Tassie test for Mazda's ARC prospects
Mazda contesting the Australian Rally Championship next year will hinge on its entry in the Tasmanian Tarmac ChallengeAlister McRae won the 2WD Showroom competition section of the Targa Tasmania Rally earlier this year, driving a Mazda3 MPS. Encouraged by that result, Mazda is now contemplating the opportunities presented by a fully-fledged works effort in the Australian Rally Championship.
The company will field a Mazda3 MPS in another event to be held in the 'Apple Isle', as a further test. In fact, the car is the same one driven in the Targa Tasmania by Rick Bates and Rhianon Smyth. Crewing the car in the upcoming Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge will be Smyth and her brother, Brendan Reeves. Reeves and Smyth have previously teamed up on 24 different rallies. At the age of 20, Reeves is the youngest person ever to pilot a car for Mazda Motorsport and was Victorian Autocross Champion four years ago, before he even held a road licence.
Presuming the car runs well in the event, Mazda will opt to participate in the 2009 rally championship (ARC), but Mazda's involvement will also depend on how CAMS (the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport) structure the categories for the ARC next year.
"Over the past 12 months we've been in heavy discussion with CAMS over the introduction of the new ARC regulations, and the introduction of a separate championship for production based two-wheel-drive cars," said Alan Horsley, Mazda's Motorsport Manager.
"I believe there is still considerable debate to be had regarding the allocation of points under these regulations and manufacturers are still anxiously waiting to be told how it will all work. In the meantime we see this as a valuable opportunity for our team to participate in an ARC event, which may be in preparation for 2009.
"In short, Mazda needs to be convinced that the regulations CAMS is proposing will consider two-wheel-drive production cars on an equal footing with highly-modified, four-wheel-drive cars," he said.
Starting from Burnie, in the island's north west, the Tasmanian Tarmac Challenge will be held between October 3 and 5.
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