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In 2013, the Pro Formula Mazda Championship entered its twenty-third season as one of North America's
premier open-wheel driver development series. Series graduates have gone on to race in F1, Indy Cars, NASCAR, American Le Mans and Grand-Am.
The big news in the off-season was that the series ended its relationship with Goodyear and Cooper became the series' official tire supplier. After several years the Mazda open-wheel championship replaced its race-proven Star Mazda with a new model. Beginning in 2004, competitors began racing a Pro Formula Mazda. It has proven to be a safe and reliable car. 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 2013 Pro Formula Mazda Championship was held at Circuit of the Americas and ended in early-October at Houston, Texas.
In addition to the overall title, championships were on the line for:
Toronto's Exhibition Place hosted rounds seven and eight of the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires. Drivers would compete in two thirty-minute contests around the 1.755-mile eleven-turn temporary street circuit.
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The points leader, Matthew Brabham, entered the Toronto event with five consecutive victories. The driver of the No. 83 MAZDASPEED / Team Andretti Autosport Pro Formula Mazda qualified on the pole for the weekend's first contest and went flag-to-flag for the victory. Overnight, Braham's team had to replace the engine. After a hardship lap, all seemed fine and the proof was his seventh win of the season. |
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As of round seven, Diego Ferreira was the only driver to beat Matthew Brabham. Ferreira won the first race of the year at Circuit of the Americas, driving the No. 57 Juncos Racing Pro Formula Mazda. During the qualifying session for Saturday's race in Toronto, he was fifth fastest. Ferreira jumped third at the start and passed Juan Piedrahita on lap-13 for a second-place finish. In the finale, he started sixth and finished second. |
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Nicolas Costa made his series debut in Toronto, driving the No. 82 Team Pelfrey Pro Formula Mazda. The Brazilian won last year's Formula Abarth European Series. Costa was third fastest in qualifying for Saturday's race. A poor start resulted in the loss of several spots. However, he battled back to a third-place result. Costa was gridded third on Sunday, but a yellow flag pass resulted in a 25-second penalty and a sixth-place finish. |
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Juan Piedrahita qualified on the outside of the front row for the weekend's first race at Toronto. Piedrahita chased Matthew Brabham early in the contest; however, a tire began losing air and he dropped to a seventh-place finish. Sunday would provide him with an opportunity to redeem himself. Piedrahita started in the fourth position. He moved to second early in the contest but lost the spot and finished third. |
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The No. 18 World Speed Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda was piloted by Kyle Kaiser. Last year, Kaiser made his first series start in rounds fifteen and sixteen at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Before Toronto, his best result in 2013 was a fifth at St. Pete. Kaiser qualified tenth for Saturday's race but charged to a fifth-place finish. In the weekend's final race, he delivered the same performance – tenth to fifth at the checker. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Matthew Brabham | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 2 | 5 | Diego Ferreira | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 3 | 8 | Nicolas Costa | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 4 | 9 | Lloyd Read | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 5 | 10 | Kyle Kaiser | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 6 | 7 | Shelby Blackstock | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 7 | 2 | Juan Piedrahita | Pro Formula Mazda | 24 | - |
| 8 | 11 | Spencer Pigot | Pro Formula Mazda | 23 | - |
| 9 | 6 | Walt Bowlin | Pro Formula Mazda | 19 | - |
| 10 | 4 | Scott Anderson | Pro Formula Mazda | 18 | - |
| 11 | 8 | Zack Meyer | Pro Formula Mazda | 15 | - |
| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Matthew Brabham | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 2 | 6 | Diego Ferreira | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 3 | 4 | Juan Piedrahita | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 4 | 8 | Zack Meyer | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 5 | 10 | Kyle Kaiser | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 6 | 3 | Nicolas Costa | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 7 | 5 | Shelby Blackstock | Pro Formula Mazda | 24 | - |
| 8 | 11 | Walt Bowlin | Pro Formula Mazda | 24 | - |
| 9 | 2 | Scott Anderson | Pro Formula Mazda | 23 | - |
| 10 | 9 | Lloyd Read | Pro Formula Mazda | 22 | Did Not Finish |
| 11 | 7 | Spencer Pigot | Pro Formula Mazda | 14 | Did Not Finish |
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