Mazdaspeed poll

[mbuskuhl]

Did you get yours in email yet? Interesting survey. If you've seen the recent AutoWeek article, the survey is not all that surprising.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...15003/1531/FREE

"Robert Davis, Mazda senior vice president and head of the company's racing program, said his company is "trying to spread our support more evenly among the SCCA and [the National Auto Sport Association]. SCCA is better known, but I would say right now NASA is better run.""

It definitely looked like Mazda was pretty fed up with the SCCA by the tone of the survey.

[dickita15]

I just received the email survey that indicates Mazda is somewhat upset and feels slighted. I did not hear anything about this before. I am not very happy though with Mazda’s reaction. Below is what I posted in the comments field of the survey:

I am saddened to hear about the unfortunate exchange between a prominent member of SCCA’s Board of Directors and Mazda staff members but I think it would be a mistake to escalate this into a bigger problem. I don’t know the full background of this confrontation but people say unfortunate things on both sides of a disagreement. I have been a SCCA member since the 70’s and a Mazda racer since 1999. I currently race and ITA Rx7, own a Miata street car and this year’s winter project is the restoration of a GT3 Rx3.
SCCA is 60,000 members with thousands of racers and solo drivers. What appeals to me about racing a Mazda in the support that is available to grass roots racers in what has always been a fair and supportive way, year in and year out.
While I am sure that there is a tremendous pressure on you to succeed in the politics of a high profile class like SSB that is not what matters to most of your grassroots supporters in club racing. To abandon what I think is the best and most consistent competition support program in the racing world would be tragic.
While I will root for Mazda in SSB and other racing I hope cooler heads prevail and I can still be proud to race a Mazda.
Richard Patullo
SCCA member and Mazda racer.

[seckerich]

With the decisions made by SCCA on the SSB car compared to rulings for certain other makes with similar packages I do not blame them. SOS with different names attached. Policy based on politics never ends well. In the end it will be the Mazda racers that get screwed--not the club.

[pgipson]

I completed the survey, and sent an e-mail off to others in our race group making sure they know about. Looks like it would only go to people that have an email on file at Mazda Motorsports.

This seems to at the heart of the discontent.

As some of you may know, MAZDASPEED Motorsports and the leadership/management of the Sports Car Club of America (the Club) have had some difficult situations recently. Earlier this year, SCCA approved a suspension option package (MS-R) for the Mazda MX-5 for SSB class competition in 2007. Within two months, after some of our Mazda racers had purchased a 2007 MX-5, the option package, and raced with the option package, SCCA wrongly decided the package would not be legal for competition in 2007.
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In October of this year at the SCCA Runoffs, one of our MAZDASPEED staff, there to support the Mazda competitiors at the event, was told by a prominent member of SCCA’s Board of Directors that “SCCA doesn’t need Mazda and Mazda doesn’t need SCCA". As you can imagine we were shocked that the club leadership felt this way about MAZDASPEED involvement.
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Normally in the course of business relationships, when someone discounts your contribution to the point of saying we don’t need you, you take your business elsewhere. While that was our first reaction, it doesn’t take into consideration you, our customers and team members. These difficulties have affected many of our Mazda Team Support members and we have been working through them with your best interest as our #1 priority.
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The long term commitment MAZDASPEED has made to our members and the results of these support programs has benefited Mazda as well. Mazda’s market share for street vehicles among club members is 3 times our industry average. Mazda is the most raced brand within the club, in fact over 50% based on the latest results. We benefit greatly by having team members as advocates for our vehicles as family and friends ask you what car to purchase. For all this support, we thank you.
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Please read the following five (5) statements carefully and decide which one fits your feelings the best, then respond by clicking the box next to that statement. Please respond to only one link and respond only once. We would also appreciate any comments and suggestions you have on the matter and have provided a comment section for you to give any feedback. If you would like to copy any leadership of the club on your response, please feel free to do so. We suggest that your forward your comments to the National office as well as your local SCCA Region Executive.
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While these choices don’t go into specific detail, they will give us an indication of the direction you (our customer) would like us to take and where we should apply our support. Please understand any support not given to SCCA in the future will still be invested into amateur (grass roots) racing. Our vision is to expand our position in this area, not pull back.
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Again, thank you for your support in making MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development a great success and Mazda a success in the market place. We value your business and loyalty.

[Greg Amy]

Brilliant. SCCA shoots itself in the foot.

Again.

[ddewhurst]

Mark, this is your thread but might it get better exposure within the "General IT Discussion" forum where many more people will see that as Greg stated "Brilliant. SCCA shoots itself in the foot" again.

This is not just a Mazda people, Mazda racer thing, this is one or more of the BoD with their mouth open with their brain turned off.

[mbuskuhl]

A moderator should merge mine and Dick's threads as we posted at nearly the same time. You are right on the General forums, probably more appropriate.

[mustanghammer]

Mark, this is your thread but might it get better exposure within the "General IT Discussion" forum where many more people will see that as Greg stated "Brilliant. SCCA shoots itself in the foot" again.

This is not just a Mazda people, Mazda racer thing, this is one or more of the BoD with their mouth open with their brain turned off.
[/b]

Yes, please make all IT drivers aware of this issue. Mazda's support for Club Racers should be the template that other manufacturers follow. Ultimately this affects everyone that competes in Club Racing and Solo II.

I returned my survey. I would like them to stay and support my SCCA efforts while we get this issue resolved. We need to find out who the BOD members are and get them removed. I do not want this kind of representation and I do not want ANY manufacturer or supplier driven from my sport.

[dickita15]

While I am the last guy to be surprised in our club leaders (or our government leaders for that matter) always act in a prudent manner, I have to wonder what the Mazda representative said just before this statement. I wonder if it was some kind of threat to discontinue support of the club unless Mazda got its way in SSB.
I can’t believe this happened in a vacuum. I don’t claim to know what the right decision should have been with regard to the SSB cars but some of the same people who will immediately assume SCCA is 100% wrong and Mazda in 100% right in this case are probably the same people who have said that Mazda has too much control of the club in the rule making process.

What I resent is being used as a pawn in this dispute.

[Greg Amy]

Excellent observations, Dick. - GA

[mbuskuhl]

We will never know what really happened as things get spun to each parties agenda and it will be surrounded with rumors. This isn't going to trial and there is no discovery. On the surface it sounds like a corporate pissing match between two execs and an unforgivable blow on the SSB issue. SCCA may be in general a little to cocky towards Mazda or it may be limited to a single individual, one would hope the latter.

I do think MAZDASPEED should support other organizations. To do that though, both parties do not need to b*tch slap either. I can see some possible resentment from SCCA if MAZDASPEED is pumping $$ into their competitor.

Locally, we had an SCCA RE make a threat on a forum that sanctions would be imposed on those who participated in a NASA event that fell on the same weekend that SCCA had a race, which coincidentally NASA also had in place many months prior to SCCA. What immediately followed was a backlash from the racers to this RE. The racers did the right thing by chastising him. There was not an apology but rather a statement issued that it was all just a "misunderstanding" and that sanctions would not be imposed, run where you want. The statement was issued by the ES through another individual and blamed on computer problems. I wonder if these are isolated cases or there are too many SCCA leaders acting irresponsible.

Ultimately, I see this is as a 2 part issue, 1)SCCA and MAZDASPEED need to act more like partners by removing the poor leaders and get back to working for a common goal and 2) MAZDASPEED needs to continue branching out like it should to support other organizations. These should be unrelated issues and addressed separately. Issue one is difficult to correct, issue two is easy.

[zchris]

This has more to do with the Solstice being allowed many non showroon stock mods including a custom carbonfiber roof. And then when mazda gets a concession the rug gets pulled out from under them 2 months into the race season. If you look at the GM how to build a Solstice SS race car, you would laugh at how many illegal things they have been allowed to do to install a cage. Cutting through the unibody in so many places its amazing.
Chris

[bldn10]

I know a good bit about the SSB situation through one of the affected drivers. IMO Mazda was led down the primrose path and then bushwacked. Mazda worked hand in hand w/ Jeremy and Club Racing officials in Topeka and the option package was approved by the CRB. Then a GCR 8.1.4 Rules interpretation was requested and the COA ultimately ruled that the option package was not generally available to the public. Apparently the dealers they asked were unaware of it although they had been previously advised of it by Mazda. My suspicion is that someone in Topeka made representations and assurances to Pontiac that their car would be the top dog for awhile in order to get them to come into SCCA in a big way w/ the Solitice in SSB.

[henryj63]

Everyone is talking about this on all the different sites prod & gt.

[Matt Rowe]

My suspicion is that someone in Topeka made representations and assurances to Pontiac that their car would be the top dog for awhile in order to get them to come into SCCA in a big way w/ the Solitice in SSB.[/b]

IF that is true then we have a serious problem and those involved should be taken out of the rules making process but that is a huge IF and unless there is some proof to back that up let's not muddy the waters with speculation. What I would like to know is more about the context of the conversation, SCCA's position and how they plan to rectify the issue of ill will with a major supporter.

Also, consider that the BOD should never be involved in the classification of cars and to begin with. That is a CRB function, or at least it is supposed to be. The biggest problems we seem to run into is when the BOD doesn't let the sub commmittees work unimpeded and attempts to affect tactical decisions rather than concentrate on strategic goals. The classification of a given car should not be their job, a decision to attract large sponsors and a plan to do so such as creating a fair playing field is.

That being said, the club does have a history of the appearance of favoring some manufacturers while pissing off others. It has survived this before but I don't like the feeling Mazda is trying to extort the membership into removing elected officials and following their policy.

[Knestis]

Reason Number One for not running SS. When I was watching that Cobalt win the RubOffs race on TV at lunch the other day, I giggled a lot.

K

[dj10]

Brilliant. SCCA shoots itself in the foot.
Again.
[/b]

The BoD member who said this should be immediately removed from their position in the SCCA! There is absolutely not excuse for their comment to Mazdaspeed or any other customer, if the statement is accurate. The person who said this should be also made to deliver a personal & written apology not only to Mazdaspeed but also to us the members for their irresponsible remarks.

I hope someone identifies the Bod member so we can remove them at the election. In the world of business there is no room for these kind of comments. As a member and a business person I am embarrassed by the comment.

[ScotMac]

Where's the link to this survey? Or did Mazda pull it?

In general, i totally agree w/ Dick. There was a heated discussion, and things were said, by i am sure both parties, that should probably not have been made public.

In general, it sounds like SCCA needs to be more consistent on what exceptions it is giving out to the different manufacturers. Sounds like SS is very political, w/ way too much corporate money flying around, trying to land in different influential pockets. Glad i have decided to play in IT.

[tnord]

the survey went out to Mazdaspeed members.

[pgipson]

This is the e-mail I sent to the BoD last night. As a courtesy, I copied the COO, even though it doesn't involve him.

I received my invitation to respond to the Mazda Motorsports survey tonight. In case you haven’t seen it, this is the message in the e-mail

[inserted stuff from Mazda deleted for brevity]


Now, every story has two sides, so I believe the members of SCCA that are also supported by Mazda Motorsports (my Mazda support number has 2 digits and was issued in 1989) should hear the SCCA BoD side of the story.



Have a good Thanksgiving



Paul Gipson

Scottsdale AZ



SCCA # 131424