2023 Honda Civic Type R leads IndyCar grid this weekend

The latest Honda Civic Type R has been assigned for its first racing duty. But no, it won't be dicing with other vehicles just yet.

Instead, the FL5 serves as the official pace car for this weekend's 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season-opener at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

It's not the first time a Honda has led the IndyCar grid, as the carmaker has provided the series with pace cars since 2006. And to make the already-capable FL5 even more suited for the role, Honda Performance Development added a few modifications to the newest Civic Type R.

This includes the HPD brake package that consists of competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless steel brake lines. The Civic Type R is likely to run at full pace to allow the IndyCar single-seaters to maintain their tire temperatures while remaining bunched up during caution periods.

Meanwhile, the rest of the vehicle is kept unchanged, but standard pace car lighting systems have been installed to make the Type R instantly recognizable by the IndyCar drivers, along with the special red and white Honda graphics.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R will lead the 27-car field to the green flag this weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, running from March 3 to 5.