While not officially classed for competition and not eligible for trophys, the HART Team is bringing a new 2017 NSX to the SS grid using Exhibition status.
They run Tuesday and Wednesday and for now, entry to grid is free!
Honda of America Racing Team, HART, dreamed of racing a new NSX since the prototype was released in 2012. Most members thought that's all it would ever be... a dream, but shortly that dream started to seem more and more like a reality. Honda announced that the NSX not only would make a comeback in 2016, but it would also be built and developed in Ohio. For HART, that meant prototypes could possibly become available after the mass production of the car started. HART has commandeered many former test cars, such as turning a 2006 Civic Si into a fully prepped EP car just after the mass production launch, and even making supercharged Civics for SM competition, but this would definitely be the best car they would receive to date.
Yes, that's right, the new 2017 NSX supercar is the new beast for HART. The new NSX has a 573 hp / 476 lb-ft Twin-Turbocharged V-6 gasoline engine with one Direct Drive Motor providing "torque fill" to the rear axle and an electric Twin Motor Unit driving each of the front wheels providing torque vectoring capability. All this power is delivered through a 9-speed DCT transmission that provides seamless upshifts and downshifts. With all this new technology, the challenge for HART arises, how do we get this power to the track surface for autocross? The car is designed for famous racetracks and winding mountain roads, not airport tarmacs in Toledo or Lincoln. The OEM version of the NSX comes with 245/35ZR19 tires in the front and 305/30ZR20 tires in the rear along with electronically controlled dampers and the sophisticated hybrid system, when packaged all together this creates a heavy car (3803lbs) and a major obstacle for autocross, where the lightest cars are generally the best.
All this power and torque makes a driver want to hit the gas as soon as possible coming off the corner. But, patience is the best approach, if not those 200TW tires in the rear will pass the ones up front, causing the driver to slap the steering wheel and unwillingly scrap the lap. Fun, yes, but unfortunately that is not the fastest way around the track.
The NSX has enormous potential out of the box, but the car still needs some development to become a really competitive autocross car. All the normal struggles apply: alignment settings, tire selection, tire pressures, and sway bars. No aftermarket performance parts exist at this point, although its unknown if they're even needed, and more new challenges arise with this vehicle such as active dampers, VSA / TCS systems that seem to lurk in the background, and an ECU that always lets you know how much smarter it is than the driver. These are the challenges the Honda engineers enjoy about autocross, and, of course, the competition is pretty darn fun too! HART members are excited to get started on this challenge and start a new chapter in their 20+ year history book.
This year, HART is competing provisionally in Super Street at the 2016 SCCA Solo Nationals. Dean Rindler and Chett Wohlgamuth, both engineers for Honda, will be piloting the car together, they combine for 34 years of auto-crossing experience.
