Honda ready to revive rivalry with Chevrolet in 2012
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Honda’s tenure as sole engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series is set to come to an end — and they’re quite fine with that.
It’s no secret that Honda, a company with a long and proud motorsports pedigree, has been itching for a rival since Chevrolet and Toyota left the series in 2005. With today’s announcement that the Bowtie will return to IndyCar in 2012, their wish for competition has been granted.
“We want to take this opportunity to welcome Chevrolet back to the IZOD IndyCar Series,” said Honda Performance Development president Erik Berkman in a press statement.
“Although we are certainly proud of HPD’s numerous accomplishments during our tenure as single engine supplier to the series — including an active and unprecedented streak of five consecutive Indianapolis 500s completed without an engine failure — we have repeatedly and unequivocally expressed our desire for engine competition within the series, dating even from our first days of sole supply in 2006.”
Chevrolet will return to action with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that will be developed jointly by General Motors and Ilmor Engineering, which currently serves as Honda’s current engine partner. Ilmor will stick with Honda next year before switching to Chevy.
The two brands, along with Toyota, were competitors from 2003 to 2005, a period that saw Honda gain and maintain the upper hand. Chevy was only able to collect four wins in that time span, all from Panther Racing (Sam Hornish Jr., three; Tomas Scheckter, one).
But with Team Penske joining the Chevy camp in 2012, it appears that the Bowtie will be out for revenge this time around. It’s a fight that Honda gladly accepts.
“We look forward to renewing our relationship with Chevrolet as competitors on the race track and giving the fans of open-wheel racing a spirited and challenging rivalry,” Berkman said to close the statement.
Translation: Bring it on.
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Video credit: “jacknspot” on YouTube.
