Mazda Returning To IMSA In 2020 With New Mazda3 TCR Race Car!

News, Racing I By Peter Nelson I October 01, 2019

Excellent news: the new Mazda3 will do its FWD Mazda forefathers proud by running in TCR in 2020! The previous, third-gen Mazda3 hasn’t really been campaigned outside of club racing (SCCA T4 in particular), and there haven't been many strong FWD contenders in pro North American touring car racing since the clean-diesel Mazda6 in Grand Am, the Mazda2 in Pirelli World Challenge TCB, or the Proteges and Mazda6s of yore in SPEED World Challenge. Now, the brand-new (and beautiful) fourth-gen 3 awaits an exciting 2020 season in TCR around the globe!

From Mazda Motorsports:

IRVINE, Calif. (October 1, 2019) – Mazda Motorsports announced today the newest addition to its motorsports program with the unveiling of the all-new Mazda3 TCR race car. The Mazda3 TCR will hit the racetrack as part of the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, beginning with the four-hour Endurance Challenge that is part of the Rolex 24 at Daytona weekend of racing on January 26, 2020.

By retaining the striking design of the 2019 Mazda3 hatchback, the Mazda3 TCR features the latest iteration of the brand’s signature Kodo – Soul of Motion design language. Envisioned within the walls of Mazda Design America in Irvine, California, designers spent countless hours ensuring the aerodynamics of the Mazda3 TCR are compliant with all TCR regulations, and flow seamlessly with the clean lines found on the Mazda3.

“TCR represents a great opportunity for us to showcase the new Mazda3 and provide our customers another avenue to race Mazda vehicles,” said Masahiro Moro, Chairman and CEO, Mazda North American Operations. “Some of our most important successes in IMSA and SRO TC Americas have been thanks to dedicated customers who chose to race with Mazda, and we hope the next generation of Mazda racers see the same potential in the Mazda3 TCR.”

“The Mazda3 features the outstanding design and engineering that Mazda is known for, and because of that, it is a fantastic foundation for our new Mazda3 TCR,” said John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports. “We have looked forward to returning to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for several seasons, and everyone at Mazda is very excited that we will do just that in 2020. We are eagerly anticipating success for the Mazda3 TCR in IMSA, SRO Americas and in TCR championships around the world.”

The Mazda3 TCR will be powered by a turbocharged, 4-cylinder engine producing 350 horsepower and will use a paddle-shifted six-speed transmission. Developed and supported by Long Road Racing, the manufacturer of the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car, the Mazda3 TCR is homologated to compete in any of the 36 TCR-sanctioned championships around the globe.