Mazda Rotary Powered History @ Americas Endurance Classics!

[Antoine]

Mazda Rotary Powered History @ Americas Endurance Classics!

Mazda Rotary Powered History @ America’s Endurance Classics

RACES: Rolex 24 at Daytona & Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

YEARS: 34 -- 1973-2007

WINS: 33 (and counting)

In the 1973 12 Hours of Sebring, Ray Walle, a New Jersey Mazda dealer, and Richard Schuck drove a Mazda RX-2 to 2nd place in the IMSA Touring 2500 class, and 26th overall, having started 61st on the grid. Walle, teaming with Tom Reddy scored the first class win at Daytona for Mazda in 1975 and further demonstrated the endurance of the engine as he drove the race car from New Jersey to the track, and home again after the race!

Over the next three decades many things have changed in American motorsports, but just as it comes back to Zoom-Zoom for every Mazda, it also comes back to Florida at the beginning of each year for road racing fans. Mazda is pleased to be competing in both the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 56th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

21 Mazda Rotary Powered class wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona

1975 Ray Walle, Tom Reddy RX-2 1st in GTU Touring (14th overall)

1979 Yoshimi Katayama, Yojiro Terada, Takashi Yorino RX-7 1st in GTU (5th overall)

1982 Yoshimi Katayama, Yojiro Terada, Takashi Yorino RX-7 1st in GTO (4th overall)

1982 Kathy Rude*, Lee Mueller, Allan Moffett RX-7 1st in GTU (6th overall)

* First ever class win for a woman in IMSA history.

1983 Pete Halsmer, Bob Reed, Rick Knoop, Tom Gloy RX-7 1st in GTO (3rd overall)

1983 Lee Mueller, Hugh McDonough, Terry Visger RX-7 1st in GTU (12th overall)

1984 Ira Young, Bob Reed, Jack Baldwin, Jim Cook RX-7 1st in GTU (12th overall)

1985 Kelly Marsh, Ron Pawley, Don Marsh Argo-Mazda 1st in Lights (10th overall)

1985 Amos Johnson, Jack Dunham, Yojiro Terada RX-7 1st in GTU (12th overall)

1986 Frank Rubino, Ray Mummery, John Schneider Argo-Mazda 1st in Lights (7th overall)

1986 Amos Johnson, Dennis Shaw, Jack Dunham RX-7 1st in GTU (8th overall)

1987 Amos Johnson, Dennis Shaw, Bob Lazier RX-7 1st in GTU (10th overall)

1988 Amos Johnson, Dennis Shaw, Bob Lazier RX-7 1st in GTU (15th overall)

1989 Al Bacon, Bob Reed, Rod Millen RX-7 1st in GTU (12th overall)

1990 John Grooms, Michael Greenfield, Frank Jellinek Jr. Argo-Mazda 1st in Lights (9th overall) Peter Greenfield

1990 Peter Uria, Bob Dotson, Jim Pace RX-7 1st in GTU (12th overall)

1991 Dick Greer, Al Bacon, Mike Mees, Peter Uria RX-7 1st in GTU (13th overall)

1992 Al Bacon, Dick Greer, Mike Mees, Peter Uria RX-7 1st in GTU (7th overall)

1993 John Grooms, Frank Jellinek Jr., Jim Downing Kudzu-Mazda 1st in Lights (7th overall) Tim McAdam

1993 Dick Greer, Al Bacon, Peter Uria, Mike Mees RX-7 1st in GTU (9th overall)

2001 Howard Katz, Jim Downing, AJ Smith, Chris Ronson Kudzu-Mazda 1st in SRP (11th overall)


12 Mazda Rotary Powered class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring

1980 Roger Mandeville, Jim Downing, Brad Friselle RX-7 1st in GTU (9th overall)

1981 Lee Mueller, Walt Bohren RX-7 1st in GTU (9th overall)

1982 Roger Mandeville, Jeff Kline, Amos Johnson RX-7 1st in GTU (6th overall)

1983 Jack Dunham, Jeff Kline, Jon Compton RX-7 1st in GTU (6th overall)

1984 Jack Baldwin, Ira Young, Bob Reed RX-7 1st in GTU (9th overall)

1985 Jim Downing, John Maffucci Argo-Mazda 1st in Lights (5th overall)

1986 Jim Rothbarth, Mike Meyer, Jeff Kline Royale-Mazda 1st in Lights (6th overall)

1986 Roger Mandeville, Danny Smith RX-7 1st in GTU (8th overall)

1987 Al Bacon, Bob Reed RX-7 1st in GTU (17th overall)

1988 Dennis Shaw, Amos Johnson, Al Bacon RX-7 1st in GTU (15th overall)

1992 Howard Katz, Tim McAdam, Jim Downing Kudzu-Mazda 1st in Lights (5th overall)

1993 Al Bacon, Dick Greer, Peter Uria, Mike Mees RX-7 1st in GTU (16th overall)


-rotarynews.com

 

[Old Rotor]

Sounds like your a big Rotary Fan Too!! Love your COSMO!! I have a RX8 now its my 7th Rotary. Got my first RX in 1970. Curious what kind of MPG do you get on it 12-18?

 

[Antoine]

Thanks! Definitely a Rotary fan now...and becoming more of a fan everyday!

I can't believe you've had SEVEN piston-less Mazdas...I'm an RX-8 fan as well but I've got to ask...of all the rotary Mazdas you've had...which has been your favorite?

In my case...The Cosmo is my first Rotary and I thought why not go with a 20B to start things off

As for MPG...good question...I haven't checked yet but I've read quite a few times on the net that Japanese owners are reporting anywhere from 5 to 7 (l/km)...which is just about what you estimated...12-18 MPG. It all depends how you drive the beast and its condition...In the end...You've got to "pay to play"...one way or another

I wonder if I'd get more power and better "mpg" if my 20B could run some alternative fuel like ethanol (the Furai concept runs on E100 right?).

 

[Old Rotor]

Thanks for responding, it was a fun read. My fav is the 8. I've had turbo but wanted the next RX to be a N/A and it's GREAT. Can't wait till my next RX it will be the 16X! By the way my worst MPG on the 8 is 16mpg and the best was 29.5mpg doing 55-60mph for two hours. I have discipline and patiences huh. It's not something I want to do again but I just wanted to see what the limits were. If I track the car I'm sure I could get it down to 12mpg.