Mazda North American Operations on Friday promoted John Doonan to director of Mazda Motorsports, effective immediately.
Doonan joined Mazda North American Operations in 2003 and worked in the company's advertising and marketing department. He became manager of motorsports team development before 2005.
Mazda Motorsports created the Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development ladder program and built relationships with Star Mazda and IndyCar during Doonan's time as manager of motorsports team development. Mazda also won the manufacturers' championship in the Grand-Am GT and World Challenge Touring Car series.

Some of us know John and appreciate all he has done for Mazda Motorsports. He presently lives in my area. I wonder if he will have to move to Irvine?

 

i've read rumors of a demise of current ALMS series program and Grand Am program for build an LMP2 program into International Le Mans series..

any news from US?


http://murphythebear.com/blog/

citation:

RIP Wankel

Mazda will make radical cuts to its racing budget for 2012, something Murphy reported via Twitter on May 5. Now he’s learned a bit more. With the Wankel finally headed into the dustbin of history, the Grand Am GT program is in its last season, but Murphy hears Mazda North America likes McDreamy’s marketing value, so much so that it has contracted the development of an entirely new turbo 4 cylinder for the TV doctor’s step up to LMP2 in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2012. So a McDreamy Mazda skips the ALMS’ minor events in favor of the big show with just two North American appearances. The Bear’s 64 dollar question: does Mazda continue its other turbo 4 program, the branded AER motor used by Dyson Racing? Or does Dyson have to move to the new engine to stay in ALMS prototypes with Mazda?

 

That is predicated on the end of the rotary engine, which I'm not buying into yet. I guess, we'll see. I'll be searching out John in about 3 weeks when GrandAm is at Road America and see what I can find out. The loss of Mazda and the rotary in GA competition will cause my interest in the series to diminish considerably.
The Mazda engine that Dyson uses doesn't seem to be quite competitive. It's missing just a little horsepower. I don't know what Mazda will do about that.

 

Thanks for the info and nice to hear.

 

hard to see mazda pulling the plug on the Grand-Am series, when almost half of the grid are RX-8s and they have a 2-1 ratio or greater of any other car

 

John Doonan is a wonderful guy. It's nice to see good people get promoted.

Paul.

 

if you see John submit this "indecent proposal"

mount this device to the MZR-R and build an LMP1 for 2012 international series

http://www.cftkers.com/CFTtransmission.html

http://www.racetechmag.com/news/news.php?id=125

there is one LMP1 that already mounts this device

http://www.flybridsystems.com/LMP1test.html

 

cut this cut that, all about money ...

 

Dempsey going to Le Man to "drive" 787B exhibition anniversary..

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...123109678.html

 

Personally, I fail to see any marketing value racing rotary engines if you can no longer buy new rotary vehicle product, the 8 is finishing this year in NA, so also will 8 GT's....IMO all the "pointers' are going in the wrong direction.

 

From what I've heard, the MZR is going out of production too. Does this mean Mazda will be out of LeMans racing too?

 

Yes, MZR will be finished in a few years or less..sorry cant answer that one Al..