Formula Mazda

We sold this car in 2002! but I've left this page up

I've been taking the NSX to the track since 1996 pouring money into modifications to make the car more aggressive yet very concerned about someday having to hire a wrecker to pick the car up after a miscue in turn 1 at Sebring.   Last year I decided to start looking for a purpose built race car, something that is designed for the track.  It's a lot less expensive to fix a race car and there is less emotional attachment to this vehicle than to my NSX.

Formula Mazdas at Daytona International Speedway

After driving the open wheel Neon engine racers at Skip Barber I was hooked.  I started to look at various open wheel cars.  I wanted something FAST, but didn't want to rebuild the engine every 20 hours.  I looked at the Formula Atlantics, and at the Continentals, but after talking to a bunch of people, decided Formula Mazda was the way to go.  When I found a used 1995 FM at Formula Cars East in Savannah GA, it was time to go for it.  The cars are hard to find and they hold their value very well.

transporting the Formula Mazda home from Daytona

Larry Dibiase 95 NSX-T races his beautiful Formula Mazda

The FM cost 35K.   I figured it would have taken 20K to modify a stock NSX to compete in the T1 class of SCCA, not to mention buying one.   The engine and tranny are sealed in the Mazda.  Everybody will be competing with the same equipment.  The best driver will win, not the one with the most money to spend on mods.

The Pi data system monitors your driving with sensors downloading to this laptop.  Major $$!

Here's the first pictures I took of my Formula Mazda after coming home with it from the SCCA race at Daytona Beach.

I drove the FM for the first time at our Sebring track event Aug.15th.   WOW!  It makes the NSX look like a fat pig!  The handling and braking are incredible.   The wings generate extra downforce allowing you to produce up to 3G's of cornering force!  The car weighs only 1100lbs. and is powered by a 170hp 13B Mazda rotary engine limited to 6800 rpm.

crossing 120mph in the straight before the famous Sebring hairpin (to download mpeg video of this click here)

The 5-speed tranny is clutchless going up.  With the straight cut gearbox you need to double clutch going down.  It's the closest thing to CART or Formula 1 I'll ever get.  The throw between gears is incredibly short....makes the NSX throw feel like driving a school bus.

my first drive at Sebring with Inspire Motorsports

I've decided to have Kerry (Cougar) Jacobsen of Inspire Motorsports maintain the car at his race shop in Deland.  It's about 45 minutes from my house (going the back way on those great winding roads of Lake County in my NSX of course).   He'll bring it to track events in a large trailer with an awning, complete with replacement parts and tools.  I'm in the process of buying communications equipment and modifying my helment and car for SCCA racing.  This will take several months.

My plans are simple.  Take the first 6-8 months learning the car before I even set foot in an SCCA event.  Then we'll enter the FM class and see what happens!

So far the car has been driven in three SCCA events by Victor Calderon.   It has a 3rd place at Sebring and a 1st place at Homestead.