Mazda at Le Mans

HOW MANY MAZDAS? FOUR ON THE LE MANS GRID

Mazda made a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans last season. The only Japanese manufacturer to win the world's greatest race is back again this year with an eye-popping four Mazda-powered entries among the 12 LMP2 cars on the grid this year.

The Mazda MZR-R two-liter turbo is mated with a pair of Lola chassis and two Pescarolos this year. The four Mazdas at the race ties 1984 as the year with the greatest number of Mazda powerplants. It was an especially fruitful season 25 years ago with a C2 class win for Yoshimi Katayama, John Morton and John O'Steen in a Lola-Mazda.

Three Mazdas famously graced the grid in 1991, including the overall winning car of Volker Weidler, Bertrand Gachot and former American Le Mans Series star and race-winner Johnny Herbert.

Mazda's first Le Mans appearance came in 1970 with its first victory in 1983. There have been eight class victories, 18 podium finishes (class and overall) and five pole positions.

This year's lineup in Mazda-powered cars includes Dyson Racing's Chris Dyson, who is driving RML's Mazda-powered Lola coupe with Thomas Erdos and Mike Newton.

-credit: alms