No, this is not our 2011 Mazda 2 Touring long term test car with a covering of stickers. It is in fact a race-prepped Mazda 2, built to compete in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.
Mazda, Honda and other manufacturers are discussing a rules package for a proposed "B-spec" series for a range of subcompact cars that are known as b-segment cars within the industry.
In addition to Honda, which brought a race-prepped Honda Fit of their own to Thunderhill, the Ford Fiesta, Chevy Aveo, and Toyota Yaris are among others that could be eligible as early as the 2011 club-racing seasons in SCCA, NASA or both.
Prepartion costs are to be kept to a minimum, with unmodified factory engines paired with approved bolt-on suspension, tire, brake and exhaust mods. The above cars also have gutted interiors, which allows for proper welded-in roll cages, makes them look racier and, more importantly, improves performance by cutting out a couple of hundred pounds of weight.
What do you make of this? I think it's cool, but then I come from a background of racing small subcompacts similar to these. I can't get enough of this stuff.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 3,501 miles
smilespeed3 says:
09:15 PM, 12/ 5/10
For anyone who would compete, this is freaking awesome.
I don't know how much armchair enthusiasts would like the series though - I think they suffer from an image problem that would make a lot of car guys sneer.
clarkma5 says:
10:12 PM, 12/ 5/10
I love it. I rented a Suzuki Ignis Cup car when I went to Germany a couple years ago...it was very much along these lines. Gutted interior, full cage, racing seats with 6-point harnesses, semi-slick track tires, track-happy brakes, a very aggressive differential, and a full suspension. It didn't matter that it had the standard 110 HP 1.5 liter engine, weighing in under a ton and having all the other race car goodies made it a total blast (not to mention capable of keeping up with some seriously nice road cars).
srlracing says:
11:36 PM, 12/ 5/10
I would seriously consider picking up a race prepped Mazda 2 like that if there was a healthy series for them. I've never ran a production race car but the Mazda 2 looks like serious fun!
wrinklebump says:
02:18 AM, 12/ 6/10
Never tracked a compact of any sort, but when I used to take my S2000 to the track all the guys with bare-bones hatches put up serious times despite the long straights. I'd love to drive a 2 after a race diet shelved a couple hundred pounds.
mrb5091 says:
05:39 AM, 12/ 6/10
I always think it's far more interesting when the vehicles are actually near those you see on the street. I'll watch moderately modified subcompacts over custom built NASCAR or Formula 1 cars any day!
old_volvo says:
06:47 AM, 12/ 6/10
It's going to out stock-car nascar!
I love it! Racing a slow car fast is more exciting to do and watch than everyone racing the same car fast. Possible contenders:
Ford Fiesta
Mazda 2
Toyota Yaris
Honda Fit
Suzuki SX4 (throw an awd car in there, see how it fares)
Fiat 500
Nissan Versa
Kia soul
Checy Aveo
Mini?
Scion xD
ANy others? I would love to watch the league, and see the Mini take on the Fiat 500 and every manufacturer would start homologating special versions of the cars to be competitive, it would be America's own little touring car series.
mkvgti says:
08:03 AM, 12/ 6/10
i saw an article about the toyota yaris race version and it looked great. I had never considered racing but when i saw that it looked like an affordable new hobby.
joefrompa says:
08:09 AM, 12/ 6/10
I like it considering the engine, transmission, and drivetrain are required to be stock. I understand upgading the brakes and suspension and think that's reasonable.
I can potentially understand removing the catalytic converters as well considering the conditions they'd be put under, but I'm not going to support much more extensive exhaust modifications than that - some cars would benefit more than others.
Regarding gutting the interior - as long as its a consistent rule-set, I think it would be fine. For example - removing all seats, airbags, sound system, sound deadening, and air conditioning systems. As long as they aren't cutting anything out.
I think endurance tests like these are a phenomenal way to showcase a manufacturers capabilities
felonious says:
08:40 AM, 12/ 6/10
Inexpensive racing is always a win.
hybris says:
08:44 AM, 12/ 6/10
I wouldn't mind watching these sort of races.
ed124c says:
08:54 AM, 12/ 6/10
What's with the dark roof? Can't be carbon fiber, can it? Probably just paint.
blueprint1 says:
09:16 AM, 12/ 6/10
Great idea !
Honda Canada had a long-running Civic Challenge where the cars where the base-model hatches, with vinyl seats and 4-speed manual trannies, to keep costs down. Totota Canada did the same for a couple years with an Echo Hatchback series (pre-Yaris days).
I would add the Mini to the list, but only the atmo version to keep costs down. Ditto the Fiat 500. No turbos, no C-class cars (Impreza, Civic, Golf, ...).
santiagofdz says:
09:58 AM, 12/ 6/10
I'd sign up for such a series if I had both the money and lived in the country where the series would take place :P
txmatt1 says:
10:27 AM, 12/ 6/10
So many great things about this: affordable, fun racing, about as close to stock vehicles as you'll see on a track, great durability testing for the manufacturers which will result in revised parts where needed, will result in go fast goodies for the street versions (shocks, springs, camber plates, brakes, etc), could spawn some neat factory limited-edition performance models.
rick8365 says:
10:45 AM, 12/ 6/10
DIG IT!!
That 2 looks great!
jederino says:
12:08 PM, 12/ 6/10
Real cars = real relevance and more fun!
igeekone says:
07:40 PM, 12/ 6/10
I live in Willows, thanks for coming, but it's sad such a great event isn't getting the publicity it deserves. This is what makes racing fun, not the NASCAR bs. You don't have the prohibitive high cost of high performance cars nor the boring going in an oval snooze fest.
actualsize says:
08:17 PM, 12/ 6/10
Agreed. It is a great event--arguably one of the best in the country--and the circuit is both fun and viewable. The track management itself isn't doing itself any favors by not providing free wireless and strong 3G phone support to racers and fans. These days, Facebook and Twitter live updates are the new publicity, and the racers and fans--a young and tech-savvy bunch--will eagerly do it themselves if you have the right infrastructure in place. Everyone up there had smartphones, but most were useless except as stopwatches. NASA and Thunderhill must do better in this regard. Everyone I knew had to wait till after they left the track to tweet, update Facebook, check/send e-mail or put up blog posts like this one. Some made trips back and forth to the Black Bear Diner or Starbucks. Sure, it's not everything, but social media promotion is quite significant.
A Versus crew was there, however. Delayed coverage of the event will air in March.
chirsch3 says:
10:12 AM, 12/ 7/10
I think they should allow engine mods no turbos or superchargers and no engine swaps but do everything they can to get as much out of the stock engine as possible.
But also limit power to 225 or something to keep it more interesting