2015

Two sim racing champions had the opportunity to join the Mazda Club Racer Shootout and proved that iRacing is a good training ground. The Mazda Club Racer Shootout has, for several years now, been the ultimate springboard from amateur to professional racing. In 2014 it expanded, creating a possible conduit straight from sim racing – computer […]”

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Liam Dwyer shifting from active duty with the U.S. Marines to full-time racer driving an MX-5 in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. After scoring a victory in only his second professional race, Liam Dwyer is joining Mazda  as a full-time racer in the 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Dwyer and Tom Long to co-drive their […]”

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Dwyer shifting from active duty with the U.S. Marines to full-time racer in Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with Freedom Autosport. January 20, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif) — Mazda announced the addition of Liam Dwyer as a full-time racer in the 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.  Dwyer stunned the racing world in 2014 when he teamed up […]”

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Mazda racers take Touring, Production and Prototype victories at Auto Club Speedway. After watching their fellow competitors in the Southeast get started a week ago, the SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour raced for the first time in 2015, opening the year at Auto Club Speedway. Seven race groups ran on the 21-turn, 2.8-mile circuit that […]”

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SCCA Southeast Conference Majors at Sebring International Raceway feature 13 wins for Mazda racers. Double victories were the order of the day for Mazda drivers at Sebring International Raceway for Rounds Three and Four of the SCCA Southeastern Conference U.S. Majors Tour, part of the SafeRacer Club Racing program. Four Mazda racers took a win […]”

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Two virtual racers showed up at the Mazda Club Racer Shootout courtesy of iRacing; their performance proves that racing sims have come a long way. If the last computer-based racing game you played was Pole Position, the idea that someone could jump from behind a computer screen to behind the wheel of a racecar rather […]”

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MAZDA ADDS JAMES HINCHCLIFFE TO DRIVER LINEUP FOR THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
IndyCar Star will Race with Mazda for the Fourth Consecutive 24-Hour Race

IRVINE, Calif. (January 14, 2015) – Mazda has added James Hinchcliffe to the SKYACTIV Prototype driver line-up for the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Hinchcliffe, a three-time IndyCar race winner and native of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, will drive for the Mazda factory team for the fourth consecutive year at the 24-hour race. Hinchcliffe, also known as the Mayor of Hinchtown, has driven in the Prototype, GT and GX categories at the Rolex 24. On his way to the IndyCar ranks, Hinchliffe competed in the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system that helps young drivers climb to the top level of their sport.

Mazda has powered 23 class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona since 1975, and the 2015 driver lineup for the Mazda

SKYACTIV Prototypes will be:
No. 70 car: Tristan Nunez, Jonathan Bomarito, Sylvain Tremblay and Hinchcliffe
No. 07 car:  Tom Long, Joel Miller, Ben Devlin and Tremblay

 James Hinchcliffe:
“This will be my fourth year in a row with Mazda, so I think that shows how I feel about them and the level of professionalism that they show. It is a privilege and joy to get to drive for them and it’s a partnership I hope we can keep going for many more years.”

“Coming up through the Mazda Road to Indy, I have had a lot of experience driving different Mazda-powered machines. To see what they’ve done with that program and how they support the ladder system, not only in open-wheel racing but sports car racing and motorsports overall, it’s really really cool to see.”

“(Director of Mazda Motorsports) John Doonan has been a big supporter of mine and a good friend for many years, so to get a chance to continue that relationship – personally and professionally – is great. With SpeedSource and Sylvain (Tremblay, team owner) and all the guys, John’s put together a real crack organization. It goes hand-in-hand with how they do it at every level of the sport.”

John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports North America
“James is a great example of what the Mazda driver development programs are all about. I’ve known him for many years throughout his climb up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder to become a winning driver in IndyCar. He is a great young man who brings value to Mazda Motorsports on and off the track. We’re thrilled to have him with us again.”

About Mazda Motorsports
Mazda’s SKYACTIV Prototypes compete in the highest category of the TUDOR United SportsCar Series. The Prototype cars can also be seen in high schools across North America as a part of Mazda’s extensive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational program called Racing Accelerates Creative Education (R.A.C.E). The program reached more than 12,000 students in 2014.

On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. In fact, the largest road-racing class in the world is Spec Miata, with more than 2,500 first- and second-generation Miatas tearing up America’s racetracks, making it the most-raced production car in the world.

Mazda’s involvement in motorsports extends to its relationship with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the world’s premier road-racing circuits, the Mazda Road to Indy and the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy.

Mazda Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO).  MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Consumer information can be found at www.mazdausa.com, with press information at www.mazdausamedia.com.  Racers and fans can follow the action on Facebook (Mazda Motorsports), Twitter (@mazdaracing), Instagram (MazdaMotorsport) and www.mazdamotorsports.com

2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona
The opening round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship takes place at Daytona International Speedway January 24 and 25.

You can see the race action on FOX, Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. ET. After two hours of coverage on FOX, the remainder of the race will be seen on FOX Sports 1 and 2, as well as IMSA.com. You can find the entire broadcast schedule at IMSA.com.

IndyCar driver joins Nunez, Bomarito and Tremblay in the driver lineup for the 2015 Rolex 24 in the No. 70 SKYACTIV Diesel Prototype. For the fourth consecutive year, IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe will join Mazda and the SKYACTIV Prototype driver lineup for the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Hinchcliffe will drive for the Mazda […]”

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Northern Californian works two jobs to fund his racing; it paid off with a NASA Spec Miata championship and a drive in the 2015 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires. “It’s pretty damn awesome!” sums it up nicely when Kyle Loustaunau talks about winning the Mazda Club Racer Shootout and the $100,000 […]”

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Southeast Conference races at Homestead-Miami Speedway include five double winners in Mazdas.

The off season seems ever shorter. For residents of the Southeast, it certainly is, as the sunny Florida weather allows an earlier start to the Southeastern Conference SCCA U.S. Majors Tour than is possible in other parts of the country. On the second weekend of the new year, SCCA Club Racers kicked off their season at Homestead Miami Speedway even as their pro sports car racing counterparts were testing for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the northern part of the state. While championships cannot be won during the opening round of competition, the first event can certainly shape the title fight and lend some insight into the character of the remaining season. If there is one takeaway, 2015 should be quite a season as the determination of each competitor to win is already at fever pitch.

Seven race groups took to the 12-turn, 2.3-mile road/oval circuit each day to start the path to the Runoffs. This event marks the first time the Miami-area speedway has hosted a Majors event. The premiere talent and skill of this crop of drivers showed as lap records fell in nearly every class. Conditions for the record-setting day could not have been better on Saturday as the morning haze burned off, resulting in the sun breaking through the clouds.

That turned to light on-and-off showers followed by plenty of Florida sunshine for Sunday’s Round 2. When everything was done, five Mazda racers had claimed double victories and were well on their way to a great season.

As the opening act to the entire 2015 Majors season, Spec Miata did not disappoint. Close, fender-to-fender racing was the name of the game, and Elivan Goulart, of Shelton, Conn., was able to pull off the narrow win in his No. 70 SAC Racing ServicesMazda Miata, with a last-lap pass on Todd Buras.

A total of 42 drivers took the green, led by hometown driver Alex Bolanos. Bolanos took part in a close-quarters, four-car battle for the lead that included Buras, Denny Steyn and Selin Rollan. Goulart had missed a shift earlier in the race, dropping him back to sixth place. As the laps wound down, the leaders started to fight hard amongst themselves, giving Goulart the opportunity to reel them in. He was able to get the draft to work for him on the banking of Turns 11 and 12, which allowed him to make the outside pass stick for the win.

Nick Leverone, of Greenwich, N.Y., took the win in Super Touring Lite on Saturday and set a new lap record of 1:35.869 behind the wheel of the No. 3 Drillmasters Mazda Miata. He beat Mike Van Steenburg to the line by a 1.411-second margin. He repeated the feat on Sunday for the double win.

Formula Atlantic National Champion Conner Kearby, of Corpus Christi, Texas, started his title defense with a convincing win over Dudley Fleck. Kearby, in his No. 56 GK Motorsports/K-Hill Motorsports Swift 016, finished 9.277 seconds ahead of Fleck. Kearby also reset the Formula Atlantic lap record with a lap of 1:16.756. By his account, Kearby had a great opening weekend of 2015 with a pair of little-contested wins in the event.

Joining Leverone and Kearby in the double victory club were Ken Kannard, coming from Wisconsin to get an early jump on his season in his F Production Miata; Bill McGavic in his GT-3 RX-7; and Tim Myers, who took wins on both days in his Touring 4 RX-8.

The Southeast Conference Majors Tour resumes next weekend with a visit to Sebring International Raceway for Rounds Three and Four. On the other side of the country, the Western Conference gets underway with Rounds One and Two at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

SCCA Southeastern Conference Majors
Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.
Jan. 10-11, 2015

Round 1 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016
Formula Mazda Doug Peterson Maiden, N.C. Formula Mazda
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
GT-3 Bill McGavic Arcadia, Fla. Mazda RX-7
Prototype 1 Jacek Mucha Highland Beach, Fla. Mazda JMS016
Spec Miata Elivan Goulart Shelton, Conn. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Greenwich, N.Y. Mazda Miata
Touring 4 Tim Myers Atlanta, Ga. Mazda RX-8

Round 2 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016
Formula Mazda Carson Weeder Winter Haven, Fla. Formula Mazda
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
GT-3 Bill McGavic Arcadia, Fla. Mazda RX-7
Spec Miata Selin Rollan Miami, Fla. Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Greenwich, N.Y. Mazda Miata
Touring 4 Tim Myers Atlanta, Ga. Mazda RX-8

Whether it is over the winter or between events, Sylvain Tremblay always aims to bring a different car to the track than the last time. That doesn’t mean a new car, just an improved one.

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The MZR-R, the new power plant for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, has its roots in endurance racing. Special to MazdaMotorsports.com by Marshall Pruett. Making big horsepower for extended periods with small, turbocharged engines has been part of Mazda’s sports car racing DNA, and starting this season the brand’s endurance racing experience will […]”

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Add heart rate to all the other data you collect and you may be surprised by what you find. And, yes, it matters. Special to MazdaMotorsports.com by Larry Mason. Mason is an ACE-certified personal trainer and a brand ambassador for Polar. He has been training and racing with Polar heart rate monitors since 1994. He’s […]”

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Solo Champion used the power of positive thinking to win the 2014 C Street Prepared Ladies title at the 2014 SCCA Solo National Championships. The SCCA Tour events and the The Tire Rack Solo National Championships have a two-day format, where competitors test their skill on two different courses and the times are added. So […]”

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Eric Powell’s PTD Miata features a flat power band and good aero combined in a championship-winning package. When he set out to build his racecar, Eric Powell had one goal in mind: win a club racing national championship and qualify for the Mazda Club Racer Shootout. He achieved that goal, but it turned out to […]”

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IMSA sports racer series adds a new event at NOLA Motorsports Park to join six returning venues in 10th season. The 2015 Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda schedule features stability and a fresh challenge, as the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Development Series will compete at six classic venues from 2014 and add […]”

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