— Three Canadians amongst 18 racers chasing a $75,000 prize, the
biggest in all of club racing —
RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 15, 2013 /CNW/ – In 2013, three Canadian class
champions emerged from the five grassroots racing series supported with
contingency programs by Mazda Canada. Cal Vandaalen (Toyo Tires Spec
Miata Championship), Cherie Storms (SCCBC B-Spec) and Andrei Kisel
(SCCBC Spec Miata) earned eligibility for the Mazda Club Racer Shootout
by virtue of their respective Canadian class championships in 2013.
The Mazda Club Racer Shootout is the single largest prize in club
racing. Since 2007 Mazda has annually promoted one talented club racer
to the professional ranks. The $75,000 prize funds a drive in the 2014
Mazda MX-5 Cup.
Sandra Lemaitre, National Manager of Public Relations for Mazda Canada,
Inc. shares: “For 2013, we expanded our support of those racers who
choose to compete in a Mazda in grassroots racing in Canada to five
series across the country. We’re proud of Cal, Cherie and Andrei for
their class championships and wish them the very best in the Shootout.
We also wish to thank Mazda Motorsports for recognizing our Canadian
class champions with eligibility for this exciting prize.”
The heart and soul of Mazda Motorsports is club racing, and supporting
those racers who have invested in racing a Mazda. The criteria for the
shootout is to identify the aspiring professional racer who has the
best range of skills required to succeed. These skills include speed,
consistency, racecraft, technical feedback, and off-track business and
PR skills. History has shown that a driver will be limited in success
if they are lacking in multiple areas.
John Doonan, Director of Motorsports, notes: “With more club racers than
any other car company, we wanted to find a suitable way to bridge the
gap from club racing to the professional ranks. Our shootout has
become a signature event for Mazda Motorsports. Without exception,
every driver who won the shootout proved to be competitive in MX-5 Cup,
with several developing solid professional careers.”
Eighteen racers are semi-finalists, having met the eligibility criteria
for 2013. Each has won a recognized championship over a minimum number
of competitors. The next step is for the racer to submit a business
presentation, which will be reviewed and scored by a team of
motorsports and marketing professionals. From those proposals, the
finalists will be selected. The final shootout will be a one-day event
at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in November where the racers will be
tested on the track for their technical skills. It is a
winner-take-all event with one racer moving up to the Mazda MX-5 Cup
for 2014.
The 18 semi-finalists are:
Additional information about the Mazda Club Racer shootout and Mazda
support can be found at www.mazdamotorsports.com
About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda 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
2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda Motorsports established the MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through
the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include 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
Motorsports).
Mazda Canada Inc. is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer
service and parts support of Mazda vehicles in Canada. Headquartered in
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Mazda Canada has a nationwide network of 162
dealerships. For additional information visit Mazda Canada’s media
website at www.media.mazda.ca.
SOURCE Mazda Canada Inc.
