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Formula D, Northwest Style

CorkSport spent Friday and Saturday soaking up the summer sun at the Round 5 Pro Championship Formula Drift at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. The weather could not have been more perfect; blue skies and moderate temperatures welcomed us on both days. I was joined by our lead engineer, Andrew and our shop manager, Dustin and we brought out our Rx8 and Mazdaspeed 3 to show off our CorkSport parts during the show.

Participating in the drifting event over the weekend were four Mazda’s. Two Rx8’s, a FD Rx7, and a FC Rx7. The two Rx8’s and the FC were part of the Formula D pro series and the FD was participating in the Pro-Am event.

The first Rx8, raced by Kyle Mohan of KyleMohanRacing out of California, is powered by a 13B turbo engine which generates 525 wheel hp through a liberty transmission.

Kyle made it to the Great 8 round despite an ambitious chase car that hit Mohan’s in the round before, bending a tie rod end, which required some fast service work on his car. Unfortunately for Kyle he lined up against Rhys Millen and did not make it to the final 4 to compete for a trophy.

The second Rx8, built by Bergenholtz Racing and driven by Joon Maeng, is powered by a turbocharged 20B putting the power down through an HKS sequential 6 speed. The exhaust note of the engine is crazy loud but incredible sounding.

Joon was knocked out in the top 16 round after he had what looked to be a problem with a gear engagement on the last corner.

The last Pro entry Mazda was an FC Rx7 driven by Charles Ng and prepared by Evasive Motorsports.

Unfortunately this Rx7 was not running a Mazda power plant and went the path of an LS7 V8 making it undeserving of any close up pics, but we did get some video of his run. Charles qualified for the event in 20th but was knocked out in the first round of 32.

The FD Rx7, competing in the Pro-Am Formula D event and driven by Tyler Wolfson from Del Mar, California was the most entertaining story of the weekend, even though we regret that he suffered the worst ending. Tyler is currently working toward a Pro license for Formula D by racing in the Pro-Am events in his FD Rx7.

He had an unfortunate part failure that left his car disabled and despite putting up a sign in hopes of getting onto the track, no one offered up a spare part and after a few hours and a post on Facebook, it was apparent there would be no luck in getting a transmission for the disabled FD.

On Saturday, Wolfson gave it one more shot by making an appeal for a loaner, but with no luck on that front either, he relented and got to hang out and enjoy the show with the rest of the spectators. We wish him luck in the upcoming drift events this year.

We had a great time talking with the racers and our customers at last weekend’s race and look forward to next year’s event.

-Derrick

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CorkSport Top Mount Intercooler Development Process

The idea for the CorkSport Top Mount Intercooler (TMIC) was originally developed from a thread started by azmavhockey3 on the Mazdas247 forum. This idea exchange by Mazda owners on the forum lead to an in-depth development process that included several design iterations, prototype testing, sample testing, and finally production testing. The end result was the recently released CorkSport TMIC which provides solid power gains at a great value.

The following graphic demonstrates the development and testing process for the CorkSport TMIC.

Why a 3″ Core for the TMIC 

  1. Helps Maximize dissipation.
  2. Can directly bolt on the OEM cover which is designed to mate with the hood venting shroud for optimal flow.
  3. Leaves a clean look in the engine bay and covers up many of the wire and hoses near the fuel pump.

Max Gains

(Click Here to download a pdf of the TMIC Development and Testing Infographic)

Read More About the CorkSport TMIC

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

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CorkSport Product Release! – Introducing the New CorkSport Radiator Cap

CorkSport is pleased to announce its third July release and the newest addition to the CorkSport Mazda Accessory line, the CorkSport Radiator Cap.

Enhance the look of your engine bay and keep your cooling system functioning properly with the all new CorkSport Radiator Cap. Designed to original equipment quality standards, the caps are manufactured for precise pressure control and are available in 1.1 and 1.4 Bar A/S/B/N styles to either match or safely exceed OEM coolant pressures and fitments.

This comes as the third CorkSport brand product introduced to the market this month and furthers CorkSport’s commitment to developing and launching a steady stream of new CorkSport brand products to the market this year. With a focus on reducing cost drivers CorkSport has employed lean manufacturing techniques to reduce set-up time, cost of rejects and rework, and has streamlined freight shipping methods and frequency in an effort to produce the highest quality part for the best possible price.

The simple to install radiator cap is priced at just $27.00 and comes in two styles. The radiator caps are made from stainless steel and depending on your model of Mazda are available with a flat black finish or brushed stainless finish. For details on the models and fits of the CorkSport Radiator Cap, please check our two product listings, The CorkSport Mazda Radiator Cap Type A/S with flat black finish and the CorkSport Mazda Radiator Cap, Type B/N with brushed stainless finish.

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CX-5 Debut and US Release in Summer of 2012?

The Transportation Department published a press release yesterday (July 14, 2011) granting in full the Mazda Motor Corporate petition for an exemption of the CX-5 vehicle line from the Theft Prevention Standard and determined that the “antitheft device to be on the line as standard equipment was likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts marking requirements of the Theft Prevention Standard…”

Why do we care, you might ask? This is a key indicator that Mazda is readying the Mazda CX-5 for release in the US and based on the pattern we have seen from past models that have made an entrance into the US market, it is likely that we will see the 2013 CX-5 for sale in the US by summer of 2012.

The Mazda CX-5 will be the third model in the CX line-up, next to the CX-7 and CX-9, and will appropriately be the smallest one. Mazda said in a press release about the CX-5 that “(It) will be the first production vehicle to incorporate Mazda’s new design theme, ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ as debuted on the Mazda SHINARI concept car, as well as the full range of breakthrough SKYACTIV technologies, including engines, transmissions, body and chassis. The CX-5 will join Mazda’s global line-up in 2012”

According to autocar, the CX-5 will be available with diesel and a six-speed manual (though the diesel is not likely to be made available in the US) and are also proposed with a double body variant 3 and 5 doors, all of which should ensure that the compact crossover not only looks good but is also fun to drive and fuel efficient.

Look out for the debut of this car at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

Gwynne-

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CorkSport Product Release! – CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Lowering Springs Now Available

CorkSport in pleased to announce the addition of the CorkSport 2007+ Mazdaspeed 3 Lowering Springs to its line of Mazdaspeed 3 products!

By replacing the stock springs with the CorkSport Lowering Springs, the center of gravity is reduced on the Mazdaspeed 3 providing a quicker turning response and overall crisper road feel. It also has the added benefit of creating less wheel gap which gives the car a performance appearance and edge over the stock springs.

The CorkSport Lowering Springs reduce ride height by approximately 1.2” in the front and 1.0” in the rear resulting in improved handling and a more aggressive stance. The linear spring rate creates a consistent and predictable driving experience, all while maintaining excellent ride quality for your Mazdaspeed 3.

“I really like the way my ride handles with the new sport springs. I have better road feel and increased handling on corners,” said CorkSport customer Illiad Boyce about the new lowering springs, “Even my girlfriend commented on the way the car rode. They are stiff like they should be, but not too stiff to be jarring.”

Crafted from high tensile strength spring steel with an OEM finish to ensure long lasting quality and performance, this lowering spring kit is durable enough to offer quality performance for ages to come! The lowering springs improve both the handling and look of their Mazdaspeed 3’s.

For more information or to purchase the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Lowering Springs, please visit our product page at https://www.corksport.com/corksport-mazdaspeed-3-lowering-spring-set.html