Clarke deems Sebring win greatest HPD achievement

Robert Clarke

As it turns out, Robert Clarke’s greatest achievement in motorsports came in what turned out to be the twilight of his career. The outgoing president of Honda Performance Development told SPEEDtv.com’s Robin Miller that Acura’s win in its American Le Mans Series debut at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Andretti Green Racing takes the cake.

“Winning the first time out at Sebring was the highlight for me," said Clarke, who announced Thursday he was stepping down. “It represented everything I put into this company and made me so proud.

“HPD did it on our own with no help from Japan or Ilmor. We designed, sourced, developed and maintained the engine. It was totally ours and it won the first time out competing against world-class manufacturers. That is so indicative of where HPD is today."