Mazda6 diesel to race in 2013 Grand-Am series

Mazda North America has announced a racing version of the all-new Mazda6, powered by its Skyactiv-D clean diesel engine, will compete in the 2013 Grand-Am GX class.

The Mazda6 Grand-Am GX racecar will make its motorsport debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26-27 in Daytona Beach, Florida, marking the first time a diesel-powered vehicle of any type has ever raced at the event.

Developed specifically for the new Grand-Am GX class, the Mazda6 racer will employ an engine based on the 129kW/420Nm 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D turbo-diesel unit powering the production Mazda6 and the Mazda CX-5 SUV.

Mazda North America motorsports director John Doonan said teams of engineers have been working flat out for months on the engine’s development.

“This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block Skyactiv-D,” Doonan said.

“We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance. That means 400-plus horsepower (298kW) for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts.”

Mazda will be hoping to score its 24th class win in the American endurance classic, after claiming recent victories in 2008 and 2010.

Read CarAdvice’s 2013 Mazda6: pricing and specifications.

Read CarAdvice’s 2013 Mazda6 Review.