cars, Acura
We caught up with the Acura Motorsports crew in mid-April during the inaugural ALMS race through the streets of Long Beach, California, to take a closer look at the emerging program.
Acura's ALMS effort is headquartered roughly 60 miles from Long Beach at the Honda Performance Development (HPD) center in Santa Clarita, California. Founded in 1993, HPD was instrumental in developing Honda's Champ Car and IRL teams, and employs some 120 engineers, technicians and mechanics.
The HPD facility is where all the vital components that the ALMS teams will use are developed. It is equipped with five dynos, including a transmission dyno used to help develop electronic systems such as traction control. An interesting side note is the facility's environmentally friendly features. The electric dynos produce ice as a byproduct that is then used to cool the building and the machinery inside it. Catalytic converters are also used on all gasoline-powered equipment and the like,example the Acura Tl Strut Assembly,etc.to keep emissions as low as possible. Impressive stuff.
