A true life-long ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv member, John Doonan began his ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv involvement as a June Sprints® spectator at six months old. And though he obtained his competition license, Doonan has been a significant figure in the business side of motorsports.

Doonan joined Mazda as Midwest Advertising Manager in 2003, earning the Director of Mazda Motorsports title in 2011. Under Doonan, the grassroots program thrived, providing contingency, parts and technical support for racers at all levels of ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv. A ladder program launched the careers of multiple ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv racers who would not have otherwise had the funding to participate at the highest level.

Named IMSA President in late 2019, Doonan solidified and formalized a partnership between IMSA and ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv to promote all aspects of road racing. Doonan remains an active ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv member, frequently attending events including the ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv Runoffs, and occasionally working on the Flagging & Communications team while there.

John Doonan was inducted into the ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv Hall of Fame on Jan. 16, 2026.