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MAZDA RT24-P IMSA Daytona Prototype International race car 2017
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 26, 2020) – Two Mazda RT24-Ps battled over 24 hours of racing at Daytona International Speedway to record the company’s best overall finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The No. 77 Mazda RT24-P driven by Oliver Jarvis, Tristan Nunez and Olivier Pla finished in second position, completing 833 laps over the 24-hour race. Jarvis qualified the car on pole position, and from the drop of the green flag it was a factor for the victory, leading 190 total laps in the race.
After having to serve a penalty just before the halfway point of the race, the team’s three drivers battled back into contention for the win and ran in second position throughout the final hours of the race, with Jarvis ultimately taking the checkered flag one minute and five second behind the overall winner. This result improves on Mazda’s previous best overall finishing position, which was fifth place in 1989 with a Mazda 767B. The No. 55 Mazda RT24-P driven by Jonathan Bomarito, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Harry Tincknell overcame a challenging race to finish in sixth position. The drivers had to battle back from incidents in traffic and were slowed by damaged bodywork as well as a penalty, but remained in contention for the victory throughout the race. Although it was slowed by a mechanical problem in the final hours, the No. 55 Mazda RT24-P finished the race in sixth position and collected valuable championship points. “It’s a great day for our program to finish on the podium at Daytona and to bring both cars to the checkered flag. One of our goals for this season is to win one of the endurance races, and this result shows that the work that the team has put in during the off season has paid off. No one team in the field had a perfect day, but our guys had to be patient and battle back from the adversity they faced throughout the race. It’s a great result for Mazda and one that every person on the team should be proud of.” Nelson Cosgrove Director, Mazda Motorsports
source Mazda USA Media Archives
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 16, 2016) – The new Mazda RT24-P race car was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, ushering a new era in the prominent history of Mazda Motorsports’ flagship endeavors in North America. The new car will compete under Daytona Prototype international (DPi) rules in the Prototype class, the top level of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. After significant on-track testing, it will make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January.
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has defined for 2017 to 2020 seasons a new racing car formula that will be known as Daytona Prototype international (DPi). The new chassis, which is the result of unprecedented collaboration among the world’s top governing bodies for sports car racing -- IMSA, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO) -- will be built exclusively by the four constructors approved : Dallara, Onroak Automotive, ORECA and Riley/Multimatic. DPi and new LM P2 cars coming online in 2017 will be eligible to compete in the top Prototype class for overall race wins. IMSA’s DPi philosophy allows for cars to be powered by a wide range of engines from the world’s leading automobile manufacturers. The cars also will feature manufacturer-specific bodywork and styling cues.
Mazda is known globally for the engineering and design excellence of its vehicles, and the new Prototype is no exception. The bodywork of the race car was developed by Mazda designers utilizing the KODO—Soul of Motion design philosophy. KODO represents the instant that energy becomes motion, such as the muscular beauty as an animal pounces or a human leaps into action. The KODO design cues on the Mazda RT24-P include the sleek body contours and the five-point Mazda grille. “KODO design is at the heart of any vehicle that carries a Mazda badge, and that is very evident in the design of the 2017 Prototype,” said Ken Saward, senior manager of Design at Mazda Design Americas, which falls under the Mazda North American Operations umbrella. “We considered the two main parameters of designing a successful race car for this series: aerodynamic performance and the new-for-2017 technical regulations. Working with Multimatic’s aerodynamicist and engineers, we discovered that applying the KODO design philosophy to the surfaces and the silhouette of the car enabled us to create a dynamic, purposeful-looking design and a very aerodynamically efficient one.”
Managing the two-car Mazda Prototype factory race team is Florida-based SpeedSource Race Engineering. The team will race the new Riley Mk. 30 chassis, developed by Riley Technologies in relationship with Multimatic. Riley Technologies is a prominent chassis design and development company with 99 race wins and nine Prototype season championships in North American endurance racing since 2004. Canadian-based Multimatic has worked with Mazda since 2014 in the Prototype category, and has developed and built some of the world’s premier on-road supercars and successful sports cars for the race track. The Mazda team will be the first to test the Riley Mk. 30 chassis later this month. The Mazda RT24-P will be powered by the Mazda MZ-2.0T engine which raced during the 2016 IMSA season. The approximately 600-horsepower engine, developed and raced with Advanced Engine Research (AER), is a 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine. “This is a huge moment for Mazda Motorsports and the entire Mazda family,” said John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports North America. “To have a car which features Mazda design language at the top level of our motorsports program is meaningful for us as a brand. We believe we have the right team, the right drivers and the right chassis to win races and championships.
“Mazda has good, long-standing relationships with Riley and Multimatic, and is happy to be the first to test their new chassis. We look forward to seeing it make its racing debut at Daytona with Mazda bodywork and the Mazda MZ-2.0T engine. The strategic vision of IMSA to give auto manufacturers this opportunity to integrate our branding —to better engage our passionate fans— is unique and we’re proud to be the first to unveil what is possible.” Photos Illustrations and data Mazda Media Archive and NEWSPRESS Wallpapers MAZDA RT24-P IMSA Daytona Prototype International race car 2017 (click on image to enlarge)
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