The Mazda Navajo is a mid-size SUV manufactured by Ford Motor Company for the Japanese automaker Mazda , and is a rebadged version of the first generation Ford Explorer . It was Mazda's first SUV , and was offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
31-564: The Navajo won the 1991 Motor Trend Truck of the Year award, but because of its Explorer origins, its reputation deteriorated amid the Firestone and Ford tire controversy . The Navajo featured a few minor changes from the Explorer it was based on. It was given a revised front fascia, new taillamps and wheels, and the bumpers were painted dark gray (resulting in the deletion of all chrome trim). The interior
62-451: A program that doesn't take over the entrants entire weekend. TNiA goes to well known tracks like Road America, VIR, even Sebring and Lime Rock. There are also smaller club tracks like CMP, AMP and Pitt Race. TNiA puts on about 150 events a year, totaling nearly 10,000 entrants each year, and as of 2024 has been running for 10 years. In recent years, the SCCA has expanded and re-organized some of
93-582: A rear-wheel drive version of the Navajo was introduced for 1992. As with the first-generation Explorer, all Navajos were fitted with a 4.0 L V6; a five-speed manual was standard, with a four-speed automatic offered as an option (on both the DX and LX). Some criticized Mazda's use of the Navajo name without compensating the Navajo people as exploitative . During a 1990 unveiling ceremony, Mazda spokesperson Duane Bowen responded to
124-498: A regional or a national racing license. Both modified production cars (ranging from lightly modified cars with only extra safety equipment to heavily modified cars that retain only the basic shape of the original vehicle) and designed-from-scratch " formula " and " sports racer " cars can be used in Club Racing. Most of the participants in the Club Racing program are unpaid amateurs, but some go on to professional racing careers. The club
155-521: Is Jerry Hansen , (former owner of Brainerd International Raceway ), with twenty-seven national championships. The fivve national classes of the formula group are Formula Atlantic (FA), Formula Continental (FC), Formula Enterprises 2 (FE2), Formula F (FF), and Formula Vee (FV). The SCCA dropped its amateur only policy in 1962 and began sanctioning professional racing. In 1963, the United States Road Racing Championship
186-533: Is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting Autocross , Rallycross , HPDE , Time Trial , Road Racing , and Hill Climbs in the United States . Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers. The SCCA traces its roots to the Automobile Racing Club of America (not to be confused with the current stock car series of the same name ). ARCA
217-603: Is also the source for race workers in all specialties. The annual national championship for Club Racing is called the SCCA National Championship Runoffs and has been held at Riverside International Raceway (1964, 1966, 1968), Daytona International Speedway (1965, 1967, 1969, 2015), Road Atlanta (1970–1993), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (1994–2005, 2016), Heartland Park Topeka (2006–2008), Road America (2009-2013, 2020), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (2014), and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2017). In 2018,
248-489: Is branded as "Solo". Up to four cars at a time run on a course laid out with traffic cones on a large paved surface, such as a parking lot or airport runway, without interfering with one another. Competitions are held at the regional, divisional, and national levels. A national champion in each class is determined at the national championship (usually referred to as "Nationals") held in September. In 2009, Solo Nationals moved to
279-675: The 1976 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship . Current SCCA-sanctioned series include Trans Am , the GT World Challenge America for GT and touring cars , the Global MX-5 Cup , and the F1600 Championship Series , F2000 Championship Series , and Atlantic Championship Series for open-wheel racing. SCCA Pro Racing has also sanctioned professional series for some amateur classes such as Spec Racer Ford Pro and Formula Enterprises Pro. SCCA Pro Racing also sanctioned
310-624: The European Car of the Year that began in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines, the Green Car of the Year selected by a panel of automotive and environmental experts, the Tow Car of the Year chosen by selected sponsors in the industry, and the Fleet Car of the Year that is voted by professional fleet managers. Motor Trend ' s Car of the Year is "one of the most prestigious honors bestowed in
341-570: The Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, Nebraska . Individual national-level events called "Championship Tours" and "Match Tours" are held throughout the racing season. The SCCA also holds national-level events in an alternate format called "ProSolo". In ProSolo, two cars compete at the same time on mirror-image courses with drag racing -style starts, complete with reaction and 60-foot times. Class winners and other qualifiers (based on time differential against
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#1732848374863372-635: The United States Road Racing Championship series for Group 7 sports cars to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC Road Racing Championship . Bishop was also instrumental in founding the SCCA Trans-Am Series and the SCCA/ CASC Can-Am series. In 1969, tension and infighting over Pro Racing's autonomy caused Bishop to resign and help form the International Motor Sports Association . The autocross program
403-546: The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup during its time. The SCCA is organized into six conferences, nine divisions and 115 regions, each organizing events in that area to make the events more accessible to people throughout the country. The number of divisions has increased since the SCCA's foundation. Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific started as a single Pacific Coast Division until dividing in 1966. Rocky Mountain Division
434-466: The World Rally Championship . At the end of the 2004 season SCCA dropped ProRally and ClubRally. A new organization, Rally America , picked up both series starting in 2005. Road rallies are run on open, public roads. These are not races in the sense of speed, but of precision and navigation. The object is to drive on time, arriving at checkpoints with the proper amount of elapsed time from
465-479: The Runoffs will go back west to Sonoma Raceway . In 2019, the race will be held at Virginia International Raceway a track where the race has never been held. It was announced on 15 June 2018 that the Runoffs would go back to Road America in the year 2020. On 25 May 2019, the weekend of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 , SCCA announced they will be returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021. The current SCCA record holder
496-472: The SCCA's use; the SCCA relied heavily on these venues during the early and mid-1950s during the transition from street racing to permanent circuits. By 1962, the SCCA was tasked with managing the U.S. World Sportscar Championship rounds at Daytona , Sebring , Bridgehampton and Watkins Glen . The club was also involved in the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix . SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create
527-545: The Year The Motor Trend Car of the Year ( COTY ) is an annual Car of the Year award given by Motor Trend magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed car in a given model year. Motor Trend , which debuted in 1949, was the first publication to name a Car of the Year . The inaugural Motor Trend Car of the Year award recognized Cadillac 's V8 engine in 1949 (75 years ago) ( 1949 ) . The earliest awards were given to
558-439: The auto industry." The trophy for the winner, a depiction of calipers , is often used in the winning automaker's marketing and advertising. Most cars that win the award report a spike in sales. To be eligible for the award, a car must be an "all-new" or "substantially upgraded" vehicle that has been on sale within twelve months from the previous November, vehicles that have been on sale for over five years are ineligible for
589-528: The award. Between the contenders, it is not a comparison test. In 2014 as an example, the Motor Trend judges debated and evaluate each vehicle against six key criteria: Motor Trend also only considers cars with base MSRPs less than $ 150,000 in order to avoid expensive luxury and super cars dominating the competition. Vehicles are subjected to a battery of tests: standard car tests such as skid-pad ratings, acceleration and quarter-mile times, and evaluations of
620-516: The class winner) then compete in a handicapped elimination round called the "Challenge". Points are awarded in both class and Challenge competition, and an annual champion is crowned each September at the ProSolo Finale event in Lincoln, Nebraska. The SCCA sanctions "RallyCross" events, similar to autocross, but on a non-paved course. SCCA ProRally was a national performance rally series similar to
651-551: The criticism by saying that the name was chosen as "uniquely American," and a symbol of strength and integrity. To address the criticism, Mazda donated a 1991 model Navajo to the tribe, which was officially accepted by the Government Services Committee of Torreon, New Mexico . The Mazda Navajo stopped production after three years. It was replaced by the Ford Escape -based Mazda Tribute . Motor Trend Car of
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#1732848374863682-508: The event for the SCCA. In 1951, the SCCA National Sports Car Championship was formed from existing marquee events around the nation, including Watkins Glen, Pebble Beach , and Elkhart Lake . Many early SCCA events were held on disused air force bases, organized with the help of Air Force General Curtis LeMay , a renowned enthusiast of sports car racing. LeMay loaned out facilities of Strategic Air Command bases for
713-533: The higher-speed events under the Time Trials banner. These include Performance Driving Experience ("PDX"), Club Trials, Track Trials, and Hill Climb events. PDX events are non-competition HPDE -type events and consist of driver-education and car control classroom learning combined with on-track instruction. The Club Racing program is a road racing division where drivers race on either dedicated race tracks or on temporary street circuits. Competitors require either
744-603: The interiors are combined with a track run conducted by Sports Car Club of America -licensed testers and taking the cars out on normal roads to test their drivability under normal conditions, and fuel economy. Trucks and SUVs add towing capacity and speed, plus an off-road course, to the normal regimen. Note that in 1970 and between 1976–2000, the Car of the Year award was split into two categories, domestic and import. Introduced in 1970 for one year and then brought back in 1976 due to differences between imports and American cars. The award
775-582: The manufacturer or division, not for a specific vehicle. The 1958 Ford Thunderbird became the first single model to be selected. In 1970, the Ford Torino won the COTY while Motor Trend selected the Porsche 914 for its first Import COTY award. In 1972, the low-volume imported Citroën SM won the overall COTY award. Between 1976 and 1999, the COTY award was split in two: Domestic COTY and Import COTY . The trophy
806-456: The previous checkpoint. Competitors do not know where the checkpoints are. Track Night in America is a track experience program sanctioned by the SCCA. The program is designed to be low barrier to entry, and accepting to all skill levels. Events happen all over the country, on week evenings usually between Tuesday and Thursday. SCCA planned week night track events to keep costs down, as well as build
837-489: Was discontinued after the 1999 model year when the difference between what was a domestic and an import had started to become problematic. "SUV of the Year" was split from "Truck of the Year" in 1999. Motor Trend began their Performance Vehicle of the Year award in 2022. Motor Trend magazine's China -market cousin, Auto Club-Motor Trend , also issues a "Car of the Year" award for that market. Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America ( SCCA )
868-586: Was formed. In 1966 the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) was created for Group 7 open-top sportscars. The Trans-Am Series for pony cars also began in 1966. Today, Trans-Am uses GT-1 class regulations, giving amateur drivers a chance to race professionally. A professional series for open-wheel racing cars was introduced in 1967 as the SCCA Grand Prix Championship . This series was then held under various names through to
899-421: Was founded in 1933 by brothers Miles and Sam Collier , and dissolved in 1941 at the outbreak of World War II . The SCCA was formed in 1944 as an enthusiast group. The SCCA began sanctioning road racing in 1948 with the inaugural Watkins Glen Grand Prix . Cameron Argetsinger , an SCCA member and local enthusiast who would later become Director of Pro Racing and Executive Director of the SCCA, helped organize
930-573: Was largely shared between the two model lines, with the Navajo receiving its own lettering for the instrument panel (in line with other Mazda vehicles), and Mazda lettering was added to the Ford steering wheel hub. In place of the three trims offered on the three-door Ford Explorer, Mazda offered the Navajo in base DX and top-tier LX trim (roughly the equivalent of the Explorer Sport and three-door Explorer XLT). Offered only with four-wheel drive at its launch,
961-556: Was recombined in 2000 because the distinctions between domestic and import cars became increasingly difficult. The award has expanded to include a pickup truck (starting in 1979) and a separate sport utility vehicle (starting in 1999), which are recognized separately from the Car of the Year. Over time, other publications and organizations have copied Motor Trend's Car of the Year award and created their own. These COTY designations may focus on regional markets, vehicle types, specific market segments, or other criteria. Some examples include