A List of Your Local NATOR Communities – What Makes Us Family

Ever wondered how to connect with your local Mazda crews and clubs?

Or have you ever gotten connected and then lost your ride somehow? For some of us it’s a crash, others of us sell our beloved Mazda and aim at our next dream car, or heck, even the necessary minivan.

What happens then? Not only did you lose your favorite car, but seemingly you lost out on the community as well. Does it make sense to show up to your favorite meets if you no longer drive the “proper” vehicle?

When it comes to the Nator groups, the love is still there regardless of what your next ride.

According to Micha Fullen, this is exactly how it goes; and it’s about so much more than the cars themselves:

“While at the annual Midwest meet this year in St Louis Missouri, washing my hair in the shower I had a thought, “Micha, why do you still come to this event when you don’t even own a Mazdaspeed anymore?”

I told myself, that being a Mazdaspeed owner past, present or future, is like being in a family. Especially when you involve yourself in the community and clubs that are offered throughout the country. Me, I’m a Nator Guy.

Year after year, we collectively travel thousands of miles to attend an event centered around vehicles that some of us don’t even own anymore. It’s crazy huh? Do the same thing, show up without owning the ‘correct’ Model Vehicle, at a VW or Honda meet and you get blacklisted and shunned.

Mazdaspeed owners don’t kick you out, or tell you that you shouldn’t be there. We just call each other; funny, and sometimes very rude, names. Then ask to race your new vehicle on a track, dragstrip or parking lot. (More recently it’s been even helpful to all of them that I bought a truck… because we all know with spirited driving, and some showing off, something is bound to go wrong)

I am closer to my Mazdaspeed family than I am to my own. This has been true since I bought my Speed 3 Jun of 2011. I had some problems with my car(s) and my Mazdaspeed (Nator) family came to my aid. But when that same family had problems of their own, I drove many miles or sometimes across multiple states to help them.

Corksport goes out of their way to attend these events. Not so much pushing parts, but to welcome family with open arms and stay connected to the grass roots of our community.

I met Barrett this year and even having never talked to him, he was the top 3 nicest dudes I have ever met. He got involved and talked shop with the majority of everyone in attendance. Kim is also a major voice in the community, listening to what the people want and bouncing ideas off of people to find how CorkSport can continuously push and evolve in this platform. She shows up to multiple events a year, stays in contact even throughout the winter and is always helping her “brothers and sisters” with their own endeavors, even if it doesn’t involve Corksport.

This year, if you were at the Midwest meet, you would see that a good majority of people have moved on to new platforms, specifically the new ecoboost options from Ford being very popular. Adrienne K with her Focus RS, Matt D with his FoST and Ryan P with his brand new FiST, and myself, I went way to the left with the new Raptor (Hey it has 2 turbos mmmmmkay).

It doesn’t matter what happens in your life, or even if you have moved on, we all got our start with Mazdaspeeds and we always stick with Family.”

As you see, being a Mazda owner is about the community, the family, the connection to other Mazdaspeed Enthusiasts.

And being an enthusiast isn’t always defined by the fact you still own a Mazda. It’s defined by being a car family. There may be groups that require you to own a Mazda to show up, but when it comes to Nator, once a Mazdaspeed Nator Family member, always one.

If you’re curious about where to connect, who to reach out to, or how to get in touch with your local Mazda club, check out the list below.

While we would love for this list to be exhaustive, it’s not, so if you’re currently involved in a club not listed, please let us know and we’ll be sure to make it easier for other CorkSport followers to connect with your group!

Download PDF of List: NATOR Clubs List

CorkSquad	https://www.facebook.com/groups/1634041806878345/	Savannah GA
Souther Street Crew	https://www.facebook.com/groups/454444514600458/	GA
MMOC	https://www.facebook.com/groups/MIMazda/	Michigan
ClubMPS	https://www.facebook.com/groups/clubmpsnz/	New Zealand
LVMazdas	https://www.facebook.com/groups/LVMazdas	Las Vegas
NoVA Mazdaclub	https://www.facebook.com/groups/321399927926454	VA
Mazda MIata Mx5 WA/OR	https://www.facebook.com/groups/1698103380420298	WA/OR
Mazda Militia	https://www.facebook.com/groups/mazdamilitia	WA
Nothern Mazda Militia	https://www.facebook.com/groups/286006598276940
Texas Mazdaspeeds	https://www.facebook.com/groups/TexasMazdaspeeds	TX
PNW_Mazda	https://www.facebook.com/groups/PNWMazda	WA/OR
Mazda 3 Owners Australia	https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mazda3OA	AUS
Mazdas of Kileen/Ford Hood	https://www.facebook.com/groups/texasspeeddemons	TX
Nator Oregon	https://www.facebook.com/groups/NatorOR	OR
Nator TN/KY	https://www.facebook.com/groups/206647016088166	TN/KY
Nator Oklahoma	https://www.facebook.com/groups/NATOROK/	OK
Nator NC/SC	https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Carolina/104083326294266	NC/SC
Nator Minnesota	https://www.facebook.com/groups/NatorMinnnesota	MN
Nator Georgia	https://www.facebook.com/groups/163448653866393	GA
Nator Florida	https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298072073575997/?ref=br_rs	FL
Nator Missouri	https://www.facebook.com/groups/natormo	MO
Nator Arizona	https://www.facebook.com/groups/708796579135806	AZ
Nator New Mexico	https://www.facebook.com/groups/270637012974823	NM
Nator San Diego	https://www.facebook.com/groups/natorsd/about/	CA
Nator DC Metro	https://www.facebook.com/groups/147772498652109	DC
Nator WA	https://www.facebook.com/groups/948847285235072	WA/OR
Nator WI	https://www.facebook.com/groups/379868465454404	WI
Nator Chapter E	https://www.facebook.com/groups/176597409073225/	FL
Nator New England	https://www.facebook.com/groups/255796874460817	New Englan
Nator Houston Miata	https://www.facebook.com/groups/446031202177809	TX
Mazda Owners of Nebraska	https://m.facebook.com/groups/733704760063616	Nebraska
Speed Squad	https://www.instagram.com/speedsquad.tm/	Quebec Canada
Mazda Flow London	https://www.facebook.com/groups/934300966591060/	Ontario Canada

October 12, 2017April 18, 2023

Introducing: The CorkSport Performance Polyurethane Exhaust Hanger Kit

The exhaust system on your Mazda is a loved and cherished part of your car’s character and performance.

It emits glorious sounds that keep you entertained and smiling from ear-to-ear, but if you can believe it, is only attached to your Mazda by a few soft rubber hangers.

Yes, your hard-earned stainless steel exhaust is ONLY suspended by small pieces of rubber…

Best replacement for the Mazda CX-5 Exhaust Hanger Kit

Here at CorkSport, we think it’s time that you show your exhaust system some love… it’s time to take the rubber off.

We present to you: the CorkSport Performance Polyurethane Exhaust Hanger kit.

The exhaust hanger kit replaces the four rubber exhaust hangers that would otherwise be used to mount and suspend your CorkSport Performance Exhaust System; the two rear hangers on the axle back section and the two mid-pipe hangers.

But why is polyurethane better?

Well there are a few reasons:

First, polyurethane is more durable and heat resistant than rubber so the hangers will perform better for a much longer period of time.
Second, and most importantly, the polyurethane used in the CorkSport Performance Kit uses a stiffer compound compared to the OE. The polyurethane hangers have 75A durometer stiffness vs the OE rubber at as low as 50A durometer. The increased stiffness helps minimize the movement of the exhaust while still providing the necessary flex between the car chassis and the exhaust system.

Mazda CX-5 Exhaust Hanger Kit with Exhaust

All-together, this means your performance exhaust system for you Mazda 3, Mazda 6, or Mazda CX-5 will not be able to move around under the car during spirited driving such as back roads, auto-crossing, or whatever motorsport event you prefer.

Keeping your exhaust system in place reduces your chance of damaging your beloved Mazda or the exhaust; it’s a win/win.

Link button to CX-5 Mazda Exhaust Hanger Kit

-Barett @ CS

PS: In addition to these hangers, we also carry the following other exhaust hanger options:

October 5, 2017October 13, 2017

The First CorkSport Branded Ride Mod + Vote For The CBR Graphics!

For those of you who have forgotten or who did not see the initial post we recently purchased a brand-new 2018 Mazda 3 Hatchback. Dubbed the CorkSport Branded Ride (CBR), we set out to start making it less like your mom’s car and more like something that suits the CorkSport name.

We turned to you all for suggestions and got some great feedback. We heard everything from wide bodykits, “slam it to the ground”, turbos and engine swaps, to easier mods like wheels, coil overs, and a new front lip.

We’re sure you’re anxious to find out where we’ve started: Intake? Exhaust? Springs? Our choice might surprise you.

But before we dig in to the first mod for the CBR, we first want to give you guys an opportunity to do something really fun:

Vote To Pick One of The 4 Graphic Concepts For The CorkSport Branded Ride!

Following up on our introduction to the CBR, our team here has decided to involve you guys in a whole new level of making this car look sick: Body Graphics!

Not only are we asking of your ideas and feedback for the mechanics of the CBR, we want you to decide on the aesthetics too. We want YOU to choose what this things actually looks like.

Our design team has developed 4 different concepts for the CBR graphics, and we must admit, they look pretty sweet. The concepts bring in a bunch of different styles, from racing to street, and are sure to make this baby an attention-grabber.

Here’s where you come in: We need you to cast a vote for your favorite concept for the CBR.

A few different ways you can vote:

Repost a pic of your favorite concept with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR on social media so we can see your vote. Then, tag a friend and ask them to pick their favorite!
Comment on one of our CBR social media posts for your vote with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR.
Leave a comment on this blog post with your vote.

Here’s an example:

“So stoked to get to pick the design of the #CorkSport Branded Ride! My vote is on Concept #3 for sure. – @TagYourFriend, what’s your vote?? #CorksportCBR”

We will gather votes together and whatever concept the CorkSport Community chooses will ultimately be brought to life on the real CBR!

Now, on to the First CBR Mod:

We did not want to go crazy right off the bat, so we looked at where the average Mazda 3 owner might start. Maybe a license plate kit, short ram intake? Catback exhaust? Lowering springs? – All good guesses.

We decided to go for a reliability mod that many people may not consider right away: a CorkSport Oil Catch Can kit.

Now, why would we install this right away on a brand new car? It shouldn’t have any issues with engine health. – Well, that’s the exact reason we installed it.

If it doesn’t have any issues right now and the engine is clean and new, then why not keep it that way?

As an engine operates, oil mist, fuel vapor, water vapor, and other gases can pass from the crankcase to the intake using the stock PCV system. Over time, as these gases condense, they form gunk and carbon buildup on valves, piston tops, and other vital engine components. An oil catch can exists to catch all of the oil mist and other vapors before they get back to the intake and dirty all of the nice clean engine components. Additionally, these other gases do not do any favors to the combustion cycle. – Just ask anyone who has emptied one during an oil change; what an OCC collects is pretty nasty.

Now let’s get to the install.

Locating the can itself is a snap, and finds a home in the driver’s side fender well. Routing the hoses is the difficult part, surprisingly, as you have to gain access to some of the factory PCV hose. This means removing the air box, intake tube, and even the starter. Once the factory hose is removed, the new hoses are installed and routed to the OCC.

Finally, we added the ball valve to the bottom of the CorkSport Oil Catch Can, which means next time the CBR needs an oil change we have an easy way to drain the OCC as well.

So what’s next for the CBR? That’s completely up to you!

Help us decide by submitting ideas for what YOU would do if this was your car.

REMINDER: We will give you cred for submitting an idea that we use for the mods. In short: This means Your Name will actually be put on the CorkSport Branded Ride!

Stay Tuned, you’ll be seeing more of the CBR soon.

Remember to cast your vote for the CBR Graphics!

Again, here’s how to vote:

Repost a pic of your favorite concept with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR on social media so we can see your vote. Then, tag a friend and ask them to pick their favorite!
Comment on one of our CBR social media posts for your vote with #CorkSport & #CorkSportCBR.
Leave a comment on this blog post with your vote.

October 3, 2017September 21, 2023

The Wait Is Over: The CorkSport Performance Intake Manifold Is Here

Can you believe we started this project back in 2012?

Yes, it’s been a long journey, and a few too many “two weeks”, only to find that more improvements were needed. We’ll be frank, this has been a challenging project to tackle, but we have prevailed. We have pushed past the challenges faced in manufacturing the complex design, and are proud to announce that we are ready to present you with the most complete solution for the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazdaspeed 6 platform. Introducing the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold!

The CorkSport Intake Manifold is here for those of us who want some more flow in our lives.

Our design focuses on performance without sacrificing OEM fitment or drivability. With equal flowing runners, higher flow than OE, and TMIC fitment, it truly is a complete solution to the OE intake manifold.

Close up shot of the CorkSport Intake Manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

Fitment is huge when it comes down to large engine components like intake manifolds. While designing the CorkSport IM, we wanted to retain as many OE features and mounting locations as possible while maintaining neat and tidy packaging. By doing so, we were able to keep components such as the TMIC, OEM throttle body, MAP Sensor, and even the oil dipstick bracket in OE locations. This all means a relatively quick and easy part to install, but we made it even easier by clearing some space around hard-to-reach areas.

The CorkSport Intake Manifold may fit like OE, but that’s where the similarities end.

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is designed with performance and drive-ability in mind, with the larger plenum design and long cylinder runners. Since the intake plenum is about three times larger than OE, there is an increase in high RPM power capacity without sacrificing throttle response and drivability. By maintaining the length of the cylinder runners (vs the typical aftermarket intake manifold), we improved mid-range power while still having peak RPM capacity with the single runner design vs. an OE split runner design.

Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold with larger plenum design

The increase in performance also comes with an increase in engine health.

By optimizing the design for equal flow between runners, the CorkSport IM eliminates the flow imbalance of the OE intake manifold. This significant imbalance causes cylinders to run excessively lean or rich, affecting engine durability and performance. Check out the graph below to see the difference. Not only does the CorkSport Intake Manifold outflow the OE design by 70CFM per runner on average but also significantly reduces the flow imbalance to 2% or less vs the OE imbalance of 21%.

This means your engine can run stronger, longer, and have a higher potential to make power.

CFM Bar Graph for the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But enough talk about numbers and flow, let’s SEE some numbers. The dyno graph below shows the difference before and after the CS IM on a Mazdaspeed3 with a CorkSport TD05H-18G turbo equipped. Not only was there an increase in power and torque across the entire RPM range, but the turbo also spooled around 100RPM faster than with the OE intake manifold.

Dynograph testing for the Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold

But wait there’s more! Along with the overall design improvement over OE; there are additional design features that you need to know about.

Firstly, we increased the size of the throttle body opening. This allows the OE throttle body to work great but also allows for a larger throttle body to be installed without modification.
Next, there are added fueling ports for each runner. They are standard 1/8-27 NPT ports that can be used with methanol nozzles or other fueling options.
Finally, there is an extra 1/8-27 NPT port that can be used for boost controllers, gauges, or the like.

Now you may be thinking, But there aren’t any larger throttle bodies available. To that, we say, not just YET!

the CorkSport throttle body on the Mazdaspeed intake manifold

Along with the great features of this new Performance Intake Manifold, we are also providing nearly all of the hardware you need for installation; that is, the brass fittings that come pre-installed on the intake manifold and the additional hardware and hoses needed for auxiliary components.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold hardware included

Now we would like to circle back to where we started with this conversation:

We here at CorkSport pride ourselves on doing everything in our power to provide you, our customers, with the best possible products out there. We also are committed to being real with you guys as well, because we too are Mazda-lovers who get a thrill out of overcoming the toughest challenges that stand between us and the ultimate car experience.

The most challenging aspect of this project has been getting the manufacturing to an acceptable quality, and consistent among each intake manifold. We have tested the intake manifold on multiple cars in-house and with various beta testers, the results speak for themselves: this is an exceptional performance product that your Mazdaspeed will love to have.

Believe us when we say that this design is tough to manufacture, and that process results in no two parts being exactly the same visually; but it also means that each manifold has its own unique look and character, the same way our cars do.

Mazdaspeed intake manifold interior view

top view of the CS mazdaspeed intake manifold

We guarantee that the CorkSport Intake Manifold will give you the best performance out there, but if for whatever reason you’re not satisfied with the unique look of your IM, please contact us and we’ll be more than happy to take care of you like we always do. – We’ve got your back!

The intake manifold installed on the Mazdaspeed engine.

That being said, if you’re looking to take your Mazdaspeed to the next level in both speed and reliability, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed Intake Manifold is the best comprehensive solution on the market.

These babies are only available while supplies last, so don’t wait, they’ll be gone before you know it!

Connect with us

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September 28, 2017September 13, 2018

Dear Car Clubs: We Want To Hear From You!

Dear Car Guy,

Did you know there are LOTS of Car Guys and Gals out there in the Mazdaspeed world?

From Nator Clubs and Mazda Nova Clubs to Mazdaspeed and Meet Up Clubs, the branding is slightly different for each area and each group, but the heart and soul of the people who get involved stays the same.

Great people, big appetites (for speed and food), awesome tastes in beers and booze, and a genuine care for their fellow club members. I have made sure to attend meets and get to know the nitty gritty center of our Mazda Community, mostly because who doesn’t want to do Car stuff with their Car friends. However, I also do it because it’s an integral part of CorkSport’s vision, to give unprecedented levels of customer support and connection to the Mazda Community.

We ultimately just want to LOVE OUR CUSTOMERS, and I’ll take one for the team and meet you Guys and Gals face to face.

We’ve been to the MidWest Nator meet, the East Coast Nator Meet, and the Boise Mazda Take-over event this past year. We have also hosted our CorkSport Dyno day and given the west coast Mazda community a place to gather as well! Let me just say, it’s been amazing getting to know everyone, and seeing some awesome familiar faces.

The one thing that really stands out for me is the sense of community that is built at the center of all of this. I’ll admit I’m a people person, so of course YOU are my favorite part of working for CorkSport, however, it’s a community like no other, regardless of the title it goes by. The values of the Mazda community stay fairly similar, with mods, install days, track days, meet ups, and expansion of the love we all share for the Mazda Platform.

A group of awesome individuals, getting together, teaching those who don’t know how, and taking are of those who do (and still break down).

There are Groups all over the US (and I’m sure international), that we don’t even know about. It’s my hope that when you read this, you pass me your group pages, club names, social addresses, etc., so that CorkSport can help others in your area connect!

Near and Far, no matter where you are, let CorkSport hear from you!

Until next time, stay safe, stay fast, stay happy my friends!

-Kim @ CorkSport