The Mexican rally team, GHR Motorsport started an ambitious project almost one year ago to create the world’s first Mazda 2 R1, a project which culminated in November of 2019. The car couldn´t have had a better first appearance when it was first driven at the FIA NACAM Rally Championship Colima 2019 (3ºEdition). Racing from the city of Colima to the beautiful beach of Manzanillo, the duo of Jerry Hernández Jr. and Jerry Hernández Sr. took 1st place in the RC5 FIA NACAM category in the car’s international debut. They also achieved a second place overall in the CRO (Regional Rally Championship), adding 18 points to their final standings and, as a consequence, secured the CRO Championship for the 2019 season.

 

Jerry Hernández Jr. stated, “The results were better than we expected as it was the first rally and first true test of the car. It was a very tight schedule to get it ready in time for the event, but the Mazda felt really good, very agile. Obviously, it’s not a high-powered car but it’s very fun to drive and, once you get used to it, you can take advantage of its strengths to put good times on the board. It became one the fastest cars of the category and even beat vehicles with more power. It set a great first impression and we will be putting in even more work to continue developing this project into the future ahead”.

 

By beating all the cars from the same category, this was a fantastic demonstration that revealed that the Mazda 2 R1 is competitive and can withstand even severe weather conditions, as it was racing in temperatures between 32-36°C, in extreme humidity. The most important test of the car was on the first day of the rally, when scrutineering of the administrative and technical specifications were checked in order to confirm the car fit every single point of the sporting regulations set down by the FIA. If even one aspect did not conform with the regulations, the team would have been unable to compete in the event. Fortunately, thanks to the team’s alliance with the FIA NACAM, the FIA DELEGATE from Argentina, Mr. Ángel Portela led the way to build the car, ensuring that all adjustments were in line with the regulations.

 

With this result, the team finished the racing season for 2019. They now have two very important events ahead: In the first week of December they have been invited to the Mazda Automotive plant to show the car to all the employees, including all the Japanese staff who work at the assembly factory, the place where this Mazda 2 R1 was born. They will also be getting ready for the official national press launch of the Mazda 2 R1 at the Hermanos Rodriguez F1 CIRCUIT in partnership with Pirelli Motorsport on December 20th.

 

About the Mazda 2 R1

 

The new Mazda 2 R1 is not only the first in the world, but also has been approved by the International Automobile Federation in North and Central America (FIA NACAM). This certification allows it to not only compete in Mexico, but also to access International events on the continent, such as the the World Rally Championship (WRC) events in America, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

 

Furthermore, it conforms to all the necessary regulations to run in practically any American championship, not just WRC events. The car has also been designed to be capable of scaling to the R2 category, all under the regulations indicated by the FIA for category R cars.

 

This project not only set out to create the first Mazda 2 R1, but sought to renew the vehicle fleet in the region and create affordable cars that could compete with the big cars from around the world. The Mazda 2 R1 will be for sale and will have an estimated delivery time of four months. With an estimated price of 33,000 USD, the cars are ready to race and include FIA Homologation certifications guaranteeing the work.

 

They are built entirely in Guanajuato and are specially designed for young people who are looking forward to starting a career in rally. In order to do so with the best car possible, this project offers the best quality at an affordable cost. In addition, thanks to the FIA certifications, they can be exported to any part of America and are candidates to run in any national rally championship.

 

Text and Photos by GHR Motorsport