Mazda Motorsports AT SEBRING: MORE THAN JUST ‘ONE RACE’Six Races in Four Series Including a Record MX-5 Cup Field for Mazda March 13, 2014 (SEBRING, Fla.) — The annual Mobil-1 12Hours of Sebring race is recognized by sportscar fans around the world. For more than 60 years it has attracted the greatest sportscars and racers from around the world. What is sometimes overlooked is the fact that the Sebring ‘week’ includes a busy schedule of support races. Prior to the Saturday endurance classic a wide variety of races will take place and Mazda cars and engines will be featured in the majority of them. “While the Rolex 24 at Daytona kicks off the year each January, March in Sebring is where the racing really accelerates with season openers for multiple series," noted John Doonan, director of Motorsports for Mazda North American Operations. “We’re happy to have a paddock full of Mazda-powered racecars including our Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda. We’ll also see the first ever Continental Tire Challenge race at Sebring where Mazda will be very strong in the ST class. Sebring is an event where Thursday and Friday can be as action packed as the main event on Saturday.” Mazda will be active at the track and online for fans.
Mazda will have a fan activation zone where consumers can test their racing skills in one of two racing simulators and get a photo with the Mazda SKYACTIV Technology prototype. There will also be a Mazda owner VIP area with complimentary refreshments, snacks, cell phone charging stations, and streaming race footage. Admission is as simple as showing their Mazda key or owners’ registration. Mazda will be streaming live video from the #07 SKYACTIV Technology Prototype at
www.youtube.com/mazda There will also be frequent behind-the-scenes updates on social media on Facebook (Mazda Motorsport) and Twitter (@mazdaracing) Wednesday through Saturday. Mazda products will be seeking wins in two open classes and has 100% of the field in two spec series: TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Mazda will be fielding a pair of SKYACTIV Technology prototypes in the 12-hour race. Mazda has scored 13 class wins at Sebring since 1980. The #70 Mazda SKYACTIV Technology Prototype will be driven by Sylvain Tremblay, Tom Long and Ben Devlin, while the #07 will be shared by Joel Miller, Tristan Nunez, and Tristan Vautier. Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Mazda will be represented by the multicar team efforts of CJ Wilson Racing and Freedom Autosport in the ST class. This is race number two of a 12-race series. The 2.5-hour race will take place on Friday afternoon. Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires: A record 33 cars are in Sebring for the season opener which features identical spec Mazda MX-5 racecars. Competing within the MX-5 Cup race are the Skip Barber Racing School MAZDASPEED Challenge MX-5 cars. The cars will have 45-minute races on both Thursday and Friday. Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda:Two years ago, Mazda SKYACTIV TUDOR Championship racer Tristan Nunez was racing a Prototype Lites car. This series, which features a spec chassis powered by a 2.0-liter Mazda MZR engine, is a great training ground for racers seeking to race in the TUDOR Championship. The series will have a 30- minute race on Thursday and a 45-minute race on Friday. About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEEDMazda 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 3,000 cars built. The pinnacle of Mazda Motorsports is the SKYACTIV-Technology Prototype competing in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Mazda supports young up and coming racers with the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy and the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda’s success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. 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), and
www.mazdamotorsports.com
