•Acura race team composed of engineers from the Honda Automotive Development Center in Ohio and the all-volunteer Honda of America Racing Team (HART)
•Turbocharged Acura Integra Type S will compete on nine racetracks in eight days
•'One and a half' Acura NSX Type S supercar returns to the 3,500-mile road rally towing the rear half of another NSX
Driving a turbocharged 2024 Acura Integra Type S they helped create, two Acura engineers are competing this week in the iconic 2024 Tire Rack One Lap of America, one of the most challenging grassroots motorsports events in the world. This is the first time the high-performance Acura Integra Type S is tackling the grueling eight-day cross country road rally that covers 3,500-miles and includes timed events on nine racetracks across the Midwest, May 4 – 11.
The award-winning Acura Integra Type S—the most powerful, best-performing Integra ever—is being driven by Justyn Bobinski and Nick Amato. The former is a brake and vehicle dynamics test engineer at the Honda North American Automotive Development Center (ADC) and the latter performs brake verification testing at the Marysville Auto Plant, both are based in Ohio. Fellow ADC engineers Tyler Chambers and Chad Gilsinger are piloting the 600 hp 'one-and-a-half' NSX Type S supercar, back for another One Lap of America, towing the rear half of another NSX custom fabricated into the world's hottest race trailer, that's hauling spare tires, tools and fluids to each track event.
'We are excited to represent Team Acura in this year's One Lap of America, which is an excellent proving ground for the performance and durability of the Acura Integra Type S,' said Bobinski, who is competing in the event for the second time. 'One Lap of America is such a unique and challenging event and we're ready to push the Integra Type S to the limit.'
The Acura race team is part of the Honda of America Racing Team (HART), which consists of Honda associates across North America. The HART program embodies the Honda 'Racing Spirit' by providing associates invaluable experience through motorsport, while also transferring vehicle performance learnings into the development and manufacturing of next-generation Honda and Acura products. The HART One Lap of America team is supporting the Victory Center, an Ohio-based organization that provides programs and services to cancer patients, survivors and their families.
Bobinski and Amato are using One Lap of America to further test the performance, handling, and durability of the Acura Integra Type S under extreme conditions. The high-performance Type S variant features a turbocharged 320-horsepower 2.0-liter engine, 6-speed manual transmission, an innovative dual-axis front suspension design and 4-piston Brembo® front brakes. For competition, the only modifications from stock are a racing seat and roll cage for safety, CarboTech brake pads, Red Line Oil and a custom 'careers.honda.com' livery also worn by the Acura NSX Type S.
The 600 hp hybrid-electric Acura NSX Type S returns for 2024's One Lap of America after a strong second-place finish in the Stock GT class in 2023. This year, piloted by powertrain calibration engineer Tyler Chambers and vehicle dynamics engineer Chad Gilsinger, the electrified mid-engine supercar features improved aerodynamics, reduced weight, MCS Suspension dampers, H&R springs, Red Line Oil and lightweight HRE wheels.
All modifications to both vehicles were completed by HART team members at ADC. Even the one-of-a-kind NSX trailer was constructed by a talented ADC fabrication team. An early second-generation NSX test mule was rescued from destruction, cut in half, and fitted with custom barn doors to ease access to supplies. To safely pull the trailer, the NSX Type S tow rig is equipped with a rear crash bar fabricated by ADC to accommodate the hitch receiver and the trailer has a reverse camera connected to the supercar's infotainment system.
The 40th running of One Lap of America starts and ends at the Tire Rack headquarters in South Bend, Indiana, sending competitors through 12 states. The competition includes timed track events at many of America's greatest motorsports facilities, including Quaker City Motorsports Park in Salem, Ohio, High Plains Raceway in Deer Trail, Colorado and Putnam Park Road Course in Mount Meridian, Indiana.
About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive brand committed to delivering expressive styling, innovative engineering and high-performance, all built on the brand's Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The Acura lineup consists of two sport sedans, the Integra and TLX, and three sport-utility vehicles, the RDX, MDX and all-electric ZDX. A line of high-performance Type S variants further demonstrate the virtues of Acura Precision Crafted Performance. All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.
About the Honda of America Racing Team (HART)
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Honda of America Racing Team (HART) is among the longest-running associate-driven activities in Honda's rich history and includes the majority of associate-led racing teams in North America. HART competes in a wide variety of motorsport competitions ranging from road racing, club-level events, rally or off-road racing, or even karting. HART provides invaluable experience to associates through motorsport, while transferring vehicle performance learnings into the development and manufacturing of next-generation Honda and Acura products.
Photo credit: Acura posted on conceptcarz.com
