Honda Work Requirements Force HART to Skip VIR

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

HART will skip the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Virginia International Raceway later this month as a result of a busy period for its team members’ regular jobs at Honda.

The unique team, made up of staff from Honda’s manufacturing and R&D departments in Marysville, Ohio, fields a Honda Civic Type R TCR for Ryan Eversley and Chad Gilsinger in the second-tier IMSA series.

“We are a volunteer team and all have important jobs with Honda Manufacturing and R&D and this event falls during a very busy time for us that requires need for too many HART members,” a statement released by the team on Monday read.

“This manpower issue for the VIR weekend along with some of the other struggles throughout the year impacting our budget (outside of our control) has led to the decision for us to sit out the VIR weekend.

“We do plan to make the next round at Laguna Seca and have already started our preparation for that event.”

Eversley and Gilsinger sit ninth in the Pilot Challenge TCR standings after seven of ten races, having scored a podium at Sebring and two further top-six finishes.

The duo had crossed the line to provisionally win the most recent race at Road America but incurred a minimum drive time violation that that saw the car moved to the rear of the TCR finishing order.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.