AU: Mazda3 MPS Tames Bathurst as New Works Racing Car Takes

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AU: Mazda3 MPS Tames Bathurst as New Works Racing Car Takes

Post by Matsuda9 » Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:22 am

Via Mazda Corp Australia

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While the ex-works Mazda3 MPS racing cars of Osborne Motorsport and Grand Prix Mazda were busy moving mountains at last weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Mazda Motorsport has been developing the company’s first-ever New Generation hot-hatch racer.
The previous-generation Mazda3 MPS’ racing pedigree has earned the turbocharged hatchback a list of motorsport achievements including three class wins at Targa Tasmania, and more recently a class win and two top ten finishes at the 12 Hour endurance race.
On its debut outing the Osborne Motorsport Mazda3 MPS driven by Hadrian Morrall and Trevor Keene finished 1st in the 12 Hour’s Performance class and 8th outright, while drivers Jake Camilleri and Scott Nicholas came a close 2nd in the same class and 10th outright in their Grand Prix Mazda3 MPS.
“The Mazda3 MPS is a hard-wearing, and competitive out of the box race car, that continues to prove its worth at gruelling endurance events like the 12 Hour and Targa Tasmania,” said Mazda Motorsport chief Allan Horsley.
The New Generation Mazda3 MPS was met with critical acclaim when it hit the Australian market in June last year sporting a total design overhaul and a series of engine and chassis improvements.
While Mazda Australia is yet to confirm what events the New Generation Mazda3 MPS racing car will campaign in 2010, Horsley says developing a racing version of the new model was a no-brainer.
“Given the improvements made to the New Generation model and the success of its predecessor, there is no doubt we’re going to have another competitive little car on our hands.”
Both former works racing cars, the Mazda3 MPS Bathurst cars battled for class glory amid a field littered with performance cars from rival marques Holden, Ford and BMW.
It was a bittersweet victory for Osborne Motorsport chief Colin Osborne, with his other Mazda3 MPS driven by himself and Mazda ace Rick Bates forced out of the big race with turbo issues.
“To finish on top of the podium on our debut run is just fantastic,” said Osborne. “To win our class and finish in the top ten with very little race testing under our belts is a fitting tribute to the incredible team who, over the last couple of months, have moved heaven and earth to prepare these cars.”
The team’s hard work paid off over the weekend, with the winning Mazda3 MPS having to pit only six times during the 12 hour race.

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“We called every pit stop perfectly and on each occasion we were able to capitalise on the safety car, which ultimately led to a fairly significant advantage.
“The ultimate objective is to get the best result for the team, irrespective of which car gets it. We showed on the weekend that the Mazda3 MPS is fundamentally a superb car, which stands us in good stead for a fantastic season of racing.”
Grand Prix Mazda motorsport manager Graeme Murray hailed his team’s performance in the face of what turned out to be a challenging yet ultimately successful campaign.
“To finish second on the podium is a fantastic way to kick off the season,” said Murray. “We had a few niggling issues with our front Alcon brakes which basically forced us to throw our original pitting strategy out the window, but despite all of this the team pulled together and achieved an excellent result.”

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