Robert Clarke, founder of Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) when it was known initially as Honda Performance Development (HPD), passed away at age 75.
Clarke had been at the helm of HPD from its 1993 founding, where he established the new Honda racing subsidiary in Santa Clarita, until January 2008 where he shifted into a new executive advisory role at HPD until his retirement.
His work laid the groundwork for a multitude of Honda Racing race cars, including with the Acura brand in North American sports car racing. The Acura American Le Mans Series program featured the Acura LM V8, which was HPD’s first-ever and Honda’s first racing engine produced outside of Honda R&D Japan. The three Acura-powered teams finished in first, second and fourth positions in the ALMS Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class at the 2007 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
David Salters, HRC US President, noted Clarke’s influence on his tenure and paid tribute to his predecessor:
“I would like to give our thoughts and prayers to Robert Clarke and his family, Robert sadly passed away this weekend.
“Robert was a driving force at Honda Performance Development—he was literally badge #1 at HPD in 1993 and ultimately served as the third president of the organization. He and all of our other magnificent presidents built what is now Honda Racing Corporation USA into a world class racing organization. He is one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on today as HRC US.”
