New Mazda RT24-P race car unveiled

2017 RT24-P

Mazda has unveiled its RT24-P race car at the Los Angeles Auto Show that will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

It will make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January and compete under Daytona Prototype international (Dpi) rules in the Prototype class, the top level of the championship.

Like its passenger car range, the Mazda RT24-P features an iteration of the brand’s KODO design, including the sleek body contours and five-point Mazda grille.

2017 RT24-P

“KODO design is at the heart of any vehicle that carries a Mazda badge, and that is very evident in the design of the 2017 Prototype,” said Ken Saward, senior manager of Design at Mazda Design Americas, which falls under the Mazda North American Operations umbrella.

“We considered the two main parameters of designing a successful race car for this series: aerodynamic performance and the new-for-2017 technical regulations.

“Working with Multimatic’s aerodynamicist and engineers, we discovered that applying the KODO design philosophy to the surfaces and the silhouette of the car enabled us to create a dynamic, purposeful-looking design and a very aerodynamically efficient one.”

2017 RT24-P

The Mazda RT24-P is powered by a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine producing approximately 441kW which raced in the 2016 IMSA season.

The two-car Mazda Prototype factory race team will be managed by Florida-based SpeedSource Race Engineering. The driver line-up includes Jonathan Bomarito, Tom Long, Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez.

2017 RT24-P

Bomarito has raced in several open wheel categories, and is a USF2000 and Mazda Atlantic Series race winner. He also won the ROLEX 24 and was the Grand Am Series Rookie of the Year – driving a Mazda RX-8 – in 2010.

Long has raced in the Spec Miata Championship, was the 2005 MX-5 Miata Cup Champion, and gave valuable feedback in the development of the 2016 Mazda Global MX-5 Cup car.

Miller has a degree in engineering, has raced USF2000 and is Pro Mazda race winner, while Nunez has driven a Mazda6 in the Grand Am GX and is a Mazda Prototype Lites Champion.

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