
IndyCar announced it has locked both Chevrolet and Honda into contract extensions on Thursday in deals that end any speculation that Honda would leave North Americas open-wheel racing series.
Honda had been coy for almost two years about its future in the series and its current contract expired at the end of the 2026 season. Honda consistently said it was evaluating all its motorsports participation, which includes a possible entrance into NASCAR.
Terms of the contract extensions with Chevrolet and Honda were not announced, with both manufacturers saying only that the multi-year deals begin in 2027. IndyCar added that the new contracts allow for each of the manufacturers to own a charter beginning with the 2028 season, when the series is scheduled to debut a new car.
As charter entrants in 2028, Chevrolet and Honda now have a new and exciting opportunity to build on their incredible legacies across IndyCar Series racing, while continuing their strong relationships with our current roster of teams and helping deliver an innovative and industry leading new car in 2028, said J. Douglas Boles, president of the series.
The IndyCar charter system was originally announced in late 2024 and charters were extended to teams based on full-time entries from the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Teams could have three charters each, and the agreement with Chevy and Honda will not permit teams maxed out at three charters to add a fourth car through the manufacturers.
Chevy and Honda will be heavily involved in the development of the engine and competition rules to be implemented with the new Indy car.
Chevrolet and Honda have worked tirelessly with us over the last 12 months to get to this point, and both have made it very clear that they are fully committed to this sport and invested in continuing the positive momentum the series generated in 2025, Boles added.
This multiyear announcement extends Chevrolets current participation in IndyCar, where it has won nine of 14 championships since returning to the series in 2012. Chevrolet has won 16 total IndyCar titles throughout series history.
Honda began IndyCar competition in 1994 and has been in the series as an engine supplier for over 30 years. It spent six seasons as the sole engine supplier. It won its 11th manufacturers title in multiple manufacturer competition last season and the fifth championship in the last eight years.
Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing has won four championships in a Honda since 2021.
With a deep respect for the history and competitive spirit of IndyCar racing, we are proud to continue our involvement after more than 30 years. This longstanding commitment strengthens our ability to allow us to further develop our people and technology at the pinnacle of open-wheel racing in North America, said David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation USA.
Chevrolet had no plans to leave the series and had maintained it could cover the entire IndyCar field if Honda did not renew.
Chevrolet has enjoyed a long, successful relationship with IndyCar as an engine manufacturer, and this extension paves the way for the IndyCar Series to continue to grow and for us to further maximize technology transfer from race to road, said GM President Mark Reuss. The addition of a charter allows Chevrolet to join with other stakeholders to continue to make the series even stronger.
The 2026 IndyCar season begins March 1 on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
___
AP auto racing:
印地赛车(IndyCar)周四宣布与雪佛兰(Chevrolet)和本田(Honda)达成续约协议,此举终结了关于本田将退出北美开轮式赛车系列赛的所有猜测。
近两年来,本田(Honda)对其在该系列赛事中的未来一直保持低调态度,其现有合约将于2026赛季结束时到期。本田始终表示正在评估其参与的所有赛车运动项目,其中可能包括进军纳斯卡(NASCAR)赛事。
雪佛兰与本田的合同延期条款尚未公布,两家制造商仅表示多年期协议将于2027年生效。印地赛车联盟补充称,新合同允许每家制造商从2028赛季开始拥有一支车队特许经营权,届时该系列赛将推出新款赛车。
印地赛车系列赛总裁J·道格拉斯·鲍尔斯表示:“作为2028年的特许参赛厂商,雪佛兰和本田如今迎来了一个激动人心的新机遇,既能延续他们在印地赛车系列赛中的辉煌传统,又能与现有车队保持紧密合作,并助力在2028年推出具有行业领先水平的创新赛车。”
印地赛车特许经营体系最初于2024年底宣布,并根据2022和2023赛季的全勤参赛记录向车队分配特许经营权。每支车队最多可拥有三项特许经营权,而根据与雪佛兰和本田达成的协议,已用满三项配额的车队将无法通过制造商渠道追加第四辆赛车。
雪佛兰(Chevy)和本田(Honda)将深度参与新款印地赛车发动机及配套竞赛规则的研发制定工作。
博尔斯补充道:“过去12个月里,雪佛兰和本田与我们不懈合作才取得今日成果。两家公司均明确表示将全力投入这项运动,并致力于延续该系列赛事在2025年创造的积极势头。”
雪佛兰此次宣布延长多年参赛协议,延续其目前对印地赛车系列赛的参与。自2012年重返该赛事以来,雪佛兰已赢得14届锦标赛中的9次冠军。纵观印地赛车历史,雪佛兰累计斩获16次总冠军头衔。
本田公司于1994年首次参与印地赛车系列赛,作为引擎供应商已持续超过30年。其中六个赛季,本田是唯一的引擎供应商。在上个赛季的多家制造商竞争中,本田第11次夺得制造商冠军,这也是过去八年中第五次获此殊荣。
奇普·加纳西车队的亚历克斯·帕卢自2021年以来已驾驶本田赛车赢得四项冠军。
美国本田赛车公司总裁戴维·索尔特斯表示:"怀着对印地赛车历史与竞技精神的深深敬意,我们自豪地延续着逾三十载的参与。这一长期承诺增强了我们的实力,使我们能够在北美开轮式赛车的巅峰领域进一步培养人才、精进技术。"
雪佛兰并无退出该系列赛事的计划,并坚称若本田不再续约,其有能力为整个印地赛车领域提供支持。
通用汽车总裁马克·鲁斯表示:“作为引擎制造商,雪佛兰与印地赛车系列赛长期保持着成功的合作关系。此次合作延期将为印地赛车系列赛的持续发展铺平道路,并让我们能进一步实现赛道技术向民用领域的转化。通过签署特许协议,雪佛兰得以携手其他利益相关方,共同推动该赛事迈向更高水平。”
2026赛季印地赛车系列赛将于3月1日在佛罗里达州圣彼得堡市中心街道拉开战幕。
美联社赛车新闻频道:配资可靠炒股配资门户
凯丰优配提示:文章来自网络,不代表本站观点。