Then it's the high ups at Mazda that have turned their back on their own heritage and tradition. Mazda should just fall on the sword now and get it over with. They have disgraced the memory of and the effort that went into the 787B.

 

^^ Just my two cents but I don't think Mazda is turning their back or disgracing heritage and tradition by this change. Lets not lose sight of the bigger picture. At least we have the Renesis and 20B running in other formats-at least for now.

The rotary in motorsports over the decades relative to conventional power plants has played a pretty small role. And to top it I doubt there are many in racing (again relatively speaking) that are really that disturbed by the change. This has to be their obvious consideration in making the decision. The rotary has more of "niche interest"-if that makes sense. I think the horse is dead. It's been said here countless times with different words.
Now if someone had gobs of cash to throw at a team willing to develop a rotary program this debate/discussion would be a mute point.

 

It's an insult to the 787B. I don't care who says what. The rotary has always been a relatively small part of racing because only one company used it. That's the only reason. It has always been Mazda's primary race engine. Maybe I'm overly harsh and critical but that's because I'm a rotary fanatic and could quite frankly give a damn about a piston effort from Mazda. They've lost their uniqueness in ALMS and are just another car on the track.

 

AMEN!!!!

 

It is also an insult to the RX7. How many consecutive years did the RX7 win in IMSA GTU? It had to be at least 6. And the RX3 in IMSA RS.

 

The 787B and BK programs exist in different eras in terms of the automotive industry as a whole not to mention changes in engine develop and restrictions in racing. However, I don't see Mazda as just another car on the track. Along with the rotary power plant, I like Mazda because they're a small company (compared to most) and still able to produce great results in racing as well as in street driven cars. This makes them unique to me even without the rotary. I feel your pain RG. I won't have the goose bumps when the BK car drives by anymore. But I'll be glad "we're" still in the game.

 

Unfortunately, it's the American (corporate) way; where quick "cost effective" results and success, are more valued than the journey and effort it takes to get to honorable triumph and knowledge. To use an anology on the heritage deal... just look at all the baseball stadiums in this country, and name one that is still privately owned and self-funded; shoot, even race-tracks are going down the same path.

-Bern

 

Al, I think the racing heritage and memory of the RX-2, RX-3, RX-7 continue and are just fine in the new Grand-Am RX-8 GT cars!

The RX-7 won IMSA GT titles 10 times.

-Bern

 

nobody wants to work for it anymore. more the sponsors fault, they dont want to dump money into a third tier team with no hope of anything better.

 

Heavy Favorite

 

As a rotary fanatic it just feels like a slap in the face. It's almost like Ike is at the helm for them even though he could care less about the company! it's almost like a longterm relationship suddenly ending. I don't turn the other cheek though so it's off to support a different race team for me. My Mazda loyalties lie with the rotary engine and only with the rotary engine so I guess good luck Mazda with your new direction anyways. I won't be there to cheer for you though. Maybe one day but the hand print on my face needs to go away first.

I've always had a thing for diesels also so I'm really curious to see how Peugeot is going to do this year next to Audi. I'm also curious to see how the gasoline electric hybrid from Mugen progresses and if it will show up this year. I'll still follow ALMS don't get me wrong. It's a great series with lots of great cars and teams. Someone just beat the crap out of Porsche. Those guys were dicks about their cars last year when I approached them in the paddock area! They had tons of people staring at what they were doing to the engine and the second a snapped a picture one of the crewman gave me a dirty look and quickly covered the engine with a sheet so I couldn't take another one. I wasn't even very close. Screw them and their little naziesque fuerer attitudes! Hooray for no hydrogen this year!!!!

 

it is a slap in the face. I'll be on the diesel bandwagon now. What's the point of caring about the mazda team anymore. does anyone really think this will put them on top?

 

They will be a second rate team this year instead of a third rate one. The other AER car didn't do that well last year against the Porsches.

 

well, the other AER team is a smaller concern too....

 

Too bad Mazda is unwilling to put the same effort into the rotary now as they did with the 717C-787B program. They certainly didn't let a little adversity stand in their way then. Mazda spent probably more then a decade chasing a win then.

 

little bit of difference in the stakes tho

 

Did mazda have huge $ in the 1980s up to 1991 during the LeMans program? Mazda never really had huge $... that'd be my guess... they should be more stable financially now than 1991. If they wanted a rotary program in ALMS, it could happen. Its just too bad.
________
Karlisa

 

Well, I must say I've gone the full range of emotions on this one. It was the rotary that made me look at Mazda in the first place, and while my current situation (single income with wife and kid) has me driving a Mazda3 5 door, if not for the RX-8 I'd prolly be in something else. So I'm terribly bummed about losing the rotary in ALMS action.

With that being said, Mazda continues to support motorsports more than any other company I can think of at the grass roots level. And for that I'll always be a big fan. Will it suck that my ears don't bleed when the BK car passes me this year in Houston? Yes. Will I stop cheering for it just because this company (which exists to make money, not support my fanboidom) chose to take a different route? No.

 

You should have heard the RX7's, in the early 80's, that were running open exhaust. That was loud.
When a rotary is running on the track, the sound is unique. You don't have to even be looking in that direction at the time to know there is a Mazda out there. The sound itself is screaming a brand name. This is what Mazda is missing. If you hear a high reving V12, you think Ferrari. You hear a rotary there is only one company that comes to mind, Mazda. You don't get that with a piston engine.

 

I'll continue to support Mazda in their racing efforts...that involve rotary engines.

 

welcome to the koni challenge

 

The way I see it, the better Mazda does overall the more chance we have of seeing the current and future versions of the rotary in racing. I also find myself pulling for Ford because I believe it has an impact on some level on Mazda as well.

 

yes, don't stop pulling for the factory teams because they are running a different engine than what you would prefer. more success for mazda and ford turns into more teams, and potentially a return to the ALMS for the rotary

 

well, i doubt the loss of one fairweather fan will trouble Mazda or BK very much. Have fun cheering for Audi and whoever else is running a turbodiesel

 

I guarantee Mazda doesn't care what the rotary fans think of this new direction. We don't mean anything to them. We get Sevenstock once a year and have an RX-8. That should be good enough right? They only care about PR and that typically has nothing to do with fanatics. Those people will buy their products with no PR coverage. If you lose them, big deal. I understand their logic but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It's all about publicity. Personally I feel that winning with an engine that no one else uses to be a very big publicity boost. I also guarantee that BK could care less about what I or any other fans think of their new direction. I didn't think much of their old one with all of the half assed attempts they've had. I've only supported the rotary. Whoever uses it gets my support as a result, not the other way around. They burned their share of bridges within the rotary community from people who wanted to help them and apparently didn't care then either.

You guys honestly think that if they do good with a piston engine in racing that they'll someday return to that form of racing with a rotary? Get real! Not a chance in hell! If they do good with a piston engine in ALMS, we will never again see a rotay return to it. Why would they? A good showing for Mazda in ALMS with a piston engine is not good for a rotary. In fact it's bad for it. The rotary will be and probably already is a distant memory in this type of racing.

The only rotary car to watch this year is the Speedsource 3 rotor RX-8 for Daytona. That car is kick ***. I wish I could see it race. That's a beautiful rotary powered car that has potential. I know some people think it can't win outright there due to it's class but then again in the 91 LeMans race, the top class was called Group C1. This class was the bug guns dominated by Mercedes, Jaguar, and Porsche. Mazda with the 787's were in the lower IMSA GTP class. They still won with all 3 of their cars finishing out of a total of only 12 cars finishing the race. They also weren't driving all out as hard as the others but instead used strategy. The point of that example is that we shouldn't underestimate SS with their car because they aren't in the top class. That doesn't mean anything. If anyone followed ALMS this last year they'd realize that Porsche in LMP2 has been at the pace of the P1 cars. This is going to change this year per the rules but the point is made that an underdog can do quite well and even win. Anyone who has listened to Koby talk will realize that they always had 3 main goals in racing and that was to win outright all 3 major 24 hour races. Only Daytona is left. That's probably where our Mazda racing excitement should be directed.

Of course maybe this is why the rotary is going away in ALMS. They aren't racing in the 24 hours anyways. They've been there and done that and are moving on. Their LeMans goal has been met with a rotary and now they are done with that. That could be it but it would be sad to not try to continue that ideal.