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Mazdaspeed MotorSports Plans For 2012 Competition

Mazdaspeed MotorSports Plans For 2012 Competition

Anne Proffit

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Anne Proffit has worked in the automotive field since - well, not telling you that. She's been a car salesperson (before it was popular to hire... More

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890 views Dec 1, 2011

SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 at 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona - Anne Proffit photo

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Mazdaspeed Motorsports customarily uses the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) racing trade show in Orlando, Fla., each December to showcase its successes and promote its future endeavors. This year is no different.

With racing programs far and wide in both open- and closed-wheel racing series across the United States, the Mazdaspeed team paid out more than $800,000 in contingency awards in 2011 for its grassroots racers; the Mazdaspeed Motorsports Ladder prizes amounted to more than $1.5 million.

Two Mazda Grand-Am GT teams showcased their driver lineups and plans for the 2012 season that begins with the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona the final weekend of January. Joining full-season drivers Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito on the SpeedSource Grand-Am RX-8 team for the mid-winter twice-around-the-clock classic are two exceptional drivers: Marino Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe. Franchitti has driven Mazda-powered race cars in American Le Mans Series competition; IndyCar Series star Hinchliffe is a veteran of the former Atlantic and current Star Mazda championships.

Dempsey Racing, another RX-8 factory team has two cars for the Grand-Am championship. Joe Foster partners with Patrick Dempsey while Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putnam team up for the season. When Dempsey's "day job" interferes with his racing, Tom Long is the appointed driver.

Graduates of the Mazdaspeed Ladder series moved up through their achievements: 2011 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber champion Scott Anderson races in the 2012 USF2000 championship; 2011 Cooper Tires USF2000 titleholder Petri Suvanto moves to the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear; 2011 Star Mazda champ Tristan Vautier races in the 2012 Indy Lights Series; 2011 Playboy MX-5 Cup champ Mike Cooper races in the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car championship in a Mazdaspeed3 (lucky guy); 2011 Skip Barber Karting Shootout winners Tristan DeGrand and Danilo Estrella will compete in the 2012 Skip Barber Series and, finally, 2011 Club Racing Shootout winner Elliott Skeer takes a drive in the 2012 MX-5 Cup.

Additionally, Mazda announced plans to add a Mazdaspeed Challenge MX-5 Cup Class, partnering with Skip Barber Racing School. While the entire schedule hasn't been announced, this new series will showcase driver skills on two very large racing weekends: the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring and at Petit Le Mans.