Mazda is to enter three production Mazda RX-8 four-door sports coupés in the second Silverstone Britcar 24 Hour Endurance Race.

“Reliability is the key to endurance racing and it was the outstanding durability of the Mazda RX-8 and its unique rotary engine that ensured the three production cars ran at race pace for 24 hours, covering a distance of 1,689 miles at last year’s inaugural Silverstone 24 Hour Endurance Race,” commented Mazda Motors UK PR Director Graeme Fudge.

“Last year saw all three Mazda RX-8s complete the round the clock marathon of flat out racing and this year we plan to do the same,” enthused Fudge.

This year the rotary-powered Mazda RX-8s will be driven by an experienced endurance racing driver line-up, which includes much of the same team from last year. Race Car 96 is led by regular Mazda endurance racing driver and former Vauxhall Vectra SRi V6 Challenge and Alfa Romeo Champion Mark Ticehurst. Joining Mark in Car 96 this year is ex-Lotus and Arrows F1 driver Martin Donnelly, Auto Express journalist and racing driver Owen Mildenhall and touring car and sportscar specialist Ian Flux.

The second Mazda RX-8 race Car 98 will be headed – for the second year – by ex-F1 driver Mike Wilds along with motoring journalists Andrew Frankel and Ben Whitworth, along with motoring journalist Jason Barlow who is new to the Mazda race team.

The third car – sponsored by the Financial Times – will be headed by experienced endurance racer and the FT’s motoring editor John Griffiths along with the same team from last year Rachel Green, Richard Chamberlain and Andy Shephard.

All three Mazda RX-8 race cars are entered by Mazda Motors UK/Guglielmi Motorsport led by Team Manager Steve Guglielmi who commented, “The cars which will be used in the 24 Hour Britcar Endurance Race are based on the standard, road-going Mazda RX-8 sports coupés. The seats and many interior panels have been removed, and each car has undergone a number of essential safety modifications – including the addition of a roll-cage, fire extinguisher, race seat and some suspension alterations necessary for racing.

“The revolutionary 1.3-litre, 231ps RENESIS rotary engine is standard; the only slight modification we have made is to fit a racing gearbox.”

The race takes place on 9 and 10 September 2006, Mazda announced today (Wednesday 16 August).

(this article was taken from newcarnet.co.uk)

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 17th, 2006 at 3:33 pm and is filed under Auto Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.