Mazda Grand AM-GT racing program

[cameraman]

Riley has built a steel tube RX-8 for the team.

http://www.theracesite.com/images/news/10722_1_sm.jpg


MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development today announced the continuation of its partnership with Florida-based SpeedSource, Inc. to produce a Grand American Road Racing Association Rolex Series GT-class Mazda RX-8. Set to make its competition debut during the 2006 Grand Am season, the Grand Am GT RX-8 is based on a tube-frame chassis jointly developed by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies, and powered by Mazda's three-rotor 20B rotary engine.

Link to story (http://www.theracesite.com/index.cfm?pagetype=2&form_article=10722)

[Sean O'Gorman]

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Love the sound of those rotary engines.

[extramundane]

Why would anyone would plop down almost $300K for a tube-frame lump like that when you can score a 997 Cup for 100K less?

I guess everything in the "GT" class will be tube-framed and silhouette-bodied before long. Can a common template be far behind? :thumdown:

[FCYTravis]

Judging by the DPs, I'd say a common template is about the last thing you're going to see in GT.

BTW, why the long face? The most successful American GT series ever was made up of tube-frame silhouette cars.

How quickly we forget GTO/GTU.

[cameraman]

Why would anyone would plop down almost $300K for a tube-frame lump like that when you can score a 997 Cup for 100K less?

You are asking why a group called MAZDASpeed didn't buy a Porsche? :saywhat:

[extramundane]

You are asking why a group called MAZDASpeed didn't buy a Porsche? :saywhat:

No, I'm asking why any customer would buy that when for a lot less money they could get the most successful GT racer in history, and all the benefits thereof.

[extramundane]

Judging by the DPs, I'd say a common template is about the last thing you're going to see in GT.

BTW, why the long face? The most successful American GT series ever was made up of tube-frame silhouette cars.

How quickly we forget GTO/GTU.

That was also 20 years ago. If I want to see GTO/GTU rehashed, I'll watch HSR.

[FCYTravis]

I'd take the Champ Car of 10 or 15 years ago over the Champ Car of today... so yeah, going back to the future doesn't seem like a bad idea.

[Methanolandbrats]

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Love the sound of those rotary engines. No hope of running that thing on street courses, no hope at all unless they bolt on mufflers.

[FCYTravis]

Wonder how the Mazda rotary LMP2 is going to do it at Houston? :eek:

[Steve99]

Tube-framed GT cars is yet another thing I don't get about Grand Am. What is wrong with production based GT cars?

[Sean O'Gorman]

That was also 20 years ago. If I want to see GTO/GTU rehashed, I'll watch HSR.

Yet you guys point to the RS Spyder as being the 962 of 20 years ago the car for today in ALMS. ;)

[FCYTravis]

Steve99, like I said, it seemed to work quite well for IMSA.