I’m not saying that they didn’t have a 3 year plan, just that I never read or heard such a thing. The sound bites that I’ve always heard from them was that they wanted competition, but of course there can be an ocean of difference between sound bites and actions.

I should say that I do agree with you 100% on their hardline about the V6 format. I don’t understand that, since they’ve known that that’s not anything anybody else is interested in. What V6 turbo engines do you mean, though? The 1980s F1 engines? Those are the only Honda V6 turbos I can think of.

If Honda actually wants competition, they should either acquiesce and go for an I4 format (which they already build one of for their RDX sport ute, so they could easily market that), or allow the spec to be open to I4s and V6s. I don’t think the I4 option is off the table entirely, but then again, things have gone deathly silent on the engine front as of late. Maybe somebody will talk about it on Trackside tonight…

Repeat after me.
S–A–F–E–T–Y

The speeds and costs would spiral out of control rather quickly.

My other point is more important. They could have competition if they would get on board with a different engine spec than the one that they prefer. Why did they say they were OK with it, and then change their tune? I’m guessing it was a marketing decision. Perhaps the fact that Honda already has turbo V6 formula car racing engines plays a part?

Nonetheless, they prefer their idea/plans over competition. They’ve stated that themselves. During the engine discussion they said publicly that they were quite happy to continue as the sole supplier. They also made public statements putting time pressure on the IRL to make a decision (i.e. we need to know now, because our decision is being made at the corporate level in the immediate future). Those are hard line negotiating tactics. They see enough value in the single-supplier, non-competing model that they are happy to put their foot down and say, “Take it or leave it.”

There’s no question that causes harm to the league. The IRL can only grow and move forward by bring more partners into the league. And second tier teams can only compete successfully when they have partners that are dedicated to giving them a competitive edge.

It’s no accident that the last time Panther racing won a race it was with a Chevy engine. That happened at Texas, during Chevy’s last year in the IRL. Texas is a horsepower track, so perhaps Chevy wasn’t as outclassed as people like to think. It’s unfortunate that after spending all that effort catching up to Honda they decided to quit, but it wasn’t because they couldn’t compete, it was because they didn’t think it was worth the effort.

GM did not see a good enough value proposition in the IRL and they decided to quit. That’s business. Volkswagen (and others), on the other hand, did see value. But, turbo I4 engines are core to their business going forward, and that was what it was going to take to get them involved in the series.

Oh well.

If you watch “Honda short films” it is very obvious that Honda claims to have the world-market on engineering, from the light-bulb to robotics. (Very unappealing to me personally but we are still free to have our own oppinion.)

I was really hopeful that RHR would bring a change “I could believe in” and I liked the beautiful people in their Izod sportswear-and the song “everything’s gonna be alright.” What happened to GR…no ride?Paul Newman would also be disappointed today-

The Pagoda in the middle of the Speedway is something Honda is very proud of to be sure! It is just another piece of our America but it will never be an American Landmark… it is a Japanese landmark! (I’m trying to identify an American Landmark that we have in Japan? ) Hopefully, they at least have a Goodyear Tire Co. in Japan, considering all the business we give them! The “partnership” seems a little off to most of us-

Google has changed the advertising world BTW and they don’t seem to need a race-car. Better write to Randy….and get Adsence on your page Speedgeek!

There’s so much wrong with your post that it’s not even worth arguing with you. I certainly wish you’d give it a rest, but far be it from me to infringe on your First Ammendment Rights. Proceed with the crazy talk.

Honda/Acura is still competetive in ALMS. Or, at least they were until Porsche and Audi took off for their separate reasons after 2008, leaving it an all-Acura series. They’re also around and about at a grassroots level, in SCCA the Showroom Stock, GT and Production classes, and I’m relatively sure that they’ve got cars in the GrandAm Continental Tire Challenge, and they’ve been championship level for years in the Touring class of SCCA World Challenge with the Realtime Acuras. There’s even a decent chance that if they’d hung around in F1 last year, that the Brawn would have been a top-3 car with a Honda engine instead of the Mercedes. They’ve always been a racing company, and I don’t think it’s really down to them when their competition packs up and leaves when Honda beats them.

They may or may not have “changed their tune” but in 2006, the message Honda was sending out was that they embraced competition. They had competition, beat them like a drum and ran them out of the series. – GP.

Honda doesn’t mind at all being the sole supplier. If they did, they would have shown more flexibility on the I4 vs. V6 discussion. Honda was the only potential supplier that objected to the I4. At first they said they would be willing to do an I4, but later changed their tune, even though they knew that for Volkswagen it was a make or break issue. Honda simply declared that they were fine with continuing as the sole supplier, and Volkswagen responded by saying they were no longer interested.

Honda has the IRL in a Full Nelson, and there’s apparently nothing the league can do about it at this point. Honda dictates technical changes to the series—paddle shifters, for instance—and Honda apparently controls the terms of the debate over future engine specs, chasing off other potential partners while reiterating their desire for competition.

I’m trying to think of one area of motor sports where Honda is still competitive. Dirt bike racing?

It’s just one of those things. The IRL would be screwed without them, or so one would think, but I suspect Brian B. would rather be in a position to say, “This is what we’re doing, and if that’s something you’re interested in then we’d be glad to have your continued involvement.”

That’s not the position Brian B. is in, and that’s not really A Good Thing.

My SAAB has Sumitomo tires, no problems so far.

We still live in a free country-Speedgeek,
BTW I have read your blog and it could use some work-Try “Hot for words, your expressive tone could use a tune-up.

Since my daughter was killed in a brand new Honda Civic before one of your grand prix races, (The Civic could not hold the road 95- 100 mph while passing) than again Honda vehicles are not really made for speed.

I will be watching for entertainment …and I will say whatever I want!

I have a neighbor whose Dad actually won and Indy 500, fantastic people! Great sportsmanship, great American….he recently lost his Chrysler Dealership, like many American Dealership Owners.

Not all owners and fans are so toxic but this league could use some adjustments, it has gone down hill lately,

Why is NASCAR succeeding? Maybe worth looking into-

Why not have more than one tire company? That might give you some interest….everything else is the same, especially the attitude!

Brazil and Japan are not really that “great or loyal” as American Business Partners….
read the rest of the news..
.
I like the Goodyear guy-Scott- as an announcer, but then again he was an actual race-car driver so he knows what he is talking about.

Google ghas changed the advertising world, notice they don’t have a racecar. Also, George, why no “ad-sence” on your page?