Russ featured in Grassroots Motorsports
 

So I get the $2005 Challenge issue, because I love that event, and one of the cover blurbs was "Mazda Road Racer"

Lo and behold on page 81 is a familiar pic - it's an orange IT7 car parked on the grass at Road Atlanta, and between it's SA taillights is the Nintendo logo with "ALL YOUR RACE ARE BELONG TO RUSS". Hmmm... didn't I see that same pic in somebody's sig?

Congrats on the exposure Russ, it's a great article.

I bought it because the cover car looks like mine. Then I was upset because they didn't win it with the turbo rotary engine in it. :(

Yeah, it was kind of funny seeing the article on the first gen IT7 car in the same issue with the $2005 Challenge report that featured a few V8 RX-7s.

Also, the Clemson Sports Car Club finished 16th in the Challenge in their CRX. Some of their members are on the board. They were planning to bring their RX-7 (that's actually still rotary powered), but had to bring the "backup". They plan to bring the RX-7 for the $2006 Challenge.

To the further horror of rotary purists - look closely and see the 10th Aniversary Edition badges. Yup, one more 10th AE bites the dust. Oh well, 2500 sold does not a rare car make anyway.


But back on topic, Russ is doing quite well picking up trophies with his rotary!