Honda Celebrates Eight Decades of Motorsports Heritage at Monterey Car Week

TORRANCE, CA — August 6, 2026 — Honda is set to celebrate eight decades of legendary two- and four-wheel racing heritage during California’s famed Monterey Car Week (August 12–16, 2026). The grand showcase features more than 20 iconic Honda and Acura championship-winning race cars and motorcycles that competed in the world's most prestigious motorsport series, including Formula 1®, IndyCar, IMSA, MotoGP, Dakar, and more.

The historic machines will be featured across Monterey’s premier events, including Motorlux, The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) at Laguna Seca, and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

"Our founder, Soichiro Honda, believed in competition as a means to improve our company, our engineers and our products, and racing became a key part of the corporate culture of Honda," said David Salters, president, Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US). "Honda has won at the highest levels of motorsports here and around the world, and we're excited to share our rich motorsports heritage at Monterey Car Week with more Honda and Acura championship-winning race machines heading to the Monterey Peninsula than ever before."

A Legacy Built on Competition

Motorsport is deeply ingrained in Honda’s corporate DNA. From its inaugural participation in the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race in 1959, Honda has achieved unprecedented success. Highlights include an impressive 17 Indianapolis 500 victories (the most of any major auto manufacturer), 25 premier-class Grand Prix and MotoGP Constructors' Championships, six Formula 1® Drivers' Championships, and six Formula 1® Constructors' titles.

With the support of HRC US, the American Honda Collection Hall, the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan, team partners, and private owners, a curated selection of championship machinery will be displayed and dynamically demonstrated throughout the week.

Featured Four-Wheel Highlights

Formula 1®

1986 Williams Honda FW11

Honda is commemorating the 40th anniversary of its first Formula 1® Constructors' title.Powered by the 1.5-liter V6 twin-turbo RA166E engine, the FW11 was renowned for its outstanding performance. It claimed nine victories from 16 races during the 1986 season, driven by Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell.

2026 Aston Martin Aramco Racing Formula One™ AMR26

2026 marks the biggest regulatory reset in a generation as well as the beginning of Honda's works partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team. The AMR26 is powered by the Honda RA626H power unit – a 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 developed with Honda's advanced electrification technologies.

IndyCar

Alex Palou's 2025 IndyCar

Alex Palou's 2025 Indianapolis 500 and championship winning Honda-powered IndyCar is one of the most dominant machines in the series history. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver racked up eight wins during the year and secured his fourth series championship.

Alex Zanardi's 1996 IndyCar

Honoring the late Alex Zanardi, this 1996 Honda-powered IndyCar, commemorates the life and legacy of the two-time CART champion on the 30th anniversary of "The Pass" – a move through Laguna Seca's legendary Corkscrew that is still widely considered to be the greatest overtake in IndyCar history.

Gil de Ferran's 2001 IndyCar

This 2001 Reynard 01i raced by the late Gil de Ferran for Team Penske won the 2001 CART championship. The HRC Heritage Racing Program recently supported the vehicle's restoration, providing a period correct Honda engine to the car's current owner, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing and long-time friend of de Ferran. Brown purchased the car from Roger Penske in 2026.

IMSA

Acura ARX-06 GTP 

The Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 ARX-06 won the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona—the first race of IMSA's new hybrid GTP era—with Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Hélio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. Developed jointly by HRC US and ORECA, the ARX-06 combines an all-new ORECA LMDh chassis with Acura-designed bodywork, aerodynamics and cooling systems. Its bespoke AR24e 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 was designed, developed and assembled by HRC US.

Acura Team Penske ARX-05 Daytona Prototype

Highly successful prototype racing car developed for the Daytona Prototype International (DPi) class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Competing from 2018 through 2022, the Acura ARX-05 secured three teams', drivers', and constructors' championships (2019, 2020, 2022) as well as a Rolex 24 Hour win (2022) with Meyer Shank Racing.

Acura ARX-01a

The first race car available for purchase and restoration from the new HRC Heritage Racing Program is the V8-powered #26 XM Satellite Radio AGR Acura ARX-01a, the first purpose-built Acura endurance race car and the first car and engine designed and developed by HRC in the U.S. Winner of the LMP2 class at the 2007 Sebring 12 Hours, its debut race, the Andretti Green Racing "XM" car was driven to victory at Sebring by Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta and Tony Kanaan.

Acura NSX GT3 Chassis No. 5

The Acura NSX GT3 recorded 38 class wins in both IMSA and SRO; plus two manufacturers' championships, five drivers' titles and four teams' championships from 2017-2023. Chassis No. 5 is the winningest NSX GT3 of all time and displayed in its iconic "Lady Liberty" livery. This car is currently available for sale by HRC USA.

Comptech Spice Acura GTP Lights Prototypes

The Comptech Racing Acura Spice GTP was the first Acura endurance prototype. Driven by Parker Johnstone and powered by a modified 3.0-liter VTEC V-6 engine from the first-generation Acura NSX, it won three consecutive GTP Lights Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships from 1991-1993, and class wins at the 1991 and 1992 24 Hours of Daytona and 1993 12 Hours of Sebring.

Acura Integra 40 Racer

A first-generation Integra tribute build honoring the brand's first race car–the Comptech Integra No. 48–which won consecutive IMSA International Sedan Series Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships from 1987 to 1990. The recreated race car was built by HRC US in honor of the 40th anniversary of Acura and made its debut at the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

24 Hours of Le Mans

1996 TEAM KUNIMITSU NSX GT2

Following Honda's first class win at Le Mans in 1995, driver Kunimitsu Takahashi entered the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans as a privateer with the No. 75 NSX GT2. Wearing the now iconic RAYBRIG livery, the NSX finished third in the GT2 class – an impressive debut for the rookie team. Returning to Japan, the NSX GT2 entered the Japanese GT Championship (JGTC) with #100 now on the doors. It remains the only right-hand-drive NSX GT2 ever built—a configuration chosen specifically to provide an advantage at the clockwise Circuit de la Sarthe.

Strakka Racing ARX-01c

The first of the historic "Acura Racing eXperimental" racing prototypes, the ARX-01 entered the American Le Mans Series in 2007. In 2010, the ARX-01c took on the ultimate endurance challenge – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just five years after Honda's historic first class-win, the Strakka Racing entry repeated the feat, winning the highly-competitive LMP2 class. Recently restored by HRC US, the ARX-01c will compete in the Scott Pruett Legends event at RMMR, driven by current Acura GTP IMSA driver and two-time Le Mans class winner Nick Yelloly.

Japanese Super GT and Endurance

Honda S800 RSC

"RSC" stands for Honda Racing Service Center, the company's racing enterprise in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A legendary machine to early Honda enthusiasts, this S800 RSC won the GT-1 class at the 1968 12 Hours of Suzuka and finished third overall with a tiny 873cc engine that revs to a 10,500 rpm redline.

RAYBRIG NSX GT

Winner of the 2018 and 2020 GT500 class championships in the Japanese Super GT series, the TEAM KUNIMITSU RAYBRIG NSX GT was driven by Jenson Button and Naoki Yamamoto to the 2018 title at the season finale at Twin Ring Motegi. In 2020 driver Naoki Yamamoto won the championship with a pass in the last corner of the final lap at Fuji Speedway.

Touring Car

Honda Civic 1200

In 1974, Bob Boileau purchased a new Honda Civic 1200 and built the first American Honda road racing car, which would go on to win six SCCA GT5 championships.

Realtime Racing Acura Integra Type R

From 1997 to 2002, the RealTime Acura Integra Type R dominated the SPEED Touring Car Championship capturing 23 race wins on the way to five drivers' championships and four manufacturers' championships (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002).

Realtime Racing Acura NSX

Entered the World Challenge GT (née Touring 1) series, the RealTime Racing Acura NSX won eight races between the 1996 – 1998 seasons and the Drivers' Championship for Peter Cunningham in 1997. The team supercharged the NSX for the ‘01 and ‘02 seasons, earning six more wins.

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Acura Integra Type S DE5

This Acura Integra Type S DE5 has raced to the summit of Pikes Peak four times in the highly competitive Time Attack 1 (TA1) division. Drivers include Loni Unser, Katherine Legge and Dai Yoshihara.

Baja 1000

Honda N600 Baja

The first race car from American Honda. Powered by a 35 horsepower 600cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine, the microcar competed in the 1970 Baja 1000 driven by desert racing pioneers Dave Ekins and Bill Robertson Jr.

Featured Two-Wheel Highlights

MotoGP & Grand Prix

2026 Honda RC213V

The current MotoGP entry of the Honda HRC Castrol team ridden by Luca Marini and Joan Mir, the RC213V has won seven constructors, six rider and six team championships in the fifteen years from its debut in 2012. The motorcycle is powered by a Honda 1000cc V4 four-stroke engine and achieves top speeds of over 223 mph.

Nicky Hayden's 2006 Honda RC211V

Nicky Hayden's 2006 Laguna Seca and championship-winning machine is one of the most successful MotoGP bikes of all time. With a unique 990cc V5 four-stroke engine (inline-three at the front, inline-two at the rear), the RC211V dominated the premier class, securing 48 race wins, 3 rider championships and 4 constructor titles during its 5-year run.

Mick Doohan's 1997 Honda NSR500

Mick Doohan won the 1997 FIM Grand Prix championship on this bike on his way to five world championships. The 500cc two-stroke Honda NSR500 is an iconic, championship-winning machine that pioneered advanced GP technology, including the notorious "Big Bang" firing order and early electronic fuel injection. Doohan preferred the "Screamer" firing order engine, which is what this bike has. From 1984-2002, the NSR500 was ridden to over 100 race wins, carrying legends like Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner to 10 riders' world championships, cementing its legacy as one of the most dominant race machines in motorsport history.

Superbike Legends

Dick Mann 1970 Honda CR750 Replica

The racing version of the world's first superbike—the revolutionary 4-cylinder Honda CB750—introduced in 1969. Honda entered four CR750s in the 1970 Daytona 200 with Dick Mann, Bill Smith, Tommy Robb and Ralph Bryans, some of the best motorcycle racers in the world. Mann went on to win the race, cementing the performance legacy of the Honda CB750 and giving Honda its first Daytona 200 victory.

Dakar Rally

Ricky Brabec's 2020 Honda CRF450 RALLY

Ridden to Dakar Rally victories in 2020 and 2024 by Ricky Brabec and in 2021 by Kevin Benavides, the Honda CRF450 RALLY features a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 450cc engine and a massive multi-fuel-tank system designed for long, 250+ mile desert stages. Brabec's win in 2020 gave Honda its first Dakar victory since 1989. Known as the toughest sporting event in the world, Honda has won the Dakar Rally eight times.

AMA Supercross / Motocross / Supersport

2004 CBR600RR AMA Formula Xtreme

Canadian motorcycle racer Miguel Duhamel and Honda were dominant in AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme 600cc racing from the late 1980s through the early 2000s with the rider capturing eight national championships and Honda winning a total of 11 with Duhamel, Doug Polen, Tom Kipp and Nicky Hayden. Duhamel also clinched the 1995 AMA Superbike crown and five Daytona 200 wins from 1991-2005. The production-based CBR600RR race bike features a 599cc transverse inline four-cylinder, DOHC engine with powertrain, brake system, steering and suspension upgrades.

Jett Lawrence's 2025 Honda CRF450R

Campaigned during the 2024 AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons, Jett Lawrence rode the production-based factory race bike to eight race wins to take the 2024 Supercross championship and won four rounds of that year's Motocross season. Lawrence also went on to win the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship and SuperMotocross Championship. The bike features a 450cc single-cylinder engine with Unicam® SOHC, four-valve engine.

About Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US)

Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) leads all Honda and Acura racing programs in North America, spanning top-tier competitions like INDYCAR and IMSA sports cars. Having amassed over 500 race wins and 60 series championships, HRC US specializes in the in-house design and development of powertrains, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, offering specialized racing support to competitors across North America.

To learn more about Honda and Acura motorsports, visit hondaracing-us.honda.com.