The Acura ARX-01, later known as the HPD ARX-01 is a series of
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were create ...
built for
sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is ...
, specifically in the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
,
Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
, and at the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
. It is the first purpose-built
race car
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...
by the
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle, luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched in the United States and Canada on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. It ...
division of
Honda Motor Company
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
, part of their multi-year program to eventually compete in
endurance race. The car debuted in 2007 in the American Le mans Series before expanding to customers in Europe. Over the years various specifications of the ARX-01 chassis have been developed, each signified by a letter suffix. In 2010 Acura withdrew their name from the program and
Honda Performance Development
Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. which was established in 1993 and is based in Santa Clarita, California. It is the technical operations center for Honda's American motorsports programs and is ...
which developed the car for Acura continued the program into 2011.
Development
At the 2006
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
in Detroit, Acura officially announced their plans to develop a Le Mans Prototype program for the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
, competing in the LMP2 class for the initial year of competition in 2007. Acura announced they'd be using customer chassis from
Lola Cars International of the United Kingdom and
Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the compa ...
of France, while the engine would be built entirely by Honda Performance Development of the United States. Acura planned to use the customer chassis for the first year, then to build their own chassis for 2008, followed by another new chassis for a move to the top LMP1 class in 2009. At the Detroit auto show, Acura showed their first customer chassis, a brand new Courage LC75.
Following the announcement of the three teams involved in the project, Acura announced that for 2007 each team would concentrate on a certain aspect of development for the planned 2008 car. Andretti Green Racing and Highcroft Racing would use Courage LC75 chassis, and work on chassis design and aerodynamic modification. The third team,
Fernández Racing
Fernández Racing was a Mexican motor racing team that competed in the American Le Mans Series, Champ Car, the IRL IndyCar Series, and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The team was co-founded by Adrian Fernández and Tom Anderson in 2001.
Open wheel
...
, would use a Lola chassis and concentrate on developing the new Acura V8 engine. A third Courage LC75 would be retained by Honda of America for use as a developmental prototype.
By early 2007, all three teams had begun testing their cars as well as beginning modification. By the time the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
opening round at the
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second round ...
arrived, the two Courage LC75 teams had modified their chassis to such an extent that Acura applied for homologation from the
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...
(IMSA) and
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organ ...
(ACO). With the application approved, the Acura Courage LC75s were renamed as Acura ARX-01a.
As for the engine, Honda Performance Development (HPD) created a new 3.4-liter V8, the maximum size allowed by the rules, the first V8 ever branded as an Acura as well as the first motor built entirely in the United States by Honda. Elements of the Acura V8, dubbed the AL7R, share similar architecture with the Honda engine used in the
Indy Racing League
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
although none of the parts are interchangeable.
Racing history
2007
The two new Acura ARX-01as, along with the other Lola team car, debuted at the
2007 12 Hours of Sebring
The 2007 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring was the 55th running of this event and the opening round of the 2007 American Le Mans Series season
The 2007 American Le Mans Series season was the 37th season for the IMSA GT Championship, with the ninth la ...
after much preparation. Battling not only the
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
squads in their own class, they also attempted to compete with the
Audi R10
The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a diesel-powered racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The car dominated Le Mans, winning each year from its 2006 introduction until it was replaced by the R15 in 2009. It was desi ...
diesels in the higher LMP1 class throughout the race. During the race the ARX-01a showed the ability to at least keep close to the Audi, yet was unable to truly fight for the lead. However, in the end the Acura ARX-01a of Andretti Green Racing was able to survive the race better than other competitors and managed to take the class victory, as well as second place overall. The second ARX-01a of Highcroft Racing took sixth place overall, while the Acura-powered Lola of Fernández Racing took third.
In the third race of the season at Long Beach, Acura gained their first overall pole, with the Andretti Green Racing ARX-01a outpacing the two
Penske Racing
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the organiza ...
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder (Type 9R6) is a racing car designed by Porsche in conjunction with Penske to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 (LMP2) racing. The car takes its name from the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder of the 1950s (combined with Porsche's co ...
s and the
Audi R10
The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a diesel-powered racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The car dominated Le Mans, winning each year from its 2006 introduction until it was replaced by the R15 in 2009. It was desi ...
s.
2008
On July 12, 2008, the #9
Patrón
Patrón is a brand of tequila products by the Patrón Spirits Company with 40% Alcohol in each bottle.
Patrón Tequilas, like all tequilas, are produced in Mexico from the "corazon" (heart or core) of the blue agave plant. Everything includin ...
Highcroft Racing ARX-01 earned Acura's first-ever overall victory in the American Le Mans Series.
David Brabham
David Brabham (born 5 September 1965) is an Australian professional racing driver and one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports car racing. He has won three international Sports Car series and is one of four Australians t ...
and
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League.
E ...
started the Highcroft entry from pole, and managed to retake the lead from the #7
Penske Racing
Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the organiza ...
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder (Type 9R6) is a racing car designed by Porsche in conjunction with Penske to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 (LMP2) racing. The car takes its name from the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder of the 1950s (combined with Porsche's co ...
in the final 90 seconds of the
Northeast Grand Prix
The Northeast Grand Prix (until 2006: New England Grand Prix) is a professional sports car race held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Previous editions of the Gran ...
. This was followed by a second overall win at the
Detroit Sports Car Challenge, this time led by Andretti Green Racing's
Franck Montagny
Franck Montagny (born 5 January 1978) is a retired French professional racing driver. He briefly raced for the Super Aguri Formula One team in 2006.
Early career
Born in Feurs, Loire, Montagny started racing karts there in 1988, winning the cade ...
and
James Rossiter
James Rossiter (born 25 August 1983) is a former professional racing driver, British motorsport executive and Team Principal of Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E.
He was a Test Driver for BAR, Honda, Super Aguri and Force India in Formula One a ...
.
The Acura ARX-01b won six of the eleven races in the LMP2 class for 2008, with four for Highcroft and two for Andretti Green. Highcroft was ranked second in the Teams Championship, Andretti Green fourth, Fernandez fifth, and de Ferran sixth. Acura lost the LMP2 constructors championship to Porsche by a single point.
2009
In 2009, Fernandez Racing continued to compete with an updated version of the ARX-01, while Acura unveiled an LMP1 class
ARX-02 for Highcroft Racing and de Ferran Motorsports. By the end of the season, Fernandez Racing won the LMP2 teams', drivers' and manufacturers' championship.
2010
For 2010, Highcroft Racing has discontinued its campaign of the LMP1-spec
ARX-02 and returns to an upgraded version of the ARX-01. The car also made its debut in Europe, in the Le Mans Series, run by Strakka Racing. Both teams will run the ARX-01c at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, however, Highcroft Racing will continue to use the higher-downforce ARX-01b configuration in the American Le Mans Series until after the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Highcroft faced stiff competition but was able to beat the Cytosport Porsche by 20 points despite running a 25 kg series-imposed ballast. The team won 4 victories and extended the points lead further when Cytosport was absent from Lime Rock due to a crash. Drayson Racing and Dyson Racing also ran in ALMS and had a straight-line speed advantage over Highcroft, becoming most obvious in the Miller Motosport Park.
Strakka's HPD in the Le Mans Series proved to be superior to the opposition in class. In all of the 5 races in the series, the car was at least 2 seconds quicker than their nearest rival. A 7-minute repair would not stop them from winning at Paul Ricard. They also won LMP2 at Silverstone despite accidents and won overall at Hungaroring. The win at Hungary was the first ever in LMS history that an LMP2 car finished ahead of LMP1. However 2 DNFs out of 5 races meant that Strakka missed out on the championship to the more consistent RML team, who ran a Lola chassis with an HPD engine.
Both Strakka and Highcroft competed at Le Mans for 2010, with the latter running a conservative pace for the unproven reliability. Ironically it was the Highcroft that was dodged with water leak issues. Strakka had already experimented with low-downforce aero in LMS and got the better hand. They set a new LMP2 class lap record, led from pole to finish, won the LMP2 class, finished 5th overall (best result ever for an LMP2) and won the Michelin Green X Challenge across all class.
2011
Highcroft Racing originally intended to compete in the ALMS LMP1 category using the ARX-01e powered by the HPD 3.4-liter V8 engine. The team took delivery only a week before the Sebring 12 Hours but was able to convert it into a 2nd-place finish. The ACO finally appeared to have been able to level out the competition level between the petrol and diesel, although this belief was shattered immediately at the Le Mans test, which saw the top petrol runners more than 10 seconds (up to 20 for the Aston Martin AMR-One) adrift from the pacesetter Audi R18.
Highcroft did not appear at the Long Beach round and begun to take more serious involvement in the IRL program. On May 16, Highcroft finally announced the end of their partnership with Honda, citing the
earthquake in Japan that eventually caused financial troubles at Honda. The ARX-01e will not appear at Le Mans and will not be raced anymore. Only RML and Strakka were left to campaign the ARX-01d in the Le Mans Series.
The ARX-01d, fitted with HPD's new LMP2 stock-block V6 engine, had been run in the Le Mans Series and at Le Mans by defending Le Mans LMP2 winners
Strakka Racing
Strakka Racing was a British auto racing team founded by Nick Leventis. The team was based at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring when they became the first team in Le Mans Serie ...
and by defending LMS LMP2 champions
RML. At the Paul Ricard test the cars were very slow due to the level of engine development prior to homologation. RML stated that they were literally the slowest car of the whole field, and that "there's not a class out there that can't drive by us on the straight". They did mention that the car was not in low drag configuration so the car was not in an optimally efficient condition.
The ACO increased the restrictor for both cars by 1.2% before the 1000 km of Spa, but both RML and Strakka were still slower than the Nissans.
RML did not get to start the race due to a collision with the #9 Peugeot in one of the practice sessions.
Level 5 Motorsports
Level 5 Motorsports was an American auto racing team founded in 2006 by racing driver, technology entrepreneur and convicted racketeer Scott Tucker, currently serving a sentence of 16 years and 8 months in federal prison. Level 5 Motorsports com ...
announced they will now utilize the HPD ARX-01gs, Honda's cost-capped chassis and engine combination, in the remaining 2011 American Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup rounds. Designed and developed by
Wirth Research
Wirth Research is a group of engineering companies, founded by Nicholas Wirth in 2003, specialising in research, development, design and manufacture for the motor racing industry and other high technology sectors.
The companies use virtual ...
in
Bicester
Bicester ( ) is a historical market towngarden town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in Southern England that also comprises an Eco-towns, eco town at North Wes ...
in the UK, the car made an instant impression winning the LMP2 class on debut at the Laguna Seca six-hours and then even more impressively two weeks later at Road Atlanta's 1000-mile
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans ( French for ''little Le Mans'') is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which a ...
.
Gallery
File:Highcroft Acura Long Beach 2007.jpg, alt=An Acura sports car on a street circuit, Highcroft Racing
Highcroft Racing was an American auto racing team based out of Danbury, Connecticut and founded by driver Duncan Dayton in 1989. Initially founded for Dayton's involvement in historic motorsport, specifically the restoration and preparation of cla ...
's Acura ARX-01a at Long Beach.
File:AGR Acura LS.jpg, Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti ...
Andretti Green Racing
Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti U ...
's Acura ARX-01b at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Laguna Seca Raceway (branded as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and previously Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca) is a paved road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, built in 1957 near both Salinas and M ...
.
File:Fernandez Acura Utah.jpg, alt=An Acura Sports Car on a race track, Fernandez Racing's Acura ARX-01b at Miller Motorsports Park
Utah Motorsports Campus is a race track facility located in Grantsville near Tooele, Utah, United States. It operated under the name of Miller Motorsports Park from 2006 until October 2015. The course has hosted auto, motorcycle, bicycle and kar ...
.
File:PLM 2011 055 Level 5 HPD.jpg, alt=An LMP2 Honda at Petit Le Mans, Level 5 Motorsports
Level 5 Motorsports was an American auto racing team founded in 2006 by racing driver, technology entrepreneur and convicted racketeer Scott Tucker, currently serving a sentence of 16 years and 8 months in federal prison. Level 5 Motorsports com ...
HPD ARX-01g at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acura Arx-01
ARX-01
Le Mans Prototypes
24 Hours of Le Mans race cars