Honda Civic Type R Prototype to make US debut at Mid-Ohio

This afternoon Honda announced that their all new 2023 Civic Type R Prototype will make it’s US debut July 1st – 3rd at the Honda Indy 200 NTT IndyCar Series weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. During the weekend the Civic Type R will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Honda Indy 200 race. The car will be making several demonstration hot laps over the weekend and will serve as the lead vehicle at the start of the NTT IndyCar Series race on Sunday, July 3rd. While partaking in these events, the Civic Type R will don a special camouflage designed specifically for it.

The 2023 Civic Type R is already showing it’s track prowess, setting a new track record for a front wheel drive car at the legendary Suzuka Circuit, home of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix. During the final performance testing and evaluation the Civic Type R lapped Suzuka’s 3.6 mile, figure 8 configuration in 2 minutes 23.120 seconds.

The historic performance broke the previous track record set by the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition, a lightweight, specially tuned and track focused version of the outgoing car, by nearly one second. Video, including an in-car view, of this accomplishment can be seen on Honda’s YouTube channel.

American Honda has quite a long history of involvement in central Ohio and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Honda was the first Japanese company to establish auto manufacturing operations in the United States when they opened Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio in 1982. The company has also had an Official Vehicle relationship with Mid-Ohio since 1994.

Currently Honda operates multiple manufacturing facilities and a major Research & Development center in Ohio. Combined they have employ more than 13,000 associates and have the capacity to produce more than 650,000 vehicles and 1.18 million engines annually.

Since returning to Mid-Ohio under the Honda Indy 200 banner in 2007, Honda drivers have won 11 of the 16 IndyCar races. This includes a 1-2-3 podium sweep in 2019 when Scott Dixon scored his 6th Mid-Ohio win, others coming in 2007, 2009, 2011-12 and 2014, leading him to earn the nickname “Mr. Mid-Ohio.” Honda’s most recent winner at it’s Ohio “home circuit” was claimed by one of IndyCar’s rising star’s Colton Herta to led 57 of the 75 laps en route to his 4th career IndyCar race win.