Although higher profile drivers are on the market for Mazda to hire, they have complete faith in their two young pilots to steer the team to a brighter future. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

If we ignore the enthusiasm of Mazda’s renewed fighting spirit, history tells us it will still take time for the Lola/Mazda/Dunlop combo to reach its potential. And that means more races spent watching Acura and Porsche dominate the Monday morning headlines. Will Mazda get any marketing value from their ALMS program as they wait for their fortunes to turn?

“Well, as a sportscar company, the ALMS is the pinnacle of our motorsports ladder. So being here is important for us. The demographics of the people watching the races, either in person or on TV--that's our target demo. They can afford to buy a Mazda, today, so we’re a day-to-day brand as opposed to an aspirational brand. We believe that there are more fans that know the cost differences between a Mazda and a Porsche, and can appreciate that on the race track. Watching a ‘real’ car company like ours take the fight to ‘dream’ manufacturers like Porsche has to inspire people.

“From a marketing perspective, we look at things from that angle; from a performance perspective, you're right, we don't have the kind of budget to show up with a new aero package race to race or direct-injection engine in the middle of the season, but I think we do have a package that can compete. It’s extremely valuable for us to be here and to be able to say that we beat those guys.”

As Doonan makes pitches in corporate boardrooms across the country to find extra funding for the ALMS program, long-term projects like direct-injection for the MZR-R wait for an infusion of cash to be completed. More immediate performance gains, like a move to the Lola B08/80 closed-top coupe, is Mazda’s next major upgrade.

Mazda's 2.0L turbo has been 'The little engine that could' in the ALMS and at Le Mans. With direct-injection on the horizon for 2009, up to eight more teams could use the tiny powerplant. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

“We’ll be unveiling the coupe at Petit Le Mans this October. And we plan to continue to work with Lola; they’re a great partner. It’s a great fit for Mazda and we’re going to continue to bust our tails with those guys. They've got the resources and they havet the track record. Talk about years of experience--they're not celebrating their first season; they’re celebrating their 50th anniversary. We’re proud to be associated with them.”

Even with a sleek new Lola coupe in their arsenal, taking a three and a half year old team into battle against veteran teams like Penske, Andretti-Green, Fernandez, and Dyson is a daunting task. Does Doonan believe their ALMS partners at B-K Motorsports are up to the task of toppling the LMP2 establishment?

“It’s a good question and it's actually a question that we've asked ourselves internally a lot lately. Our ladder system is not just for drivers; it's for our teams and for our mechanics. Bob Bach at B-K has hired literally 50 years of Indycar experience, in terms of Mike Wright, the engineer, Larry Ellard, the crew chief and team manager, and so on. You know, our partners at SpeedSource came out and were able to take on Porsche's best and Pontiac’s best in Grand Am; we're confident that B-K can be groomed like SpeedSource to take on the big dogs in the ALMS.

“And they’ve got three full seasons under their belt; this is their fourth season. That’s more than Highcroft and more than de Ferran, so I don’t think it’s a matter of age, it’s a matter of the people we have on the team. In that sense, we’re happy with B-K and everyone there.”

On the topic of drivers, Doonan is also bullish about their pilots and the development ladder process they use to cultivate driving talent. The use of Ben Devlin and Gerardo Bonilla has been effective—especially the speedy and technically adept Devlin, but with several ‘name’ drivers available for hire, wouldn’t Mazda shorten the time line to success by drafting in a five-time Le Mans winner like Frank Biela? Surely they’d provide an instant gain in all areas of development, if not racecraft.

Doonan's been referring to Mazda's win at Le Mans in 1991 as the manufacturer's 'greatest achievement in motorsports' since he took the job. He hopes to add a win at La Sarthe in 2009 to Mazda's rich sportscar history. (Photo: Mazda) » More Photos

“Well, first, we have a staunch belief in our system. We believe in our abilities to bring young talent up to snuff. We believe in our ladder system for making young Mazda drivers into championship winning Mazda drivers in a professional series, and that’s no different for the ALMS.

“It’s is not in our character to immediately snap up a Biela or a Herta when they become available. We believe that Ben Devlin, because of his sports car experience--he became known to us in Formula Mazda when he first came to the states, can get the job done. We got to evaluate his performances and his character in one of our ladder series, and knew he had what it takes for our top racing program. The same goes for Gerardo, another Formula Mazda guy. Same for Raphael Matos. We know that they can do it because we’ve seen them do it as a member of our racing family. So you're right, it doesn't seem like hiring outside the ladder system is our thing because it's not.”

Pressed further on the topic, Doonan stood his ground when questioned if their expectations of short-term success while grooming a young team, developing young drivers, preparing to move to the Lola B08/80, and developing new setups to suit the Dunlop rubber was too much to handle all at one time.

"We just strongly believe in our system. I mean, one could say, ‘God, those guys are pounding their heads against the wall or taking the hard road to success.’ Well, it's never been easy for Mazda. It's never been a slam dunk for us; it's not ever been, ‘Oh, just get out the checkbook and write a bigger check to start winning.’ It’s just how we've always done it. That sounds funny because then you’d say, ‘Just because you've always done it that way, are you going to keep doing it that way?’ Well, in the past, it may have taken a while to get to the front, but eventually, we’ve gotten there. Yeah, the landscape has changed a little bit in the ALMS, but we're going to keep fighting the only way we know how.”

John and I shared some good times at Le Mans this year—his first trek to sportscar racing’s holy ground. Mazda had their first MZR-R customer competing in the race—Kruse-Schiller Motorsports, so Doonan’s presence wasn’t unexpected. Their lap times in the ALMS prior to Mid-Ohio this year weren’t impressive, but it wasn’t for a lack of oomph from the engine. Even with Porsche’s new direct-injection engine making an extra 30 horsepower, Mazda still holds a power advantage over the LMP2 field. Interest in the mill for 2009 has been appropriately high.

Mazda's headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan, is marked with a poignant reminder that although it took seventeen tries to win their first Le Mans, the spirit to 'never give up' is what allowed them to achieve victory. (Photo: Mazda) » More Photos

“There have been significant inquiries both here in the States and in Europe. So yes, we've got probably nothing short of eight existing U.S. and European teams that want Mazda power. We also have a few new teams planning to come out in ’09 that want to run the MZR-R package. It was always intended to be a customer engine, and I think people have seen what we can do against a big-dollar Porsche or Acura engine. We’re hoping to have our direct-injection engine available for ’09, so our partners at AER are going to be busy…”

Spending time with Doonan at La Sarthe was great, but it was the partner he had in tow that interested me most—B-K owner Bob Bach. If Doonan was in Le Mans to support a customer team, my curious mind wondered why his ALMS team owner came along for the trip. If I was a betting man, would I be smart to put my money on seeing a factory-Mazda LMP2 entry at the French classic in 2009?

“I’d say your bet is good. I'd also say John Doonan needs to raise some more money! But that is our goal. Bob was there because we visited with our partners at Lola and AER. It was important to take notes and support Kruse because they are the first team in Europe to choose to invest in the MZR-R package. We wanted to support them, and Bob’s committed to sharing ideas and findings. But, yeah, the goal is to definitely go back there as early as next year and we’re going to try to do our best to raise the budget to do it.

“Anymore questions, or are you done grilling me, Pruett? I have a flight to catch.”

Consider yourself grilled, Doonan. See you and Bach at Le Mans again next year, but remember to bring your car and the rest of the team this time...


Marshall Pruett is Automotive and Sportscar Racing Editor for SPEEDtv.com. Pruett grew up at "Pruett's Olde English Garage," his father's shelter for abused foreign cars, and spent his childhood being dragged across the West Coast to help with his dad's amateur racing exploits. Pruett spent twenty years working in various open-wheel and sportscar series, retiring from active duty in 2001. And in case you were wondering, no, he isn’t related to Scott Pruett.

He can be reached at

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.