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MAZDA 737C (1985)
Car No.85: Y. Katayama / Y. Terada / T. Yorino Car No.86: D. Kennedy / J-M. Martin / P. Martin
Qualified: 40th (#85 - 3'57.73), 44th (#86 - 4'00.78)
Race: 24th (#85 - 263 laps), 19th (#86 - 282 laps)
When the results came out, the Porsche 956 runners had once again dominated the top of the field for this year's Le Mans. TOM'S and DOME brought from Japan two Group C machines with Toyota engines. One of them retired, but the other car finished in 12th overall on its first attempt, contributing to the frenzy that later consumed Japanese manufacturers to compete at Le Mans.
Mazdaspeed, who had planned to quit using the 2-rotor Group C2 machine this season, brought two Mazda 737C machines and were targeting their third Group C2 victory in a row. The team now had many more rivals, with a total of 19 C2 machines lined up to start this year's race.
Despite their vast experience, the team's chance of taking a class victory was not that simple. The car featured improved handling and also fuel consumption, but faced bad luck early on. Only 30 minutes from the start, the #85 car driven by Katayama came back in the pit with an oil leak. To stop the oil from around the engine, the team spent 2 hours and 40 minutes working on the car.
The European drivers in the #86 machine now took on the responsibility of a C2 victory. They gradually improved their position and were in 2nd place after 4 hours. At the eight-hour mark, they had advanced to 1st place through the benefit of the leader retiring. They then drove like they were walking on eggs. The team maintained their position until after 19 hours, but an internal bearing in the gearbox failed when the air temperature rose in the morning, forcing them to lose over an hour. They eventually finished 3rd in C2.
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