As the only Asian car company to ever win the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mazda has a unique and nearly unmatched heritage in racing. From the company’s first foray into international motorsport at the 1968 84-hour Marathon de la Route, all the way to today’s SKYACTIV-D clean diesel-powered Mazda6 competing in the Grand Am Rolex GX class, the company has always used racing to improve the brand. At the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mazda celebrated its racing successes the way it always has: by competing.

Mazda maintains a fleet of heritage racecars at its Irvine, Calif. headquarters, and has chosen to bring three to Monterey this year – a 1990 787 Group C prototype, 1991 RX-7 IMSA GTO and 1992 RX-792P IMSA GTP.

“Mazda’s involvement in racing is more than just a sticker on a silhouette car that has nothing to do with road technology, and more than just writing a check and walking away,” said Jim O’Sullivan, MNAO President and CEO. “We are fully committed to motorsports, whether it’s the fact that there are more Mazdas road-raced on any weekend than any other brand, whether it’s the fact that this is our 13th season as partner to Mazda Raceway, whether it’s the fact that our clean diesel Mazda6 racecars are bringing street technology to the racetrack – and winning – or whether it’s the fact that Mazda employees are driving our heritage racecars this weekend.  We are car people through-and-through, and it’s an honor to show off our heritage at this most important weekend of events.”