The Road to Indy ladder took a crucial blow early in the week when Mazda announced that it will withdraw its title sponsorship from the driver development program after 2018. In the interim, officials and journalists alike have been speculating on who could replace the Japanese racing giant's influence and—most importantly—its funds. Moving beyond the hearsay of what could be the future of IndyCar's prime feeder series, the bigger picture could perhaps lie in what card Mazda North America Motorsport Director John Doonan & Co. could play going forward.

Rumors suggest plenty, but to avoid the uncertainty, we went to the source to find out how Mazda plans on moving forward after its departure from what was an undoubtedly fruitful nine-year stint with the open-wheel world.

Speaking with The Drive on Wednesday, Doonan discussed the bittersweet move of dropping Mazda's name from the proven MRTI program.

"It was a very difficult day when we made that announcement," he explained. "We did make history with MRTI and we fully support the series continuing with another title sponsor."

Meanwhile, Doonan mentioned that Mazda has "full intent" of continuing its partnership with Advanced Engine Research to provide the Indy Lights field with engines beyond the current season.

Past that, however, the brand is refocusing its strategy to build on its already-hefty market share in grassroots competition and big-league sportscar racing. As it stands, Mazda touts a commanding 53 percent space in all SCCA action thanks to its beloved RX family of cars and, most of all, its darling MX-5. The latter is a clear priority for Doonan and Mazda as a whole, and it'd be reasonable to bet that a major surge will soon be sent to support the wildly popular Global MX-5 Cup series, part of the company's Road to 24 program focused on flourishing sportscar drivers.