MUGEN

2015.2.13

Outline of M-TEC Motor Sports Activities in 2015

Today M-TEC Co., Ltd. (President: Shin NAGAOSA, and hereinafter referred to as MUGEN) reveal 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. Again this year, the team will take up the challenge of winning the TT Zero event, and of 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 Original Project

[ The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race ]

TEAM MUGEN will participate in the TT Zero Challenge class for 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, and John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey have been retained as the team riders in a bid to win a second TT title in a row. With his maiden TT Zero victory aboard Shinden San in 2014, McGuinness brought his overall tally of TT wins to 21 in total, while elsewhere his MUGEN team-mate set the fastest ever outright lap of the Isle of Man Mountain Course in the Superbike event.

This year's model, “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	-	John McGuinness	Akihiro Miyata
	-	Bruce Anstey

[The 2015 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, A Release Exhibition for TEAM MUGEN's Motorcycle for the Isle of Man TT Races]
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/

 

Joint project with Honda

[Domestic automobile motor sports 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 FIA the World Endurance Championship last year having won the 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 for a total of 9 race cars, and will also provide engine maintenance and circuit service.

■ Team structure

Team name	Number	Rider	Supervisor
TEAM MUGEN	15	Fabio Leimer	Nagataka Tezuka
	16	Naoki Yamamoto

■ Engine supply, engine maintenance, engine circuit service

Team name	Number
REAL RACING	10
	11
TEAM MUGEN	15
	16
DORAGO CORSE	34
DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING	40
	41
NAKAJIMA RACING	64
	65

SUPER FORMULA Official Website: http://www.superformula.net/

● SUPER GT
◇ GT500 class

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.

■ Engine supply, maintenance, circuit service

Team name	Number
HFDP RACING	7
	8

Japanese Formula 3 Official Website: http://www.j-formula3.com/

● 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 “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/

● FIT1.5 Challenge Cup

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).

*2 Primary FIT (1500-cc model), second & third FITs (RS)

[Overseas automobile motor sports activities]

● FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) series

MUGEN EURO*3will 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
Zengö 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	-
	-

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 that will participate 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	-
	-
	-

TCR Official Website: http://www.tcr-series.com/

*3 MUGEN EURO Co., Ltdis an English subsidiary wholly owned by M-TEC Co., Ltd.

In addition, for users who participate in championships with Honda car in countries all over the world, including Japan, MUGEN will continue to provide high-performance products including engine tuning for racing and technical services.

MUGEN will implement the feedback of technique and know-how obtained through these motor sports activities to all of the MUGEN products, and will offer them to customers.