the story: http://indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=5607
In a press conference at California Speedway, HPD president Robert Clarke announced that Honda, which won its second consecutive manufacturer’s championship this season, has committed to remain an IndyCar Series engine supplier through the 2009 season.
Ummm, it sez a supplier. Question is will they supply the field? If so, how will those engines be purchased with fewer teams and sponsors? Will they still fund the teams they have if they supply the entire field? That they have committed their support for the series is not really a surprise. The surprise may be what this really means at the end of the day.
-Kevin
devilmaster
10-15-05, 05:39 PM
exactly, Kev. HPD can be a supplier for the next 20 years if they wanted to. But will they give the money to the teams to run when they have no competition to run against? nope.
GOFAST1
10-15-05, 08:36 PM
Yeap,they did supply engines to cart after toyota left and then,well you know the rest.
racer2c
10-15-05, 10:45 PM
“Racing is ingrained in our culture and is the foundation of our associate and technology development,” Clarke said. “Because of its need – or desire – to race and because we’re here in the American market, we want to race in the premier series in open-wheel racing. Honda originally elected to compete in the IRL because we recognized the series as the pinnacle of open-wheel racing in this country.”
&^%* Clarke. FHONDA. Their car design is ten years behind the curve and their retarded pickup looks like it was designed by the IRL.
Honda and the IRL, they go together well. [edit] but they still have Ilmor building their engines. Which of course they built their own in CART. Yawn.
Accipiter
10-16-05, 12:16 AM
:laugh:
All you can do is laugh at Honda's stupidity.
Lizzerd
10-16-05, 12:20 AM
I sit here wondering how much money this took from the Hulman family trust fund.
I sit here wondering how much money this took from the Hulman family trust fund.
Unfortunately I doubt that was necessary. Clarke would like to keep the lights on at HPD and he probably doesn't have any other options right now.
The critical question is what they've agreed to as far as cars supplied and costs.
Lizzerd
10-16-05, 01:50 AM
Maybe so, but I've got to think that the terms between Honda and the irl to keep them around through 2009, with guaranteed non-competition, didn't include an "incentive" of some sort.
Ozarkian
10-16-05, 03:37 AM
Noticed that Barnhart refered to Honda as a "partner."
Wonder if they'll work out as well as the broadcast "partner"?
oddlycalm
10-16-05, 04:13 PM
Unfortunately I doubt that was necessary. Clarke would like to keep the lights on at HPD and he probably doesn't have any other options right now.
The critical question is what they've agreed to as far as cars supplied and costs. Agreed, Clarke was left holding a bag of air. I don't see them contributing much in the way of financial support, which means waive goodbye to the gravy train and big teams.
oc
formulaben
10-16-05, 05:12 PM
Unfortunately I doubt that was necessary. Clarke would like to keep the lights on at HPD and he probably doesn't have any other options right now.
The critical question is what they've agreed to as far as cars supplied and costs.
I'm not so sure. What are the Toyota teams going to do after their contract is over? It's easy, someone pays for their engines or they go elsewhere...
theunions
10-16-05, 05:23 PM
Dr. Punch said during the pre-race telecast that HPD is prepared to supply the entire field if necessary...
Dr. Punch said during the pre-race telecast that HPD is prepared to supply the entire field if necessary...
That really doesn't answer the critical question. If they're willing to supply the entire field as long as the entire field pay 2 million per car for engine leases I don't think the entire field will amount to much.
IMO, they couldn't get into NASCAR until 07. This is a one year filler, being spun to sound like more than a one year filler.
Andrew Longman
10-16-05, 07:26 PM
Dr. Punch said during the pre-race telecast that HPD is prepared to supply the entire field if necessary...
A field of what size?
Penske -1?
Ganassi - 1?
Panther - 2 gone?
Rahal - 1
Fernandez -1 or 2?
Cheever - 2 Gone?
Foyt - 1?
Moore
Apparently Honda has (or is) bought Menard's engine shop. I don't think that it is for the irl. Looks like they are getting ready for a truck program.
TKGAngel
10-17-05, 06:39 AM
Apparently Honda has (or is) bought Menard's engine shop. I don't think that it is for the irl. Looks like they are getting ready for a truck program.r.
Menards currently supplies Robby Gordon's engines. Whether this mean's Robby has to look elsewhere for engines, or will be driving a cleverly disguised Honda in the future is anyone's guess.
Dr. Punch said during the pre-race telecast that HPD is prepared to supply the entire field if necessary...
Which opens a rather large can of worms, IMO. Since all Honda IRL engines may be created equal, but some Honda engines may be more equal than others.
cameraman
10-17-05, 12:21 PM
The F1 sites are claiming that Honda and John menards have joined up to for the second Honda Formula 1 team.
Our spies in Japan are reporting that the much-vaunted second Honda team will be based at the old Arrows factory in Leafield, Oxfordshire. The 30-acre site was acquired in May 2003 by Menard Inc, the company run by home-improvement billionaire John Menard, a great fan of racing who has been involved in the sport for more than 30 years. The plan was to use the facility to run an automotive consultancy business. At the moment that world has very tight margins and it may be that Menard will be willing to do a deal with the Japanese behind the second Honda team, which might even result in Menard having a presence on the car.
The rest of the story. (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns15808.html)
Sean O'Gorman
10-17-05, 12:23 PM
Don't equate grandprix.com with the rest of the "F1 sites." That site is like the AR1 of F1.
But if this did happen, I'd like to see the car fail a tech inspection because they used crooked Menards 2X4s for the planks underneath. :D
Unfortunately I doubt that was necessary. Clarke would like to keep the lights on at HPD and he probably doesn't have any other options right now.
How much of the engine development is HPD and how much is Illmor?
You know, this defies logic. There's got to be something else going on.
How much of the engine development is HPD and how much is Illmor?
You know, this defies logic. There's got to be something else going on.
According to Clarke they've got a bunch of people there now. My understanding was that HPD had taken over a lot of the work.
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