Mazda Motorsports Spotlight: James Painter

James Painter has been with MAZDASPEED Motorsports for the last eight years, providing technical knowledge and tips to Mazda racers for the competition parts program. For Mr. Painter, it's all about creating smiles for his customers. So, we caught up with him to learn more about him.

James, to start, tell us about your responsibilities for MAZDASPEED Motorsports.

My focus is largely on consulting racing customers – MAZDASPEED Team Support Program members – and prospects over the phone by providing customer service, and parts and technical support. While that keeps us busy, I also help process online parts orders, approving race results for membership and do some paper pushing – processing racers' contingency award payment requests, as long as they are compliant (see rules here). And then at times, work takes us out of the office to the racetrack – a most righteous place - to support the racers with parts, tech advice, jokes and all around good vibes.

Prior to working in the motorsports department, you worked for a Mazda dealer. Would you tell us a little about that?

That's right. I worked in the parts department for three different Mazda dealerships in Northern then Southern California, dating back to 1992. In fact, I first met Scott Kaluza when we both worked at Cush Mazda over twenty years ago. In my last position at a dealership, I served as the Parts Manager for several years at Westcott Mazda in beautiful National City, CA.