Honda Performance Development (HPD), which leads all Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs in North America, has announced David Salters as the new president. He will become the seventh president in its history and will succeed Ted Klaus, who will retire from HPD on December 1, after a 30-year career with Honda.

“Ted Klaus has been a great leader for Honda Performance Development, demonstrated by the success we have enjoyed in both IndyCar and IMSA racing in the two seasons he has led HPD,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “As we prepare for the exciting electrified era ahead in North American motorsports, we are confident in turning to someone with the experience of David Salters from inside HPD to lead us into the future.”

Salters joined HPD in 2015 as a chief engineer and engine technical leader, serving as technical director since 2019. As president, he will have responsibility for overseeing Honda’s racing and engineering activities and working directly with the company’s racing teams and sponsors. 

Prior to joining HPD, Salters had a series of roles in high profile racing programs, including serving as the head of ICE power unit development for the Ferrari Formula 1 program, as head of F1 engine development at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines (formerly Ilmor) and as a development/design engineer for the CART Indy car program at Cosworth Racing Ltd.

For more information, visit hpd.honda.com.