Honda Racing Corporation’s Global President Koji Watanabe will wave the green flag at the start of the 63rd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours.
Watanabe will serve as the ‘Honorary Starter’ at the beginning of the IMSA SportsCar Championship season-opener on 25-26 January.
He joined Honda in 1987 and has established an extensive 35-year career with the company.
“We are excited to have Acura and HRC represented for this year’s prestigious Rolex 24 in such a significant way,” said David Salters, President of Honda Racing Corporation USA.
“Acura electrified ARX-06 race cars on track, our sleek Acura Integra Type S cars pacing the race, and our Global President of Honda Racing Corporation, Koji Watanabe, all being involved in this legendary race just shows our commitment to this sport.
“We truly value IMSA and the Rolex 24 and especially the partnership we have with them.”
Honda Performance Development (HPD) renamed to the Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC US) last year to strengthen their relationship with HRC Japan.
Gradient Racing switched from the Acura NSX GT3 to the new Ford Mustang GT3 for this year in the pursuit of a more hopeful racing package.
As a result, Honda’s primary representation has resided in the GTP category and before in the DPi era.
At this weekend’s Daytona 24 Hours, Meyer Shank will mark their IMSA comeback after one year absent from the championship with the #60 and #93 Acura ARX-06 GTPs.
READ MORE: Five new stories to follow in the 2025 IMSA season
