Outline of M-TEC Motor Sports Activities in 2015
M-TEC Co., Ltd. (President: Shin NAGAOSA, and hereinafter referred to as MUGEN) recently revealed an outline of motor sports activities to be engaged in 2015 by MUGEN.
At the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race, Team MUGEN will again compete with an original electric, zero-emission motorcycle. MUGEN’s unique project accomplished a long-sought one-two finish last year, and again this year the team will take up the challenge of winning the TT Zero event, while further improving the performance standards for electric motorcycles.
MUGEN will also participate in the Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA series, the highest pinnacle in domestic formula racing, entering a two-car team and aiming to win the championship.
In addition, under joint programmes with Honda, MUGEN will supply the engine, provide engine maintenance and engine circuit support service to race teams in various Honda groups.
MUGEN Unique Project
◇The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race
As a continuation of the wholly-internal programme that commenced in 2012, TEAM MUGEN will participate in the TT Zero Challenge class at the 2015 Isle of Man TT races (from Saturday May 30th through to Friday June 12th) *1.
The challenge of participating in the Isle of Man TT Races with electric motorcycles, which is new and completely different from the company’s conventional business involving high-speed piston engines, started in 2012 as a unique project to foster young engineers and conduct developments in new areas, for the future benefit of the company.
Last year, Team MUGEN achieved the long-sought after victory with a one-two finish, in a new record time for the course.
This year, the team will participate in the event with a machine named “SHINDEN YON”, which has been developed by improving last year’s model, with John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey both having been retained as the team riders, in a bid to win a consecutive second TT title.
With his maiden TT Zero victory aboard Shinden San in 2014, at an average speed of 117.366mph, McGuinness brought his overall tally of TT wins to 21 in total, while elsewhere his MUGEN team-mate, Anstey, set the fastest ever outright lap of the Isle of Man Mountain Course during the Superbike event.
This year’s contender, “SHINDEN YON”, will be unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, which will be at Tokyo Big Sight in March.
■ Team structure
Team name |
Number |
Rider | Director |
TEAM MUGEN
|
tbc |
John McGuinness
|
Akihiro Miyata |
tbc |
Bruce Anstey
|
Date and time: March, 27, 2015(Friday) 14:35 – 15:05
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Complex) West Exhibition Hall, Special stage in atrium
3-11-1, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo
*1 For the TT Zero Challenge class, in which TEAM MUGEN will enter, the race event will be held on June, 10th (Wednesday).
The Isle of Man TT official website: http://www.iomtt.com/
Japanese Domestic automobile motorsports activities
◇Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA Series
Again this season, TEAM MUGEN will participate in Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA Series with two-cars. Newly appointed as driver for 2015 is the Swiss, Fabio Leimer. Leimer was active in the FIA World Endurance Championship last year, having won the prestigious GP2 Series driver’s championship in 2013.
Naoki Yamamoto, remains for his 5th season at TEAM MUGEN and will be aiming to regain the Championship he won in 2013.
For this year MUGEN will supply the 2.0L in-line four direct injection turbo engine ”HR-414E” for SUPER FORMULA, to 5 teams and a total of 9 race cars, and will also provide engine maintenance and circuit service.
■ Team structure
Team name |
Number |
Driver |
Supervisor |
TEAM MUGEN |
15 |
Fabio Leimer |
Nagataka Tezuka |
16 |
Naoki Yamamoto |
■ Engine supply, engine maintenance, engine circuit service
Team name |
Race Number |
REAL RACING |
10 |
11 |
|
TEAM MUGEN |
15 |
16 |
|
DRAGO CORSE |
34 |
DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING |
40 |
41 |
|
NAKAJIMA RACING |
64 |
65 |
SUPER FORMULA Official Website: http://superformula.net/
◇GT500 class●SUPER GT
MUGEN will supply 2.0L in-line four direct injection turbo engine ”HR-414E” for “NSX CONCEPT-GT” to 5 cars in 5 teams. For each team, MUGEN will provide not only engine maintenance and engine circuit service, but also circuit service for the racing hybrid system mounted on “NSX CONCEPT-GT”.
Additionally, MUGEN will provide the vehicle maintenance and team support for TEAM KUNIMITSU.
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service, and hybrid system circuit service
Team name |
Number |
AUTOBACS RACING TEAM AGURI
|
8 |
Drago Modulo Honda Racing
|
15 |
KEIHIN REAL RACING
|
17 |
Epson Nakajima Racing
|
64 |
TEAM KUNIMITSU
|
100 |
■ Vehicle maintenance & team support
Team name |
Number |
TEAM KUNIMITSU |
100 |
◇GT300 class
For AUTOBACS RACING TEAM AGURI, participating with CR-Z GT, MUGEN will provide not only engine supply, engine maintenance and engine circuit service, but also circuit service and body parts for racing hybrid system.
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service, hybrid system circuit service, body parts supply
Team name |
Number |
AUTOBACS RACING TEAM AGURI |
55 |
SUPER GT Official Website: http://supergt.net/jp/
◇Japanese Formula 3 Championship Series
MUGEN will continue to supply the 2.0L in-line four direct injection NA engine “Honda MF204D” to HFDP RACING, who won the driver’s championship last year, and will provide engine maintenance, engine circuit service.● Japanese Formula 3 Championship Series
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service
Team name |
Race Number |
HFDP RACING
|
7 |
8 |
Japanese Formula 3 Official Website: http://www.j-formula3.com/
Worldwide Motorsports
◇FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) series
MUGEN EURO※3 will supply the 1.6L in-line four, direct injection, turbo-charged engine, exclusively for racing, to each team, and will provide the engine maintenance and engine circuit support service.
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service
Team name |
Number |
Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team |
2 |
18 |
|
Zengő Motorsport |
5 |
Nika Racing |
19 |
WTCC Official Website: http://www.fiawtcc.jp/
◇China Touring Car Championship (CTCC) series
MUGEN EURO※3 will supply the 1.6L in-line four, direct injection, turbo-charged engine exclusively for racing, to the two cars of the Dongfeng Honda Racing Team, participating in the Super Production Class with “Honda Civic”, and will provide the engine maintenance, engine circuit service and team support.
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service and team support
Team name |
Number |
Dongfeng Honda Racing Team |
tba |
tba |
CTCC Official Website: http://www.ctcc.com.cn
◇TCR International Series
MUGEN EURO※3 will supply the 2.0L in-line four turbo-charged engine for “Honda Civic” to one 3-car team participating in the new “TCR International Series” for touring car specification cars, that launches in 2015. MUGEN EURO will also provide the engine maintenance and engine circuit support service.
■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service
Team name |
Number |
West Coast Racing |
tba |
tba |
|
tba |
TCR International Official Website: http://www.tcr-series.com/
* 3 MUGEN EURO Co., Ltd. based in the United Kingdom, is a wholly owned subsidiary of M-TEC Co., Ltd.
Additional Japanese Domestic motorsport programmes
◇Honda Sports & Eco Program
MUGEN will operate “Honda Sports & Eco Program” jointly with Mobilityland Corporation. This year will be the fourth year, starting in 2012 taking up “Doing sports ecologically” as a theme. It is a motor recreational program by which everyone can feel the pleasure of “driving, upskilling and competing” maximally, exploiting “Eco” performance by using Honda CR-Z aiming to achieve both environment and sports driving. This year, the participation fee has been significantly reduced so that more people can take part.
A variety of experienced instructors including Honda’s current active SUPER GT and Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA drivers, will provide direct instruction to participants, from the basics of sports driving, to the technique required for competition.
Honda Sports & Eco Program Official Website: http://www.honda-crz-se.jp/
N-ONE OWNER’S CUP
MUGEN will operate the “Honda One Make Race Secretariat (HORS)”, and implement the planning, operating, customer support, and circuit service for the N-ONE OWNER’S CUP, and supply regulation parts. It is the one make race with numbers by using N-ONE, the light car that launched last year. The aim is for a motor sport in which even a beginner finds it easy to participate as an introduction to racing. In 2015, a total of 10 rounds will be held at 6 main circuits across the country, in support of the “Japanese Championship SUPER FORMULA series”.
N-ONE OWNER’S CUP Official Website: http://www.n-one-owners-cup.jp/
At “FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup” held at Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi, MUGEN will implement the development, supply and user’s support for racing parts. “FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup” is the one make race allowing participation with successive FITs*2 as the name of the series implies. This year, 6 rounds will be held at Suzuka Circuit, and 5 at Twin Ring Motegi (1 round of which at Sportsland SUGO).● FIT 1.5 Challenge Cup
* 2 Primary FIT (1500-cc model), second & third FITs (RS)
For users who participate in championships with Honda cars in countries all over the world, MUGEN will continue to provide high-performance products and support including engine tuning for racing and technical services.
Through such a wide and diverse programme of Motorsport activities MUGEN is able to attain a unique level of knowledge, experience and expertise, which in turn is employed in the products offered to MUGEN’s worldwide customers.