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

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.

Karagiannis sets NOPI Record in MAZDASPEED3

The NOPI drag racing series kicked its 2008 season into high gear with a recent national race at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach, Florida. Moroso has been long known to host great events for and this weekend was no different. Spectators from all across the country and Canada came out to enjoy the weekend, with well over 16,000 in attendance. This is the second largest crowd Moroso has ever had for an event.

Tri-Point Takes Top 5 At Sebring

The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida weekend marked the beginning of both the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car season as well as Tri-Point’s year-long quest to defend their 2007 championship titles.  Charles Espenlaub, piloting the #73 MAZDA6, narrowly missed the podium in 4th place.  Defending champion Jeff Altenburg crossed the line a half-second later to claim the 5th position.  In his Touring Car debut 2007 MX-5 Cup Champion Jason Saini was the third Mazda to take the checkered flag in 9th place. 

USA Today Discovers Amateur Mazda Racing

National newspaper USA today has a great story about amateur racers in Mazdas, and chose to feature MazdaSport and Forever MX-5 Autocross columnist Jason Isley, saying:  "Like any other working stiff, Jason Isley commutes to the office in his sporty coupe during the week.

But come Friday, he wrestles the baby carrier out of the back seat of the Mazda RX-8, wrenches on a set of extra-grippy tires and slaps some magnetic racing numbers on the sides. Plop on a helmet, and the transformation is complete: family man to top-performing race car driver."

[Read the whole story in USA Today]