For Mazda the LA Auto Show is all about the “6″.  Not only is the 2014 Mazda6 making its North American debut, Mazda has also announced that the new 6 will offically go racing next year (2013) in the new GRAND-AM “GX” class with an all new turbo charged “Skyactiv-D” (the D is for Diesel) race engine.  The race versions of the Mazda6 will be built by Speedsource and will essentially be taking the place of the discontinued RX-8 in the GRAND-AM series.  The Mazda6 race car is set to make its debut at the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona in January, 2013.  This will mark the first time a diesel engine of any kind was run at the 24 hour race.

Despite the new Mazda6′s recent reveal, Speedsource has been working on its engine for a very long time with Mazda but the engineers had to wait for the production car to be officially announced before they could spill the beans on the new power plant.  After hours of testing the engineers are confident that the new Skyactiv-D race engine will be up to the grueling task of a 24 hour endurance race.  One of the more interesting notes about the engine is that it is not a purpose built racing block.  The engine that will be in the Mazda6 race car is built off a production Skyactiv-D road car block!

Rumor has it that there will be four Mazda6 Skyactiv-D race cars in total at the race next year.  One will be fielded by Speedsource and the other three will be customer teams.  As of now those teams and their drivers are unknown.

I really want to see this car up close but for now the rendering will have to do.  Click the thumbnail below for a larger version.

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Press Release:

MAZDA6 CONFIRMED FOR 2013 GRAND-AM GX CLASS

ALL-NEW SKYACTIV-D CLEAN DIESEL WILL POWER LATEST MAZDA RACECAR

November 29, 2012 (LOS ANGELES, Calif)  Mazda North American Operations today announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show that the racing version of the 2014 Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26-27, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla.  The Mazda6 racecar will be powered by a Mazda SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine and is being developed for the new GRAND-AM GX class.  This will be the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any type has ever raced at the Rolex 24.  Mazda will be seeking their 24^th class win in the American endurance classic, having most recently won in 2008 and 2010.

John Doonan, Motorsports Director, Mazda North American Operations noted that: “We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed.  The SpeedSource engineering team, working with the Mazda engineers, have been flat out for months on engine development.  We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance.  That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts.  This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D.  We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car.”

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports & MAZDASPEED

Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America.  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.  Mazda cars compete in over a dozen professional classes in the U.S. 

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 (Mazdaspeed Motorsports).

Soon after Audi made history this weekend by achieving the first 24 Hours Of LeMans victory with a hybrid race car, Mazda has announced that they will take their knew “Skyactiv-D” race engine to next year’s LeMans race with Dempsey Racing’s LMP2 class program.  The Skyactiv-D race engine is the result of a partnership between Mazdaspeed Motorsports and SpeedSource racing.  When all was said and done SpeedSource started with a stock Skyactive-D 2.2 liter engine block and turned it into a dual-staged turbo’d beast.  Although I am not sure of the performance numbers I am sure this engine is more than capable of hanging with the big dogs in the class.  I personally can’t wait to see Mazda run in the prototype class at LeMans again!

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Press Release:

MAZDA ANNOUNCES SKYACTIV-D CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE FOR 2013 24 HOURS OF LE MANS

- DEMPSEY RACING PLANNING TO BE FIRST CUSTOMER FOR NEW ENGINE –

June 16, 2012 (LE MANS, FRANCE)  Mazda Motorsports today announced that it will sell racing versions of its new SKYACTIV-D CLEAN DIESEL engines to teams competing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class of racing’s greatest endurance challenge – the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  The Le Mans engine program will make its debut at the 2013 running of the race.  Mazda was the first – and to this day, remains the only – Asian manufacturer to score an overall win at the race, in 1991.

“This reopens our love affair with Le Mans,” said Jay Amestoy, Vice President of Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “In 1991 we made history, winning with rotary technology.  Now we’re looking to return to the winner’s circle with what we believe will be the most advanced and cleanest production-based powerplant the sport has ever seen.  We’ll do it in current Mazda style, with engines being available for sale to European and U.S. customers competing in the LMP2 class for both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).”

The engines are being developed jointly by Mazda Motor Corporation, Mazda North American Operations and SpeedSource Race Engineering.  Dyno testing has already begun and on-track testing begins in late 2012. 

The engines will be stock-block Mazda SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder, dual-stage turbocharged powerplants.  According to John Doonan, MNAO’s Director of Mazda Motorsports, “will deliver outstanding performance and fuel economy coupled with the kind of quality, durability and reliability needed to produce great street cars and win endurance races.”

 Mr. Masahiro Moro, Executive Officer in charge of global sales and marketing of Mazda Motor Corporation, made the following comment:  “Mazda has fostered the culture of ‘never stop challenging.’  And it was this spirit that drove us through 18 consecutive years of racing at Le Mans, until we finally triumphed in 1991.  In fact, it is this same spirit that laid the foundation for the portfolio of SKYACTIV Technologies.  This was realized thanks to a number of technological breakthroughs.  I am pleased that we will be supporting our private customers who are taking up the Le Mans challenge by supplying race engines as a customer-program based on our SKYACTIV-D CLEAN DIESEL.”

 DEMPSEY RACING PLANNING TO BE FIRST SKYACTIV-D CUSTOMER

Planning and preparations continue for Dempsey Racing to become the first LMP2 customer for the Mazda SKYACTIV-D racing powerplant.  Dempsey Racing is co-owned by racer/actor Patrick Dempsey.

Dempsey Racing has been racing Mazda RX-8s in the GRAND-AM GT class since 2007 with their highlight being a podium finish at the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona.  The team has steadily improved their on-track performance since their arrival in the series, and was a key contributor to Mazda winning the 2010 GRAND-AM GT Manufacturers Championship.  With support from several partners such as VISITFLORIDA.com, Dempsey Racing expanded their operation this year to include a team running in the American Le Mans Series, and is competing in both the Prototype Challenge (LMPC) and Prototype 2 (LMP2) classes as they prepare for their Le Mans effort. In fact both team owner Dempsey and co-driver Joe Foster are currently testing their LMP2 car in Virginia as the rest of the sports car world focuses on the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend.

Patrick Dempsey and his business partner/co-driver Joe Foster have both competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as drivers in the GT category, and are eager to return in 2013, this time in the LMP2 class and with Mazda SKYACTIV-D clean diesel-power.

Patrick Dempsey comments “Our long-term partnership with Mazda has been fantastic, and we look forward to mutual success as we prepare for 2013.  We are focused on that preparation which is why we are currently testing our LMP2 car here in the US in preparation for the next ALMS event.  Our team and partners are excited to be associated with SKYACTIV-D technology and the cutting-edge green technology it represents.”

About Mazda & MAZDASPEED

Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America.  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 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.

MAZDASPEED 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 (Mazdaspeed Motorsports).

 

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