Star Mazda Series

The Star Mazda Series is a stand alone series of open-wheel race cars of a single formula conducted by Star Race Cars that started in the early 1990s, with the current car released in 2004. The series has historically included road courses, street courses, and ovals depending on the season. The series' primary sponsor is Mazda and the cars, while purpose built for the track with carbon fiber monocoques, are Mazda powered. The series' stated goal is "to develop new race driving talent".

Star Mazda races are often held in conjunction with larger, more famous races, For 2007, the races were mostly held in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series or the Champ Car World Series. In these circumstances, the Star Mazda races are presented as "opening acts" for the featured race.

The series had, in the past, held six geographic divisions, each of which holds their own championship. In the late 1990s a single national series emerged as the primary venue for the cars. In 2007, all races in the series were televised on SPEED Channel, a cable TV channel which features various motorsports.

This is a form of "spec racing" in which all the cars in a given race have identical specifications, thus ensuring that driver ability is the greatest factor in determining success on the track. All the cars used in these races are produced by "Star Race Cars of Pacoima, CA" and powered by Mazda rotary engines. Cars are designed to be a comparatively low cost method of entering open road racing, although most teams still strive for corporate sponsorship.

The opening race in the 2006 season was held in Sebring, Florida the day before the American Le Mans Series held their 12 Hours of Sebring race. This race was won by Gerardo Bonilla. The winner of the 2007 Sebring race was Marco Di Leo,and Dan Tomlin Jr. won first place in the Masters Division.

pecifications

*Engine Displacement: 79 in³ (1.3 L) Wankel rotary engine
*Gearbox: 6 Speed Sequential Manual Transmission
*Weight: 1090 lb (495 kg) dry
*Power Output: 240 hp (179 kW)
*Fuel: 96 octane leaded gasoline
*Fuel Capacity: 19 U.S. gallons (72 liters)
*Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection
*Compression Ratio: 10:1
*Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
*Wheelbase: 100.5 in (2.552 m)
*Steering: Manual, rack and pinion

2009 US Pro Series schedule

* March 20, Sebring International Raceway, ALMS
* April 25, Virginia International Raceway, Grand-Am
* May 16, Miller Motorsports Park, ALMS
* June 13, New Jersey Motorsports Park
* June 14, New Jersey Motorsports Park
* June 20, Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR Nationwide, RS
* July 10, Iowa Speedway, ARCA Re/Max, RS
* July 25, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
* July 26, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
* August 16, Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, Atlantic Championship
* August 29, Mosport International Raceway, ALMS
* September 25, Road Atlanta, Petit Le Mans
* October 10, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, ALMS

RS denotes the race will use a rolling start instead of the standing start used in the series.

ee also

* US Star Mazda Series
* [http://www.worldspeed.com World Speed Motorsports Championship Winning Star Mazda Team]
* [http://www.formulamazdachallenge.com Star Mazda West Coast Series]
* [http://motorsportsschedules.com/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=26&func=shcatev1&categid=16 2008 Star Mazda Championship Schedule]

External links

; Official site
* [http://www.starmazda.com Star Mazda Championship] ; Star Mazda Racing Teams
* http://starmazda.com/series/teams.htm