Honda Car Forum

Acura Motorsports will enter the LMP1 class in the 2009
American Le Mans Series, company officials announced today.

Acura's entry into the most powerful and technically advanced division in ALMS will
feature two Acura ARX-02a prototype sports cars developed by Honda Performance Development
(HPD).

De Ferran Motorsports and Patrón Highcroft Racing will campaign the new Acura
LMP1 cars, which are being designed in concert with Wirth Research in England. Testing of
the new Acura LMP1 cars is scheduled for November.

Acura will also continue in the LMP2 category with the Lowe's Fernandez team competing
on the 2009 ALMS tour.

Acura entered sports-car racing in 2007 by fielding Acura-powered LMP2 prototype
cars on Michelin tires for Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing and Lowe's Fernandez Racing
in the 12-race ALMS series. The three-car contingent marked the first factory motorsports
program in Acura's 20-year history. De Ferran Motorsports was added to the Acura lineup in
2008.

In the past year and a half, the Acura machines, with 3.4-liter, V-8 powerplants, have
scored five LMP2 class victories, as well as an overall win by Patrón Highcroft Racing and
drivers David Brabham and Scott Sharp earlier this year at Lime Rock Park. Acura cars also
have recorded four overall pole positions.

"Since launching the Acura American Le Mans Series program in 2007, our goal has
always been to compete at the highest level of sports-car racing," said John Mendel, Executive
Vice President of Auto Operations for American Honda Motor Company, Inc. "The LMP1
class of the American Le Mans Series represents the pinnacle of sports-car racing in this
country, from both a competitive and technological standpoint. As we prepare to elevate Acura
to Tier One status among luxury road cars, we feel it only appropriate to make this move to the
uppermost level of American Le Mans Series competition, as well."

The Acura Motorsports program featured the first racing engine and chassis primarily
designed and developed by HPD, Honda's wholly-owned racing subsidiary. It also marked the
first time HPD had taken on concurrent motorsports programs in both the American Le Mans
Series and the IndyCar Series.

"This is the logical next step in our business plan," said Erik Berkman, HPD president.
"The Acura sports-car program has energized HPD's associates and met numerous objectives
during its first two seasons of American Le Mans Series competition. We feel we are fully prepared
to take on this new challenge."

De Ferran returned to active competition this year by forming de Ferran Motorsports,
with the former Indy 500 winner and multiple series champion serving as both driver and team
owner. The legendary Brazilian racing figure recently served as Sporting Director for the
Honda Formula One racing team before establishing his new ALMS team. De Ferran and
young star Simon Pagenaud have driven the No. 66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b
in five races this season.

"I am delighted with our team's relationship with Acura and my longstanding involvement
with Honda," said de Ferran, "and we have taken another important step with this new
announcement. We are a young team, but de Ferran Motorsports has a great depth of experience
and talent within its ranks. We are driven to produce a contending Acura Motorsports
sports-car program. We look forward to the challenge competing in the LMP1 class and putting
Acura at the forefront of American Le Mans Series racing."

The Patrón Highcroft Racing team, owned by team principal Duncan Dayton, has been
the most successful of the Acura entries in 2008, taking the overall and LMP2 win at Lime Rock
in July and LMP2 class victories at Long Beach, Road America and Mosport, Ontario, Canada.
Brabham and Sharp drove the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b to all four victories.
Brabham, the only ALMS driver ever to win in all four series classes, has won overall poles
at Houston last year and Lime Rock this season for the team.

"Our relationship with Acura and HPD has been extremely beneficial to Highcroft Racing
and we are proud to have been chosen as a part of Acura's new LMP1 program in 2009," said
Dayton. "We have had a very collaborative effort with Acura, HPD and Wirth Research over
the past two seasons. We started with a good business plan and have been competitive
throughout our ALMS program. Adding Patrón as our major sponsor strengthened our Acura
program, and we have had a very successful 2008 campaign. Now, moving to the LMP1 class,
we expect to continue the progress that we began two years ago. The 2009 season will be exciting
for Acura and the Patrón Highcroft Racing team."

Lowe's Fernandez Racing campaigns the No. 15 Lowe's Acura ARX-01b prototype with
drivers Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz of Mexico. Lowe's Fernandez Racing, formed in the
fall of 2000 by Fernandez and motorsports veteran Tom Anderson, is in its seventh year of
competition, and the team has claimed victories in the Champ Car (CART), IndyCar (IRL) and
Grand-Am Series.

"We have had an outstanding sports-car program with Acura the last two years," said
Fernandez. "We started with the Lola chassis and the move to the Acura car was a great improvement
for our Lowe's Fernandez team. Now, we will concentrate on racing for the LMP2
point championship, as well as winning many races. Our luck hasn't been with us as much as
we would like. But our association with Acura has been outstanding and we are pleased to be
continuing our relationship. We want to be right in the thick of the LMP2 title chase in 2009."

Acura's racing operation reflects the manufacturer's position as a leader in automotive
performance and technology, and the American Le Mans Series provides an arena for competition
against other car makers in the tough sport of endurance racing. Acura Automobile Division
was launched on March 27, 1986. The prestigious marque, based in Torrance, Calif., has established
a number of automotive firsts, including the first all-aluminum production car (NSX) in
1991. Acura offers premium performance vehicles from more than 260 U.S. dealers.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) was founded in 1993. Located in Santa
Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for Honda and Acura's high-performance
racing cars and engines. HPD coordinates Honda's participation in the IndyCar Series and
Acura's activities in American Le Mans Series.