When setting out to build a race car, there's always a plan of attack. Different types of racing not only cater to certain types of cars but have varying rules to which all cars that wish to compete must adhere. The guys over at Tri-Point Engineering know this all too well, considering the way things have panned out with their most recent project. When Mazda approached Tri-Point to build a few '10 Mazda3 sedans for competition in the '10 SCCA Racing World Challenge Touring Car series, the guys got to work right away. What they came up with is a truly great race car, but sadly this car will never see track time in the race series it was originally designed for. A very late-in-the-game change to the rule book of the World Challenge series has rendered Tri-Point's 3 ineligible in it's current state.
But all hope is not lost. With so many types of racing out there, there's bound to be a home for this lonely sedan. "We built the car based on the rule book that was given to us," Mark Shuler of Tri-Point Engineering says, "and then in the off-season, they pulled a complete 180 on us." An understandably frustrating scenario for anyone, after all with so much time and effort put into the car, it would be a shame to put it out of commission forever because of a few technicalities. Tri-Point is currently reevaluating its options and plans to get the car ready for some sort of racing in 2010-somewhere the 3 can fit in.
Wheels, Tires & Brakes 17x8" Racing Hart Forged racing wheels, Toyo R888 235/40R17 tires,
"We took delivery on the Mazda3 in March 2009," says Chris Nagler of Tri-Point. "We also received a couple Mazda3 'bodies in white' [a completely bare shell from the manufacturer to be used for race purposes only] around the same time. The sedan was chosen over the five-door body style for aerodynamic reasons." The purpose of this car is not to look pretty, but to go fast, so the exterior package is simple. Consisting of a custom one-off Tri-Point Engineering carbon-fiber front splitter, rear spoiler and a Mazda racing graphics package, the sedan looks as serious as it runs.
The motor build was handled by Comptech USA, a familiar name in the world of tuning and racing. Although the company now sells parts for Honda and Acura cars under the new name of CT Engineering, Comptech USA still offers engine building and machine services. With a target goal of 270 hp for the World Challenge race series in mind, Comptech assembled the motor using high-compression JE pistons, its own flavor of customized performance camshafts and modified connecting rods for added strength and durability. The idea here is to have a strong motor that makes good reliable power and doesn't need to be rebuilt after every race. A Motec M400 EMS was dialed in on the dyno for a perfect race tune.
Tri-Point knew the best way to get this power to the ground was an Xtrac sequential 6-speed transmission. These transmissions are used on many race cars because not only are they extremely durable but specially designed for heavy-duty race use. Many hours of research and development, precise micro engineering and Xtrac's use of special in-house metallurgy techniques ensure that as much power as possible is transferred from the flywheel to the sedan's front wheels.
To get all the noxious exhaust gases out of the engine quickly and efficiently, Tri-Point fabricated a one-off custom exhaust system comprised of a 4-2-1 tubular exhaust manifold that expels gases through a short after-header piece that cuts off right before the rear suspension. Maximum flow and the perfect amount of exhaust gas pressure is achieved due to a straight-through, mandrel-bent design that uses no catalytic converter or muffler, just a small resonator after the B-pipe.
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