Ron Bauer is one part of a team looking to cement Mazda’s place in the sport

A quick look at the entry list for the SCCA Tire Rack Solo National Championships or even any regional event would indicate that there is no shortage of Mazdas in autocross competition. A second look, though, would reveal some concentrations in models and classes. While there are some outliers – Clint Griest’s E Street Prepared Mazdaspeed6 that he shares with Johanna Foege comes to mind – most of the entries are in various generation of Miata with some RX-7s and RX-8s thrown in. 

Ron Bauer knows what a good autocross car a Miata can be, competing in his ND in the B Street Prepared class where he won the 2018 SCCA National Championship. But he also knows there are a lot of other Mazda models that are fun to autocross that may not be as well represented. Consequently, he and some other Mazda autocrossers – Julian Garfield and Deana Kelly, among others – and with the help and encouragement of Mazda Motorsports’ Manager of Business Development David Cook, are looking at ways to deepen and broaden the representation of Mazda competitors in autocross.

“It’s a continuous thing with Mazda supporting the Solo community, always looking for new ways to put Mazda out there further,” says Bauer. “A number of things are carrying over from last year, such as contingency that pays down farther than it used to. We’re talking about ways to bring people running the NC Miata and the Mazda3, cars that are getting a little less expensive now and maybe there are places for them to play in the sport more so than they have recently.”

The NC (third-generation) MX-5 was a competitive force in the Street Touring Roadster class, but it has been somewhat supplanted by the ND, which has reignited the passion for the sports car in autocross that was lit by the first- and second-generation cars.

“There are parts out there,” says Bauer. “We’re looking at a way to take some of the stuff that’s being used for road racing and see if that will make the NC MX-5 potentially competitive in an existing class. Or, whether we can try to move towards finding something else for it, like it might be a good dual-purpose car where someone could run it in Solo as well as road racing. At this point it’s more investigating exactly what the parts list is going to be for road racing and compare that to the rule on the Solo side to see if those parts will put it in a class where it may be more competitive.”

With the success of the Toyota/Subaru-based Solo Spec Coupe, there has also been some thoughts about a Mazda-based spec class in autocross. But what form that would take is an unknown, as is whether SCCA has interest in such a class at this time. 

Bauer sees positives to both an MX-5 spec class and a Mazda3 spec class. Obviously, MX-5s have been more popular in autocross, but Bauer acknowledges the potential of a spec autocrosser that could haul the tires and gear without trouble, and haul the family around the rest of the time.

“The 3 would definitely appeal to more people that have families, where they would have a great daily driver and also the ability to bring their stuff with them in the car,” he says. “The question is, how popular that would be? The older cars are coming down in price – are people going to be willing to spend the money with the likelihood of a spec class? The challenge with SCCA’s Street classes has always been that ‘the car to have’ changes every couple of years. A spec class opens up the possibility of people being more vested in it.”

Speaking of “the car to have,” Bauer is eager to see what effect the 2019 ND2 Miata has on the C Street class. He thinks that with its power bump and extended rev range compared to the ND1 it will be a better overall car, but he also thinks the ND1 has a better torque curve and won’t be immediately outclassed. Indeed, he thinks it will be better on some courses. And the next frontier he sees for the current generation MX-5 is D Prepared, where he’s already competed with his BSP Miata on occasion.

With Mazda competitors in autocross enjoying unprecedented support from Mazda, including a hospitality tent at the Solo Nationals, deeper contingency payouts and, of course, the parts discounts and technical support available to all Team Support Program members, it’s certainly an exciting time for Mazda Motorsports in SCCA autocross. But it’s worth noting that there are those who are always looking for what’s coming next and finding new ways to bring more Mazda racers into the fold.