A Honda CR-V race car with red and white Honda Racing Corporation livery on display in a showroom.

Honda Racing Corporation news & American Honda Collection Hall tour

October 21, 2026/Jan Wagner/
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In case you’re wondering why I chose to begin this column with a photo of what appears to be a Honda CR-V with a body kit, discover the astonishing reason at the end of this column. It will surely blow your mind!

As a decades-long full journalist member of the Motor Press Guild (MPG), I’ve shared with you many Motor Press Guild events in “AutoMatters & More” — including track days, visits to major auto shows, ride & drives, visits to automotive museums and much more. So it was that recently we, as members, received an announcement about three unique, “exciting and exclusive MPG events coming up!”

First up was an “exclusive HRC Presentation and Tour,” which happened last week. It was billed as a “Honda Racing Corporation Presentation and Honda Collection Hall Tour.” The location was the headquarters of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in Torrance, California.

A large, multi-story office building with a Honda logo on the roof and a parking lot in front.

Here is how the event was described:

“Join us for this special opportunity to hear from Jon Ikeda, Vice President of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) US, and Meliza Humphrey, General Manager of HRC Merchandise and Memorabilia. They will share exciting updates on HRC’s new business operations, including the Heritage Racing Program—a new initiative dedicated to selling and restoring legendary race machines from the HRC collection.”

“After the HRC presentation, Carl Pulley, head of Honda Heritage PR and 25-year veteran of American Honda, will conduct a dedicated tour of the American Honda Collection Hall. The tour will include insights and an overview of Honda Motor and American Honda history, and the significant vehicles and other products on display that highlight Honda’s success in America that began in Southern California in 1959.”

It had been a very long time since I had last been to a presentation at American Honda, and this one sounded great, so of course I made the drive up from San Diego to Torrance, complete with one of my cameras, to join my Motor Press Guild colleagues and cover this event.

Large red Honda logo mounted on a light-colored building facade above trees.
Two Honda banners hanging from a lamp post in front of a multi-story office building.
A man stands beside a white and orange Acura NSX race car with the number 42 and various sponsor logos on the body.
A blue Honda NSX race car and a yellow and white formula race car on display in a Honda dealership showroom.
Two red Honda motocross bikes on stands flanking a large red banner commemorating 2025 SMX champions, featuring images of riders Jo Shimoda and Jett Lawrence.
Vintage white Chevrolet pickup truck with red “American Honda Motor Co., Inc.” branding in a dealership showroom, carrying two yellow vintage Honda motorcycles in its bed.

After we enjoyed some refreshments in American Honda’s “The Power of Dreams Café”…

The interior of a Starbucks cafe with a menu board, coffee equipment, and a display case containing various baked goods and cake pops.

… Jon Ikeda, Vice President of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) US, and Meliza Humphrey, General Manager of HRC Merchandise and Memorabilia, began the presentation, against the backdrop of Honda racing machines that were displayed in the American Honda Collection Hall.

A man gestures while speaking to two people in an Acura museum gallery featuring race cars, including a stacked display.
A red and white race car on a two-post lift, with a second red IndyCar and a vintage motorcycle parked on the floor beneath it.
A white and blue IndyCar displayed on a lift above two Honda motorcycles: a purple and yellow racing bike and a red vintage racing bike.

Here is a brief sampling of what was shared with us:

Honda has always been about innovating new technology through racing. Several years ago we decided to consolidate all the different brands that we have globally for racing, under Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) —from MotoGP, Supercross, F1 to IMSA — trying to connect our customers and fans a little closer to our racing program. Things like the performance parts business with a part for the Civic Type R that we might be working on, that’s been certified and engineered with our racing group. It becomes more of a personal connection with customers and fans. We’re trying to open up a whole new world of performance parts. We’re also working on the merchandising things.

A man wearing a black blazer and glasses gestures while standing in an automotive museum displaying various Acura race cars and a vintage Honda motorcycle.
A group of people standing in a line in a car showroom, watching a presentation.
A man in a black blazer and glasses speaking with his hands, standing in a garage with race cars on a lift.

We have so many incredible museum pieces and we just keep racing. It was time for us to not just rotate these things through our museums, but start seriously thinking about sharing these things with prospective owners that could actually purchase the vehicles. We would support and restore them, put them on the track, do all kinds of different things.

A blue, yellow, and white 1986 Williams-Honda Formula One race car marked with number 5 and sponsor logos on display in a gallery.
A smiling man wearing glasses and a black blazer points to his wristwatch in a garage with race cars on lifts.

Recently we launched a wide range of authentic memorabilia items. We work very closely with our partners in Japan. We try to do things that go into lifestyle, but still with our brand.

A woman in a striped shirt gestures with her hands while standing in a garage with race cars on stacked lifts.

One of the things that HRC/HPD has always done was restore engines, and make engines available for historic racecars — and obviously we build engines for current racecars.

A person points to a cutaway display of a V-shaped internal combustion engine connected to an electric motor.

We officially announced that we are in the process of restoring historic racecars. We have all of the drawings and the electronics and the paperwork that helps restore those vehicles, and we also provide racetrack support. That is the Heritage Racing Program.

A group of people listens to a man presenting in an automotive museum featuring race cars on lifts and display platforms.
A line of six men standing in profile, looking in the same direction.

After this presentation, Carl Pulley, head of Honda Heritage PR, gave us a guided tour of the American Honda Collection Hall.

A group of people standing in the American Honda Collection Hall, listening to a man speaking near a red vintage Honda car.

“American Honda was founded in 1959 with our first facility in Los Angeles. Our headquarters has been located in Southern California ever since. Please enjoy our display of over 60 products that represent the multiple ways in which Honda has made Americans’ lives easier for over 60 years.”

Aerial view of the Honda factory under construction in Marysville, Ohio, with a large crane visible on the site.
Four men in white uniforms stand beside a car decorated with a large wreath and a “USA-001” license plate, in front of a banner commemorating the first Honda of America automobile in 1982.
A large crowd watches a stage displaying four Honda Accord cars with a large “HONDA” sign and a red, white, and blue balloon release.
A red Honda sedan driving on a paved road with the text, “Best-selling car in America for over the past 50 years.”
Rows of parked Honda cars with text overlay: “Exported over 1.6 million U.S.-made vehicles overseas.”
A man stands in a motorcycle showroom, gesturing toward a vintage Honda advertisement on the wall as he speaks to a seated woman.
A middle-aged man in a denim shirt and glasses speaks while holding a coffee cup, standing in front of a wall with a graphic of a red motorcycle.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup gestures toward a framed historical photograph of American Honda Motor Co. employees.
A 1969 Honda display featuring a motorcycle and an N600 car, with text describing Honda’s 1969 national dealer meeting.
Five framed black-and-white historical photographs of Honda executives and groups displayed on a white wall.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup gestures toward a vintage yellow Honda motorcycle on display in a showroom.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup gestures toward a vintage 1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore motocross bike displayed in front of a black-and-white photograph.
A person photographs a vintage blue Honda three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle displayed in front of a large black-and-white mural of a motorcycle rider.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup stands in front of a yellow Acura Integra Type R in a showroom.
A man in a denim shirt points toward a display of vintage Honda motorcycles at a dealership, with a glowing red Honda neon sign on the wall behind him.
A 1983 Honda V45 Interceptor motorcycle in red and white on a display stand.
A man in a denim shirt holds a coffee cup and poses in front of a yellow Honda Civic, while another man photographs him in a car museum.
A man in a denim shirt gestures toward a white Honda S2000 and a blue Honda Civic in a museum exhibit featuring historical text panels.
A white Acura Legend sedan on display in a showroom, with other Acura vehicles and historical wall displays visible nearby.
Three Honda cars parked in a showroom, including a yellow Civic Type R, a white S2000, and a blue Civic Si coupe, in front of a wall featuring historical photos and text about Honda history.
A man in a denim shirt gestures toward a blue Acura concept SUV on display in a showroom.
Five men stand in a car dealership showroom looking toward a yellow Honda Civic Type R.
Silver Honda Ridgeline truck parked in a showroom next to a white minivan.
White Honda Odyssey minivan parked in a showroom.
Silver Honda Element parked inside a showroom.
A bright red Honda Prelude parked in a showroom.
A man in a denim shirt and green pants gestures toward a silver Acura concept car in a dealership showroom.
A line of vintage Honda vehicles displayed inside a dealership showroom.
White Honda Motocompacto electric scooter on display with a promotional sign featuring a QR code.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup points to a HondaJet model airplane inside a glass display case.
A man in a grey polo shirt pointing toward awards inside a glass display case.
A man in a denim shirt stands next to a small red 1964 Honda E40 generator and a portable television, holding a coffee cup.
A red and light blue Honda E300 portable generator with an accompanying information placard describing its history and features.
A Honda lawn mower with a grass collection bag, displayed on a platform in front of a blue wall graphic.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup gestures toward a vintage white Honda outboard boat motor on display.
Honda WX15AX2 portable pump displayed with an informational sign detailing its specifications and applications.
A man in a denim shirt holding a coffee cup points to a red Honda Motocompo scooter next to a Honda outboard motor.
A man holding a coffee cup stands in a museum gallery featuring several red Honda vehicles, including an ATV, a hatchback, and motorcycles, with a digital display about IndyCar racing on the wall.
A digital display showing race car driver Alex Palou and his team celebrating his 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship win, with bulleted text highlighting the team’s achievements.
A man sits on a vintage red Honda 250 motorcycle on a trailer while another man secures the front wheel, parked in front of the Honda Collection Hall.
Display board for a 1962 Honda CB72 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, featuring a historical photo of the bike racing and information about its riders and performance at the Suzuka 18-Hour race.
Sign for a “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” event on October 17 from 9 AM to 12 PM at HondaCollectionHall.com.

I’m ending this column with the same photo that appeared first. You might wonder why I chose to begin this column about Honda with what, at first glance, just seems like a Honda CR-V with a body kit. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is perhaps the most high-performance CR-V on the planet.

Underneath that Honda CR-V bodywork is a chromoly steel tube chassis; a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged, electrified Honda V6 INDYCAR power unit; racing transmission and suspension, and Firestone high-performance tires. American Honda aptly describes this as an INDYCAR beast in Honda CR-V sheep’s clothing.

This CR-V Hybrid Racer was conceived and designed by engineers at Honda Performance Development (HPD) in California and designers from the North America Auto Design Division of American Honda; and built at Honda Automotive Development Center in Ohio by associates of the Honda of America Racing Team. The project was to assist the continued development of hybrid and electrified technology by Honda and HPD (now Honda Racing Corporation U.S.A. — HRC).

A Honda CR-V race car with red and white Honda Racing Corporation livery on display in a showroom.

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Copyright © 2026 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #949r2-website

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Jan Wagner

3 Comments

  1. David Sperry on October 21, 2026 at 10:58 pm

    It’s sort of ironic that some of the drivers, especially Max Verstappen, complained about the new engine format because they couldn’t drive flat out. Now Max is winning and you don’t hear any complaints.

    Reply
  2. David Sperry on October 21, 2026 at 5:23 pm

    Jan, I would love to drive the Honda CR-V in a Sheep’s Clothing…a full blown IndyCar engine. It seems that Honda has been more successful with their USA division than with their main division in Japan. Their relationship with IndyCar has been very successful but with F1 out of Japan less so. Their current partnership with Aston Martin got off to a shaky start and they are battling with Cadillac to stay out of last place. David.

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on October 21, 2026 at 9:14 pm

      Driving that hot Honda would likely be a fantastic experience. Many years ago I drove — on winding country roads — a one-of-a-kind Ford small car that was optimized for extremely high-performance. Back in those days I was still an active autocrosser. I sure would have liked to autocross that (or a Renault 5 Turbo 2!)!
      As for Honda in F1, they are getting better. I think Honda will eventually figure out how to get competitive power out of their engine. Hopefully Lawrence Stroll’s money and commitment to his Aston Martin f1 project will last that long.
      This weekend’s F1 race in Austin, TX should be interesting. Apparently Ferrari has some major new upgrades.
      I am looking forward to F1 getting back to V8 engines and much less reliance on an electrical energy component. This time they’ll be using sustainable fuel. I think that racing at that level should be focused on how well the drivers drive, and not nearly as much on how well they manage their car’s electrical energy. Drivers backing off early before making turns because they would run out of stored electrical energy if they do not do that is not exciting to watch.
      Jan

      Reply

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