Speedsource Mazda takes Honors at 24 hr Rolex GT

It was an awesome event and it was good to watch MAZDA take on the likes of Porsche, BMW etc and pulling off the win.

Going from third down to 14th position and back to first. Good job SpeedSource.

I'm going out to take a victory lap around Vegas! brb





Some excerpts..
"The SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 of Jonathan Bomarito, Nick Ham, David Haskell, and Sylvain Tremblay took the GT title in 2010 as it did in 2008. The 2010 win was a textbook endurance race win: don’t be the fastest, don’t race the hardest, just last the longest."

"By 10:30 Sunday morning, the Porsches and the Camaros were battered, beaten, and behind the 70 SpeedSource Mazda. And the SpeedSource team kept ahead, while the competition, broke, crashed, burned … failed."

Source : EPOCH TIMES "SpeedSource Repeats in GT"

Pic of #70 leading Porche...

 

Word... I missed watching this but this is awesome... Grats Speedsource...

 

Does anyone know how the other Mazda teams faired?

 

Cool! Here a pre-race lap video of Todd Lamb's Racer's Edge (not Speedsource) Mazda RX-8 #30 to give a feel for what it must be like. Amazing that they're flat out with the 3-rotor in 6th gear so often. Must be a rush!

http://s.maxthon.com/?q=Rolex+24

 

(Position in Class)
#70 Speedsource took the win in 1st
#40 Dempsey was 6th
#43 Sahlen was 7th
#41 Dempsey was 14th

#69 Speedsource was 16th, retired on lap 488 (of 707) due to engine failure. The video clips of it before it retired showed it on fire, but it was actually just oil overfill spillage onto the headers, and it was out before the 69 got back to the pits, but water gushed out of the tailpipes when they restarted after confirming the fire was out. Engine failure likely caused by something failing in either the fire or the crash into the tire wall earlier.
#30 Racers Edge was 28th, retired on lap 69 for unknown reasons, came to a stop on the track and was towed off without any follow-up by Speed
#42 Sahlen was 29th, retired on lap 27 for unknown reason. Was never mentioned by Speed.

 

Congratulations to Speed Source, Inc. on the great WIN!!!!!!!

 

http://twitter.com/toddspeed
I assume that's they lost their e-shaft. Crazy that two (and possibly three) 8s had terminal engine failure. Usually those engines hold up a lot better and these enduros.

 

Without knowing what the actual engine failure cause was for the 69, I have a hard time blaming the engine itself. It was crashed into the tire wall, then had an oil fire, before the engine died. Either issue could have easily started a chain reaction to get to the failure point.

 

I agree with RIWWP it hit those tires pretty hard and was surprised it was even running after that accident.

Sad thing is that #69 was supposed to be one of the stronger 8's out there on the track, if not the strongest.

 

Good Going SpeedSource !!! the last thing I heard was they had crashed with that BMW. I'm amazed and delighted to hear they came backand won!!!

 

Yeah, it was tearing right along until that. I still think the crash caused the eventual engine failure, and if wasn't for that, they would have been 1st or 2nd finishing. (barring any other problems). They were running right with the 70 for most of the time, posting some of the top GT lap times.

Ah well.

 

I was watching the first day and didn't think they stood a chance against the powerful Camaro and Porsches that were leading after the rain. I believe the closest 8 was a lap down....

Later that night, I ridiculed the TRG streaming online with "Go Mazda!" on their 24hr coverage im/chat.

Then tuned in for Sunday to find out 70 was in the lead!!!

Worth my $2.00 extra a month for Speed Channel, plus I get all the sports channels. Go Mazda and Speedsource! Too bad Nick Ham is retiring.

Mmmm...Morgan...:yum:

 

HAH! I saw that "Go Mazda!" on TRG

Quite a few Mazda people on that chat, most of the 8 owners I believe, from their handles in the chat. I didn't have it up at all Sunday, and dropped it occasionally Saturday. Only had my laptop over by the TV, and it couldn't handle all the windows with the live feeds (512mb RAM is the culprit there, soon to be corrected)

I have the full 16hrs of coverage recorded on the DVR, I am trying to figure out how to transfer it to an external hard drive. It's got USB plugs in the back....

 

I would love to see all of this video and if its possible you could upload it somehow that would be amazing

 

Uh, probably not Even non-HD, you are talking 32gb of video probably.

I'm gonna see if I can figure something out though let people watch it that missed it...without breaking any copyright laws or anything.

 

Ehh, HD if possible... But most Desktops have more than enough storage... so why the hell not? ive got 177GB's left, more than enough let me know of you can man, id be greatly appreciated

 

Lol, I don't think he's worried about the storage, more about the transfer. Unless you can somehow meet him in person to transfer it via an external HD

 

Yeah, transfer is the issue at stake. First I have to figure out how to transfer off the *** DVR to my 500gb external drive, then find somewhere to put it up, and then actually upload it, etc...

Transfer and hosting is the issue. I'll be in Houston in early March, though that's what, 4-5 hours away from DFW?

 

Thats about right 4-5 hours... Ish You should wait till April 30th to make it to the Texas8 State Meet...

 

Morgan thanks for the video.

Oh yeah and..


How you doin?

 

The first day Speedsource held back. They wanted to wait for the weather to clear up and the cool air at night before making a move.

 

Hey wait a minute Is that Morgan in the video behind Sylain?

 

Business trip for the week, not something I can just move around at will.

 

Ahh i see, well if you happen to pass by DFW I would love to meet you and exchange some video but I wouldnt have the time to drive all the way down just for that so , If i see you great, if not then no big deal

 

i love you even more