World Challenge fans!!!???

[wcprotege]

I checked into this BB to see how many World Challenge Touring Protege fans are out here!

Straight up, I do the media/pr for Atlanta-based OPM Motorsports and SpeedSport and your interest in our teams is important to us. Please check in and let me know how many of you are out here.

We would like to know so we can plan some activities where you can meet the teams to check out the cars up close, meet the drivers and learn what we are up to.

Hemmingson is back for OPM, but they haven't decided on a second driver at this point. Robert Baxter's new 2003 teammate at SpeedSport could be of interest since he will be hanging in Atlanta for the season.

Thanks everyone,

 

[MP5Raycer]

DEFFINATLY .. WELCOME TO OUR HUMBLE MAZDA HOME ..... glad you stopped by ... you got one here

 

[kcbhiw]

You can count me in. I'm definately a big fan of OPM. They did an excellent job on the suspension setup for a few of our cars at work (Oldsmobile(s) and MR2).

 

[PhyschoMP3]

I'm a huge fan!but I dont know what your talking about but since its mazda it must be good unless its customer sevice!!

 

[dolphin]

I am another World Challenge Fan.

 

[macklum]

I am another,I have been to the last 3 race at Mosport Ontario .

 

[eMKay]

ME! I plan on attending the Mosport race this year, and I would like to see one at Watkins Glen...Do you have any pull with ALMS? I think an event at the Glen would be perfect.

 

[rowan]

World Challenge !!!

I was only able to attend the first of 2 Mosport races last year but got to meet Jim Jordan's team and sit in Roger's P5 .. the Tripoint guys were also very nice. Didn't get to the OPM tent until too close to the race and the engineers were busy.

I will be at all the Mosport races this year. It's a great series and great to see the Proteges do so well.

 

[biknman]

World Challenge? Love IT have to have it!!!

I've been followint the series since 2000. I was able to attend the D.C. race and hang with all the Proteges in the pits. Awesome! Keep up the good work and look forward to next season if it anything like the last year, Look out Proteges coming to kick some ass!

 

[cdglowp5]

I am a Speed Challenge race fan here in washington dc. I met and hung out with Foo last year. He introduce me to Jim of Sunbelt performance. They are all nice and love to help us out as well.

 

[redrims]

I'm a World Challenge fan also. I just started 'really' getting into it this pass summer though, but I'm slowly learning about it.

 

[TUNGSTENGREYWIDOW]

If it has anything to do with racing you can always count me in. Hey how about letting us race against or drive those cars. I think I can take them. He He He just kidding.

 

[wcprotege]

Thanks for saying "hi" everyone and we hope to put on a great show for you this year.

There won't be any sneaking up on the competition in 2003 after how well the Proteges did last year. And there are a couple of new cars this year with some good drivers - Christian Elder and Ken Payson - who should hopefully help Mazda make a strong run for the Touring Manufacturers Championship.

As usual, everyone is welcome to stop by the teams during the race weekends and have a look around. There is a fair amount of work to be done on the cars between sessions, so please be patient with us if we're thrashing.

cdglowp5, you are right about Foo (yellowp5) and Sunbelt. The owner of Sunbelt, Jim Thompson, is a friend of mine and really knows his engines. Almost 250 hp with no Turbo (naughty). Okay, the engines don't last real long. I rode with Foo from Mid-Ohio to Road America last year and found that even though he can be a little quiet at first, there is a wicked sense of humor hidden away there. Genuinely a super nice guy and worthy of all the attention he recieves.

redrims, we'll get you up to speed on the series in no time. If you have any questions, either I or someone knowledgeable here on the forum can give you some answers.

I probably won't be out here posting a lot, but I will visit and answer as many questions as I can regarding OPM and SpeedSport that fans here might have. I will also keep everyone up to speed with any news and opportunities to visit the teams at home.

p.s. - If anyone is interested, SCCA Pro Racing has the 2002 Year-in-Review and individual races available on video. Prices vary on how many videos you buy. Visit them at www.sccaproracing.com for contact info.

 

[rowan]

As long as you Protege guys (and girl) don't get taken by the new Tripoint RSX then it's all goood.

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

Sweet, welcome definitely a fan.

 

[Antoine]

Big Fan here!...Welcome...Great to have you on this site.

 

[Jimmy@MV]

Hey guys, some of you may know me as working for motorsportvortex.com and filling in this forum with mazda racing news during the season.

Well we have just launched the new site with a new name (had some confusion with other sites over the old name), www.speedarena.com

But more importantly I would like to let everyone know that we will be working real close with Bob and OPM Motorsports this season and there will be a whole section on the new site dedicated to their Mazda Protoge team. Look for it at the new site under the team sa heading.

We are excited about working with OPM this season and are looking for good things to happen. Follow all the action on thier site www.opmmotorsports.com and speedarena.

Its great to have Bob on this board and you can be sure that between the two of us and our sites you will be kept up to date on everything happening with Mazda this season.

See you at the races.

 

[BondoBob]

Count me in as a fan of the SPEED series. I love the touring cars - the GT series less. It is the closest thing to the SCCA TransAm series of the old days.

 

[Option]

While working asd pit crew for Roger Foo (back when Roger drove the yellow Honda civic, before Mazda picked him up) I had the opportunity to meet Tripoint's Shauna Marinus at Portland International Raceway in the summer of 2001 during the World Challenge Tour. A friend told me Shauna was from Folsom (where I grew up) so I paid close attention when she was racing. I noticed the protege held its own pretty well. Actually, that's where my obsession for the protege started. I guess its true, "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday." Anyways, I'm a big fan of the WCT. Keep up the good work.

 

[scapamouche]

I've been a huge fan of Touring for a couple years, and especially Roger Foo since his win at Laguna on 01. That carried over to the new car, and now that I own a Mazda, I'm even more interested.

The Proteges are by FAR the best looking cars in the championship, but as much as I like the P5, I wish Roger had a ride in one of the Standard Proteges.....

I got to watch the race from the hill at Laguna this year. The only thing cooler than watching cars go thru the corkscrew is doing it yourself

A picture of my previous car in its swan song at Laguna a couple weeks ago.....