Star Mazda Championship

The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is an open-wheel racecar driver development series in North America. Competitors use spec Formula Mazda race cars built by Star Race Cars. The original series, using first-generation tube-frame cars started in the early 1990s, with the current, high-tech, carbon-fiber car released in 2004. The series has historically included road courses, street courses, and ovals. The series' primary sponsors are Mazda and Goodyear and the cars, while purpose built for the track with carbon fiber monocoques, are powered by 250 horsepower Mazda 'Renesis' rotary engines. The series' stated goal is "to develop new race driving talent". In 2010 the series became a part of The Road to Indy.

History

Many Star Mazda graduates have gone on to race in top-tier open wheel series, including American Formula One and NASCAR driver Scott Speed, rising INDYCAR stars Marco Andretti (son of Michael Andretti and grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti) and Graham Rahal (son of Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal). Also on the list is prototype/Champ Car/NASCAR racer Michael McDowell.

The series had, in the past, held six geographic divisions, each of which holds their own championship. In the late 1990s a single national series emerged as the primary venue for the cars. In 2007, all races in the series were televised on Speed Channel, a cable TV channel which features various motorsports.

This is a form of spec racing in which all the cars in a...
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