When determining the exhaust system, the Mazda Motorsports team boiled down the objectives to two: the exhaust system needs to meet the program’s pillars, and the racer should be able to install it and forget about it.
With those objectives in mind, the team turned to Kooks Headers & Exhaust. The company got its start in 1962 when George Kook used his gas torch to build his first set of headers for his family race car, and teams in IMSA, SCCA, NASA, NASCAR, NHRA and more now use Kooks. A company started by a racer. That’s a Mazda Motorsports team member specialty.
Kooks and Mazda Motorsports paired up to cover a main objective that sounds like a late-night infomercial – set it and forget it. That means installation of the full system, from the header to the exhaust tip, should be easy. To do that, the lightweight stainless-steel exhaust uses the MX-5’s stock hanger locations, replacing the catalytic converter.
As an exhaust, it should meet the sound requirements at the race track. The Kooks exhaust should do that, even at the strictest of race tracks.
And it should perform, consistently across the package. Kooks has ensured this with a free-flowing muffler, and its years of experience ensures that the mandrel bends in the system are consistent across every manufactured part. There’s no wondering if your competitor’s exhaust may be better than yours – essential for the “spec” element of the car.
In short, Kooks understood the program because they are racers themselves. They understood what Mazda Motorsports was looking for from the start, and testing has confirmed their work, completing the partnership and providing the best exhaust for the Spec MX-5.
Mazda Motorsports’ Header Part Number: 0000-06-5407-NC
Mazda Motorsports’ Header Price: $501.00
Mazda Motorsports’ Exhaust Part Number: 0000-06-5427-NC
Mazda Motorsports’ Exhaust Price: $496.00
About Spec MX-5: Mazda Motorsports has combined decades of key learnings supplied by thousands of racers at every level of grassroots and pro racing to create Spec MX-5. We’ve applied these key learnings into four key pillars: affordability, reliability, tech-ability, and really fun to drive. We’ve considered every facet of Spec MX-5 – from the car spec, the suppliers and partners, the rule set, the schedules and tracks, the ease of maintenance and repair, fun and fair competition, prizes and awards, and more. Building on the abundance of already fun third generation NC (2006-2015) MX-5s, Mazda Motorsports has developed a race kit with nearly every necessary part to convert the road car into the Spec MX-5 race car, intended for everyone from novices looking to make a long-term stay in club racing, to those aspiring to ascend the Mazda Road to 24 ladder. The focus of the support program is to enable excellent sprint and endurance club racing competition through transparency, parity, rewarding racers with the best contingency awards in club racing, the best parts pricing, and assistance from Mazda Motorsports’ experts on everything from assembly, to set up, and driving. Spec MX-5 is club racing done right. Parts for the Spec MX-5 kit begin shipping in October, so call Mazda Motorsports at 800.435.2508 now to be first in line!
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