January 25, 2007 Okanagan British Car Club president Bill Sinclair attended our club meeting on January 24 to announce that Okanagan Valley Miata Club members are officially invited to attend the annual Rally in the Valley, to be held July 6-8, 2007. Because of the age, frailty and rarity of many of the classic British cars, owners are becoming more reluctant to drive their cars as much as they used to, and attendance of the Rally in the Valley has suffered as a result. This is the first time that the Okanagan British Car Club has opened their doors to anything other than British cars, but Sinclair sees this move as the first step toward the future of their club. He believes the Okanagan British Car Club must reach out to all sports car enthusiasts, not just those with cars from the British stable.

The Miata will be officially recognized in the car show event, with trophies awarded in 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation classes. For more information on the Rally in the Valley, see the Okanagan British Car Club wesite.

 

Club meeting - Wednesday, January 24

Come on out and help us finalize details of the 2007 Sun Run. The meeting will be held January 24 at 7:00 pm at the home of Sid and Kathi ----------------------- in the Rutland area of Kelowna. Click here for a Google Map.

 

2007 MX-5 Cup schedule completed, new race announced

Written by: MX-5 Cup series staff Photo: Lievonen January 17, 2007 SCCA Pro Racing announced today the completion of the 2007 SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook schedule with the addition of a round at Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Ga. Following the season opener on the streets of Houston, Texas, MX-5 Cup teams will travel eastward to Road Atlanta to be part of The Mitty '07 Presented by Classic Motorsports Magazine and Sponsored by Mazda, April 27-29. "Historic Sportscar Racing is pleased to host the SCCA Pro Racing MX-5 Cup series at the upcoming Mitty event at Road Atlanta,” HSR President Steve Simpson said.

“The Mitty '07 Presented by Classic Motorsports Magazine and Sponsored by Mazda, is one of the largest historic racing events in North America. This year will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Mitty and will feature a Grand IMSA reunion.

“As Japanese sports cars, and especially Mazda, have a great tradition in sportscar racing in North America and a large presence in the classic years of IMSA, we are excited to include the prominent Mazda MX-5 Cup series at this year's Mitty. We look forward to this exciting event and greatly appreciate the support of Mazda.”

The addition of the Road Atlanta date brings the Mazda MX-5 Cup schedule to a full eight rounds.

For more information on the SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook, visit www.mx-5cup.com.

 

2007 SCCA SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Present by Hankook

Date	Venue	With
April 21-22	Streets of Houston, Houston, Texas	ALMS / Champ Car
April 28-29	Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia	Historic Sportscar Racing
May 19-20	Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California	Grand Am
June 9-10	Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon	Champ Car
June 23-24 (doubleheader)	Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio	Champ Car
Aug. 18-19	Le Circuit du Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada	Grand Am
Sept. 14-15	Miller Motorsports Park, Toole, Utah	Grand Am

Mazda Museum goes online

January 12, 2007 Mazda Motor Corporation is offering the public an inside look at its innovative history by bringing the existing Mazda Museum at the Company's Hiroshima Design Center to the web (http://www.mazdamuseum.com). Mazda's heritage and futuristic car collection was photographed from multiple angles, allowing the public to see the unique features of each car as if they were actually on site at the Museum. Visitors can watch video clips of designers talking about how cars are developed and view 30 of Mazda's top cars up close. Featured cars include the 1967 Cosmo Sport, the Miata, and the 1991 787B, the only Japanese car to win at LeMans.

 

Mazda and Skip Barber Racing School Announce Partnership

December 15, 2006
From SPEEDTV.com

Mazda will supply vehicles to Skip Barber for exclusive use in the ‘‘Skip Barber Driving School Powered by Mazda.’’ Mazda North American Operations and Skip Barber Racing School LLC have announced a new, long-term partnership agreement that will deliver a broad range of programs designed to further define and strengthen the U.S. motorsports ‘‘ladder’’ through which drivers learn and gain experience on their way to the top ranks of amateur and professional racing.

Mazda will supply vehicles to Skip Barber for exclusive use in the ‘‘Skip Barber Driving School Powered by Mazda.’’ The school annually graduates more than 7,000 students and will feature the Mazda 3, MX-5 and RX-8 cars in a variety of purpose-built exercises at Skip Barber’s premier base locations, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, Sebring International Raceway and Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Road America in Wisconsin, and Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

In addition, Mazda engines will soon provide power to the 120 racecars used in the ‘‘Skip Barber Racing School Powered by Mazda’’ and the ‘‘Skip Barber Race Series Powered by Mazda.’’ Skip Barber’s Racing School annually graduates more than 5,000 students and is offered at more than 20 prominent racetracks across the nation. Graduates include drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Michael and Marco Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya and many other marquee names in professional racing.

Many Racing School graduates go on to race in the Skip Barber Race Series, long considered one of the key rungs on the motorsports development ladder. More than 1,000 competitors participate each year in one or more of its four regional championships, a masters national championship, and/or the prestigious entry level semi-pro series, the Skip Barber National Presented by RACER.

‘‘We are committed to developing the next generation of racers with a ladder system that provides drivers with Mazda and Mazda-powered open and closed-wheel cars throughout their careers,’’ said Robert Davis, senior vice president, product development and quality, and the man responsible for Mazda’s North American Motorsports operations under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner. ‘‘Skip Barber is the perfect partner to help us realize this vision.’’

‘‘The motorsports development path to achievement is about to get a lot clearer,’’ said George Ayres, president and COO of Skip Barber Racing School, LLC. ‘‘Skip Barber trains many of the world’s top drivers and our leadership in this area will help strengthen Mazda’s motorsports program. Mazda vehicles and engines will in turn help solidify our position as the leader in instructional and racing excellence for drivers who want to succeed.’’

Davis and Ayres each noted a series of connections and like-minded purposes that helped lead to the formation of the partnership. ‘‘On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle,’’ said Davis. ‘‘We want the best-trained drivers in these cars and that is what Skip Barber is all about.’’

‘‘More than 50 Skip Barber-trained drivers are currently racing Mazda or Mazda-powered cars in professional series races right now,’’ said Ayres. ‘‘Dozens more are participating in amateur class events such as Spec Miata. From Champ Car Atlantic powered by Mazda to ALMS and the Grand-Am Cup Series, the connections between our drivers and Mazda are strong and will grow stronger as a result of this partnership.

 

MX-5 makes SPEEDtv.com's 10 Best Car list

November 27, 2006 Written by: Tom Jensen Charlotte, NC From SPEEDTV.com CATEGORY NO. 10: Entry-level roadster THE WINNER: Mazda MX-5 Miata When Mazda redesigned its MX-5 Miata roadster, it did what automakers often fail to do: Kept the new model absolutely faithful to the concept of the original one while functionally improving it in almost every critical category. The new Miata, fully redesigned for the first time since its debut in 1989, is a little roomier than the original without growing big and fat. There's more headroom, legroom and stowage space, improved safety and comfort, yet the overall weight of the Miata is up just slightly over the previous-generation car.

There are four distinct Miata roadster models, ranging from the bare bones SV, which starts at $21,030, to the luxurious Grand Touring model at $25,095. New this year is an optional power retractable hardtop, which is available on all Miatas except the SV. A Grand Touring Miata with the hardtop is $26,955, still an attractive price.

But the traditional convertible top is a snap to raise and lower from the driver's seat, one thing that can't be said of the rival Pontiac Solstice. All told, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is still the best way to go topless and a car that knocks it out of the park on the fun-to-value ratio, which is why it's on our 10 Best list.

 

Featured guest confirmed for 2007 Sun Run