Honda is positioning Gil de Ferran’s 241.428 mph closed-course lap as a preserved milestone, arguing in a new four-part docuseries that rule changes and evolving technology have closed the window that produced the October 2000 run at California Speedway in Fontana. Released this week on the HRC US YouTube channel, the series mixes archive material with interviews from figures who were in the paddock to explain why Honda considers the time untouchable under contemporary conditions.
The project centers on the Reynard 01I-Honda de Ferran drove. That chassis, a Team Penske CART car that won a championship in 2001, is now owned by Zak Brown and has been restored by Honda’s Heritage Racing Program, the initiative Honda unveiled in August during Monterey Car Week. Honda assembled a roster of prominent voices to narrate the story, including Roger Penske, Zak Brown, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, and Tony Kanaan.
Kelvin Fu, president of HRC US, framed the series as a personal effort, saying, "Gil de Ferran was a big part of the Honda racing family, and he holds a special place in our hearts beyond his major championships and race victories, but 241.428 was an extraordinary achievement." The film also acknowledges de Ferran’s status as a two-time CART Series champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, and notes he died in 2023.
The documentary sets out the technical case for why no modern Formula 1, IndyCar, or NASCAR entry has matched the 241.428 mph closed-course figure. It points to regulations that lower peak power, curtail aerodynamic downforce, and narrow tire operating windows, changes that reduce the ability of a car to carry sustained triple-digit cornering speeds on closed circuits. The filmmakers contrast closed-course runs with straight-line attempts, noting the former demand prolonged cornering loads at very high velocity rather than a single top-speed pass.
For Honda the series serves two purposes: it commemorates a headline achievement from the company’s CART era and uses the restored car and interviews to connect that history to ongoing engineering work. The release joins other items Honda has been highlighting this year, including becoming the first company in the automotive industry to receive the highest ranking of three stars in the FIA Road Safety Index. The immediate effect is cultural; the film preserves a moment in racing history and offers Honda’s public argument for why the 241.428 mph lap still stands. The four-part series is available now on the HRC US YouTube channel.
