Aside

Three Mazda racers double up with wins on two days while Spec Miata features two winners.

Day one of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at VIRginia International Raceway ran  under sunny skies, but halfway through Sunday, the skies opened up. The races served as Rounds Nine and 10 for the Southeastern Conference and was the season-opening race for the Northeastern Conference.

Drivers in each of the eight race groups, made up of 28 Runoffs-eligible classes, took to the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit for 25-minute sprit races on Saturday and 16-lap races on Sunday.

Spec Miata led Saturday off in a big way. With oil-dry on the course near the finish line, the opening moments saw six cars make contact just after taking the green flag. Three of those cars were able to continue the race, while three were not. The rest of the race, restarted on lap five, proved to be just as intense with a multi-car battle for the lead that included eventual race winner Dillon Machavern. Jonathan Goring won Spec Miata on Sunday.

Three drivers doubled up with a pair of victories, scoring in both the sprint races and the features on Sunday. Ken Kannard (Miata) won F Production both days, as did Ray Stephensen in GT-3 (RX-7) and Robert Noell in Formula Mazda.
 
SCCA Northeastern/Southeastern Conferences Majors
VIRginia International Raceway
Alton, Va., April 18-19, 2015

Saturday Mazda Winners

Class,Driver,Hometown,Car Formula Mazda,Robert Noell,”Cary, N.C.”,Formula Mazda F Production,Ken Kannard,”East Troy, Wis.”,Mazda Miata GT-3,Ray Stephenson,”Miami, Fla.”,Mazda RX-7 Spec Miata,Dillon Machavern,”Charlotte, Vt.”,Mazda Miata

Sunday Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
Formula Mazda Robert Noell Cary, N.C. Formula Mazda
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
GT-3 Ray Stephenson Miami, Fla. Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite Michael Kamalian Marietta, Ga. Mazda Miata
Spec Miata Jonathan Goring Norfolk, Va. Mazda Miata

Track near Palm Springs hosts Rounds Three and Four of Western Conference, with eight Mazda winners.

Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, a 17-turn, 2.68-mile track in Desert Center, Calif., hosted its first Majors races, Rounds Three and Four the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Western Conference. Saturday’s on-track events included 15-minute qualifying sessions, divided into seven race groups, for the 25 National Championship Runoffs-eligible classes what were present. Following the mid-day lunch break, those same seven race groups competed in separate 30-minute sprint races. On Sunday, each race was 20 laps.
As this was the first trip to the venue for the Majors Tour, new lap records were on the chopping block. A total of 13 lap records were reset over the two-day race weekend.
Dan Erickson, of Chandler, Arizona, took home a narrow 0.692-second victory over Doug Nelson in Formula Mazda on Saturday. Nelson was the better of the two drivers during the qualifying session, but Erickson drove his No. 6 Brawndo Formula Mazda to the eventual win. Larry Mason was the Sunday winner in FM.
Clement Lee, of San Diego, California, cruised to an atypically large margin of victory in Spec Miata on Saturday. Lee qualified his No. 33 RM Autosports Mazda Miata in third, but did what he needed to do to lead the field to the line.
On Sunday, Steven Powers, of Mesa, Arizona, turned the tables on Lee. After finishing second to Lee the day before, Powers came home first in his No. 145 Amerifirst Financial Mazda Miata. Lee finished the feature race in second.
Derrick Ambrose (Mazda2) and Mike Henderson (RX-7) were double winners in B-Spec and GT-3, respectively.
The next two rounds of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Western Conference Championship will be held at Thunderhill Raceway Park on April 11-12.

SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour
Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, Calif.
March 21—22, 2015
Round Three Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
Chuckwalla B-Spec Derrick Ambrose Vancouver, Wash. Mazda2
Formula Mazda Dan Erickson Chandler, Ariz. Formula Mazda*
GT-3 Mike Henderson Alpine, Calif. Mazda RX-7
Spec Miata Clement Lee San Diego, Calif. Mazda Miata

Round Four Mazda Winners

ClassDriverHometownCar

B-Spec Derrick Ambrose Vancouver, Wash. Mazda2*
Formula Mazda Larry Mason Burbank, Calif. Formula Mazda
E Production Anthony Jimerson Benicia, Calif. Mazda RX-7
GT-1 Richard Gray Moorpark, Calif. Mazda RX-7
GT-3 Mike Henderson Alpine, Calif. Mazda RX-7*
Spec Miata Steven Powers Mesa, Ariz. Mazda Miata

SCCA Southeastern Conference U.S. Majors Tour features dichotomous weather to test racers.

As the Southeast Conference of the U.S. Majors Tour hit the halfway point with this past weekend’s event at Road Atlanta, Saturday and Sunday were like two different events with very different weather, allowing drivers to display their skills in both warm and sunny conditions and in the wet.

Saturday’s 25-minute timed races were met with warm sun. In Spec Miata, Dillon Machavern (No. 24 Heritage Mazda Miata) held his position in the lead pack as he, Jonathan Goring and Danny Steyn broke away from the field in Spec Miata. Machavern rode in second for the majority of the race, then moved to the front with one to go. Ready to race, Machavern held on out front for the final lap, with Steyn a half-second behind at the stripe.

In Formula Mazda, Joseph Harris (No. 132 Formula Mazda) battled with Darryl Wills (No. 2 Hillenburg Motorsports Formula Mazda) until lap 15, when a car from a different class tried to sweep around the pair through a corner. Wills jumped on the brakes to avoid contact, but the move caused him to spin and Harris was left alone for the win.

For Sunday’s 20-lap races around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn track, a steady downpour provided drivers the opportunity for drivers to prove themselves in a limited-traction environment. Some drivers who shone on Saturday saw their fortunes reversed, as did some who weren’t able to grab victory the day prior.

Goring’s No. 18 Jonathan Goring Motorsports Mazda Miata nearly saw all the early work he’d put in erased with just a few minutes to go in the Spec Miata race, when a car slid off the end of the back straight and came to rest in the gravel trap. That brought out a full-course caution with the 40-minute time window winding down, and erased a five second lead for Goring. With a host of rivals in his mirrors, Goring again got away on the one-lap dash to the end. At the checkered flag, Goring was 1.109-second ahead of Steyn’s Miata, and almost two seconds ahead of Saturday winner Machavern.

With heavy rains falling, Nick Leverone piloted his No. 31 Flatout Motorsports Mazda Miata to the front of a field that traditionally features quicker and more powerful cars to take the Super Touring Lite win.

Conner Kearby (No. 56 K-Hill Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda) repeated in Formula Atlantic after spending the early part of the race chasing his father, Gaston Kearby. The elder Kearby was still in front on lap 13 when suddenly his machine failed to accelerate out of a corner, done for the day. From there, Conner was alone on the lead to the finish line.

Joseph Harris’ No. 132 Formula Mazda finished an impressive second overall, the only other car on Kearby’s lead lap. The win capped a sweep of the weekend in class for Harris.

Two more drivers were able to prove their ability to win in any condition. Ken Kannard won F Production in his No. 39 Northwest Cable Mazda Miata, and Michael Kamalian of nearby Marrietta, Georgia took GT-Lite in his No. 99 RevolutionSpeed.com Mazda Miata.

SCCA Southeastern Conference Majors
Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
March 21-22, 2015
Round Seven Mazda winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Joseph Burton Harris Cresson, Texas Formula Mazda
GT-Lite Michael Kamalian Marietta, Ga. Mazda Miata
Prototype 1 Jim Downing Atlanta, Ga. Peach/Mazda
Spec Miata Dillon Machavern Charlotte, Vt. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Mendon, Mass. Mazda Miata

Round Eight Mazda winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Joseph Burton Harris Cresson, Texas Formula Mazda
GT-3 William Wilson Englewood, Tenn. Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite Michael Kamalian Marietta, Ga. Mazda Miata
Prototype 1 Jacek Mucha Highland Beach, Fla. JM016CP/Mazda
Spec Miata Jonathan Goring Norfolk, Ct. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Mendon, Mass. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Under Thomas Lyttle Decatur, Ga. Mazda RX-7
Touring 3 Tyler Kicera Manheim, Pa. Mazda MX-5

Great news for fans of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires championship:  You can listen to live coverage from Sebring  or watch Friday’s race on live streaming video.

To hear live commentary by the Radio Le Mans team, tune in to www.radiolemans.com at 7:45 am Eastern time.

The Friday race will have live streaming, and Radio Le Mans commentary, available on www.mazdalive.com and www.fanschoice.tv.

Prototype Team In High Spirits for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

January 21, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif.) – At this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, Mazda’s two SKYACTIV Prototype cars will have the only diesel power-plants in the season-opening TUDOR United SportsCar Series race. The diminutive inline four-cylinder 2.2-litre Mazda engine continues into 2015 with its unique compound turbochargers and a host of stock-based components. Hard work over the winter has led to big improvements, helping set lap times at the recent Daytona International Speedway test session that were six seconds quicker than last year’s best. The top speeds have also risen by 20 mph.

“Last year was the start of a very aggressive development program for Mazda,” said John Doonan, Mazda’s director of motorsports in North America. “Now, in the second year, that development is beginning to pay off. The improvements we have seen are a product of very smart people working very hard to enhance every aspect of the race car. It was great to see that effort show up in the lap times and top speeds, and in the smiles from the drivers and the team.”

Why the big improvements? As with most gains in auto racing, it has been a constant and intense process where each small gain leads to other incremental benefits. The multiple changes combine to produce faster and better-driving cars.

“The engine improvement has been good,” said Sylvain Tremblay, driver and owner of SpeedSource, the Mazda factory team. “We improved the engine and the cooling system, and we also focused on aerodynamic gains, weight-saving and more. Mazda’s SKYACTIV philosophy is to make each piece of the car lighter, stronger and provide better performance, and I think we’ve done that.

“We have a dedicated, in-house engineer who constantly runs simulations for each track, and that has really paid off,” said Tremblay. “The car is faster, but it also handles better and is much more consistent. All of our drivers can go quicker and do it for a longer length of time. We all have a lot more confidence in the car and the engine going into the race this weekend.”

The Driver Lineup
The Mazda driver lineup for the Rolex 24 consists of drivers who have each come through Mazda’s extensive driver development program such as open-wheel’s Mazda Road to Indy or the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy ladder system.

No. 70 car: Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez (full-time drivers for the 2015 season), with Sylvain Tremblay and IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe

No. 07 car: Joel Miller and Tom Long (full-time drivers for 2015), with Tremblay and Ben Devlin

Mazda Fast Facts
Mazda has 23 class victories in the Rolex 24 since 1975. For 2015, the 2.2-litre engine produces approximately 475 HP, and the compound turbochargers can spin at an amazing 180,000 RPM!

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.

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.

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

TO: Spec Miata Participants
FR: SCCA, NASA and Mazda Spec Miata Leadership Team
RE: Class Intent, Direction and Regulations
DT: November 5, 2014

Spec Miata purpose and intent (SCCA General Competition Rules):
The Spec Miata (SM) class is intended to provide the membership with the opportunity to compete in low cost, production-based cars with limited modifications, suitable for racing competition.
The rules are intentionally designed to be more open than the Showroom Stock class but more restricted than the Improved Touring class.

Less than 15 years ago, the concept of Spec Miata was born. The essence of the class focused on a low cost, fun, competitive environment that was relatively easy to enter. If a participant found a good donor car, added safety equipment, a hardtop and a bolt-on kit of performance parts purchased through Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development, they would have equipment capable of racing at the front of the field.

Throughout the years, the class veered from the original intent and direction. The scope of the class has crept into something beyond its original intent. While the essence of the class may remain the same, in some respects, it has lost its way, pushing the definition of “limited modifications” and the notion of “low cost.” Mazda, SCCA and NASA all agree that changes must be made for the long-term health of the class, regardless of which sanctioning body operates the races.

The 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs was a watershed moment in the history of the Spec Miata class. With so many cars found out of compliance at the front of the field, a working group was established by Mazda, SCCA and NASA leadership to evaluate not just cylinder head rules, but the purpose and long-term goal of the class overall. The group, established by SCCA President Lisa Noble, also includes John Doonan, Steve Sanders and Mike Allen (Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development), John Mueller (NASA), Tony Ave (SCCA Club Racing Board) and Robert Clarke (SCCA Pro Racing/SCCA Inc.).

The group met face-to-face at SCCA’s offices in Topeka, Kansas October 30, 2014. Also attending in consultation were: Eric Prill (SCCA), John Bauer (SCCA), Jim Wheeler (SCCA Club Racing Board), Steve Knapp (Elite Engines) and Jim Stewart (Stewart Engines).

Long-term Goal of the working group:
For Spec Miata to be a healthy, growing and economical class across organizations, where a racer can be competitive utilizing a stock Mazda Miata that is enhanced with bolt-on performance parts acquired through Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development.

In achieving that goal, it is important that current participants not be disenfranchised and unreasonably burdened while still making the class attractive to individuals that have either left the class or not engaged in the class due to scope creep away from stock.

The most critical issue in conflict with the long-term goal is with regard to rules that permit modifications to the stock cylinder head and the method with which these are being modified. Current SM rules permit cylinder head modifications beyond the level of more “radical” categories, including, but not limited to, SCCA Production and Super Touring® Lite. It needs to be stated that the heads examined at the Runoffs were modified on varying levels, but each head found out of compliance was in violation of the rules as they are written. Additionally, this is not simply an issue with de-burring, but rather actual smoothing, blending and porting on the sharp edge from the plunge cut.

To achieve the long-term goal, the class must ultimately return to stock cylinder heads with a permitted industry-standard valve job.

Recognizing the number of modified (both compliant and non-compliant per the current rules) cylinder heads in the community, the expense to replace these and potential parts availability concerns, the group agrees to the following path, with details to be finalized no later than the December 14 SCCA Board of Directors meeting:

  • Permit plunge cuts and unshrouding per the current rules, but with clarification of concentricity, as well as some level of blending of the plunge cut (language TBA). These modifications may require that additional weight be added to the car.
  • Independent testing will be conducted to determine the effect of the individual and collective modifications. Only once this scientific data is collected and evaluated will weight levels be determined.
  • Weight additions will compensate for the power gains from the head modifications, while also encouraging the behavior of changing back to an unmodified head as soon as possible.
  • The allowance of these modifications will have a sunset period of one to two years, based on parts availability. The intention is for this to happen sooner than later, but with appropriate competitor notification.
  • Only un-modified heads would be permitted for competition at the 2015 SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Additionally, the group unanimously desires greater resources and efforts with regard to season-long compliance checks. Collectively, it is developing an enhanced compliance program to address this. The group will also evaluate class parity and additional concepts to ensure parity and compliance moving forward.

Timing: The working group welcomes input, which can be submitted through SCCA’s www.clubracingboard.com site or NASA’s John Mueller at john@weekend-racer.com. A final recommendation of the group, with the support of all involved parties, will be presented to the SCCA Board of Directors and NASA leadership for approval in December.

At its October meeting, the SCCA Board of Directors unanimously passed the following motion: SCCA Board of Directors directs SCCA Staff and CRB to jointly develop with Mazda and NASA a rule set and timeline to address the Miata engine preparation.   This may include recommendations around protest, appeals and teardown in the GCR for Spec Miata.

Summary: The working group believes that this structure achieves the long-term goal, while addressing short-term concerns. Drivers with modified components that need time to perform the necessary changes will be able to compete at a reasonable level in the short term, with the class as a whole driving together toward a better long-term goal.

For the sport,
Lisa Noble, SCCA President and CEO
John Doonan, Mazda Motorsports Director
John Mueller, NASA Spec Miata National Director
Robert Clarke, SCCA Pro Racing President/SCCA VP of Business Development
Tony Ave, SCCA Club Racing Board
Steve Sanders, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Manager
Mike Allen, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Specialist

Registration for the BEHIND THE ZOOM ROAD ATLANTA webinar is open.   

Professional race car drivers Tom Long and Randy Pobst will host a BEHIND THE ZOOM Web forum tonight, Oct. 28 from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST. Exclusive to Mazda competitors, this forum is designed to accompany the BEHIND THE ZOOM feature on Road Atlanta to assist you with your preparation for the prestigious Atlanta Region SCCA American Road Race of Champions (ARRC) event next weekend. Everyone is encouraged to participate as advice and tips will be transferable to all tracks that you or your friends and family compete at. Q&A is encouraged!
To register, click the registration link in today’s eNewsletter sent to Team Members.

About the Drivers: 
Tom Long is a Mazda factory driver and a professional driving coach.
Randy Pobst is a four-time World Challenge GT champion, two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and factory driver in an MX-5 for Freedom Autosport in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Street Tuner class.

What You’ll Need: A computer, an internet connection and desire to learn from the pros.

The BEHIND THE ZOOM campaign is a series of segments where 12 Mazda factory drivers and champions break down many of the main tracks and venues where you race.

2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup Club Racer Shootout Rules

Background: The heart and soul of MAZDASPEED is club racing, and supporting those racers who have invested in our product. The criteria for the shootout is to identify the aspiring professional racer who has the best range of the complete set of skills required to succeed. These skills include speed, consistency, racecraft, technical feedback, and off-track business and PR skills. History has shown that a driver will be limited in success if he or she is lacking in multiple areas. All previous shootout winners submitted above average business plans. The business plans will be used to filter the pool of all eligible competitors to our finalists. Only those finalists will be invited to attend the on-track driver portion of the competition.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Any driver winning a recognized (Full MAZDASPEED contingency paying) club racing national championship with the SCCA or NASA with Mazda power.
  • NASA Teen Challenge Spec Miata Champions.
  • The Skip Barber Racing School MAZDASPEED MX-5 Winter and Summer series champions.
  • Formula Car Challenge National Champions.
  • Recognized Mazda-powered Club Champions from Canada – as nominated by Mazda Canada.
  • Identified iRacing MX-5 Cup Champions.
  • Note:  Drivers with significant professional motorsports experience are not eligible.

Mazda’s Objectives:

  • Discover and retain a fast and consistent racer able to win professional championships, improving the odds that the shootout winner reaches his or her dream of racing at a top-level series, while illustrating to the (potential) racing community that Mazda’s development system has the most talented racers, encouraging more drivers to race Mazda’s.
  • Partner with the shootout winner in a 12-month co-op marketing effort to 1) build his or her brand and network, increasing his or her odds of partnering with another entity to help climb the ladder, and 2) drive additional engagement within the Mazda community.
  • Deliver on our passion to help those ambitious and deserving drivers fulfill their dreams.

Timing: 
October 23rd               Rules posted for all eligible competitors
October 26th               Optional conference call with competitors to answer questions
November 9th             Business plan, bio, and video submission deadline
November 18th          Conference call with competitors to announce finalists
November 19th           Finalists announced in conjunction with the Los Angeles Auto Show
December 1st/2nd    On-track shootout among finalists at Buttonwillow Raceway Park
December 4th              Conference call with competitors to announce winner
December 5th              Press release announcing winner

Required Format:  The business proposal must be submitted via e-mail as a PDF that does not exceed 2MB in size.  Entries must be submitted to MAZDASPEED@MazdaUSA.com by 6:00pm (PDT), Sunday, November 9, 2014.

Required content:  The written proposal is two parts as follows:

  1. Racing bio; two-page max. To highlight your racing career, noting which other top drivers you raced against during the past three seasons, if applicable. Provide a copy of your final championship points standings for the last three seasons, if applicable.
  2. Social media and website marketing co-op plan with Mazda; four-page max. To build both party’s brands, and what your proposed strategy is with Mazda during the next 12 months to achieve your three-to-five year goals; consider including exhibits, such as a current, real business plan you aim to present, social media marketing or newsletter example, etc.

These two documents should be submitted as a single PDF with the file name: 2014_Mazda_Prop_YourName.pdf

There is a required video, four-minute maximum in length.  To highlight your Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-related objectives  that will help you accomplish your three-to-five year goals related to your desired racing ladder (e.g., network with Prototype Lites racing team manager by attending SEMA) and professional skill set (e.g., participate in Toastmaster’s weekly to enhance communication skills).

Video to be posted to YouTube with the title “2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout: Your Name” and link emailed along with your written proposal.

Racers Chasing a $75,000 Prize, the Biggest in All of Club Racing.

October 22, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif.) The Mazda Club Racer Shootout is the single largest prize in club racing.  Since 2007 Mazda has annually promoted one talented club racer to the professional ranks.  The $75,000 prize funds a drive in the 2015 SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires.

The heart and soul of Mazda Motorsports is club racing, and supporting those racers who have invested in racing a Mazda.  The criteria for the shootout is to identify the aspiring professional racer who has the best range of skills required to succeed.  These skills include speed, consistency, race craft, technical feedback, and off-track business, marketing and PR skills.  History has shown that a driver will be limited in success if they are lacking in multiple areas.

John Doonan, Director of Motorsports, noted: “Our shootout has become a signature event for Mazda Motorsports. Without exception, every driver who won the shootout proved to be competitive in MX-5 Cup, with several developing solid professional careers.  Each year we tweak the competition.  This year marks the inclusion of iRacing simulation racers and a new set of business criteria for the judges.”

In past years, typically a dozen to 18 racers qualified for the first level of the competition.  Each has won a recognized championship over a minimum number of competitors.  The next step is for the racer to submit a business presentation and video, which will be reviewed and scored by a team of motorsports and marketing professionals.  From those proposals, the finalists will be selected and advance to the winner-take-all shootout.

The final shootout will be at Buttonwillow Raceway Park on December 2nd where the racers will be tested on the track for their technical skills.

The 15 currently identified semi-finalists for 2014 are as follows:

Club/Series Racer
Skip Barber Racing School (Summer Series) Sam Adams
NASA Eastern States Championships (PTE) Ben Anderson
SCCA National Championship Runoffs (Formula Mazda) Mike Anderson
SCCA National Championship Runoffs (T4) Danny Bender
NASA Eastern States Championships (Spec Miata) Alex Bolanos
Canadian Touring Car Championship – B-Spec Champion Normand Boyer
iRacing MX-5 Cup (Season 3) Steven Diem
NASA Spec Miata Teen Challenge (West) Joey Jordan
SCCA National Championship Runoffs (Formula Atlantic) Conner Kearby
iRacing MX-5 Cup (Season 2) Evan Maillard
NASA Spec Miata Teen Challenge (Rocky Mountain) Zachary Munro
Toyo Tires Spec Miata Championship (Canada) Aaron Pettipas
SCCA National Championship Runoffs (E Production) Matt Reynolds
SCCA National Championship Runoffs (Spec Miata) Erik Stearns
Skip Barber Racing School (Winter Series) Jim Wilby

There are a few remaining slots that will be identified between now and November 9th:

Club/Series Season concludes on:
NASA Spec Miata Teen Challenge (Texas) November 2nd
Worldspeed Formula Car Championship November 9th
NASA Western States Championships (Spec Miata) November 9th
NASA Western States Championships (TBD) November 9th

Additional information about the Mazda Club Racer shootout can be found at www.mazdamotorsports.com

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing.  Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals.  Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built.  Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991).  Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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

132 Mazda Racers Looking to Score Gold in Racings Biggest Club Event

October 7, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif.) — Now in its 51st year, there is no bigger road racing club event than the annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Mazda racers have scored 81 Championships at the Runoffs since 1977. Making this years’ competition even sweeter for the Mazda racers is the venue, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This will be the first time since 1968 that the Runoffs have been held on the West Coast, and the first time ever at Mazda Raceway.

“Club Racing is what has grown Mazda Motorsports for over two decades,” said John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports. “Key to that growth has been the MX-5 Miata and partnerships with the SCCA and Mazda Raceway. To bring them all together on the 25th anniversary of the Miata makes this a very special week for us.”

Of the 531 cars entered in the 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, 132 are Mazda cars, or Mazda-powered cars. This is a 25% market share, the largest of any car company.

The 132 cars are entered in 15 of the 27 classes including two Mazda exclusive classes, Spec Miata and Formula Mazda. Spec Miata is tied for being the largest class with 46 entries.

The Mazda racers hale from 23 states and one Canadian province. Leading the charge is 55 entries from California. Also represented is Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. The lone Canadian lists his home as British Columbia.

Interesting storylines at the Runoffs include:

  • Danny Bender, who is a Mazda sales consultant. Danny will be racing a MX-5 in the Touring 4 class.
  • James Wilson who will be DRIVING his street legal Mazda2 B-Spec racecar from Austin, Texas to Monterey, California.
  • Jesse Prather, who in addition to building his own racecar, built the engines for over a dozen other Mazda competitors. Among his customers is his dad Kent. The MX-5 that Kent will be racing had 319,765 road miles on it before it became a racecar. The car has since won five Runoffs championships, three with Jesse, and two with Kent.
  • Professional racer Andrew Carbonell, taking a break from his Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge duties to race in Spec Miata, where he learned his racecraft.
  • Mazda SKYACTIV Prototype racer Tom Long and 2014 MX-5 Cup Champion Kenton Koch will be at the Runoffs, as driver coachs to several Mazda club racers.
  • Old school racers Aaron Downey and Gary Bockman, racing Mazda RX-3’s, among the oldest cars in the field.
  • Spec Miata is typically the largest race at the Runoffs. In 2013, Spec Miata set the all-time record for the Runoffs with 63 starters.
  • Mazda racers Jim Drago, Mark Drennan, Jason Godfrey, Dan Harding, Kyle Kaiser, Michal Karpinski, Matt Reynolds and Ken Sutherland are entered in two classes each.
  • Past Runoffs Champions competing this year include Jon Brakke, Jim Drago, Marc Hoover, Alan McCallum, Jesse Prather, Kent Prather, Rob Warkocki, and Darryl Wills. Jesse Prather and Darryl Wills are both seeking to become the first-ever four-time Mazda-powered champion at the Runoffs.
  • Mazda pays out more prize money than any other car company at the Runoffs, typically over $50,000.
  • Mazda racers who win a SCCA championship are eligible for the Mazda Club racer shootout, a $75,000 prize.

The racing takes place October 6-12, 2014 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Monday, October 6 is a test day followed by three days of practice and qualifying October 6th – 9th. There is an exclusive Mazda Motorsports team dinner on Wednesday, October 8th for the Mazda racers and their teams. The weekend concludes with 24 races over three days, October 10th – 12th (eight races per day). Tickets are available online at www.mazdaraceway.com

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing. Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991). Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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

Road Atlanta Weekend Sees Finales in TUDOR, CTSCC, MX-5 Cup and IMSA Lites

October 4, 2014 (BRASELTON, Georgia) – The Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta wrapped up the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship on Saturday night. While the headliner was the 10-Hour TUDOR race, the weekend also featured the season finale for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, and season ending double-headers for both the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires and the Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda. These four series are among a wide variety of roadracing series featuring Mazda cars and teams. The Mazda Road to Indy seasons wrapped up in late August, while there are still a few more weekends of major club racing events between now and year end.

John Doonan, director of motorsports for Mazda North American Operations noted: “In a traditional ‘racing sense’ the highlight of the season was the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park race where we scored our best finish of the season. But the true highlight of the season is the ‘miracle’ that was achieved in this Mazda program…and the progress that was made each step of the way. What we did by putting a production diesel engine in an endurance racing prototype has never been done before and we believe it is the best way to showcase SKYACTIV Technology and Mazda’s overall brand strength. In the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge we enjoyed three great wins. Both our MX-5 Cup and the IMSA Prototype Lites saw large grids and amazing racing. Congratulations to our latest Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy champions.”

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship – Using the smallest engine, one that is 51 percent stock, meant that the Mazda SKYACTIV team had a huge engineering task in front of them. The team worked tirelessly all year long and their efforts were applauded by competitors and fans alike. The SpeedSource teams finished the season ranked ninth and eleventh in points.

Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge – Thanks to three race wins and a dozen podium finishes from Freedom Autosport and CJ Wilson Racing, Mazda finished third in the ST Manufacturers Championship, just one point behind second place. Andrew Carbonell and Randy Pobst scored two of the wins while Tom Long teamed up with U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer for their memorable Memorial Day weekend win.

Mazda would like to congratulate three successful alums who claimed championships this weekend. 2008 MX-5 Cup Champion Eric Foss won the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST Drivers Championship, 2010 Mazda/Skip Barber Karting Shootout winner Trent Hindman won the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge GS Drivers Championship, and 2007 Star Mazda Champion Dane Cameron won the TUDOR GT Daytona Drivers Championship.

Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires – Sebastian Landy was the star of the weekend scoring his first two race wins. Kenton Koch finished fourth and second, which added to his six previous wins, earning him the championship. Drake Kemper won the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge class championship. Lucas Catania was the Rookie-of-the-Year, while his father, Joseph Catania, was awarded the Masters Championship. ALARA Racing was awarded Team-of-the-Year, while Ken Murillo won the Spirit of Mazda award.

Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda – Mikhail Goikhberg ended the season the same way he started it – with a win. Goikhberg won nine of the 14 races to easily take the championship. Matt McMurry won the other Lites race at Road Atlanta.

While the Petit weekend closes out the professional road racing season, the action is not completely done for the year. October 10-12 will see the 51st Annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is the largest club road racing event in the country and more than 500 cars have entered. Among the entries are 132 Mazda and Mazda-powered racers.

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing. Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991). Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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

Mazda Road to Indy Season Concludes: Others to Come

August 28, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif.) – With involvement in over a dozen series, late summer and fall are a busy time for races and award dinners for Mazda Motorsports. This past weekend saw the 2014 season finales for the three Mazda Road to Indy Championships in Sonoma, California, and the clinching of the Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda title at VIRginia International Raceway.

“When Mazda established the MAZADSPEED Motorsports Development Ladder System in 2006, we were seeking to grow the sport by allowing talent to move to the next level. We’re happy to celebrate the success of Florian, Spencer, Gabby, and Mikhail this season with more championships coming this fall,” noted John Doonan, Director of Motorsports for Mazda North American Operations.

The Mazda Road to Indy consists of three championships, each a stepping stone on the way to competing in the Verizon IndyCar Championship and the Indy 500. All three championships concluded with a doubleheader weekend at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California.
• Florian Latrobbe won the 2014 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.
• Spencer Pigot won the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.
• Gabby Chaves won the 2014 Cooper Tires Indy Lights Championship.

Mikhail Goikhberg clinched the 2014 Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda title at VIRginia International Raceway with his seventh win of the year. Goikhberg will be officially crowned when the series wraps up at Road Atlanta as a part of the Petit Le Mans week.

After ten of 12 races completed, Kenton Koch leads the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. Drake Kemper is the points leader in the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge Class. The season concludes with a doubleheader at Road Atlanta as a part of the Petit Le Mans week.

This coming weekend will be the first of four large grassroots championships.
• The Eastern States NASA Championships are August 29-31 at Road Atlanta.
• The SCCA Solo Championships will be held September 1-5 in Lincoln Nebraska. Mazda racers have scored 213 Solo Championships since 1979.
• The largest and most historic annual club racing event will be even more Mazda-esque this year. The 51st annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on October 6-12. This is the first time since 1968 the event has been held on the West Coast. Over 120 Mazda racers will be competing in 15 of the 27 race groups.
• The Western States NASA Championships are scheduled for November 7-9 at Sonoma Raceway

In the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, The Mazda SKYACTIV Prototype continues to develop in its first season of competition. The final two races of the season are September 20 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and the season finale Petit Le Mans on October 4 at Road Atlanta.

In the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Mazda remains locked in a three-way battle with Porsche and BMW for the 2014 Street Tuner Manufacturers championship. Mazda is represented by Freedom Autosport and CJ Wilson Racing. The final two races of the season are September 20 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and October 3 at Road Atlanta.

In the Pirelli World Challenge, Mazda has been represented by multiple racers in the Touring Car, and Touring Car A classes with Adam Poland and Ernie Francis Jr. both scoring wins with MX-5s. The World Challenge season will conclude on September 13 at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

Finally, in a new twist for Mazda Motorsports, simulator racing plays a part with the creation of the iRacing MX-5 Cup. The first champion was Evan Maillard, while the second champion will be determined on October 20.

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing. Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991). Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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

June 27, 2014 (WATKINS GLEN, New York) – At this stage last year, Mazda had scored three of their nine wins with the SKYACTIV-D Mazda6 in the Grand-Am GX class on their way to the manufacturers’ championship. This year has been a massive step up to the highest level. Mazda is now racing in the top prototype class of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. While the team is still chasing their first win of the season, the progress has been dramatic with significant gains made at each race.

John Doonan, Director of Motorsports for Mazda North American Operations noted that, “As racers, we won’t be happy until we win races and challenge for championships. As a car company, developing new technology in the harshest of environments, we couldn’t be happier with how the season has progressed. This is year two of a five year plan, and we have lived up to the Mazda standard of Courage, Creativity, and Conviction. After the sprint races, it will be great to return to a true endurance race, one where our SKYACTIV efficiency has an opportunity to pay off in terms of fewer pitstops. We knew that coming to a new series with the smallest engine would be a challenge, but that’s why we race – to build better cars. We are asking our race engine to do three times the workload of the production engine – a huge task. We are now within a few percentage points of the lap speeds of the fastest cars while beating everyone on fuel economy. Our collective efforts will be rewarded.”

Since the opening race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mazda SpeedSource team has been operating on an almost 24/7 level developing the powertrain and chassis. At each race, the team has brought new hardware to test in real world race conditions. Since the first race, there has only been one mechanical DNF, and both cars ran flawlessly at Detroit. The latest improvements, focused on cooling, include:
The additional of a cooling fan on the high pressure intercooler
The addition of radiator extraction louvers on the top of the sidepods
A change from a single pass to a dual pass radiator
Ongoing optimization of engine mapping for efficient shifting

For Watkins Glen, the regular driver lineups of Sylvain Tremblay and Tom Long in the #70 and Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez in the #07 will be supplemented by Ben Devlin and Tristan Vautier. Miller and Nunez scored the GX class win in 2013 in their Mazda6.

To make the racing as accessible as possible, Mazda will once again be offering a live ‘second screen’ during the race. Fans watching the race live on FOX Sports1 can simultaneously ride along in the Mazda cars via the Mazda YouTube channel.

In addition to the TUDOR Championship race, the Watkins Glen weekend will also feature round six of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and a doubleheader for the Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda.

Mazda leads the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner Manufacturers’ Championship thanks to three straight wins. Freedom Autosport and CJ Wilson Racing will both have their MX-5’s ready to do battle with BMW, Porsche, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai. This race will be on Saturday morning.

MX-5 fans will also want to follow the action from the streets of Houston where rounds five and six of the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires will take place. John Dean II and Kenton Koch have each scored a pair of wins in the first four races.

Mazda Motorsports is not a story. Mazda Motorsports is a wide variety of stories that cover the latest in automotive technology, business, along with amazing, often inspiring, people stories. These include:

RACE WHAT YOU SELL — Mazda is using their latest SKYACTIV Technology to power a Mazda Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Mazda has the smallest displacement engine in the class, a true David and Goliath story. Race what you sell translates into improved Quality, Durability, and Reliability (aka QDR). Over the years, Mazda has made direct improvements in street cars from lessons learned on the track.

RACE GREEN – The fuel in the Mazda SKYACTIV Prototype is a RENEWABLE, SYNTHETIC DIESEL (not a bio-diesel). The fuel is produced by Dynamic Fuels from waste food products and is approved for use by the U.S. Military. Mazda is the only race team in the world using this fuel.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS – Earlier this year Mazda introduced a new national educational outreach program designed to encourage the nation’s middle and high school students to consider studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Called Racing Accelerates Creative Education (R.A.C.E.), the program is visiting schools near each of the 2014 TUDOR Championship events. The curriculum of this turn-key, interactive learning forum is designed to provide stimulating, real-world examples of why it is important to know science and math. Mazda utilizes their racecar, race drivers and race engineers in the interactive presentation.

THE MOST POPULAR RACE CAR AT ANY GIVEN ROAD COURSE – Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is the all-time best selling two-seat roadster with sales of over 900,000 units. With thousands of used MX-5s for sale at affordable prices, the MX-5 has become the most road-raced car in America. Mazda Motorsports has sold over 2,500 Spec Miata racing kits.

OPERATING MOTORSPORTS AS A BUSINESS – It’s easy to hire a professional team to race your products – just pay them. Getting people to spend money BUYING cars and parts requires a completely different approach. The products must be great – capable of winning. And there must be great customer service. Mazda Motorsports has a full-time staff of motorsports parts and technical professionals who assist club racers in buying the right parts, and with guidance on vehicle set-up. This is racers supporting racers. The result is Mazda North American Operations has sold over $75,000,000 in parts since 1991.

RACING AT HOME – MAZDA SUPPORTS iRACING PROGRAM – Announced earlier this year, iRacing competitors competing in the 2014 iRacing MX-5 Cup season beginning April 29th will be eligible to compete in the annual Mazda Club Racing Shootout held each fall. The shootout winner earns a Mazda Motorsports scholarship for the following year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires. Complete details are posted at iRacing.com

IF IT TURNS LEFT AND RIGHT, THERE IS LIKELY A MAZDA IN THE RACE – The list of professional series where you can find Mazda cars or Mazda-powered cars competing includes:
TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (Prototype Class)
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (Street Tuner)
Pirelli World Challenge (Touring Car, Touring Car A, Touring Car B)
Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires
Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge
Cooper Tires Prototype Lights Powered by Mazda
Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda
Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires
Atlantic Championship Series
This is in addition to the dozen plus club racing classes in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Auto Sport Association (NASA) where Mazda cars and engines compete.

SAVING LIVES OFF THE TRACK – Mazda Motorsports is promoting awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and formed a strategic partnership with Project Yellow Light in 2012. With hundreds of teenage race drivers Mazda is uniquely positioned to have teenage racers take this message to their peer group. Mazda funded Project Yellow Light Scholarships are being awarded to high school and college students who produce the best public service videos. Details can be found at http://www.projectyellowlight.com/

ICONIC MAZDA RACEWAY – Mazda North American Operations doesn’t have a company picnic. They have a company track day. That’s the type of people who work at Mazda. Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, Laguna Seca was a favorite track of Mazda racers and fans. At the end of the millennium, as the raceway was entering its fifth decade as one of America’s premier sports car circuits, Mazda entered into a naming rights agreement with the Sports Car Racing Association of Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), operators of the track, which is a Monterey County recreational area, and made a substantial investment to bring the track up to 21st century standards. The track has been Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since the year 2000. The remaining 2014 schedule is as follows:
July 11-13 ENI FIM Superbike World Championship
Aug. 8-10 Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion
Aug. 15-17 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Oct. 10-12 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

DEVELOPING THE MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAME OF 2064 – Racing is where sport, technology and commerce come together. Many young drivers succeed at one level of the sport but often, because of a lack of financial resources, struggle to move up. Thanks to the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder, the Mazda Road to Indy, and the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, over three dozen racers have been promoted to the next level with Mazda scholarship money. Mazda is developing the next generation of road-racing superstars. This year eight of the 33 racers in the Indy 500 had Mazda on their racing resume.

THE UNITED NATIONS OF RACING – Racing is a global sport and the top U.S. series attracts talented racers from around the world. At the first races of 2014, over two dozen racers from beyond the U.S. borders chose to come to America and race with Mazda power. Racers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, Colombia, the Philippines, Argentina, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Jamaica are represented on the grid between multiple Mazda series.

AFFORDABLE AND FUN SHOWROOM STOCK – The Mazda2 is a B-segment car. Horsepower snobs may not think much of a 100 hp econobox, until they drive a great one that is set up for the track. The fun factor of the car amazes everyone who gets it onto the track. A DIY racer can buy a used Mazda2, add a MAZDASPEED B-Spec kit plus safety equipment and be ready to race for under $15,000.

RACE TO THE SHELTER – Since 2007 Mazda has worked with multiple animal welfare organizations to actively promote shelter animal adoptions using Mazda racecars as billboards. The company has also helped raise money for shelters. Mazda has multiple activities planned with the SPCA for Monterey County in 2014.

9,000+ RACERS, 9,000+ STORIES – You cannot stereotype a racer. Mazda has racers from all walks of life. People who race Mazdas are contractors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, students, retirees, and many more. We have racers too young to have a license for the street, and some who are AARP members. Mazda racers are in 44 of the 50 states. Pretty impressive when you realize that only 37 states have road-racing tracks.

MEET A FEW MAZDA RACERS – Among those 9,000 stories, we have recently been inspired by:
Liam Dwyer – A U.S. Marine who lost his leg in combat. In only his second professional start Liam co-drove to the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST win at Lime Rock Park last month. Liam will be racing at VIR in August.

C.J. Wilson – Mazda racer, Mazda team owner, Mazda dealer, who spends most of the year as a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. C.J. is developing his own ‘farm team’ with an eye on becoming a full-time racer after his baseball career wraps up.

Natalie Feneroli – An 18-year-old high school student racing in the NASA Spec Miata Teen Challenge.

The Prather Family – Kent and Jesse Prather are father and son. Both have won SCCA Championships in Mazda MX-5s. They have one particular MX-5 that has won five championships, in three classes, after it completed 180,000 miles on the road. Jesse built the Mazda motors for over 20 of the cars that competed in the 2013 SCCA Runoffs.

Patrick Gallagher, Dalton Kellett, and Kenton Koch – All balancing a full race schedule with a full schedule of university engineering classes.

Julia Ballario, Michele Bumgarner, and Vicky Piria – While Indycar may not have any women racing full-time in 2014, the Pro Mazda Championship, a part of the Mazda Road to Indy, has three competing this season.

Michael Johnson – Seeking to be the first driver to win the Indy 500 racing with hand controls.

We have many many more compelling stories.

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing. Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991). Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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 Motorsport), Twitter (@mazdaracing), Instagram (MazdaMotorsport) and www.mazdamotorsports.com

SCCA’s largest Club Racing event outside the National Championship Runoffs, the Chicago Region WeatherTech June Sprints, went off under mostly sunny skies at Road America this past weekend. For the first time, the event was a doubleheader as are all the SCCA Majors events. The June Sprints was Rounds 5 and 6 of the Northern Conference Majors Tour.

Saturday’s races were 10 laps, as opposed to the usual timed races, and Sunday’s were scheduled for 13 laps of the 14-turn, 4.0-mile circuit.
Danny Steyn was just one leader among eight drivers in contention for Spec Miata early, but the race came down to three top drivers sorting out the final laps alone. With the laps winding down, Todd Lamb was sandwiched between teammates Jim Drago and Craig Berry, left with the nearly impossible decision of going for the lead and falling to third, or staying in second to the checkered flag. Practically attached at the bumper for the final two laps, Drago was watching his mirrors while Berry looked for any opening to move around Lamb. None of the three drivers made a dramatic move, and crossed the finish line with Berry’s No. 2 East Street Racing Miata at the front followed by Lamb and Berry.

The Formula Mazda field was small at the June Sprints, but that didn’t lessen the excitement in the battle for the lead. Dale VandenBush led the opening lap, sneaking around teammate and polesitter Jason Vinkemulder. Vinkemulder found his way back around on lap two, with VandenBush leading laps three and four. Vinkemulder was back in front on lap five in his No. 10 Lake Effect Motorsports Formula Mazda, and edged just in front of his teammate. With clean air, Vinkemulder held the lead for the last half of the race and took the checkered flag.

Jim Drago, fresh off the Spec Miata win, couldn’t get his No. 2 East Street Racing Mazda Miata to fire on the grid. As the field rolled past him, his Super Touring Lite machine roared to life, and he caught the end of the field just before turn 12 on the pace lap. Drago worked through the field, and moved around then-leader Breton Williams’ No. 00 First Wealth Financial Group Mazda RX-7 on lap five to move into the lead and get clear, taking the checkered flag and sending his crew off to replace the battery in the Mazda.

Daniel Bender held off Jim Ebben for the Touring 4 win in the tightest race of the run group. Bender’s No. 10 Bravo Trailers/Autobarn Mazda Mazda MX-5 set the pace and kept in front of Ebben’s RX-8, eventually creating a gap by the checkered flag.

The racing saying “cautions breed cautions” was fresh in Lamb’s mind during a lap 10 restart of Sunday’s Spec Miata race, and knowing that helped him to a win.

With nine cars in the lead pack early in the race, a two-car incident near Turn 7 dislodged the tire barrier and brought out a full course caution. Steyn lost the lead immediately in the first race when his restart speed allowed the cars behind him to get a head of steam and draft by him going into Turn 1. When he brought the field single-file to the restart on lap 10, Steyn used a slower approach up the hill to try to hold the lead.

Unfortunately, rather than following the field to the green flag, drivers in the middle of the pack tried to anticipate the restart going through Turn 13. Eight cars were collected in the carnage and scattered throughout the Kettle Moraine countryside, all before the green flag came out. Unaware at the time of the extent of the damage, Steyn took the lead through Turns 1, 2 and 3, with Lamb’s No. 80 Cahall/Driving Coach/Hawk Performance Miata drafting down the hill toward Turn 5. Steyn left the door open to the inside, and Lamb went past. Lamb completed the move just before the full course caution flags came back out, freezing the field and bringing out the checkered flag early to complete clean-up. Lamb took home the winner’s trophy, with Steyn second and Eric Stearns third.

Some drivers seemed to exorcise some recent demons this weekend with sweeps in the Production classes. Jim Daniels had been bitten by enough little mechanical issues at Road America, both at the June Sprints and previous SCCA National Championship Runoffs, but recovered this weekend with a pair of victories. Daniels’ No. 176 WebLaps.com Mazda MX-5 pressed the pace from start to finish, running early with Joe Moser in a battle for the lead. Moser pulled off course early, with Daniels well ahead of Jon Brakke’s Miata, and Daniels pushed to the finish.

Ken Kannard swept F Production at his home course in the No. 51 Northwest Cable Construction/Hoosier Mazda Miata. The wins will help make up for five years of Road America Runoffs disappointment for Kannard, who had a series of issues that kept him from his true potential at the event.

All of the front running machines in the big formula group went out on rain tires, as the race began wet after a brief 15-minute shower. However, the strategy all changed late in the race when the sun came out and the track started to dry. Fabio Castellani led the opening 11 laps in the wet, and continued to get quicker as the race went on. His problem, though, was that by lap 10, when a clear, dry line began to appear, Sedat Yelkin’s No. 75 Everclear/K-Hill Swift 016/Mazda was going even faster. Yelkin moved around Castellani on lap 12 and looked clear, until he realized that Conner Kearby’s No. 56 GK Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda was even quicker by that point. Kearby closed a second-and-a-half on the final lap, getting to the gearbox of Yelkin at the checkered flag, but probably falling one lap short of challenging for the lead.

Bender (T4) and Drago (STL) completed their sweeps, as did GT-3 driver George Cichon, who took two victories in his Hoosier/MAZDASPEED/Cichon Racing Mazda RX-7.

The Northern Conference Majors Tour continues July 12-13 with Rounds 7 and 8 at GingerMan Raceway. The next U.S. Majors Tour events are the BFGoodrich® Tires Watkins Glen Super Tour at Watkins Glen International, in the Eastern Conference, and Portland International Raceway, in the Western Conference, both July 4-6.

SCCA Mid-States Conference Majors Tour

Rounds 5 and 6

Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

June 14-15, 2014

Round 5 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
E Production Jim Daniels Germantown Tenn. Mazda Miata
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi Texas Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Jason Vinkemulder Spring Lake Mich. Formula Mazda
GT-3 George Cichon Jr. Rockton Ill. Mazda RX-7
Super Touring Lite Jim Drago Memphis Tenn. Mazda Miata
Spec Miata Jim Drago Memphis Tenn. Mazda Miata
Touring 4 Daniel Bender Northbrook Ill. Mazda MX-5

Round 6 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
E Production Jim Daniels Germantown Tenn. Mazda Miata
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Sedat Yelkin Austintown Ohio Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Dale VandenBush Green Bay Wis. Formula Mazda
GT-3 George Cichon Jr. Rockton Ill. Mazda RX-7
Super Touring Lite Jim Drago Memphis Tenn. Mazda Miata
Spec Miata Todd Lamb Atlanta Ga. Mazda Miata
Touring 4 Daniel Bender Northbrook Ill. Mazda MX-5

A Busy Time On and Off the Track

April 29, 2014 (IRVINE, Calif.) Mazda and Motorsports are synonymous. Mazda doesnt just race. Mazda uses racing to help develop better products and to support the grassroots motorsports enthusiasts for whom driving is a daily highlight, and a track day is the ultimate vacation experience. Mazda Motorsports operates from a bottom-up philosophy where 9,000 of its racing customers buy over $8-million in Mazda parts each year. Mazda rewards them by paying prize money, the ultimate pay-for-performance in racing.

Mazda Motorsports is not a story. Mazda Motorsports is a wide variety of stories that cover the latest in automotive technology, business, along with amazing, often inspiring, people stories.

RACE WHAT YOU SELL — Mazda is using their latest SKYACTIV Technology to power a Mazda Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Mazda has the smallest displacement engine in the class, a true David and Goliath story. The next chapter for this story is May 2-4, at Mazda Raceway. Race what you sell translates into improved Quality, Durability, and Reliability (aka QDR). Over the years, Mazda has made direct improvements in street cars from lessons learned on the track.

RACE GREEN The fuel in the Mazda SKYACTIV Prototype is a RENEWABLE, SYNTHETIC DIESEL (not a bio-diesel). The fuel is produced by Dynamic Fuels from waste food products and is approved for use by the U.S. Military. Mazda is the only race team in the world using this fuel.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS Earlier this year Mazda introduced a new national educational outreach program designed to encourage the nations middle and high school students to consider studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Called Racing Accelerates Creative Education (R.A.C.E.), the program is visiting schools near each of the 2014 TUDOR Championship events. The curriculum of this turn-key, interactive learning forum is designed to provide stimulating, real-world examples of why it is important to know science and math. Mazda utilizes their racecar, race drivers and race engineers in the interactive presentation. Prior to the May 2-4 races at Mazda Raceway, the Mazda team will making two more STEM presentations:

Monterey Monterey High School Tuesday, April 29th

San Jose San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation Wednesday, April 30th

THE MOST POPULAR RACE CAR AT ANY GIVEN ROAD COURSE Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is the all-time best selling two-seat roadster with sales of over 900,000 units. With thousands of used MX-5s for sale at affordable prices, the MX-5 has become the most road-raced car in America. Mazda Motorsports has sold over 2,500 Spec Miata racing kits.

OPERATING MOTORSPORTS AS A BUSINESS Its easy to hire a professional team to race your products just pay them. Getting people to spend money BUYING cars and parts requires a completely different approach. The products must be great capable of winning. And there must be great customer service. Mazda Motorsports has a full-time staff of motorsports parts and technical professionals who assist club racers in buying the right parts, and with guidance on vehicle set-up. This is racers supporting racers. The result is Mazda North American Operations has sold over $75,000,000 in parts since 1991.

DEVELOPING THE MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAME OF 2064 Racing is where sport, technology and commerce come together. Many young drivers succeed at one level of the sport but often, because of a lack of financial resources, struggle to move up. Thanks to the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder, the Mazda Road to Indy, and the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, over three dozen racers have been promoted to the next level with Mazda scholarship money. Mazda is developing the next generation of road-racing superstars. In 2013, 10 of the 33 racers in the Indy 500 had Mazda on their racing resume.

IF IT TURNS LEFT AND RIGHT, THERE IS LIKELY A MAZDA IN THE RACE The list of professional series where you can find Mazda cars or Mazda-powered cars competing includes:

  • TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (Prototype Class)
  • Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (Street Tuner)
  • Pirelli World Challenge (Touring Car, Touring Car A, Touring Car B)
  • Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires
  • Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge
  • Cooper Tires Prototype Lights Powered by Mazda
  • Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda
  • Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires
  • Atlantic Championship Series

This is in addition to the dozen plus club racing classes in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Auto Sport Association (NASA) where Mazda cars and engines compete.

ICONIC MAZDA RACEWAY Mazda North American Operations doesnt have a company picnic. They have a company track day. Thats the type of people who work at Mazda. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Laguna Seca was a favorite track of Mazda racers and fans. At the end of the millennium, as the raceway was entering its fifth decade as one of Americas premier sports car circuits, Mazda entered into a naming rights agreement with the Sports Car Racing Association of Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), operators of the track, which is a Monterey County recreational area, and made a substantial investment to bring the track up to 21st century standards. The track has been Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since the year 2000. The 2014 schedule is as follows:

  • May 2-4 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix Powered By Mazda
  • May 16-18 Ferrari Challenge
  • July 11-13 ENI FIM Superbike World Championship
  • Aug. 8-10 Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion
  • Aug. 15-17 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
  • Oct. 10-12 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

SAVING LIVES OFF THE TRACK Mazda Motorsports is promoting awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and formed a strategic partnership with Project Yellow Light in 2012. With hundreds of teenage race drivers Mazda is uniquely positioned to have teenage racers take this message to their peer group. Mazda funded Project Yellow Light Scholarships are being awarded to high school and college students who produce the best public service videos. The 2014 scholarship winners will be announced in early May. Details can be found at

http://www.projectyellowlight.com/

RACE TO THE SHELTER Since 2007 Mazda has worked with multiple animal welfare organizations to actively promote shelter animal adoptions using Mazda racecars as billboards. The company has also helped raise money for shelters. Mazda has multiple activities planned with the SPCA for Monterey County in 2014 starting this Thursday, May 1st, with a MX-5 Cup racer visit to the shelter.

THE UNITED NATIONS OF RACING Racing is a global sport and the top U.S. series attracts talented racers from around the world. At the first races of 2014, over two dozen racers from beyond the U.S. borders chose to come to America and race with Mazda power. Racers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, Colombia, the Philippines, Argentina, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Jamaica are represented on the grid between multiple Mazda series.

CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS Racers with California connections competing at Mazda Raceway this weekend include:

  • Joel Miller, Born in Hesperia, California, Graduated from UC Riverside. Driving the #07 Mazda SKYACTIV-D Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship
  • Kenton Koch, Lifetime resident of Glendora, California. Driving the #12 ALARA Racing Mazda MX-5 in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich.
  • Joey Bickers, Lives in Moorpark, California. Driving the #29 CJ Wilson Racing Mazda MX-5 in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich.
  • Drake Kemper Lives in Toluca Lake. Driving the #99 Skip Barber Racing School Mazda MX-5 in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich
  • Steve Bottom Lives in Newport Beach. Driving the #44 Steve Bottom Racing MX-5 in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich

AFFORDABLE AND FUN SHOWROOM STOCK The Mazda2 is a B-segment car. Horsepower snobs may not think much of a 100 hp econobox, until they drive a great one that is set up for the track. The fun factor of the car amazes everyone who gets it onto the track. A DIY racer can buy a used Mazda2, add a MAZDASPEED B-Spec kit plus safety equipment and be ready to race for under $15,000.

RACING AT HOME MAZDA SUPPORTS iRACING PROGRAM Announced earlier this year, iRacing competitors competing in the 2014 iRacing MX-5 Cup season beginning April 29th will be eligible to compete in the annual Mazda Club Racing Shootout held each fall. The shootout winner earns a Mazda Motorsports scholarship for the following year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires. Complete details are posted at

iRacing.com 

9,000+ RACERS, 9,000+ STORIES You cannot stereotype a racer. Mazda has racers from all walks of life. People who race Mazdas are contractors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, students, retirees, and many more. We have racers too young to have a license for the street, and some who are AARP members. Mazda racers are in 44 of the 50 states. Pretty impressive when you realize that only 37 states have road-racing tracks.

MEET A FEW MAZDA RACERS Among those 9,000 stories, we have recently been inspired by:

  • Liam Dwyer A U.S. Marine who lost his leg in combat. Liam will begin his professional racing career with Mazda at the May 3rd Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Race at Mazda Raceway.
  • C.J. Wilson Mazda racer, Mazda team owner, Mazda dealer, who spends most of the year as a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. C.J. is developing his own farm team with an eye on becoming a full-time racer after his baseball career wraps up.
  • Natalie Feneroli An 18-year-old high school student racing in the NASA Spec Miata Teen Challenge.
  • The Prather Family Kent and Jesse Prather are father and son. Both have won SCCA Championships in Mazda MX-5s. They have one particular MX-5 that has won five championships, in three classes, after it completed 180,000 miles on the road. Jesse built the Mazda motors for over 20 of the cars that competed in the 2013 SCCA Runoffs.
  • Patrick Gallagher, Dalton Kellett, and Kenton Koch All balancing a full race schedule with a full schedule of university engineering classes.
  • Julia Ballario, Michele Bumgarner, and Vicky Piria – While Indycar may not have any women racing full-time in 2014, the Pro Mazda Championship, a part of the Mazda Road to Indy, has three competing this season.
  • Michael Johnson Seeking to be the first driver to win the Indy 500 racing with hand controls.
  • We have many many more compelling stories.

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED

Mazda is a leading player in all aspects of sports car racing with an emphasis on endurance road racing. Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America among both club racers and professionals. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the worlds largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. Via the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy, Mazda supports racers at all levels of the sport from club racing up to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship where it races with production SKYACTIV Technology.

Mazda remains the only Asian car company to score an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991). Mazda has had a naming rights agreement at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since 2000.

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 MazdaMotor de Mexico in MexicoCity.

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 Motorsport), Twitter (@mazdaracing), Instagram (MazdaMotorsport) and www.mazdamotorsports.com

Buttonwillow Raceway Park was the host for Rounds 7 and 8 of the Western Conference Majors Tour. With the Western Conference having had an early start to the season, in January, championships are on the minds of many drivers with only four races remaining. As they hit the 15-turn, 3.020-mile circuit running clockwise, the fights for the Western Conference Majors, and perhaps even the National Championship Runoffs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October, were beginning to take shape.

David Ferguson brought his brand-new Prototype 2 Veracity Racing Data/Mazda/Hoosier Van Diemen RFS-03/Mazda to Buttonwillow, and it let him down in the first qualifying session as he worked out the kinks. Ferguson started next to last for the 30-minute timed race on Saturday, and then picked his way through an early incident. With three laps to go he had written off any chance at a victory, still eight seconds behind Paul Decker.

Traffic fell in his favor, however, and Ferguson began to reel in Decker. Knowing the track, Ferguson decided on the back stretch of the last lap that he was going to make his move in the left-handed corner known as “Phil Hill” – and then pulled it off for the first Mazda P2 win in the Western Conference.

Ferguson, from nearby Paso Robles, Calif., repeated the win in Sunday’s 16-lap race. He was one of three Mazda drivers to sweep the weekend, including Mike Anderson in Formula Mazda. At the start on Saturday, Anderson narrowly split two formula cars that had spun and were facing the wrong way in Turn 1. On Sunday, Anderson just walked away from the field to take the win.

Chris Emanuel inherited the win on Sunday in Formula Atlantic when the No. 43 Damon Racing/Mazda Pro Formula Mazda of Vince Gaddini’s day ended on lap 13. Gaddini, the Saturday winner, appeared to have the field covered when a different class car went off track in front of him. Gaddini, slowing to avoid him, stalled and ended his day, and Emanuel’s No. 36 Airguard/Hawn Racing/CER Inc. Swift 016a/Mazda went on to win.

Elliot Skeer was the third Mazda double winner, taking Spec Miata on both days. Each time he used patience along with his quickness to take the win in Spec Miata driving the No. 77 Rush Motorsports Mazda Miata.

Mark Drennan put his Miata in the front early, opening up a gap while Charlie Hayes’ Miata and Skeer’s No. 77 Rush Motorsports Miata worked together behind him. That gap closed as the minutes counted down.

Hayes had gotten in front briefly on the penultimate lap, but Drennan led across the stripe as they saw the one-to-go sign. Drennan admittedly made a mistake as the trio worked through the opening turns and dropped a wheel into the dirt, allowing Skeer to push Hayes in front down the back straight. Skeer and Hayes came into the corner side by side, with Skeer on the inside. That gave Skeer the run he needed to the checkered flag, stealing a win after running third for most of the race. Hayes finished second, Drennan third.

Skeer ran second or third for the early stages of Sunday’s race behind Drennan and Hayes, who led the first 14 laps, officially. Skeer was solidly second after lap 12, when Drennan pulled off course with a bad rear wheel hub. By then, Tyler Vance was coming quickly and into the mix. Skeer used the opportunity to pull around Hayes and stretched out two car lengths for the final two laps to take his win. Hayes and Vance completed the podium.

The SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour continues May 24-26 at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., with a Memorial Day doubleheader weekend. The SCCA Majors Tour has two events next weekend, including the Mid-States Conference Rounds Seven and Eight at High Plains Raceway and the Northern Conference opener at Blackhawk Farms Raceway.

SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour
Rounds 7 and 8
Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, Calif.
April 26-27, 2014

Round 7 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
E Production Aaron Downey Rossmoor Calif. Mazda RX-3
Formula Atlantic Vince Gaddini Auburn Calif. Mazda PFM
Formula Mazda Mike Anderson Anza Calif. Formula Mazda
GT-3 Mike Henderson Alpine Calif. Mazda RX-7
Prototype 2 David Ferguson Paso Robles Calif. Van Diemen RFS-03/Mazda
Spec Miata Elliott Skeer Carlsbad Calif. Mazda Miata

Round 8 Mazda Winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
Formula Atlantic Chris Emanuel Huntington Beach Calif. Swift 016a/Mazda
Formula Mazda Mike Anderson Anza Calif. Formula Mazda
GT-3 Mike Henderson Alpine Calif. Mazda RX-7
Prototype 2 David Ferguson Paso Robles Calif. Van Diemen RFS-03/Mazda
Spec Miata Elliott Skeer Carlsbad Calif. Mazda Miata

 

The late, lamented Formula Atlantic Championship, in its final iteration, used Swift 016/Mazdas powered by the MZR engine as its racecar. When the series folded under economic pressure, many of the cars were left orphaned, with only SCCA Club Racing as an option. However, Formula Race Promotions, which already had series for F2000 and F1600 cars on the East Coast, created the Atlantic Championship Series. In 2014, the Series will expand to include five full event weekends with two races each, comprising a 10-round Championship calendar presented by Hoosier Racing Tire.

Furthermore, for competitors racing with the MZR-powered cars, Mazda will offer a year-end championship fund. The first pair of races at Road Atlanta were dominated by Mazda-powered cars, with Daniel Burkett winning both events.

“We’re happy and thrilled to welcome Mazda to the revived Atlantic Championship Series and into the Formula Race Promotions family,” said Chip Robinson, Formula Race Promotions race director. “Manufacturer support and recognition, along with a contingency, furthers the progress of bringing back a professional atmosphere and Championship for Atlantic cars.”

Competitors taking part in the contingency program will need to brand their cars with Mazda signage and register with the manufacturer. In addition, to be eligible, a competitor must use Mazda power for the course of the season.

“The Swift .016 Mazda-MZR Atlantic cars has been a favorite of both drivers and fans since 2006,” noted John Doonan, Director of Motorsports for Mazda North American Operations. “We’re happy to see so many of these cars back on track for 2014. Mazda supports racers who race with Mazda power and we’re pleased to post contingency prize money to the Atlantic Championship Series.”

The Atlantic cars will join the F2000 and F1600 Series on all their race weekends in 2014.

Similar to the business model behind F2000 and F1600, Atlantic drivers and teams can expect hefty amounts of track time, reasonable entry and registration costs, a controlled spec tire from Hoosier, and a dedicated and hard-working Series staff at every event.

Mazda’s payout structure for year-end points

Position Payout
1st Mazda $5000
2nd Mazda $3000
3rd Mazda $2000
4th Mazda $1500
5th Mazda $1000

 

2014 Atlantic Championship Schedule

Date Venue
April 11-13 Road Atlanta
May 16-18 Watkins Glen International
June 6-8 VIRginia International Raceway
July 4-6 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
August 30-Sept. 1 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

 

 

 

As the most-raced vehicle in the U.S., a new version of the Mazda MX-5 is certainly big news. While Mazda isn’t quite ready to reveal the next generation of MX-5, it did confirm development details of the next MX-5 Miata roadster. Making its world debut during a press conference at the New York International Auto Show, the vehicle’s all-new SKYACTIV®-CHASSIS bared its sports car soul and affirmed that the future model would be lighter, stronger and with a physical footprint more in tune with its first-generation predecessor than with its heavier, larger current-day cousin.

“This SKYACTIV-CHASSIS expresses a deep-dive chronicle – complete with beginning, middle and conclusion – of the passion, challenges and triumphs being poured into the next-generation MX-5 Miata,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president, U.S. Operations, Mazda North American Operations. “The dedication of the R&D and Design teams to honor the vehicle’s dynamic heritage and globally-recognizable features is evident from the chassis’ structural blueprint, and will undoubtedly translate into what we believe will be a remarkable production car.”

With the fourth-generation MX-5, the soul of the sports car is not only revisited, but reinvented. With no richly layered, character line-laden sheet metal to hide beneath, the SKYACTIV-CHASSIS lays out a narrative of MX-5’s continuing story with a perfectly arranged table of contents. This chassis is the first time SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY has ever been shown in a front mid-ship engine rear-wheel-drive design. Also, its compact configuration showcases an engine closer to the vehicle’s center, a center of gravity which itself is lower than that of any previous generation. And not only lower but decidedly leaner, with a weight reduction goal of more than 220lbs., all with the goal of continuing to achieve the highest standards of body rigidity and collision safety performance.

This unwavering determination to keep the MX-5 faithful to its roots of being compact, light and fun-to-drive also is a further evolution of the brand’s Jinba Ittai signature – the oneness between a car and its driver. An early example is that of engineers painstakingly researching the optimum driver position for behind-the-wheel excitement and comfort as further proof that a driving experience intertwined with a history of courage, creativity and conviction is the Mazda way.

More information on the next-generation MX-5 Miata will be announced at a later date closer to the vehicle’s launch.

While once automotive technicians turned to the trusty shop manual for information on how to fix a particular car, as cars have become more and more sophisticated, so has the information needed to repair them. Expensive and not updateable, the shop manual has become virtually extinct.

Fortunately for those needing that information while building or maintaining production-based racecars, Mazda Motorsports makes that information available through access to its Service Information Web site.

“The purpose of that Web site is to supply the aftermarket, so an aftermarket repair shop can buy a subscription, as little as 24 hours all the way up to a year unlimited, and they can access the same information as a dealer,” says Mike Allen, MAZDASPEED specialist. “All the online repair information, calibrations, service bulletins, recalls… everything service related.”

The site includes the same service information available to dealers, including the shop manuals, wiring diagrams and service bulletins. While Steve Sanders, MAZDASPEED Motorsport Development Manager for Mazda North American Operations, notes that many earlier models still have service manuals available, as of about five years ago, the company stopped publishing them, and the Service Information Web site is the only way to get the information.

Subscriptions start at $19.95 for 24-hour access. The site can be accessed at http://mazdaserviceinfo.com/Default.aspx.

Call 800.435.2508 for more information.

Every racer – amateur or pro – has a limited amount of track time that he or she must maximize. No matter how much time it looks like on the schedule, it’s never enough to try every line, test braking points and adjust car setup. So track time missed due to repairs or maintenance can be huge, and also the difference between a great race weekend and one a racer would rather forget. One of the keys to maximizing track time is organization.

“As a club racer, or if you’re going to track days and things like that, you’re spending a proportionally large amount of money for a limited time on track. Maximizing the time that you’re able to spend on track makes the weekend more fun,” says Andris Laivins, team manager for CJ Wilson Racing and owner of Laivins Race Cars in Austin. “When you get to the track and you’re late for a session because things aren’t ready or prepared, you end up not having a good time. If you’re organized, prepared and have a plan, you get to use all the time out on track that you’ve paid for.”

That organization begins before a racer leaves for the track. Having the trailer properly organized means less time hunting for parts and tools later.

“The typical club racer uses up all the time they have before a race weekend working on the car, and then when it’s time to leave, everything gets thrown into crates and stuffed into the trailer. The biggest thing is compartmentalizing. If you have a bunch of parts for transmissions, make sure they’re organized in one bin of transmission parts only. And don’t mix things together, so when you’re in a hurry and you need to find something, it’s all in one place.

“Same with tools and toolboxes,” he adds.“ We have sets of tools that only go the racetrack, so we don’t lose stuff in the shop and it’s missing when we get to the track. The tools that we take to the track just stay in the trailer. They’re always as organized as they can be. It’s very easy to leave stuff behind when you’re taking things in and out of the trailer.”

Laivins acknowledges that leaving a set of tools in the trailer may not be practical for many club racers due to both expense and security reasons. So keeping things in an organized, labeled toolbox that the racer can pick up and put on the trailer will go a long way to making sure things aren’t left behind.

Lists and spreadsheets can help in keeping track of things, but they aren’t as necessary as one might think. While the CJ Wilson team keeps an inventory of everything on the trailer, the list of things that actually gets checked before each outing is much smaller. Spare parts are replaced when they’re used; but the consumables are important to check each time the truck leaves the shop – oil, paper towels, food and drink…the things that make the weekend a little easier.

Being organized is just one more way to get the most out of any race weekend. Knowing what’s in your trailer – and where it is in the trailer – can prevent late night trips to the auto parts store and get a racer up and running again that much quicker.