Race Class Profile: Formula Mazda

Known within the Sports Car Club of America as the FM class, Formula Mazda is one of the more affordable open wheel racing classes available today, slotted between Formula F and Formula Continental in terms of both cost and performance. The series originally grew out of a group of chassis built by Hayashi in Japan for the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, which made their debut at the 1984 Long Beach Grand Prix.

The car features a welded steel tube frame chassis and is powered by a sealed 1.3-liter Mazda rotary engine connected to a Hewland five speed gearbox. All Formula Mazda cars all use the same tires, springs, dampers, and anti-roll bars, though some adjustability is permitted. Much like other spec classes, the relative parity between each car means that driver skill is the key factor in a racer’s success in Formula Mazda. Let’s take a closer look at the particulars of the FM class.

 

Race Format: Sprint

 

Typical Race Length: 25-35 minutes, 35-50 miles

 

Manufacturer: Moses Smith Racing

 

Engine: Carbureted Mazda 13B Rotary built and sealed by Drummond Engines

 

Output: 180 horsepower

 

Weight: 1140 lbs. (dry) / 1350 lbs. (minimum with driver)

 

Data System: Unrestricted

 

Chassis Construction: Welded steel tube frame

 

Suspension Adjustability:

Tires: Goodyear racing slicks with BBS (8” x 13”) front and (10” x 13”) rear wheels

 

Aero: Front and rear wings with angle adjustability

 

 

Car Cost: $49,500-$52,000 (new, depending on specifications) / $18,000-$22,000 (used)

 

Typical Car Count Range: 8-12 per race

 

Strongest Regions: SCCA Southern Pacific Division and Southwest Division

 

Run Cost: Approximately $400/hr at race pace

 

 

Record Lap Times:

Shops Providing Support:

Shops Providing Arrive and Drive Rental:

To give you a better idea of what the action is like in Formula Mazda, here’s a clip from an SCCA Majors race at Road Atlanta, replete with flame spitting and dirt throwing intensity: