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TMR WINS 2010 MANFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:31 am
by McCoy
TMR WINS 2010 MANFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP


Taking the Checkered Flag!

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TMR Performance and the Mitsubishi Evolution have successfully defended their 2009 title to become 2010 Australian
Manufacturer Champions at Sandown Raceway in Victoria.


Out in front!


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Stuart Kostera completed the perfect weekend in his West Surfing Products TMR Evolution X, dominating the sixth and
final round of the AMC at Sandown Raceway, part of the Shannons Nationals. Kostera took pole position, won both races,
and set fastest lap time in both races, resetting his own record in race two. Clearly focused, Kostera's TMR Evo
was also fastest in every session.


Evo X Domination.


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Impressively, it is TMR's second back-to-back manufacturers championship, making it a trio of titles for the TMR squad,
with the manufacturer's title, the driver's title for Stuart Kostera, and the Class A championship for high-performance
all-wheel drive vehicles.


Fun in the Wet.

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Kostera's victory proved even more rewarding given he entered the weekend, and spent much of the 2010 AMC season,
chasing the championship-leading BMW 335i of Garry Holt, following Holt's victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour, round one
of the championship, where Kostera did not finish. Throughout the remaining five rounds, Kostera worked hard
to recover, an incredible mix of speed and consistency earning the West Australian every round win across the five
tracks in four different states.


Carving it up.

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At Sandown, Holt's BMW was involved in a first race, first corner accident which put him out. It was this, and his fourth
place in race two, that fell short of Kostera's dominant charge and allowed the TMR driver to overhaul the BMW and
claim the 2010 trophy. "It's great, I'm very happy with the result this weekend and the year," said Kostera.
"We've always had a quick car, but everything really clicked at Eastern Creek in the Six Hour. We've had a really
good year, Inky has pushed us all the way, and it was very pleasing to lower the lap record again today."


Kostera's TMR Performance teammate Ian 'Inky' Tulloch was second in both races, making it a double for the Mitsubishi Evolution.


Poetry in Motion.

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TMR Performance Team Manager Alan Heaphy was equally thrilled with the result. "Stuart has done a fantastic job
all season. The Bathurst round was a frustrating start to the season, with a minor mechanical issue resulting in zero
points, but it was this that provided added inspiration throughout the season, Stuart has never put a wheel wrong.


Eating up the Tarmac.


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His dominance of the final five rounds was as much a credit to his consistency as his determination.



Through the turns.

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"It takes a lot of effort to put a program together like this and I'd like to congratulate and thank everyone involved,
from all the TMR drivers throughout the year, to everyone in the TMR team. Building a race-winning Mitsubishi
Evolution X is TMR's speciality, but it takes a driver like Stuart and Inky to put the results down race after race."


Loading up the Car.

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With support from Tulloch whose race-winning pace often pushed rivals down the field, the two-car TMR team's finest
moment was the Eastern Creek 6 Hour endurance race, where a total lack of safety cars throughout the entire race
meant it was run on pure pace and strategy. It was the pairing of Kostera and V8 Supercar driver Warren Luff who
took a very dominant win, with the TMR Evo X of Tulloch/Steve Jones in second, and the TMR Evo X of
Glyn Crimp/Matt Cherry in fourth.


On the Knifes Edge.


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The Sandown victory wraps up a dominant and incredibly satisfying Australian Manufacturers season for the
TMR Performance team, showcasing the performance of the Mitsubishi Evolution, and reinforcing it as the
kings of production car racing for the second year in a row.


Coming in for a Pitstop.


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2010 AMC RESULTS (S. Kostera, TMR Evo X)

Round Venue Result

1 Bathurst, NSW DNF
2 Symmons Plains, Tas 1st
3 Phillip Island, Vic 1st
4 Eastern Creek, NSW 1st
5 Morgan Pk, Qld 1st
6 Sandown, Vic 1st



Control in the Elements


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And the Winner of the 2010 Australian Manufacturers Championship, Stuart Kostera!

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Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:43 am
by aspir3
Well done TMR and Stuart Kostera for good driving.

That is excellent to see an Evo doing so well. It shows what a great company TMR are.

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:49 am
by billy boy
Congrats!! That is fantastic news and very well done :)

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:15 am
by JaCe
Congratulations. It's always inspirational to see TMR doing well with the Evo X especially since people no undoubtedly make comparisons to the Evo IX and comment that the X isn't quite up to the IX standard (in some aspects).

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:20 am
by aspir3
I see you added pictures.

Wow there are some great action shots.

My wife drives like that. :lol:

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:27 am
by bd-850
Awsome Stuff, Congrats to Stuart Kostera and everyone else involved

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:38 am
by McCoy
JaCe wrote:Congratulations. It's always inspirational to see TMR doing well with the Evo X especially since people no undoubtedly make comparisons to the Evo IX and comment that the X isn't quite up to the IX standard (in some aspects).


If someone brings that old chestnut up again you can tell them that an Evo IX did compete at Sandown on the weekend just gone and it was lapped in a 1hr race.

:wink:

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:18 pm
by acejay17
Congrats on the win that is awesome news. Good to see Evo X are still being competed in races :) Do you guys have any further races planned in the near future or a website / link where your up-coming schedule is ?
Would love to follow this and possibly attend some events if possible :d

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:44 pm
by McCoy

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:51 pm
by JaCe
Thanks again :)

Silly question but at a recent office-cubicle/pub-talk the question was raised Evo X vs a 2001 Ferrari 360. Which would win out on a track?

(couldn't help but notice a used 360 from 2001 starts at around $125k before negotiation!)

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:46 pm
by McCoy
JaCe wrote:Thanks again :)

Silly question but at a recent office-cubicle/pub-talk the question was raised Evo X vs a 2001 Ferrari 360. Which would win out on a track?

(couldn't help but notice a used 360 from 2001 starts at around $125k before negotiation!)


According to a client of mine that has a TMR enhanced Lancer Evolution MR, the answer is lancer!

He found that out at Sandown by the way.

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 5:23 pm
by acejay17
McCoy wrote:Yup, have you seen this?

http://www.tmraustralia.com.au/upcomingevents.php


Nope didn't see that :)

Awesome looks like you guys have an event coming up in Dec at Homebush - whats the process to attend this ? Is there tickets to buy etc ?

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:25 pm
by JaCe
Dan, silly question but what is the limits in terms of modifications for this race? I'm watching it on OneHD at the moment :)

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:18 am
by McCoy
JaCe wrote:Dan, silly question but what is the limits in terms of modifications for this race? I'm watching it on OneHD at the moment :)


Standard Engine and Turbo for a start.

It's a production car which means standard engine, engine internals, standard turbo. From there we run a standard Intercooler, Intercooler pipes, standard intake with the factory Mitsubishi Panel Filter. Under the bonnet it looks identical to a car you would buy from the showroom floor yet it still holds the lap record in production car racing at most of the tracks around Australia!

We are allowed to run an engine management system, so It has a Motec ECU and diff controller, the suspension, chassis and brakes are well thought out, highly engineered packages for each of those components and after that it's just sticking someone in the chair that can peddle the thing well.

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:32 am
by Chubb
McCoy wrote:
JaCe wrote:Dan, silly question but what is the limits in terms of modifications for this race? I'm watching it on OneHD at the moment :)


Standard Engine and Turbo for a start.

It's a production car which means standard engine, engine internals, standard turbo. From there we run a standard Intercooler, Intercooler pipes, standard intake with the factory Mitsubishi Panel Filter. Under the bonnet it looks identical to a car you would buy from the showroom floor yet it still holds the lap record in production car racing at most of the tracks around Australia!

We are allowed to run an engine management system, so It has a Motec ECU and diff controller, the suspension, chassis and brakes are well thought out, highly engineered packages for each of those components and after that it's just sticking someone in the chair that can peddle the thing well.


And that why I love this type of racing, the V8's for me have become too much like hard core race cars. I love the fact that in the Bathurst 12hour some of the cars racing still had the factory sound system installed, true race on sunday buy on Monday type racing (with a few mods of course ;)).