Rotary Speed Magazine

MazdaSport Columnist Jim Daniels Checks In

Hi gang!

It was a very long and busy weekend at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.  In the Koni Cup cars, Mazda MX5s, we were strong.  We qualified 6th and our team car 16th.  Early in the race we had a brake issue on the 6th qualifying car (one I drive) and my co-driver/team owner Derek Whitis got into the wall ending our chances for a good finish.  Our team car came from 16th to finish second.  Our car would finish 3 laps down while turning times the same as the leaders.

In the Speed World-Challenge Touring cars, Mazda 6s, we struggled with grip all weekend.  Coming off a win, 5th and 6th place finishes the week prior we were a bit disappointed.  The team worked very hard and we did not make two sessions in the same configuration.  Still, we were a bit off pace.  I used the first race to test, pitting 5-6 times making adjustments to help for a better second race of the double header weekend.  I found some speed but it did not move me up the charts in qualifying. I qualified 13th and due to a good standing start and crash avoidance finished 8th.  In doing so I won the "Holeshot" award for the most positions gained on the start. 

We are off to Watkins Glen in the World-Challenge series in two weeks, Mosport in the Koni cars June 12th and later in the year at Mid-Ohio for the championship NASA PT event in the RDR Mazda RX8.  If any of you are in the area, please stop in.  TV times for the last few races are listed below.

Thanks,

Jim Daniels
SWCTC Tri-Point Motorsports Mazda 6, #75
GAKST Freedom Autosport Mazda MX5, #145
NASA PT RDR Mazda RX8, #76

Mazda to Sponsor Rotax Max Karting Challenge

SSC Racing announced today that Mazda USA has assumed the position of presenting sponsor for the Rotax Max Challenge.

Mazda’s reputation in the motorsports community is well-known, with involvement in auto racing stretching from grassroots amateur racing in the SCCA and NASA, to series such as Formula Drift, Grand-Am, the American LeMans Series, and the Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda. 

Mazda’s involvement in the Rotax Max Challenge sponsorship is an extension of its 2007 karting initiative. In 2007, Mazda sponsored the America’s Team at the Rotax Grand Finals in Dubai, and in addition to its new sponsorship with Rotax, will once again sponsor the America’s Team. Additionally, the Rotax Max Challenge will have a presence at select events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca throughout 2008.

Mohan Top Mazda - Narrowly misses Formula D tandem win in Atlanta

After finishing fourth in the season-opening Formula Drift presented by Circuit City round on the Streets of Long Beach, Kyle Mohan headed to Road Atlanta with high hopes of continuing his season on the right note.

Mohan and his team suppliers had worked hard to eliminate the transmission problems that had befallen his car during the Final Four competition in Long Beach, and the car was working perfectly during practice and qualifying in Road Atlanta. A solid but conservative first run in qualifying practice appeared to be right on the edge of being good enough to put Mohan into tandem competition for the second straight Formula Drift weekend.

However, on his second run, Mohan dropped two wheels on the exit of the final clipping point – netting him a zero. He would have to rely on his first run to put him on the show, but unfortunately, that run would prove to be one point shy of putting Mohan into the top-16 – in fact, putting him in seventeenth. He did, however, earn the distinction of being the highest finishing Mazda at the Road Atlanta event, now sits twelfth in the Castrol Syntec Power Cup Point standings

Karagiannis Wins in NOPI

Glenwood, MD., May 8, 2008 – Dee Karagiannis and his MAZDASPEED3 took the win this past weekend in the make-up race for Nopi/NHRA Florida final. The rained out NOPI Florida event was originally scheduled for April 6 at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“Englishtown was a great venue to host the rained out Moroso finals and with over 21,000 in attendance the Reactive Racing MAZDASPEED 3 put them on their seats and took the win laying down a impressive 7.39@180mph. “

The team’s next event will be the NOPI Sport Compact Racing Series sanctioned by NHRA on June 21-22 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

SUV With Soul - Mazda CX-9

Seven-passenger capability has always been the mark of the “big” car. I recently wrote a profile on a gentleman who is restoring a 1946 Packard seven passenger sedan, and asked the opinion of a suburban housewife and SUV fanatic about the seven passenger Land Rover LR3.  Seven passengers seems to be a magic number - maybe because it’s room for one U.S.-standard nuclear family plus one pair of grandparents, or two adults and a basketball team. Who knows?

As a Mazda enthusiast, I was interested to drive the CX-9 for a few days in California’s fabulous central coast region. I’d never driven the CX-9 before, and was curious to see if Mazda’s “Always the soul of a sports car” slogan held true even in the biggest vehicle they offer.