He also joins the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Driver ladder, which includes the Mazda Road to Indy, program class of 2013. The MAZDASPEED ladder has been a critical part of the success of up-and-coming racers including Raphael Matos, John Edwards, Conor Daly, Joel Miller, Matthew Brabham, Connor De Phillippi, Dane Cameron, Jack Hawksworth, Stevan McAleer, Jason Saini, Todd Lamb, Eric Foss, Michael Cooper, Trent Hindman, Danilo Estrella, Adam Christodoulou, Sage Karam, Spencer Pigot, Felix Serralles, Tristan Vautier, Petri Suvanto, Scott Anderson, and Yago Cesario
When told that he had won the shootout, a prize valued at $75,000, the richest in all of club racing Gallagher was almost speechless, " I don't quite know what to say, It is amazing to have this opportunity. A huge thanks to everyone who helped me get to this point, Mazda, my parents, Howard Concrete Pumping, JAY Motorsports, CTL Engineering, and HKC Support. There is a reason there are more Mazda's road raced on any given weekend than any other brand, they build the best cars in the world and I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of their family."
The four shootout finalists were:
Charles Espenlaub, who has participated in the selection process in all six previous competitions, commented on the deliberation process; "I am absolutely amazed with the incredible level of talent at the Mazda Club Racer Shootout. This competition this year was the closest ever. The judging process was extremely difficult and made for a virtual photo finish at the end. Congratulations to the competitors, a lot was learned, new friendships formed and the Mazda family gets a little bigger. Good luck to next year's Mazda Club Racing Champions, but a word of advice...You better bring your A-game to this competition, only the best will do!"
Given that each of the finalists had proven themselves on the track by winning a championship, the criteria to move up needed to be more encompassing. To succeed on the professional level requires a balance of both on-track and off-track skills including the following:
The driving sessions were conducted at Buttonwillow Raceway Park using a Mazda MX-5 Playboy Cup Car prepared by Tri-Point Motorsports.
Each year Mazda invites a panel of outside judges to make the selection. The judges brought a wealth of both on-track and off-track expertise. Over a dozen professionals were involved in the preliminary business proposal review, on-track activities, or both. The 2012 panel consisted of:
After a full day of both driving, and classroom activities, the judges added the objective and subjective scores -- discussing the merits of each driver. The judges deliberated carefully before declaring Gallagher the 2012 champion.
The total prize package is valued at over $75,000 and is the largest prize in club
Courtesy of Mazda Motorsports
You might view the minivan as a necessary evil for a certain stage in life, but accepting the utility of a family hauler doesn't mean a life sentence to dull driving. The Mazda 5 is our proof--it's charming in its simplicity, with the dynamics of a hatchback more so than a minivan. It looks and acts the part of a sliding-door wagon, but it sure doesn't feel like it.
Redesigned just last year, the Mazda 5 returns with just a minor change or two. Left untouched are its compact proportions and the updated look it brought to the fore for the 2012 model year. There's some aggressive contouring in its fenders, and a rhythmic flow to its surfaces and creases outside of the big panels of glass and metal that define its one-box passenger space. Yes, it's a minivan, but at least it fights against monotony. The cockpit is more deserving of nitpicks: the controls are clutter-free, but the amount of shiny, hard plastics can be disappointing even in such a value-priced vehicle.
With some structure and drivetrains on loan from the Mazda 3, the Mazda 5 summons a sporty but modest feel. Its 2.5-liter four-cylinder has just 157 horsepower; it's not quick at all. We'd choose the standard six-speed manual transmission on the base version, but even the five-speed automatic on upper trims has manual shift control. In both cases acceleration is adequate, thanks to well-chosen gear ratios. Gas mileage is fine, at up to 28 mpg highway, but other bigger minivans can do just as well on paper, though we've seen higher real-world fuel economy in the Mazda.
It's the Mazda 5's handling that draws our attention. The athletic feel starts with top-notch steering and a well composed ride. It's a blast to drive, especially when the road winds. It feels natural and confident, and ride quality is comfortable and absorbent whether you’re cruising on the highway or taking on the tight esses of a mountain road.
Size-wise, the mazda 5 is a 7/8-scale minivan; there aren’t a lot of frills, and there are no power rear hatches or power folding seats; from the driver’s seat, you might think you’re in a nimble small car, yet there are convenient sliding side doors and oodles of easily reconfigurable interior space. Mazda has managed to fit seating for six—three usable rows—in a vehicle that’s shorter than a typical mid-size sedan. The front seats are a little skimpy, but the buckets in the second row have enough space for adults to be comfortable. The third-row split bench works in a pinch for smaller kids--and folds away to create big cargo-carrying capacity. The two most significant letdowns of the Mazda5’s interior are its drab, hard-and-hollow plastic trim for the dash and door panels, and the seemingly ever-present din of road noise on some surfaces.
Courtesy of The Car Connection
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CX-5 180
Hey, bud, let’s party. In the three decades since Jeff Spicoli so concisely summarized the attitude of a then-small-sect of SoCal thrill junkies in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, extreme sports have become mainstream. And as the collective passion for adventure remains at an all-time high, Spicoli’s laid-back attitude has been replaced by a horde of hurried enthusiasts intent on riding the the waves and hitting the slopes in the same 24-hour period. Enter Mazda’s CX-5 180, a largely visual interpretation aimed directly at celebrating the unique climate and terrain of Southern California.
Sporting a pair of Burton Cheetah snowboards and a Rusty surfboard (both detailed to match the CX-5’s graphics) lashed to the roof rack, the CX-5 is equipped for shredding terrain both high and low. A stylistic interpretation of legendary SoCal ski destination Big Bear Lake’s summit resides on the driver’s side, while the depth details for surf spot Point Dume adorn the passenger side—both with GPS coordinates, no less. The varying hues of Midnight, Denim, Tidal Blue, and Bay Blue signify depth and altitude, while the string of dashes and dots in contrasting Luminous Red indicates roads. Temperature and snow-accumulation and swell-rise details can be found on the leading edge of each of the front doors. Matte red replaces chrome on the vehicle’s five-point grille, extending into the headlamps because, hey, why not?
Running gear is essentially stock; power from Mazda’s all-wheel-drive system is sent to a set of custom-built 20-inch darkened-chrome aluminum wheels wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Likewise, interior mods are mostly cosmetic: aqua-hued leather is fitted to the front and rear seats, the steering wheel, the door panels, the armrests, and the brake boot. Numerous additional cosmetic touches include red and white contrasting stitching and a custom-painted decoration panel in the topography theme of the exterior.
CX-5 Dempsey
So what if it’s just a concept? We’ve been predicting the arrival of a diesel-powered CX-5 for a year or so, and we’ll take it, even with the name Dempsey on the bumper—regardless of whether the reference is to McDreamy himself, Jack “the Manassas Mauler,” or Clint. But before you get too excited, remember this is just a concept, and as such is equipped with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder European-spec diesel—putting out 173 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque—and a six-speed manual. After our first drive in the new Mazda 6 equipped with essentially the same powertrain, we can tell you the combo likely would do wonders for the CX-5’s fun factor while inching its already-impressive mileage a few notches higher. But for now, back to the concept.
Dempsey apparently is just as crazy about cycling as he is about racing, so it’s only appropriate that a CX-5 bearing his name come equipped with a Specialized road bike strapped to the back. A Thule cargo box is mounted to the roof rack for all the related gear and soiled socks. So impressed with the bicycle’s colors of Carbon Satin and Red Keyline were Mazda’s designers, that they finished the CX-5 Dempsey in similar colors: Glossy Anatomy Gray, Brilliant Black, matte Black Mica, and Luminous Red. CX-5 decals emblazon expansive surfaces such as the doors, the hood, and the cargo box.
Courtesy of Car and Driver
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This seems like a sad future for an engine that has powered some of the greatest sports and race cars , including a Le Mans winner. According to one of Mazda’s top engineers, the rotary’s future is actually much brighter than simply being a piece of an eco machine. Speaking with Car Sales, Nobuhiro Yamamoto, program manager for the Mazda MX-5, confirmed that a new RX-7 sports is was in the works and that it will be launched in 2017, the 50th anniversary year of the Mazda Cosmo Sport. The Cosmo was Mazda’s first rotary-powered car and the first volume production car to feature such an engine. Yamamoto has a very long history with the rotary engine. He was the powertrain manager for the last RX-7, and he designed the engine in the Le Mans-winning 787B race car. He revealed that the new RX-7 would feature Mazda’s still-in-development 16X rotary engine, which will retain the previous 13B’s twin-rotor design but will see its displacement increase to 1.6 liters. Peak output will likely come close to 300 horsepower without the aid of turbocharging. Yamamoto explained that special catalytic converters and Mazda’s latest Skyactiv technology will help the new rotary engine be much more fuel-efficient than previous versions. He also said there would be no hybrid tech on the RX-7 due to its intended purist sports-car positioning. To keep development costs low, the car is expected to utilize a stretched version of the platform underpinning the next-generation MX-5. Overall weight could be less than 2,800 pounds. In the U.S., the next RX-7 is expected to come as a strict two-seater, while in other markets a 2+2 seating arrangement would be offered. Although we’ll have to wait five long years to find out.
Courtesy of Speed