Mazda MX-5 clinches win at 2024 Kalayaan Cup amid gearbox issue

MANILA: The Mazda MX-5 claimed the top spot at this year’s 12-hour Kayalaan Cup despite experiencing a gearbox issue mid-race.

Per the local wing of the Japanese carmaker, the #55 car of Team MSCC Mazda Miata ran into a rare gearbox failure at the 4.5-hour mark while it was three laps ahead of everyone else. As a result, the race car lost its pace and went to the pits.

“Mechanical issues happen in racing,” said Team MSCC Mazda Miata driver Tyson Sy.

“The team decided that for as long as we have the parts, we’ll continue. At this point, our mindset was simply never to give up,” he added.

Works team mechanics then replaced the entire gearbox in less than two hours and sent the Mazda MX-5 back to the track. Despite being 40 laps down, the team put their head together and cut the difference to just 25 laps by the 10-hour mark.

During the 11.5-hour mark, Team MSCC Mazda Miata found itself in seventh place overall — just 21 laps down to the leaders and two laps down from its main rival in the Open A Class.

Thanks to the Mazda MX-5’s nimble handling and capable powertrain, the works team was able to claw their way back up. Speaking of which, the race car packed a stock 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G mill that is mated to a six-speed Skyactiv-Drive manual transmission.

On paper, the said setup dishes out some 181 horsepower with 205 Newton-meters of torque.

“The performance of the MX-5 this year exceeded our expectations. We think we have already reached the optimal efficiency of what this car offers as a racing platform,” noted Team MSCC Mazda Miata driver Angie King.

Near the end of the endurance race, the #55 Mazda MX-5 slashed the gap to just four seconds. All that was left was one more lap and Team MSCC Mazda Miata felt that a class win was within reach.

And at the Acacia Corner (Clark International Speedway’s tricky no-lift last corner) the Team MSCC Mazda Miata’s race entry overook its rival to take the Open A Championship.

“Every race, we treat winning as the ultimate reward, and thanks to everyone’s efforts — the drivers, the mechanics, everyone — our class victory at the 2024 Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Race is much sweeter,” explained Team MSCC Mazda Miata driver Steven Tan.

“We faced hardships in achieving our result this year, but it’s all part of Mazda’s ‘Never Stop Challenging Spirit.’ I’m so proud of what Team MSCC Mazda Miata has achieved,” he added.

The Mazda MX-5 is offered in the Philippines in three variants: a convertible soft top equipped with a six-speed manual, a convertible soft top with a six-speed automatic with Sport Mode, and a retractable fastback with a six-speed automatic with Sport Mode.

All three trims share the same engine but have various performance outputs. For example, the manual gearbox-equipped model has a top speed of 219 kilometers per hour (kph) and can zoom from a standstill to 100 kph in 6.5 seconds.

To boot, it also gets a double wishbone suspension system with Bilstein dampers at the front. A multi-link suspension supports its rear. It also gets an asymmetric limited-slip differential, which further boosts its handling.

Meanwhile, the retractable fastback model — while packing the same mill as the aforementioned only has a peak speed of 200 kph and an acceleration time from zero to 100 kph in 7.9 seconds. Coming in with a top speed of 199 kph and an acceleration time of 7.6 seconds (from zero to 100 kph) is the automatic transmission-equipped convertible.

Photos from Mazda Philippines

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