The TCR CEO, Marcello Lotti, has expressed his joy over Mazda’s entry into the TCR fray with the 3 TCR model.

“We are obviously very pleased to see another important brand such as Mazda joining the ever-growing group of car brands who have embraced the TCR concept,” said Lotti to TouringCarTimes.

“This programme will open new possibilities for customer teams that want to enter into TCR competition.”

The Mazda3 TCR, constructed by Mazda Motorsports USA and Long Road Racing, will make its race debut in the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and Lotti is keen to see it race elsewhere.

“We are keen to see it quickly undergo the homologation process and we can’t wait to see it running in January at Daytona and later to be put up for sale to customer teams worldwide,” said Lotti.

“Mazda has a long-standing tradition in motorsport that has brought it a lot of success, including a famous Touring Car win in the 1981 Spa 24 hours. Considering the thoroughness with which the TCR car has been designed and developed, there’s no reason to expect it to be anything but a winner.”