– Type R will pace NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to the green flag this weekend

– Latest in a series of Honda INDYCAR Pace Cars

– Civic Type R improvements for 2020 include ride, handling and cooling

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Honda today unveiled the new 2020 Honda Civic Type R Pace Car, which will lead the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to the green flag for this weekend’s Bommarito Automotive Group doubleheader race weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, just outside St. Louis, Missouri.

The latest in a series of Honda Pace Cars utilized for Indy car competition since 2006, the newest Pace Car benefits from improvements made to the production Honda Civic Type R for 2020, including freshened exterior and interior styling; improvements to the ride, handling, and braking performance; and increased engine cooling. 

The new Civic Type R Pace Car is finished in Boost Blue, with a custom graphics wrap. A video featuring the new Civic Type R Pace Car can be found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/o8CJYcXeP1E.

“As the fastest production front wheel drive car in the world, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R is a perfect match for Pace Car duties,” said Art St. Cyr, vice president, Auto Operations for American Honda. “The race-bred 2.0-liter, direct injected and turbocharged engine produces more than 300 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the ideal Honda vehicle for leading the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to the green flag.”

Since its U.S. introduction in 2017, the Civic Type R has gathered near universal acclaim for its unique blend of potent dynamic performance and day-to-day driving civility.  The Civic Type R was named a 2018 AUTOMOBILE All-Star, and a 2018 Editor’s Choice by Car and Driver.  The Type R has also garnered an enviable reputation on the racing circuit from professional racers utilizing the Civic Type R to compete in the SRO Touring Car America and other racing series around the world.

Modifications to the Civic Type R Pace Car include a Honda Performance Development [HPD] brake package, including competition rotors, racing pads and stainless steel brake lines; interior safety roll cage; and four-point racing harnesses. An exclusive graphics package over the base Boost Blue exterior caps the conversion from showroom Civic Type R to an NTT INDYCAR SERIES Pace Car.  

HPD has three ready-to-race Civic models for touring car competition. The line starts with the affordable and reliable Civic Si TCA race car, then leads to the Civic Type R TC racer that puts legendary Type R performance on track, and culminates with the no-compromise, championship-winning Civic Type R TCR race car. All competition Civics, along with a full line of performance parts, are available from HPD through the company’s Honda Racing Line program. HPD’s unparalleled trackside support at every level is a unique benefit that no other manufacturer can offer. Find out more about these cars and our performance product programs at: https://hpd.honda.com/Motorsports/Touring

About Honda 
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. Honda has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO₂ emissions of any major full-line automaker in America, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda’s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Accord Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, Insight hybrid-electric sedan, and the Clarity Fuel Cell and Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for 38 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2019, more than 90 percent of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Honda Performance Development:
Honda Performance Development, Inc., (HPD) has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993.  From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA Sports Cars to commercial racing programs, HPD powers the dreams of professional and amateur racers from age 4 to 40+. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura’s high-performance racing programs in North America. HPD specializes in the design and development of race engines, chassis and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. HPD offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers, and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles, from karting and Quarter Midgets to the highest levels of pro racing.

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SOURCE Honda Racing/HPD

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The next time you service your Toyota or Lexus vehicle at one of the brands’ nearly 1,500 dealerships across the U.S., it is likely that a certified technician from Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) T-TEN program (Technician Training & Education Network) serviced your vehicle. 

With 36 current locations in the U.S., the T-TEN program partners with schools and organizations to offer students an opportunity to earn degrees and certificates that comply with the highest training standards in the automotive industry, including an associate’s degree, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications, and Toyota and Lexus technician training certifications.

In September, the T-TEN program will formally launch its Technical Education College Support Elite (TECS) program, and will expand its reach to eight new locations across the country – 44 total – to help fill the pipeline for well-trained, certified technicians with hands-on automotive diagnosis and repair education. TECS designates Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) programs at certain locations as certified training centers for Toyota and Lexus vehicles.  These eight new locations are:

• Andrada Polytechnic High School, Tucson, Ariz.
• Cherry Creek Innovation Center, Centennial, Colo.
• Collin College Technical Campus, Allen, Texas
• Contra Costa College, San Ramon, Calif
• Fresno City College, Fresno, Calif.
• Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif.
• Lincoln College of Technology, Columbia, Md.
• Vehicles for Change, Baltimore, Md.

“Trained auto technicians are in great demand and are the key to any successful dealership,” said Joseph Myers, technician development manager for the T-TEN program at TMNA. “We are grateful for the opportunity to expand the program’s reach to eight new schools and organizations that not only fulfills our needs, but also provides stable jobs and career security that aims to give vehicle owners the most satisfying service experience possible.”

T-TEN technician training is available with different programs, degrees and certificate options, and the typical program length is two years. Once participants complete the program, they have the ability to apply for open service technician positions at Toyota or Lexus dealerships, or any automotive service operation, including independent service and repair shops.

Since its inception in 1986, the T-TEN program has graduated nearly 12,000 students. Through its Military Technician Education Network (M-TEN) in partnership with Hiring Our Heroes and the Department of Labor, active duty service members and veterans can participate in an intensive 12-week automotive technician training program and earn credits towards becoming a certified technician.

To learn more about T-TEN, please visit www.t-ten.com, and to learn more about M-TEN, please visit www.hiringourheroes.org/fellowships/mten. 

About Toyota:
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Contact:  Victor Vanov 469.292.1318

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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America