Mazda Celebrates A Giant-Killing 2011 Targa Finish

11.04.11]

Mazda Celebrates A Giant-Killing Targa Finish

Mazda Motorsport is tonight celebrating the end of a highly successful Targa Tasmania campaign which has seen the team secure a dominant Showroom class win and two spots in the outright top six including a stunning fourth overall for the Showroom Mazda3 MPS.

Mazda RX8 at Targa Tasmania

With the Showroom class in the bag courtesy of Brendan Reeves, Mazda Motorsport can now lay claim to having won four consecutive Targa Tasmania Showroom titles.

The manner in which victory was secured this year was particularly impressive with the MPS being the fastest 2WD Showroom car on every stage.

In addition, the MPS made it to the finish in Hobart faster than any of the nine 4WD Showroom cars with a buffer of over eight minutes to its nearest 4WD rival.

Up and coming World Rally Championship driver Brendan Reeves was a happy man as he savoured the win. “We’ve led the 2WD Showroom class from the start of the event but to win in such a manner, beat all the 4WD Showroom cars and also get a fourth outright against much more expensive machinery is something Rhianon and I are very proud of. I can’t speak highly enough of how the Mazda3 MPS has performed this week but I also need to give credit to the Mazda Motorsport team for giving us such a great car every day,” he said.

 

Mazda3 MPS Taga Winners

Determined not be out-done, Jamie Vandenberg today put in an equally impressive performance in the RX-8 SP.

Vandenberg had been steadily climbing the field over the past few days and today took his performance to new heights by winning the epic 58km Mount Arrowsmith stage and lifting himself into the top six outright, narrowly missing fifth place by just one second.

This achievement is made all the more impressive by the fact that this was Vandenberg’s first competitive event in the RX-8 SP.

Mazda Motorsport manager Allan Horsley was full of praise for the entire team. “This is our best ever Targa result and it’s thanks to the efforts of the whole team. Jamie and Brendan obviously played key roles in the success as did co-drivers Simon and Rhianon but we can’t forget the efforts of the Mazda service crews who worked tirelessly all week. To have finished with two cars in the top six in such a gruelling event really shows just how far this team has come,” said Horsley.

 

Mazda RX-8 SP Turbo at 2011 AIMS

Mazda Motorsport on show at AIMS

Motorsport enthusiasts will be given the chance to get up close to Mazda Motorsport’s RX-8 SP at the Australian International Motor Show which opens in Melbourne on July 1.

The RX-8 SP has been a key player in Mazda Australia’s factory racing team since it first took to the tarmac to compete in Targa Tasmania in 2009.

Since its debut, the RX-8 SP has earned a long list of notable achievements, including a top ten finish in its first ever outing and an impressive second outright at Targa Wrest Point in 2011.

The 2011 Australian International Motor Show will provide show-goers with the rare opportunity to witness first-hand the level of work that has gone into making the RX-8 SP the racing machine it is.

Show goers will be given the opportunity to not only view the RX-8 SP, but will be invited to sit in the driver’s seat of Mazda Motorsport’s prized racing machine.

Mazda staff will be on hand to capture the exciting moment, supplying a memento photograph of the experience.

Mazda Motorsport boss Allan Horsley is excited about the opportunity to showcase the RX-8 SP. “The RX-8 SP has played an important role in the success of the Mazda Motorsport team.

This very car is in the midst of preparations for its next rally outing, but we have taken some time out of development to make this car available for what is sure to be one of Mazda’s most exciting Motor Show displays”

The Australian International Motor Show runs from July 1 – 10 and the Mazda stand will be packed full of interactive activities and exciting vehicles to keep the crowds entertained.