TOOELE, Utah — With a sixth place finish in the season ending Utah 250 at Miller Motorsports Park, Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato drove their #69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8 to the 2010 Rolex Grand-Am GT driver’s championship. This completed a perfect sweep for Mazda as the #69 crew also won the team championship. Mazda had clinched the manufacturers championship at the previous race in Montreal.
“As we noted last month when we clinched the GT manufacturer’s championship, Mazda races for our core values of quality, durability, reliability, and teamwork. To have one of our customer teams win the championship speaks volumes about the drivers, SpeedSource, and our Mazda team. There is no real difference between a customer team and a factory-assisted effort with Mazda. There is no greater complement in racing than when people choose to race your product knowing that it will give them the best opportunity to win,” said Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Quality, and the man responsible for Mazda’s North American motorsports operations under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner.
MAZDASPEED Rolex Grand-Am 2010 Season Highlights:
• The season began with a win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 23rd class win for Mazda at Daytona.
• Mazda won the first three races of the year (Daytona, Homestead, & Barber).
• Mazda has won six of 12 races (50%).
• Mazda has scored 20 of 36 podium finishes (56%).
• Mazda scored three 1-2-3 finishes (Barber, Lime Rock, & New Jersey).
• Mazda recorded six pole positions (Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona in July, VIR, Barber, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen)
• The #70 Castrol Syntec SpeedSource RX-8 led more laps than any other GT team.
• The #40 VISITFLORIDA.com Dempsey Racing RX-8 completed more laps than any other GT team.
• Mazda driver Jonathan Bomarito won the Rookie-of-the-Year award.
• Mazda driver Emil Assentato won the Bob Akin Cup for ProAm GT drivers.
Manufacturers Championship:
1st Mazda 392 points (6 wins)
2nd Chevrolet 347 points (2 win)
3rd Porsche 317 points (3 wins)
4th BMW 239 points (1 win)
Drivers Championship (Mazda drivers in top-10):
1st(t) Jeff Segal/Emil Assentato - #69 Mazda RX-8 343 points (2 wins)
3rd Sylvain Tremblay - #70 Mazda RX-8 338 points (2 wins)
4th Jonathan Bomarito - #70 Mazda RX-8 319 points (2 wins)
7th (t) James Gue/Leh Keen- #41 Mazda RX-8 311 points (1 win)
9th (t) Adam Christodoulou/John Edwards- #68 Mazda RX-8 297 points (1 win)
Team Championship:
1st #69 FXDD SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 343 points (2 wins)
2nd #70 Castrol Syntec SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 338 points (2 wins)
4th #41 Team Seattle/Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 311 points (1 win)
5th #68 MAZDASPEED SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 297 points (1 win)
8th #40 VISITFLORIDA.com Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 262 points
10th #30 Racers Edge Mazda RX-8 243 points
13th #43 Team Sahlens Mazda RX-8 191 points
14th #42 Team Sahlens Mazda RX-8 184 points
