Acura ILX Endurance Racer to Debut at 25 Hours of Thunderhill
All-new ILX Developed, Prepped and to be Raced by Team of Honda Associates
Developed
and prepared by Team Honda Research - West, a competition version of
the new 2013 Acura ILX was unveiled at the 2012 Specialty Equipment
Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, prior to making its
competition debut at next month's 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance
race.A pair of E1 class Acura ILX sedans, prepared to NASA U.S. Touring Car specs, will be entered for the traditional 25-hour endurance race that annually concludes the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) season at the challenging three-mile Thunderhill road course north of Sacramento, California.
Team Honda Research-West (THR-W) is primarily made up of Torrance,
California-based associates from Honda R&D Americas, Inc., who work
after-hours to showcase Honda and Acura products on the track. The team
received a pair of new Acura ILX "body in white" bare chassis earlier
this year from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC, the exclusive global
production source for the model. Additionally, a pair of "donor" cars
from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was used to provide suspension,
powertrain, interior and electronic components.
Safety equipment required by NASA included a full roll cage (designed by
THR-W and built by Solo Motorsports); Bride Gardis III race seat; OMP
competition steering wheel; Schroth safety harness; Brockway Engineering
D Gauge digital OBD2 gauge; and Braille lightweight battery. Changes to
the exterior included a Baja Designs LED lighting system for long
winter night-running, a THR-W-designed front splitter and an APR GTC-200
rear spoiler.
Red Line oil lubricates the K24Z7 engine and 6-speed transmission. Cold air enters the engine through an AEM intake, while DEI heat rejection products help keep the heat under control from exhaust gases flowing through the custom-built AEM/120 Racing exhaust. H&R suspension and Enkei RPF1 wheels fitted with BF Goodrich R1 race tires complete the Acura ILX competition package.
Honda Performance Development (HPD), responsible for Honda racing
programs ranging from entry-level categories to the IZOD IndyCar Series
and World Endurance Championship, also contributed several
racing-specific components to the ILX project. These included an
HPD-lightened flywheel and racing clutch package, limited-slip
differential, motor mounts, anti-roll bars and rear upper suspension
control arms. All of these parts are available to racers through the HPD
Honda Racing Line program.
