Historic Sportscar Racing “The Mitty” at Road Atlanta – HSR Photo
Mazda’s Racing Success and More in Action and on Display April 23 – 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, Georgia (April 6, 2026) – Mazda is the featured marque of
this month’s Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) 48th HSR The Mitty, April
23 – 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Both HSR and Mazda are
pulling out the stops on the track and in the paddock to celebrate
several Mazda anniversaries and present a special feature race open to
all Spec Miata and Spec MX-5 (SMX) competitors.
Working with IMSA and HSR, Mazda is opening the door to SMX and Spec
Miata racers with a variety of licenses to get in on the HSR The Mitty
action. These competitor and fan favorites will run in the HSR Vintage
Cup division in addition to being welcome in a bonus Spec Miata/SMX-only
race on Saturday, April 25, at no additional entry fee cost.
The “Mazda Feature Race” is a 20-minute sprint offering significant
contingency prizes: Mazda will pay out $4,000 for first, $2,500 for
second, and $1,250 for third in both Spec Miata and SMX classes. Hoosier
Tire will provide a free set of tires to each class winner, and a Penske
Shocking Performance award will go to the driver who advances the most
positions.
All entries are managed by HSR and require a $25 HSR license fee. The
HSR MERGE portal for registration and entries can be found here:
https://merg.hsrrace.com/ [1]. For a full schedule, list of classes and
other event information, click here for the official 48th HSR The Mitty
event page [2].
“The passion and competition within the Spec Miata and Spec MX-5
communities are the heartbeat of grassroots racing and reflect the
unwavering drive and performance of our HSR community as well,” said
HSR President John Doonan. “We are thrilled to give these competitors
some time in the spotlight at HSR’s oldest and one of our biggest races
so they can experience the incredible competition and camaraderie that
HSR offers.”
Crowned by overall victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring, and many class victories at the Rolex 24 at
Daytona, Mazda’s rich history in racing dates more than 60 years and
was formalized by the formation of Mazda Motorsports in 1999. Since
then, Mazda has become a leader in American grassroots motorsports,
driven by the popularity of the rotary-powered RX-7 and MX-5 ‘Miata’
on both the street and the racetrack.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Mazda MX-5 as a competition
car, the 35th anniversary of Mazda’s overall victory at Le Mans, the
65th anniversary of Mazda’s first use of the revolutionary Wankel
rotary engine in a production car, and the 95th anniversary of the Mazda
brand.
Additionally, the Mazda Heritage Collection’s own 1989 767B, 1990
787-002,1991 RX-7 GTO and 1992 RX-792P return to The Mitty. The RX-7 GTO
will compete in HSR Legacy Racers Group 8 along with other Mazda RX-7
GTO and GTU cars. The 767B, 787-002 and RX7-792P will compete in HSR
Historic Trophy Group 6, alongside any other Mazda-powered prototypes.
Driving Mazda’s Heritage Collection vehicles are drivers well-known to
the Mazda Motorsports family: Tom Long will pilot the 767B, Joel Miller
will be in the 792P, Tristan Nunez will drive the 787 and Alex Bachoura
will tackle the RX-7 GTO.
As the organization’s oldest and first blockbuster event, The Mitty is
the building block around which HSR was formed, and another stout entry
of vintage and historic race cars representing dozens of marques are
expected for the 2026 edition. As always, the schedule for The Mitty is
packed, with 10 feature races and non-stop sprints for multiple Run
Groups.
The Mazda Heritage Collection will have several notable Mazda racing
cars on display and in competition at The Mitty, and its trailer will
serve as a hub for fans and media, while anchoring the Mazda Competitor
Village and serving as a visual showcase for Mazda’s presence.
Mazda began selling cars in the United States in 1970, but it was the
introduction of the rotary-powered RX-2 and RX-3 shortly thereafter that
truly drew attention to the brand. The RX-2 and RX-3 quickly became
fixtures on the track, and several examples can be seen at The Mitty as
part of the weekend’s various races, many of which include competition
Mazdas of all eras.
In addition to the Spec Miata/SMX-only race, Mazda-related activities on
this year’s bill include:
– A Grid Walk preceding a 30-minute Mazda feature race with a grid
comprised of HSR cars and Spec Miata and Spec MX-5 cars.
– Activities during track ‘quiet times’ on Sunday including MX-5
street car parade laps, participant and parade lap group photos.
– A Mazda Legends panel featuring a Q&A session with notables including
Doonan, Mazda’s Jonathan Applegate and distinguished Mazda drivers such
as Jim Downing, Amos Johnson and Roger Mandeville.
Tickets for the 48th HSR The Mitty presented by Hagerty at Michelin
Raceway Road Atlanta can be purchased online at:
https://am.ticketmaster.com/ral/buy/Mitty2026 For complete information
on the 48th annual The Mitty Presented by Hagerty race weekend,
including the event schedule, entry lists and ticket information, visit:
https://www.hsrrace.com/the-mitty/ [3]