The Mazda Heritage Assortment is again on the racetrack, this time at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the well-known Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Three wonderful rotary engines will echo by means of the northern California canyons courtesy of a 1989 Mazda 767B-002, a 1991 Mazda RX-7-001 GTO and a freshly restored 1992 Mazda RX-792P.
The gathering’s 767B and RX-7 GTO had been in motion earlier this 12 months with Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Michelin Raceway Street Atlanta, whereas the Rolex Reunion will mark the primary outing for the just lately refreshed 1992 RX-792P.
Deployed into competitors on the top of the producer battleground that introduced IMSA racing to the fore, the 750hp RX-792P had a lot unfulfilled potential. Created for IMSA’s highly effective GTP class, its 1992 debut was seen as a improvement 12 months and had a prime results of second at Watkins Glen Worldwide. However regardless of vital progress being made with the younger program, the elimination of the GTP class the next 12 months negated all of the work that might have made historical past.
Driving the RX-792P on the Rolex Reunion is Mazda driver Tom Lengthy, who has beforehand been driving the RX-7 GTO for the Mazda Heritage Assortment. Gladly sliding in to take up the vacant driver’s seat shall be two-time Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup offered by Michelin Tires Champion Jared Thomas.
“I used to be tremendous excited when Mazda invited me to drive a automobile from the Heritage Assortment on the Rolex Reunion,” stated Thomas, who gained the 2024 MX-5 Cup race at Laguna Seca by simply 0.079s. “To get the chance to drive one in every of them — I used to be blown out of the water. I’m excited to get on the market, particularly at an amazing venue like Laguna Seca. I assume these are the perks of being a two-time MX-5 Cup champion! Hopefully there shall be extra alternatives down the highway to drive these vehicles once more.
“There aren’t any fashionable driving aids like vehicles right now. There’s no ABS or traction management, so I’ll dig again in my notes and issues I’ve pushed with out these to determine the strategies I must drive it. I’m going to verify to care for it and never tear something up!”
A fan favourite, the 767B shall be pushed by its common pilot, very long time Mazda manufacturing facility driver Jonathan Bomarito.
“It’s excellent that now we have a 3rd Mazda Heritage Assortment automobile able to hit the monitor on the Rolex Reunion,” stated Jonathan Applegate, Senior Supervisor, Mazda Motorsports. “Even higher, the extra automobile has opened up a seat for our reigning MX-5 Cup Champion and JTR Motorsports Engineering group proprietor, Jared Thomas. We knew immediately he was excellent for the job and earned this chance to drive a bit of Mazda historical past in Monterey.”
The 767B and RX-792P shall be a part of the Hurley Haywood Trophy GTP group, whereas the RX-7 shall be within the Hurley Haywood Trophy GTO division.
Story initially appeared on Racer
