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In 2007, Mazda introduced their company-sponsored ‘motorsports ladder’ that goes from karting to Champ Car.
This year’s Pro Formula Mazda series champion will receive a Mazda-sponsored full-season drive for 2008 in the
next series up the ladder; the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.
And the 2008 winner of the Atlantic Championship gets a $2 million sponsorship to help them move up to Champ Car.
After several years the Mazda open-wheel championship replaced its race-proven and reliable Star Mazda with a new model. Beginning in 2004, competitors would be racing a Pro Formula Mazda. The Pro Formula Mazda is manufactured by the Van Diemen / Elan Motorsports Technologies group. The chassis is a carbon-fiber tub with fiberglass bodywork. The front and rear suspension is a pushrod setup with two-way adjustable shock absorbers. Stopping the Pro Formula Mazda are four-piston calipers with vented rotors. It is powered by a 240-horsepower Renesis Mazda engine, also used in the road-going version of the Mazda RX-8. Bolted to the motor is a six-speed sequential transmission with a no-lift shift. The opening round of the 2007 Pro Formula Mazda Championship was held at Sebring International Raceway and ended in mid-October at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
In addition to the overall title, championships were on the line for:
Round seven of the 2007 Pro Formula Mazda series presented by Goodyear was held a Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Drivers would compete in a forty-five-minute contest around the eleven-turn 1.755-mile temporary street circuit.
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The points leader, Dane Cameron, dominated the proceedings in Toronto. The driver of the No. 19 JDC Motorsports / Finlay Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda topped the timesheets in the practice sessions and again in qualifying. Despite numerous caution periods, he would go unchallenged and lead the race flag-to-flag. Cameron delivered similar results when he won his first race of the season at Houston. |
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Devon Cunningham won the Discovery Channel’s Star Racer reality TV competition last year. Cunningham beat out fifteen other contestants to be awarded a full-time season in the series. He was victorious in round five at Portland. In Toronto, he started fifth driving the No. 33 Discovery Channel/ AIM Autosport Mazda. Cunningham took advantage of one of the restarts to move into second and held the spot to the finish. |
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Before Toronto, Alex Ardoin earned his best result of the season in the previous round at Cleveland, where he finished sixth. Ardoin drove the No. 51 Oral & Facial Surgery Center / Mundill Racing Pro Formula Mazda and qualified in the sixteenth position. There were multiple caution periods during the race, which worked to his advantage. Ardoin charged through the field and grabbed the final spot on the podium. |
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The star of the Pro Formula Mazda event in Toronto was Tyson Sy. Sy wasn’t quick in the practice sessions, but his time in qualifying was even worse. Early in the qualifying session, he lost an engine in the No. 68 Popsy / Team G.FRO Pro Formula Mazda. Sy was gridded at the back of the field for the forty-five-minute contest. At the drop of the Starter’s flag, he began moving forward and, at the checker, was in fourth place. |
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Title contender James Davison entered round seven in Toronto with two poles and two podium results, none of which were victories. He put the No. 7 Easternats Velocity Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda third on the starting grid. During the race, the Australian passed Marco DiLeo but lost positions to Devin Cunningham, Alex Ardoin and Tyson Sy to finish in the fifth position. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Dane Cameron | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 2 | 5 | Devon Cunningham | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 3 | 16 | Alex Ardoin | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 4 | 22 | Tyson Sy | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 5 | 3 | James Davison | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 6 | 12 | Natacha Gachnang | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 7 | 13 | Russell Walker | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 8 | 11 | Eric Freiberg | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 9 | 15 | Jonny Baker | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 10 | 18 | Steve Hickham | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 11 | 10 | Kyle Marcelli | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 12 | 20 | Dan Tomlin, Jr. | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 13 | 21 | Dave Mundy | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 14 | 19 | Dan Tomlin III | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 15 | 2 | Marco DiLeo | Pro Formula Mazda | 27 | - |
| 16 | 6 | Jonathan Goring | Pro Formula Mazda | 24 | - |
| 17 | 7 | Nick Haye | Pro Formula Mazda | 16 | - |
| 18 | 9 | Charles Anti | Pro Formula Mazda | 12 | - |
| 19 | 4 | Ron White | Pro Formula Mazda | 12 | - |
| 20 | 17 | Scott Rettich | Pro Formula Mazda | 6 | - |
| 21 | 8 | Lorenzo Mandarino | Pro Formula Mazda | 1 | - |
| 22 | 14 | Phil Fogg, Jr. | Pro Formula Mazda | 1 | - |
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