In the classic words of Sterling Archer, Mazda has to be all, "WHOOO HOOOO" about qualifying for the Daytona 24 Hour race. For the second year in a row the fantastic Sky-Active Diesel program has embarassed by being the slowest 2 cars to actually go out and run qualifying laps. This year was supposed to be different as they were being put into the back of Prototype cars, but nope still dog slow.

They qualified almost 12 seconds a lap off of pole for the class and slower than even the heavily restricted GTD sedan cars. Nothing reflects as poorly on a factory effort as qualifying 62nd and 63rd in a field of 63 cars. I know they will come out with the facts that the fuel was off, or the temps didn't allow the boost to come up fast enough or that the cars were finished so late that they were still shaking out the bugs, but the reality is that if you have one of the best teams in North America, Speed Source, one of the best chassis out there, Lola and some of the best drivers, you have to at least be able to beat Doyle/Gewirtz/Kvamme/Michaelian/Pobst trying to qualify a privateer heavily restricted Porsche 911.

When is Mazda going to drop the Skyactive Diesel program and go back to a 3 or 4 rotor setup? The cars looked and sounded different, went quick and reflected Mazda's desire to develop quirky engineering marvels. My concern is that after 3 years of struggling in motorsports Mazda brass may pull the plug entirely on the effort and all other efforts.

Will be watching this years race closely.

Eric

 

U speak the truth brother....... When will the shame be too much

 

Just heard an in-race interview with John Doonan. All the same corporate double speak, but he did mention that this was the first year of a 5 year program to win at Le Mans. Uhm yeah......

Well at least they can only go up from here.

Eric

 

So... it drives like a diesel, but not like an Audi or Peugeot prototype diesel?

I guess the durability and efficiency cred might be worth something, but diesel buyers probably don't crossover with performance buyers that much.

Maybe there should be more diesel cars on the road in North America, but you can't fool people into thinking they're something else.

Stump-pulling torque does not necessarily equal "fun to drive".

If Mazda is serious about marketing the efficiency of their new technology, maybe they should be focussing their racing efforts into touring car championships: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Touring_Car_Championship

 

It looks like Mazda is entering a SkyActiv Diesel engine (in a Lola B11/40 chassis) in Le Mans LMP2 this year.

The 2014 prototype field appears to be full of heavyweight manufacturers and race builders.

Best of luck to them.

 

Seen this interview as well, Doonan has a dream but I think it's a pipe dream.

 

It would have more validity if the car could last more than 10 laps without breaking or if it was quicker than than a heavily restricted GT Daytona car in a straight line. I am not saying that it can't get there but......

It doesn't even accelerate in the higher gears. Watch this in car The car doesn't pull in the higher gears. Its flat. In the race people stream past it all the way around the banking. Not a good corporate move. At least bring back one car as the 4 cylinder gas turbo engine from last years Dyson team. They have had a year to develop the motor so it will make power, but they are still where they were last year.

Eric