Being able to manage and display critical information can be the difference between winning and losing.
Case Study: Strategy Made the Difference
Mazda North American Operations provides racing support in North America through MAZDASPEED MOTORSPORTS DEVELOPMENT. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. thinkASG has provided Enterprise Business Solutions to Mazda for several years and has supported the Mazda Motorsports racing teams for the past 3 years.
The Problem
Mazda Motorsports fields cars in both the American Le Mans and Grand American Road Racing ROLEX GT race series, and while they have always won on the track, their computer automotive diagnostics were limited, and the team’s real-time racing strategy was informed by manual data gathering during pit stops, or by radio communication from the driver.
“While the quality of our cars and team members has always been first rate, our monitoring and racing diagnostic capabilities were really in the stone age,” said John Doonan, manager of Mazda Motorsports North America. “They were holding back our team.”
The Solution
Working with Mazda and other technology partners like Bosch Diagnostics and Motec, thinkASG architected an IT solution that enabled the Mazda team to track real-time telemtery and diagnostic information during the race, while meeting the team’s grueling performance, travel and stability requirements.
In May 2008, the Mazda SpeedSource RX8 won the Grand-Am GT race at Limerock and beat the numerous Porsches. This was the first time in 18 years that a Porsche had not won this race at Limerock.
“The great solutions that thinkASG provided us helped us manage the information to make great pit calls for the races. At the track we make split second decisions, and being able to manage and display critical information can make the difference between winning and losing. thinkASG has made a real impact in the performance of our team.”
– Sylvain Tremblay, Team Owner and Driver – Winner of the 2008 Rolex GT Race at Limrock, SpeedSource Race Engineering
“On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas racing than any other brand of vehicle.” said Rich de Michele, Senior Account Executive at thinkASG. “It is this commitment to racing that enables Mazda to compete against other car manufacturers with much larger race budgets. The Mazda SpeedSource and BK Motorsports Racing Teams utilize our solutions to gather real time race telemetry to make in-race decisions that the difference between winning and losing.”
The Result
This solution has shown immediate results: with 4 wins already this season compared to 3 last season. And the season is only half over.
“We have the same cars, the same crew: it’s the ability to develop and modify strategy in real time that has made the difference,” noted Doonan.
For example, during a recent race this summer, the decision was made on the first pit stop to skip a tire change: the system showed the tires had enough life to finish the race. In the end, the Mazda team came out ahead by nearly 20 seconds under green flag conditions.
“That decision won the race,” said Doonan.
thinkASG technology solutions have also helped the team bring its custom parts fabrication in-house, allowing greater quality control and cost savings for the division.
Looking Ahead
“Being able to manage and display critical information can be the difference between winning and losing. thinkASG made a real impact on the performance of our professional teams,” said Doonan. “They understand Motorsports, and I look forward to continuing our relationship.”
