Mazdaspeed Career Advancement for FCC Drivers

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2011 FCC NASA National Champions are Eligible for MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder Program

Sonoma, CA
April 6th, 2011

The MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder is proving to be the springboard for many aspiring racers to advance - just ask Conor Daly and Brad Rampelberg where they would be today without Mazda. Mazda powered FCC NASA National Champions now have the opportunity to win a Mazda factory supported ride in the 2012 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

“Mazda has supported grassroots racing for decades, and the FCC presented by Goodyear is proud to be powered exclusively by Mazda engines,” stated FCC Series Official Ben Hettema. “Thanks to Mazda many club racers have moved up through the ranks and into professional racing of every kind.” The MX-5 Cup series champion also gets promoted via the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Ladder. 2010 MX-5 Cup Champion Brad Rampelberg is currently racing a MAZDASPEED3 in the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge.

The heart of MAZDASPEED is in supporting club racers. There are over 9,000 Mazda customers who compete in club racing with the Sports Club of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sports Association (NASA). More than a few of them have aspirations of racing professionally.

For 2011, the competition will be held in two stages with a presentation portion used to select the finalists for the on-track session. The competition measures all aspects of a driver:

• Fast lap times
• Consistency
• Technical feedback and knowledge
• The ability to write a winning sponsorship proposal/business plan
• PR and media skills

The Prize: A factory supported ride in the 2012 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup

Value: $50,000+

Eligibility: Any Mazda powered National Champion from a recognized organization where Mazda pays contingency and minimal entries per class are achieved. This includes The SCCA, NASA and Skip Barber. All Formula Car Challenge NASA National Champions in FM, FS2.0, and PFM are eligible (each class must have at least 5 starters for that class champion to be eligible)

Exclusions: Racers are eligible to compete in as many shootouts as they qualify for, but cannot return after winning a shootout. Racers are also limited to one ladder prize per year.

The judges: Judges will be composed of a committee of motorsports professionals including team owners/managers, engineers, drivers, and journalists.

Additional MAZDASPEED Awards: For 2011 Mazdaspeed has offered over $26,000 in contingency prize money for the FCC presented by Goodyear NASA National Championships at Mid-Ohio.

About 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, Mazda2, 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, the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing, and the Mazda Road to Indy.

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. For more information visit: http://www.MazdaUSA.com

About the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup: Stepping up in place of the former MAZDASPEED Miata Cup, the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut in 2006. Featuring identical Mazda MX-5s on spec BF Goodrich tires, MX-5 Cup gives drivers the opportunity to compete in equal equipment on high-profile weekends. The MX-5 Cup has become one of the best shows in motorsports today. Visit www.mx-5cup.com to learn more.

About the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear: The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear is a multiple-region series with an annual NASA sanctioned national championship. The series features a multi-class format; Formula Mazda (FM), Pro Formula Mazda (PFM), and the FormulaSPEED2.0 (FS2.0). All classes are powered by Mazda, and equipped with Goodyear Racing tires.

For 2011 there are four Formula Car Challenge regions; The West Coast Region promoted by World Speed Inc, the South West Region promoted by Texas Autosports, the East Coast Region promoted by The Speed Connection, and the Mid West Region promoted by Lake Effect Motorsports.

Visit http://www.FormulaCarChallenge.com to learn more.