Twenty-five drivers will share the wheel of the No. 26 Mazda MX-5. (John Dagys)
Inside Mazda’s “25 in 25” Effort
Mazda has always been known for having a strong presence in endurance racing, and this weekend’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill is no exception. With no less than 19 Mazdas entered, the Japanese automaker stands a strong chance of defending its overall victory from one year ago.
But one Mazda entry is taking a unique approach never before seen in the world of endurance racing. Twenty-five drivers will share the wheel of a single Mazda MX-5 Miata, each completing one hour of the race.
The “25 in 25” squad features an all-star cast of drivers from all facets of motorsports. Past and present Mazda drivers have teamed up with Mazda employees and members of the media to complete the driving roster. From TV star turned racer Patrick Dempsey to female racing legend Lyn St. James and 2009 Atlantic Series champion John Edwards, all will get their turn in the Jeremy Barnes-entered machine.
“It’s definitely pretty unique and something cool since nobody has done it before,” said Mazdaspeed development driver Dane Cameron. “It’s a trademark of Mazda because they do things and go places nobody has ever done before. It also shows the family tradition Mazda has in taking good care of its people and its drivers. It’s great to get everyone, more or less together in one car.”
Cameron, who competed in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the wheel the Racer’s Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8, is making his second Thunderhill start, after finishing fourth in class in a Hooverspeed-entered MX-5 last year. While the 2007 Star Mazda champion will likely have less seat time this year, he’s still enjoying the experience.
“I’ve been trying to find my way into an [additional] car because it’s such a fun race to do,” he said. “It’s low-key, mellow and a good time. It’s interesting with so many different cars and speed levels for drivers and cars, the traffic situation is just incredible. As an endurance and sportscar driver, it’s also great practice to get through traffic, too. So I look at it as good training for what I do normally.”
Cameron is one of the handful of “25 in 25” drivers with past Thunderhill experience in a MX-5. While fellow Mazdaspeed development driver John Edwards has driven the 3.0-mile, 15-turn circuit before, the 2009 Atlantic champion has never previously tackled an endurance race of this magnitude.
“I’ve done one race in a tin-top, but other than that, this is all new,” said Edwards, who recently won a VLN race on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. “Ironically, despite this being all new to me, I think I’m one of the guys with more experience than some of the others. There’s been some guys who haven’t done it before. It’s definitely going to be an interesting 25 hours. I’m looking forward to getting in the car.”
A number of drivers got their first laps of Thunderhill on Friday, including former Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Lyn St. James. The veteran road racer, who boasts class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Twelve Hours of Sebring, retired from professional competition in 2000. However, she has since shaken the rust off by running in a handful of vintage and club races, including a SCCA regional event at Mid-Ohio in September.
“It’s a fabulous little car,” St. James said of the MX-5 Miata. “I happen to own one, a 1991 Miata, so I love them. The car is perfect as far as I’m concerned. It was the driver who was not so perfect! I had never been to this track before, so I quickly found out there’s a lot of blind corners. I got some good tips that helped me a bit.”
St. James has been busy away from the track in supporting up-and-coming female racers with her Project Podium Scholarship Fund, an organization supported by Mazda. She was also recently invited as a judge in the MX-5 Cup Shootout. It made perfect sense for St. James to be part of the “25 in 25” lineup.
“From a driver’s standpoint, we aren’t going to be working that terribly hard, but it’s always hard on the car and the crew,” she said. “And it will be just like any endurance race. I remember running the three-hour enduro in Showroom Stock when I first started racing. It’s really no different to a certain degree than if you have a mix of classes and speed capability. You have to watch your mirrors and take care of the car all the time. It’s the same as if you’re running Le Mans.”
Mazda’s diverse lineup in its “25 in 25” team hasn’t been limited to just road racers, either. Two-time NHRA Sport Compact drag racing champion Ed Bergenholtz is another one of the drivers getting his first laps around Thunderhill. The drag racer turned drifter has taken a different approach in getting up to speed.
“Before this, I’ve never been to the track, never driven a MX-5 Cup car, so my experience with this has been strictly on [computer] simulators,” Bergenholtz said. “I’m on rFactor, GTR Evolution and I’m also a part of iRacing. I can’t begin to say enough on how much simulators have helped me. Right out of the gate, having never been on the track, I was able to recognize the corners and what gear I should be in.”
Bergenholtz, who raced a 1,450 horsepower Mazda6 that ran 7.20-second ET’s down the quarter-mile, has since transitioned into the drifting scene, and is now also becoming involved in road racing time attack events. Yet the multi-faceted racer still feels honored to be part of such a prestigious group.
“Being in this pit, you really experience what the Mazda family is all about,” he said. “I’m a drag racer but I’m also a fan of road racing and to meet a lot of these champions is one-of-a-kind. When I told my wife that I’m sharing the same car with Patrick Dempsey, she said, ‘Oh make sure you get a picture with him!’ At the same time, I’m an enthusiast for Mazdas racing, but I get star-struck too.”
Dempsey, a.k.a Dr. McDreamy, an accomplished driver in his own right, is expected to make it to the track on Saturday, while two others initially listed to drive unfortunately will not. Atlantic stars Simona de Silverstro and Frankie Muniz both received late call-ups to an IndyCar test at Sebring. Filling their shoes at Thunderhill will be World Challenge veteran Charles Espenlaub and Tim Buck of Mazda’s competition parts group.
“For us, the ’25 in 25’ is a celebration of all these different series that we’re involved with and the bringing together of a bunch of people to do something unique. This is the Mazda way,” said John Doonan, Mazdaspeed business development manager. “We support Lyn St. James’ Women in the Winner’s Circle program. Certainly she has massive amounts of history. Ed Bergenholtz is a drag racer turned drifter and is a key member of the Mazda family. The list goes on and on.”
Doonan will also get behind the wheel of the MX-5, and is slated to take the car to the checkered flag at 12 p.m. Sunday. It would be a fitting end for team “25 in 25”, considering he’s been one of the driving forces behind assembling this program.
The MAZDASPEED “25 in 25” Driver Lineup:
Mazda employees: John Doonan, Jim Jordan, Randy Miller, Weldon Munsey, Truman Pollard, Ken Saward, Tim Buck.
Mazda racers from other series: Ed Bergenholtz, Patrick Dempsey, Brothers Mark & Mike Jenkins and Charles Espenlaub.
MAZDASPEED Ladder Alums: Dane Cameron, John Edwards, Eric Foss, Todd Lamb, Justin Piscitell, and Jason Saini.
Media Guests: Dan Edmunds from Edmunds.com, David Pratte from Modified magazine, and Aaron Robinson from Car and Driver magazine
Special guest racers: Deanna Brooks, Jim Holloway, & Lyn St. James.
Mazda Dealer and motorsports supporter: Richard Fisher
