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1983 Mazda RX-7 GTU

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTU class was designed for grand touring-type cars (GT) with the 'U' representing 'Under 2.5 Liters.' The Porsche 914-6GTs and Mazda RX-7s were very successful in the class during the 1970s and 1980s. Peter H. Gregg and Hurley Haywood in a Porsche 914-6 were the first championship winners.

Mazda was very successful in this class, and their RX-2, RX-3, and RX-7 won their class in the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona race for an entire decade, starting in 1982. They won eight IMSA GTU championships in a row from 1980 through 1987. The Mazdas would win more IMSA races in its class than any other model of automobile. The one-hundredth victory was earned on September 2nd, 1990.

Mazda sent two works cars from Japan to compete in the 1978 Daytona 24 Hour race. American drivers Walter Bohren, Jim Downing, Stu Fisher, and Roger Mandeville were joined by two Japanese racers, Yoshimi Katayama and Yojiro Terada.

For the 1979 IMSA racing season, Mazda once again sent over two race cars and a spare from Japan. Katayama, Terada, and Takashi Yorino drove one example while Bohren, Downing, and Mandeville drove the other. Competing in the GTU class, the RX-7 finished fifth overall and first in Class at Daytona. The team of American drivers piloted the second RX-7 to sixth overall and second in class.

Racing officials took notice of the RX-7 and relocated them to a new class, leaving Datsun to claim the 1979 GTU championship crown. The decision to place the RX-7 in a different class was later changed, allowing them to once again compete in the GTU category. For the 1980 season (which allowed fuel injection), Walt Bohren won six rounds and claimed the GTU title. With other podium finishes from Jeff Kline and Brad Frisselle, Mazda won the manufacturers' championship title.

For the 1981 season, fuel-injection was no longer permitted. 11 of the 16 races were won by Dave Kent's racers, with Lee Muller finishing first and Walt Bohren in second. For the second year in a row, Mazda was crowned the GTU champion.

For the 1982 season, Kent Racing switched to Toyota, leaving the Mazda factory support for Jim Downing and Roger Mandeville. This same year, a Mazda powered by a 13B engine was used to contest the GTO category at Daytona, with Katayama, Terada, and Yorino driving it to fourth overall and 1st in class. A Dave Kent-prepared model won the GTU class at Daytona, followed by 13 other IMSA GTU victories during the season, earning another GTU Championship for Mazda. It would win the title again in 1984 and 1985. It won 13 of the 17 GTU rounds for the 1986 season, earning Mazda another title.


by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2020

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