gear kereta

Targa Tasmania 2009 will see the return to competition of Mazda’s famed SP moniker.

A production Mazda RX-8 GT – the only rotary-powered performance car in Australia – has been turbocharged, given a roll cage and readied for the toughest test in Australian endurance racing.

Mazda RX-8 SP will enter the hotly-contested Modern Competition, piloted by a man used to racing at the highest level: 2008 Targa champion Steve Glenney.

South Australian horse trainer Glenney and his co-driver Bernie Webb are accustomed to setting the pace on Tasmania’s challenging roads, winning the 2008 event outright.

They jumped at the chance to give the Mazda RX-8 SP its motorsport debut. Glenney says nothing short of a podium finish will do.

“I’m excited to be chosen by Mazda Motorsport to play a role in the development of the Mazda RX-8, and to be driving it in its Australian rally debut,” he said.