Mugen confirms team for 2012 SES TT Zero challenge
Thursday 16 February 2012
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World famous engine builder Mugen has confirmed that it will be participating in the 2012 SES TT Zero race, which takes place as part of the Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy.
The Japanese company, founded in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, son of Honda founder Soichiro, will be campaigning with an all-new original electric motorcycle.
The Mugen outfit has a long history of involvement in motorsport including Formula 1, winning four Grand Prix races between 1992 and 2000 working with teams like Jordan, Prost, Lotus and Ligier.
They also manufactured engines that won the Formula 3000 championship in 1990 and 1991.
Currently Mugen competes in the Japanese GT and Formula Nippon Championships, and were also recently announced as the engine partner to Honda in their forthcoming World Touring Car Championship campaign.
The company has history in motorcycle racing, having previously competed in the Suzuka 8 hour endurance race with Joey Dunlop and Roger Marshall, and World Championship Motocross with Johnny O’Mara.
The SES TT Zero Race takes place over one lap in a time trial format and is restricted to entrants using motorcycles with zero-emission engines that emit no CO2. The Isle of Man Government has offered a £10,000 prize for the first team to break an average speed of 100mph around the 37¾ mile Mountain Course.
Mr Satoshi Katsumata of Team Mugen commented:
“We are keen to use this excellent event to educate and prepare the engineers of the next generation for the use of future technology.”
“We are very excited about adding to the long history of Japanese manufacturers on the Isle of Man.”
The company will shortly confirm the identity of their rider ahead of a planned programme of testing in Japan and the UK.