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| January 19, 2010 |
| Industry News: MAZDASPEED Motorsports Ladder Update |
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (January 18, 2010) - While others are retreating, MAZDASPEED is looking to advance even more in 2010. Everyone knows that the economic changes of 2008 and 2009 have been difficult for the auto industry and motorsports, but by focusing on grassroots road-racing and helping aspiring racers advance to the next level, MAZDASPEED has carved a unique niche within the sport that has proven to be sustainable. That sustainability means growth in 2010, with new partners and a new series.
For 2010, two of the Mazda-powered series are a formal part of the “Road to Indy” -- the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear, now in its 20th year, and the new Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.
Mazda chose the annual American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) Gala to update media on 2009 successes and announce these 2010 plans.
John Doonan, MAZDASPEED Motorsports Business Development Manager, spoke at length about the unique Mazda approach to motorsports.
“When we established the MAZDASPEED Ladder, our goal was to help drivers who race with Mazda to advance -- based entirely upon talent and the ability to win," stated Doonan. "You win a championship, you advance to the next level. It is working so well that we have been able to add new partners like VISIT FLORIDA to our team for 2010. VISIT FLORIDA will be very visible with our Star Mazda Championship, both at the track and on TV.”
“The latest changes for 2010 reflect the fact that our program is attracting favorable outside attention," he added. "We’re pleased that the Indycar community has recognized that our many series have produced outstanding talent. Indycar drivers like Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Raphael Matos and others had successful runs in Skip Barber, Star Mazda and the Atlantic Championship on their way to the IZOD Indycar series. We expect more to follow. The new USF2000 Championship adds another cost effective rung on both ladders to showcase talent and build experience.”
“We’re also pleased to continue our involvement with karting, the largest grassroots feeder system into open-wheel racing," Doonan continued. "We have renewed our contract with the World Karting Association (WKA) for 2010. WKA racers have been competing in our annual Skip Barber/Mazda karting shootout.”
“The less formal aspect of our ladder has been promotion from within," he concluded. "We are pleased that so many of our teams, in all series, look to promote from within the family. We’re thrilled that the SpeedSource Rolex Grand-Am team has hired Jonathan Bomarito to co-drive with Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 Castrol Mazda RX-8. He has been a standout in the Atlantic Championship for several years now. Dempsey Racing also tested Atlantic drivers John Edwards and Simona De Silvestro at the Daytona test last week. It’s clear that if you want to get to the next level, there are more opportunities if you have spent time with Mazda.”
The 2010 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder program open-wheel drivers are as follows:
Adam Christodoulou – The 2009 Star Mazda Champion has earned a Mazda supported ride in the 2010 Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. He is currently testing with Atlantic teams.
Connor De Phillippi – The 2009 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Champion will be racing in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship. He is currently testing with Star Mazda teams.
Spencer Pigot & Felix Serralles – These two talented Florida teenagers won the Skip Barber/Mazda Karting Shootout at the end of December. Both will be racing in the 2010 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda.
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, 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, and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing.
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in the United States in 2010, Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. |
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