Crunch time for a motorsport underachiever

Even bringing in the team that took Audi to Le Mans dominance couldn't make Mazda a winner in IMSA in 2018. A massive winter effort has gone into putting things right, and this week's Rolex 24 at Daytona is the first big test.

Gary Watkins Jan 25, 2019, 11:08 AM

Upd: Jan 25, 2019, 11:57 AM

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Mazda is the big underachiever in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype ranks. It's still seeking an elusive first outright victory, something that legendary sportscar team Joest Racing couldn't put right in 2018.

That explains a second major revamp of the long-running programme in two years ahead of the 2019 season, which kicks off this weekend with the Rolex 24 - where Mazda secured pole on Thursday.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 32nd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 75 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Autoweek, Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.