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SIGMA MC74-MAZDA (1974)
Car No.25 Drivers: H.Takahashi / Y.Okamoto / Y.Terada
Qualifed 27th with a time of 4'20.4
Withdrawn from the race (after completing fewer than the required number of laps, 155 in 24 hours)
Based on the experience of the previous year, SIGMA AUTOMOTIVE developed the new SIGMA MC74 as a machine built purely for Le Mans. The new SIGMA car had a characteristically roundish and long front nose with a long tail designed for the high speed circuit. Its engine was the Mazda 12A peripheral port rotary unit tuned by Mazda Auto Tokyo, the same as in the previous year.This time around, Mazda Auto Tokyo cooperated with SIGMA in its participation at Le Mans, while it had acted as merely an engine supplier the previous year. This race was the starting point of Mazdaspeed's insatiable appetite for the challenge that is Le Mans.
Arriving at Le Mans, the team drew a fair amount of attention, though they were forced to stay in the pit rather than venture out on track due to the number of problems they encountered such as having to replace the clutch, flat tyres, contact with other competitors and so on. In addition, they had to disassemble the engine because of an unexpected issue, that of the carburetor air-funnel getting swallowed into the engine on the 6km Hunaudieres straight.
After a gallant effort, the pit crew revived the engine and sent the car back out on track. The machine ran through to the checkered flag, but was withdrawn because it had completed fewer than the required number of laps.
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