SOLID PERFORMANCE FROM MAZDA MOTORSPORT
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Kyalami hosted round four of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship this past weekend (5 June 2010) and Mazda Motorsport put in a solid performance. Friday’s practice sessions weren’t without complications. George Smalberger (First Distribution) suffered from a badly damaged sparkplug, which effectively put an end to his practice opportunity. Heinz Bose (MFC) went well during Friday’s practices and was able to set the fifth fastest lap during the third session. Whilst on the surface, this boded well for his qualifying chances, luck was again intervened. On his out lap, one of the shocks broke resulting in Heinz having to start two of the three races from the back of the grid in twelfth place. George had a good qualifying session, setting a time over half a second quicker than his first outing at Kyalami in February, placing him seventh on the grid. Heinz had a brilliant start to the race, diving past as many competitors as possible before the safety car was deployed to retrieve a stricken GTI. When the dust had settled, Heinz was already in sixth place and pushing hard. A lap later, Heinz was sitting pretty in fifth. He lost a position to Gary Formato (Ford Focus ST) the following lap, but regained fifth spot by passing championship runner-up, Gennaro Bonafede (VW GTI). Heinz held onto this position to the flag and set the second fastest lap of the race in the process. George was having a good race and was leading a pack of three GTIs when his radiator cap broke, causing the 2.3 litre engine to overheat and blow the head gasket. This unfortunately side-lined George for the rest of the day. The second race began with the top six finishers being inverted for the grid. This placed Heinz second. The pack behind were hungry for victory and Heinz decided not to get mixed up in the panel crunching and allowed Formato through. He fought hard for third place, but eventually Kieren Quarmby got through and took the position. Before Heinz was able to take a second breath, he had two more Ford STs on his rear bumper. He drove as hard as he could, but eventually tyre wear got the better of the Mazda and Heinz crossed the line in fifth place. Heinz had another good start when the lights went out for race three. By the end of the first lap, he was up to sixth position. He held this position for all 12 laps, making the Kyalami outing the team’s most successful 2010 event so far. All of the hard work appears to be paying off and the team can only gain momentum from here. Mazda Motorsport will now have more than two months to prepare the Mazda 3 MPS’ for the next round of the championship, which will be held at Phakisa on 14 August. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion, First Distribution and Sax Shocks |
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After three rounds of innovative development and testing, Mazda Motorsport is ready to take to the podium at round four of the Bridgestone Production Car
Championship to be held at Kyalami on 5 June.
The MFC backed Mazda 3 MPS has enough pace to keep at the front of the eleven car Class T pack and although some bad luck has kept the points away, it is now time for the Mazda to shine. Heinz Bose will take the lead in this area, with almost three years of experience behind the wheel of his MPS racing machine. Heinz has shown tremendous speed and consistency in the last three championship rounds and has rubbed fenders with the championship leaders on more than one occasion. “I am very happy with the way that the MPS holds its own on the track. It is fast, agile and strong enough to take some battering from the other competitors. A podium finish is our light at the end of the tunnel and my gut feeling is that the light is coming,” commented an upbeat Heinz Bose. Heinz won’t have to do all the work on his own, wingman George Smalberger will be back in action at Kyalami. George used the first few races to adapt his driving style to suit the Mazda, but has now had enough seat time to be “one” with his very capable piece of racing perfection. “I have been getting quicker and more confident with every race and practice session. It will be my second outing at Kyalami in the Mazda, so this time I will be far better prepared in terms of my gearing, brake markers and racing lines. We have suffered some bad luck, but we have put this behind us and are ready to turn the tables,” remarked George. As always, Mazda Motorsport welcome their fans to come see the cars up close in the Kyalami pit complex on 5 June 2010. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion, First Distribution and Sax Shocks |
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The Mazda Motorsport equipe took a giant step closer to their goal this past weekend at Aldo Scribante, in Port Elizabeth. After many hours on the dyna, improving the power and fine tuning the car for sea-level conditions a small
glitch appeared for the Heinz Bose car. A small tear on the gearbox seal saw oil leaking onto the clutch, causing
slippage. In spite of this, Heinz managed a time just 1 second off second place, nursing the car around. Whilst the
engine was removed and replaced, Heinz sat the second session out. The third session began and although the rest of the field had an extra practice under their belts, Heinz put in a sensational series of fast laps, finishing the session in third place, behind arch-rivals Nathan and Formato. “The car felt brilliant, I was very quick down the straight and managed to get the car perfectly set up for the corners. I can find a bit of time within my own style and look forward to at least a third tomorrow,” exuded an upbeat Bose. George Smalberger had a good start to his practice sessions, despite never having driven his MFC backed Mazda on this circuit. He had participated in all 3 practice sessions, trying different set-up techniques when, pushing a little too hard, he left the track and upon rejoining the circuit felt his car was not reacting properly. “I slid off and came straight back on to the circuit but the bumpy outfield damaged one of my front shock absorbers. The team did what they could to remedy the broken damper but I was worried that it might break during the race which may have been disastrous. We decided to withdraw the car rather than cause a huge accident,” commented a bitterly disappointed Smalberger. “I was really getting to grips with the car and was looking forward to racing on the tight and twisty circuit, Heinz had tested a few new components on his car which really improved his times and these will go onto my car in time for the Kyalami event. I can’t wait,” he continued. Race-day saw a conservative start by Mazda standards, when Heinz put in a time much quicker than the day before. He felt that it was enough to place him at least 3rd on the grid and was shocked to see himself in 6th place. A proverbial blanket could have been thrown over the top 7 drivers. Heinz was only 0.2 seconds off second place but it was enough to relegate him to sixth place. The race started well with Heinz scything his MFC Mazda through the pack to third and then fourth place. Embroiled in a tight battle for third, he suffered a fate often experienced by slip-stream racing. “In being tucked up under the bootlid of the car in front of you, your own car starts to overheat because it is not getting enough flowing air to cool the radiator. I felt the car begin to slow and glanced at my temperature gauge, which showed the tell-tale signs of an over-cooked engine. I was gutted and backed off immediately to try and save the engine” groaned Heinz after the race. “The damage was done though and I slipped down from a fighting fourth to eighth place. The second race is started within 10 minutes from the end of the first race and we had no time to evaluate the damage done to the motor. I decided to start the race but immediately felt that I had a problem. I retired the car rather than cause more damage,” he concluded. The team have nearly a month to get both cars back to their best in time for the next round at Kyalami on the 5th June. “We are very happy with the power and the handling of our MFC Mazda 3s. Kyalami is our home circuit and I am convinced that we have the right package to put in a great performance,” said George Smalberger. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion and Sax Shocks. |
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Mazda Motorsport has already felt Lady Luck’s wrath in 2010, but the team are more determined than ever to set
the record straight. Round three of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship is in sight and Mazda Motorsport are
feeling confident about their chances in PE on 1 May. Heinz Bose (MFC) and George Smalberger will be flying the Mazda flag high at Aldo Scribante and the MPS’ will be in top form. After two years of very competitive racing in Class T of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, the Mazda Motorsport team has reached a development crossroad. The cars have shown tremendous pace during 2010, and have now found the reliability to maintain their pace over a race distance. The cars are pushed well beyond manufacturer spec, so while the MPS can hold its own against any road going hot-hatch, under race conditions mechanical elements are put under much more strain. Over the past two years, the team has put in many hours to eliminate many of these problems and bring the Mazda’s inline with the competition. They started with handling elements such as shocks and springs and moved through to engine management systems and race clutches. Most of the competition in the class, such as the GTI, have had 2 extra years of development in the category. “We really feel that we have eliminated the niggling engine problems that we have been experiencing, which haven’t allowed us to show our true speed over race distance. The class is just so competitive that you need to maintain a frenetic pace for a chance at the podium. The cars are a lot stronger than our results have shown and these ongoing developments will clear that up,” commented Heinz Bose. George Smalberger added, “The team work exceptionally hard and are always looking for ways to keep us at the front of the field. I am proud to be associated with Mazda Motorsport and am confident of a good showing in PE. I have always enjoyed the tight and twisty portions of the track and now, with my new Mazda 3, will have the pace down the long straight as well” Mazda Motorsport look forward to meeting fans at Aldo Scribante on 1 May. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion, First Distribution and Sax Shocks |
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The Phakisa event, scheduled to take place on 10 April, has been postponed until August. Mazda Motorsport's next race will take place in Port Elizabeth on 1 May 2010. |
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Although the final results didn’t reflect it, Mazda Motorsport made huge strides at round two of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship held at Killarney on 13 March 2010. The weekend didn’t start well for Mazda Motorsport with the team having to replace the engine on Heinz Bose’s MPS. After spending all night replacing the engine, an electronic gremlin struck on the dyna destroying the new engine. George Smalberger played the team game and gave his car to Heinz for the remainder of the weekend. Heinz qualified seventh, not having an opportunity to change the set-up and handling of the Mazda 3. Although Heinz didn’t have the best start to the first race, he quickly made amends by passing five competitors on the second lap to take fifth position. A lap later, Michael van Rooyen took the position back and although Heinz was unable to pass the Ford driver, he was moved up a position when Curt Alchin (VW GTI) retired from the race. Heinz took the chequered flag in fifth position. The second sprint race saw the top six finishers from race one reversed. This put Heinz second on the grid. Heinz had a great start putting his MFC Mazda 3 into the lead of the race by the end of lap one. After a huge tussle with Capetonian Niyaaz Modack, Heinz lost the lead and took up second place. He held this position for three laps before his defensive tactics failed and Gennaro Bonafede (GTI) got ahead. On the final lap, the Ford Focus STs of Shaun Duminy and Gary Formato also passed the Mazda and Heinz crossed the finish line fifth. Unfortunately, the MPS’ water pump broke in the third race, forcing Heinz to retire from the race. “The second race was very good and we had the pace to keep up with the front runners. I am looking forward to Phakisa where we scored two podium finishes last year,” commented Heinz. Mazda Motorsport will be back in action on 10 April at Phakisa Freeway (Welkom). Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion and Sax Shocks. |
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Round two of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship will take place at Killarney on 13 March 2010 and Mazda Motorsport are excited about their chances of another good showing in the Western Cape. Heinz Bose has always performed well at Killarney. He has take three podium finishes in the last three races held there and will be hoping to repeat his past performances. “I had a bit of bad luck at Kyalami, but all of the technical gremlins that I experienced seem to have been solved. Our last test session yielded great results and I am feeling confident for the upcoming race,” commented Heinz. It will be George Smalberger’s first race at Killarney in the Mazda 3 MPS, but his consistency and the car’s reliability at Kyalami is extremely positive for the team. George had the following to say; “I felt good in the car at Kyalami and am sure with Heinz’s guidance, I will continuously improve my pace and confidence. I have had some seat time in the car now and can’t wait to get back to the track.” Adding to the team’s confidence is the fact that both drivers will be racing at base weight (1300kgs), whilst the Kyalami front-runners have all gained weight in accordance with Bridgestone Production Car’s performance equalization system. “In this game, you need to every advantage that you can. Although a weight advantage of 20kgs doesn’t seem to be very much, the weight takes a toll on the competitor’s brakes and tyres during the second and third races. The new race day format has caught many teams by surprise because you can’t keep the same aggressive handling set-up. George has shown that we are headed in the right direction,” explained team race technician Trevor Green. Qualifying and all three races will take place on Saturday 13 March and Mazda Motorsport look forward to meeting their fans in the pit complex. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance, Autowiel Centurion and Sax Shocks |
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The Mazda Motorsport duo of Heinz Bose and George Smalberger had a massive change of strategy to implement and assess at the season-opener this past weekend. New race regulations saw a 3 race format take over, this would mean that the teams would have to prepare cars for 2 six lap sprint races and then a 10 lap feature race.
This amounts to a total of 22 laps as opposed to the 16 laps that were raced previously. For a hard charging car like the Mazda 3 MPS this would mean a completely different set-up with the emphasis being moved from outright pace to a more conservative race strategy without any aggressive driving. How conservative? Nobody knew as this was the first time that this format has been run but it was clear that it was more important to be on track at the end of the day than to set the fastest lap in race 1 and not finish the other races. George Smalberger, new to the team, had a baptism of fire. He was still coming to terms with the MFC backed Mazda and relished the power and handling of his new charge. He was still feeling his way though and qualified in 8th place. Heinz Bose looked set for a top 4 qualifying but was hampered when a vacuum pipe split, losing valuable power. Unaware of what had transpired and feeling the drop in performance, Heinz aborted qualifying, worried that the problem was terminal. He therefore only qualified in 11th place. Race 1 saw a steady pace from Smalberger, unfortunately he was stuck behind the Ford of Shaun Duminy and Curt Alchin’s GTI, who were embroiled in a tough battle. George watched the race ahead of him knowing that he would benefit from any mistake from the two drivers ahead. His conservative approach was unrewarded though and he finished eighth. Heinz had a good race though, scything through the field until meeting his team-mate. Not wanting to jeopardise their strategy by attempting a passing move, which could easily hamper both cars, he held station. Race 2 was also fairly uneventful, the Mazda duo finishing seventh and eighth with Heinz moving ahead of George to claim seventh. The feature race saw the demise of Heinz, with a blown fuel pump relay. George battled gamely, finishing in a fighting seventh place just behind the cars of current class T champion Gary Formato and his team-mate Shaun Duminy. “I am thrilled to have completed every lap of the 3 races and can give valuable feedback to the team. The set-up can be a lot more aggressive as we were a little too conservative, worried about our tyre wear. I drove the car smoothly and it showed.” “It is going to be a quick learning curve for us. I was hampered by a few gremlins but this is bound to happen. George’s reliability is encouraging and he will be there to pick up valuable points for the team while I try and get to grips with the pace setting GTIs,” commented Heinz Bose. The team continue their quest for motorsport honours at Cape Town’s Killarney circuit on the 13th March. Mazda Motorsport would like to acknowledge the following partners: Mazda, MFC, Powerbrake, Supertech Auto, Leatt Brace, Etana Insurance and Autowiel Centurion. |
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Following their third place championship finish last year, Mazda Motorsport are feeling confident for the upcoming Bridgestone Production Car season. The
team will once again contest Class T of the Championship in the Mazda 3 MPS, with the first race of the season taking place at Kyalami on 20 February. Heinz Bose returns to the driver line-up and will be aiming to improve on his third place title. Heinz invigorated the Mazda racing programme last year with two race wins and a further five podium placings. “We did a lot of development on the cars in 2009 and have gained an immense wealth of knowledge on setting up the MPS for every circuit. We were able to improve on the race engineered parts that caused us so many woes in the past. Reliability is going to be paramount to this year’s championship and we will continue to strive for perfection,” commented Heinz. Heinz will be joined by George Smalberger for the 2010 season. George has been racing for over seven years and has three Porsche Challenge Championships to his name. With two years of Production Car racing behind him, George is sure to be an asset to the team. “It is going to take some time to acclimatise to the Mazda, but I am very excited to be joining the team and am proud to represent Mazda,” enthused George. The team will be put to the test in three races at each of this year’s Bridgestone Production Car events. The new race day format will place emphasis on team strategy and vehicle reliability. “We had many reliability problems with our engine management systems last year. We were using standard ECUs and although these are perfect for road going vehicles, we needed something that we could re-programme to meet our performance needs. These cars are run well above acceptable manufacturer levels and so the unit’s safety features would cause the vehicles to go into “safe” mode. We have spent most of the off-season testing and developing racing ECU’s which will eliminate these problems,” explained head technician Trevor Green. The season’s first official practice sessions will take place on Friday 19 February, with qualifying and all three races on Saturday 20 February. |