IndyCar, Honda heavily involved in battle against COVID-19

IndyCar and its partners are heavily involved in redirecting resources to help fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. American Honda and Honda Performance Development, one of two engine manufacturers in the NTT IndyCar Series, has

Instead of battling against Chevrolet (which also is taking steps to fight COVID-19) on the racetrack this season, Honda is focusing its efforts on addressing the crisis that has kept the IndyCar season from getting started. It is providing support to customers, Honda associates, business partners and local community organizations.

The company also is helping to assist communities throughout the region where people are suffering the devastating effects of the pandemic.

Here is a summary of the actions Honda has taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic regarding its customers, associates and business operations:

Support of Healthcare Providers

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Ten Honda facilities in North America combined to donate over 200,000 items to healthcare providers and first responders, including gloves, face shields, N95 protective masks, alcohol wipes, half-mask respirators and other types of protective gear.
Honda associates at five different Honda facilities are using 3D printers to manufacture parts for face shields being donated to healthcare facilities and first responders.

Community Support

Honda has pledged $1 million to address the immediate needs of communities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, providing the most vulnerable with access to food. The pledge is part of a range of efforts Honda is undertaking to support community and government actions aimed at helping people combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donations to food bank and meal programs are being distributed to nonprofit organizations that address food insecurity across the region.
Building on the commitment of Honda associates to community volunteerism, Honda has initiated a COVID-19 Special Matching Gift Program that enables associates to make monetary donations to food programs in their local communities, matching up to $1,000 for each individual associate. The matching fund is in addition to a $1 million pledge to address food insecurity.
The Honda Center, a Honda-sponsored entertainment venue in Southern California, has been used as a social-distant distribution center by the Second Harvest Food Bank to distribute food to those in need in Orange County.
“Virtual Volunteers”: Honda is empowering Honda associates in North America to help people in need in their local communities while maintaining social Some of the activities include making non-medical grade masks for neighbors and the community, neighbor wellness checks and use of social media and other efforts that can be completed from home.
Honda has launched the #ThankaHealthCareHero social media campaign to encourage people to offer gratitude to doctors, nurses, paramedics, fire, police and other frontline professionals who place themselves at risk in support of the public’s health and safety.

Customer/Associate Support

The Honda and Acura brands have offered to help customers who financed their vehicles through Honda Financial Services or Acura Financial Services with payment extensions and deferrals, as well as available late fee waivers.
Effective April 1, Honda began offering select and eligible first responders and healthcare professionals a $500 (Honda) or $750 (Acura) discount on new vehicles financed or leased through Honda Financial Services or Acura Financial Services.
Honda has temporarily suspended production at all of its North American auto and powersports plants due to the decline in market demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has utilized this time to continue deep cleaning of its production facilities and common areas to further protect associates upon their return to the plants.
The vast majority of Honda associates are working remotely from home or place of residence. In-office activity is limited to essential activities.
Associates who have COVID-19 or are being evaluated for COVID-19 are entitled to temporary paid personal leave of absence program to insure they are receiving full pay for the first 14 days of their illness (with disability leave available thereafter, if needed).

Marketing/Social Media

A new marketing campaign builds on the company’s pledge to communities and customers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by adding meaning to The Power of Dreams during these unprecedented times.
On social media, Acura is encouraging people to practice social distancing whenever possible through its #LessDriveMorePark campaign – suggesting to park vehicles except for essential travel, while offering useful information concerning driving during this unprecedented situation.

Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Media and fan attention focused on a controversial run-in between Haiden Deegan and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Jordon Smith during Round 10 of the Monster Energy Supercross race at Detroit, after which the 250 East points’ Hunter Lawrence defends the young rider in the postrace news conference.

Deegan took the early lead in Heat 1 of the round, but the mood swiftly changed when he became embroiled in a spirited battle with teammate Smith.

On Lap 3, Smith caught Deegan with a fast pass through the whoops. Smith briefly held the lead heading into a bowl turn but Deegan had the inside line and threw a block pass. In the next few turns, the action heated up until Smith eventually ran into the back of Deegan’s Yamaha and crashed.

One of the highlights of the battle seemed to include a moment when Deegan waited on Smith in order to throw a second block pass, adding fuel to the controversy.

After his initial crash, Smith fell to seventh on the next lap. He would crash twice more during the event, ultimately finishing four laps off the pace in 20th.

The topic was inevitably part of the postrace news conference.

“It was good racing; it was fun,” Deegan said at about the 27-minute mark in the video above. “I just had some fun doing it.”

Smith had more trouble in the Last Chance Qualifier. He stalled his bike in heavy traffic, worked his way into a battle for fourth with the checkers in sight, but crashed a few yards shy of the finish line and was credited with seventh. Smith earned zero points and fell to sixth in the standings.

Lawrence defends Deegan — *Jordon Smith failed to make the Detroit Supercross Main and fell to sixth in the points. – Feld Motor Sports*

“I think he’s like fifth in points,” Deegan said. “He’s a little out of it. Beside that it was good, I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Deegan jokingly deflected an earlier question with the response that he wasn’t paying attention during the incident.

“He’s my teammate, but he’s a veteran, he’s been in this sport for a while,” Deegan said. “I was up there just battling. I want to win as much as everybody else. It doesn’t matter if it’s a heat race or a main; I just want to win. I was just trying to push that.”

As Deegan and Smith battled, Jeremy Martin took the lead. Deegan finished second in the heat and backed up his performance with a solid third-place showing in the main, which was his second podium finish in a short six-race career. Deegan’s first podium was earned at Daytona, just two rounds ago.

But as Deegan struggled to find something meaningful to say, unsurprisingly for a 17-year-old rider who was not scheduled to run the full 250 schedule this year, it was the championship leader Lawrence who came to his defense.

“I just want to point something out, which kind of amazes me,” Lawrence said during the conference. “So many of the people on social media, where everyone puts their expertise in, are saying the racing back in the ’80s, the early 90s, when me were men. They’re always talking about how gnarly it was and then anytime a block pass or something happens now, everyone cries about it.

“That’s just a little bit interesting. Pick one. You want the gnarly block passes from 10 years ago and then you get it, everyone makes a big song and dance about it.”

Pressed further, Lawrence defended not only the pass but the decision-making process that gets employed lap after lap in a Supercross race.

“It’s easy to point the finger,” Lawrence said. “We’re out there making decisions in a split millisecond. People have all month to pay their phone bill and they still can’t do that on time.

“We’re making decisions at such a fast reaction [time with] adrenaline. … I’m not just saying it for me or Haiden. I speak for all the guys. No one is perfect and we’re under a microscope out there. The media is really quick to point a finger when someone makes a mistake.”

The media is required to hold athletes accountable for their actions. They are also required to tell the complete story.

IndyCar and Honda heavily involved in effort to battle COVID-19

Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan after controversial block pass at Detroit

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