That's our Boy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwx3oLo_R6M

http://www.mazda.com.au/targa/Side%2...20Gallery.aspx

 

cool - would love to see him do well

 

I think it is a bit lame that Mazda Australia can't even use a REAL GT (R3), got some 2009 front lights and fenders and slap them on an 04-05 Model Done by Horsley years ago, notice rear tail lights.

At Least we have Mazda back in Motorsport in Australia for a few days....

This car could do better than I thought, I did not realise the driver and co were last years winners...so they have the cred.

 

Can't see them winning it against much more powerful cars with AWD but to make the top 10 would be a great achievement

 

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/288...-2009-preview/

 

sweeet jesus i hope this little wankel can beat the competition (i hope at least)
but thats good that mazda is competing in australia! lol will they show the race in the united states?? i sure would love to watch it.

 

I love this video in that article! That's some *** kicking.
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/\ passed the whole field in under a lap - that's a big can of whoop *** !!!!

Looked like he may have spun the yellow car out .......

 

The I think the ballsiest pass is at 1:19 where the track narrows! LOL!!! Is that the yellow car you're talking about? And then he goes absolutlely BOMBING down that hill, makes up dozens of car lengths, and at 2:02 blows the doors off the leader. Love it.

 

yep that was it - looked like he just barged his way through ... Just shows the difference a good/crazy driver can make in identical cars

that circuit is amazing - you would not believe the gradient on some of those corners

 

The guy in the Lotus must be the STIG! He probably is the most ballsiest guy I've seen in a video to shove his way through all those cars. At some parts of the video he literally had MM's of space left before the guy hit that car.

 

wow he gets close to other cars!! thats amazing driving

 

Yep, that is our Bathurst (Mount Panorama) one of the worlds greatest tracks!

 

OH NO...the RX-8 had Turbo pressure problems, Today at Position 50!!!

More than 250 cars started the event, but for 2008 Targa winner, Steve Glenney, it was not the start he had hoped for. His brand new Mazda RX8 SP lost turbo pressure during the stage, and he finished a disappointing 50th. However, the Mazda mechanics will repair the car, ensuring he will start tomorrow’s nine stages still in with a chance of repeating his victory.

“We had a few niggling problems associated with a new car. We lost turbo boost on the second corner of the stage, which was disappointing, but these things happen and we’ll bounce back," a confident Glenney said.

http://www.sportcom.com.au/targatasm...id=1&Itemid=59

 

^Cool. Wish I could see some vid of that 8 in action!

 

Certainly is impressive in person. About the only V8 race l actually go to each year:


Still a mighty effort to place 50th when they lost turbo boost on the second corner!

 

Hey that '09 has an MS nose, and pre-09 tails!

 

Actually just he opposite. Pre 09 with some 09 parts...

 

According to the entry list, it's a MY09.

http://www.rallyresults.com.au/targa...rn_29April.pdf

 

As Mazda’s three-car team reaches the half-way mark at Targa Tasmania the Mazda RX-8 SP is the fastest two-wheel drive in modern and eighth outright, while both Mazda3 MPS rally cars continue to chase the Showroom lead.

The unproven Mazda RX-8 SP, steered by reigning Targa champion Steve Glenney, performed beyond expectation over today’s eight stages.

Demonstrating the true potential of the turbocharged rotary coupe Glenney brilliantly manoeuvred the lightweight, rear-wheel drive sports car across the day’s collection of open and flowing plains and tight and twisting mountain passes.

Despite ongoing gremlins with his car Glenney, and co-driver Bernie Webb, were consistently on the pace and hit day four hot on the heels of more powerful and more expensive four-wheel drive rally exotica.

“We had a great today, all in all very consistent and very clean,” said Glenney. “We’re only half way so there’s still a lot more ground to cover.

“There were a lot of long straights out there today and they tend to suit our larger and more powerful rivals, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s collection of tight and twisting mountain stages where the RX-8 SP will really hold its own.”

The Mazda RX-8 SP will start day four, the event’s longest competition leg, in eighth position with a penalty time of seven minutes and 24 seconds. Seventh place is a mere 37 seconds from their reach.

Brendan Reeves is leading the two-wheel drive Showroom charge in his near-standard Mazda3 MPS. Reeves and his co-driver Rhianon Smyth are second in Showroom overall and are 16th outright in the modern standings.

The 20-year-old Targa first-timer was consistently quicker than his Mazda3 MPS team-mate Rick Bates, and bettered the time of the leading four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Evo on three of the day’s stages.

“It was a tough day today but tomorrow is longer so we need to stay focused on getting through each day,” said Reeves. “We’re half-way through the rally and we’ve got plenty of rubber left on our tyres so everything seems to be coming together.”

Morning showers worked in favour of Mazda3 MPS pilot Rick Bates and his co-driver Anthony McLoughlin who clocked the fastest showroom time on the first and only wet stage of the day.
Bates who is famous for his wet weather expertise, is keen to see the heavens open up again.

“I knew there would be rain on this event so our strategy has been to conserve tyres in order to be well positioned to take advantage of the wet conditions.”

Bates starts day three in 18th outright in the modern car section and only 39 seconds behind Reeves.

Mazda motorsport boss Allan Horsley is delighted with his team’s progress but is well aware that day four really does separate the men from the boys.

“Tomorrow is undoubtedly the most challenging day of Targa Tasmania,” said Horsley. “There are two stages over 30km; including Cethana, which many consider to be one of the greatest and most challenging tarmac rally stages in the world.

“Tomorrow Brendan, Rick and Steve all have one objective – to get their cars safely to Strahan.”
The Mazda team wrapped up day three of Targa Tasmania at the event’s Targa Fest street expo in Launceston.

Saturday sees the cars travel 450km from Launceston, north to Penguin for lunch and finishing on the West Coast in Strahan. The North West Challenge comprises 141 competitive kilometres and is the longest leg of the event.

 

Wow. Incredible! It seems that his car bounced right back and he's using the car to it's full potential. I really want to see the race too... too bad I don't live in Australia.

 

Mazda has grabbed headlines at Targa Tasmania with the Mazda RX-8 SP driven by Steve Glenney and Bernie Webb finishing in 10th place on debut in the Modern Competition, while Brendan Reeves and Rhiannon Smyth brought the Mazda3 MPS home as the fastest 2WD Showroom car.

"This is a fantastic result for the only factory-backed team at Targa this year," Mazda motorsport team manager Allan Horsley said. "The Mazda3 MPS has again proven why it is a very serious hot hatch and all of us are just so impressed with the balance and sheer speed of the unproven RX-8 SP.

"Ultimately it's not about results. What Targa does is showcase Mazda's passion and commitment to delivering a fun to drive experience for our customers. This event, more than any other in Australia, is about bringing motorsports and the passion that it creates to the people.

"Our drivers and navigators did a great job this year but the real heroes of this Targa campaign have been our mechanics and crew."

The turbocharged RX-8 SP survived the gruelling 2000km tarmac rally despite a number of teething troubles that included unstable boost pressure and overheating that could be blamed on an electronic problem as well as losing all but one gear yesterday.

"Despite our many issues the RX-8 SP has proved to be one of the best balanced, best braking cars I've driven and it has so much potential that it could be a race winner with a little more development," Steve Glenney said. "In the wet this car is just so well balanced."

Brendan Reeves at just 20 becomes the youngest pilot of the Mazda3 MPS and third driver to finish as the quickest two-wheel showroom car behind the wheel of the Mazda3 hot hatch.

Reeves had older sister and co-driver Rhianon Smyth with him every step of the way.

"I can't tell you how much this means to Rhianon and I. Bringing the Mazda3 MPS home as the quickest two-wheel drive car in Showroom is fantastic," said Reeves. "Working for the Mazda factory team is a great experience and one that I hope we can repeat next year in the new generation Mazda3 MPS."

Rick Bates, who won the 2WD Showroom class in the Mazda3 MPS three years ago, had a frustrating end to his and co-driver Anthony McLoughlin's campaign. The car lost a lot of time yesterday when the turbo failed and it continued to suffer until lunchtime today.

"Not the way either of us would like to finish Targa for Mazda but I guess this was not our year. But it was pleasure to race with Mazda again and the Mazda3 MPS once again proved to be a great package. Let's hope we can come back bigger and better next year."

 

Outright Results.

http://www.rallyresults.com.au/targa...ght_Modern.pdf

 

Poor Rx-8... atleast it did pretty good with overheating and turbo problems

 

Very good result . If they could make it more reliable a top 5 finish looks possible .
Finished the rally with only 1 gear !!!! wonder which gear it was ......