Jump to content

Photo

Mazda Raceway to Host First-Ever Mazda MX-5 Cup Global Invitational


  • Please log in to reply
1 reply to this topic

#1
Johnny D

Johnny D

    Veteran Member

  • Moderators
  • 6,121 posts
  • Location:Fremont, CA
  • Region:San Francisco
  • Car Year:1999
  • Car Number:88

https://mazdamotorsp...gId=-1&button=y

- Twenty international Mazda racers seek to be crowned Global Champion -

Global MX-5 Cup InvitationalIRVINE, Calif. (August 2, 2016) – Mazda has announced details for the inaugural Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Invitational where racers from Europe, Asia and North America will compete against one another at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. This event is a non-points, invitation-only race. The invitational races will be held September 9-11, 2016 as part of a Mazda-exclusive weekend that features both the Mazda Road to Indy and the Mazda Road to 24.

John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations, said, “When we launched the 2016 car and series, we included ‘Global’ for a reason. Mazda affiliates and racers from abroad have wanted to get involved in what had previously been North American exclusive. We can’t wait to have our overseas friends join us at our home track for what we hope will be the first of many such events in the years to come. Combining the weekend with our Mazda Road to Indy and Mazda Road to 24 championships means that we’ll likely have more than 100 Mazda-powered race cars on one weekend. With all cars being as identical as possible, it’s a perfect showcase for racers to prove that no matter if you are on the highway, or on the track, driving matters.”

What: 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Invitational

When: Friday, September 9th – Sunday, September 11th

Where: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California

Who: Approximately 20 MX-5 Cup racers from around the world. The complete entry list will be announced at a later date but will include racers from the U.S.A., Europe, and Asia.

Why: To showcase the talents of Mazda sports car racers and the all-new Mazda MX-5 Cup race car

How: Two 45-minute races will be run. The racer scoring the most points between the two races will be crowned the champion.

The Prize: The winner of the Invitational will be sent to Mazda Motorsports partner Multimatic to train on the “Driver in the Loop” (DIL) simulator. Upon a successful simulation performance, he or she could advance to a one-day test in the Mazda Prototype that competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series.

Tickets: To attend in person: http://www.mazdaraceway.com/events

Broadcast: The Sunday race will be broadcast live on www.MazdaLive.com and will include commentary from the Radio Le Mans team.

About the MX-5 Cup

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 2016(40 Global Battery Tender MX-5 Cup cars scream down to Andretti Hairpin at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in April 2016.)
The Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires is the signature spec series for the Mazda Road to 24 (#MRT24), the sports car counterpart to the Mazda Road to Indy (#MRTI). On both paths, Mazda-powered champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The MX-5 Cup champion earns a $200,000 scholarship.

The 2016 season features the all-new fourth generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. For the first time, Mazda has commissioned complete turnkey race cars, with the goal that all cars are as close to identical as possible, ensuring the best drivers rise to the top. Over 80 of the $53,000 race cars have been delivered to date. Information on the car is online at www.mazdamotorsports.com.
About Mazda Motorsports

Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook. - See more at: https://mazdamotorsp...h.lHYeETdY.dpuf


2011 NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship E3 Champ
We have a Winnah! - Won their 1st race... Congratulations! Beta-Tester - Assisted us with beta testing the website. Donor - Made PayPal donation Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver Novel Approach - When a paragraph simply won't do... Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill - Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill Instigator - Made a topic or post that inspired other Make it Rain - Made Paypal donation of $100+

#2
Johnny D

Johnny D

    Veteran Member

  • Moderators
  • 6,121 posts
  • Location:Fremont, CA
  • Region:San Francisco
  • Car Year:1999
  • Car Number:88

https://mazdamotorsp...gId=-1&button=y

“Global MX-5 Cup Japan” Garnering a Great Deal of Interest

(August 25, 2016 - Japan) A test run and trade talk meeting was held for the “Global MX-5 Cup Japan” that will begin in 2017.

15 individuals (out of a larger group of individuals interested in taking part in the series) were chosen through a raffle to test the Global MX-5 cars. One of the two MX-5 Cup cars that were brought out for these test runs was surrounded by interested members of the press on the final day.

This event began with footage of various scenes of each of the four generations of Mazda MX-5 (Roadsters) competing in motorsports as Yasuhiro Aoyama, Global Sales Coordination in charge of Brand Enhancement, Global Marketing and Customer Service kicked off the ceremony with some opening words. Roadster ambassador Yasuhiro Yamamoto explained the most attractive points of the roadster after which Mazda Motorsports factory driver Tom Long , who played a pivotal role in the development of the Global MX-5 Cup car, came up on the stage. He related, “The light weight chassis of the Mazda MX-5 is highly regarded and truly makes the most of the car’s light handling. It has been perfected to enable a truly enjoyable one-make race experience.”

President of CUSCO Japan Co., Ltd, which will be in charge of sales and after service for the car in Japan, Nagase Tsutomu, gave details of the cars specs, sales price, the provision of spare parts, and more. While he did so, all those who came out to express interest fervently took notes. The majority of those who came out were people who had experience in the Super Taikyu and other one-make races such as the Roadster Party Race. Later, two young Japanese drivers, who will be competing in the Global MX-5 Cup Invitational races to be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September were introduced. One of these individuals was Yui Tsutsumi (20y/o), who garnered attention after he became the 2015 Roadster Party Race champion and secured a regular seat in the Super Taikyu series. The other was Women in Motorsports project member Enami Kitahara (22y/o). Tsusumi related his ambition, “Being chosen to represent Japan, I want to do my utmost to not be outdone by the drivers in the States, take victory and maybe even catch the eye of Mazda USA’s factory team.”

The real price of the Global MX-5 Cup Car is ¥7,884,000(including tax). It is mounted with a 2.0 liter SKYACTIV-G engine and is a left hand drive US spec machine with sealed-ECU, exclusive suspension, a Brembo brake system, race exhaust, roll cage, data collection system, BGGoodrich slick tires, differential oil cooler, fire extinguisher etc. as standard. There is also the option for a package that includes bucket seats, full harness belts and more that would allow the purchaser to immediately begin competing in races. In order to keep down running costs and prevent unauthorized tuning, the engine, ECU, exhaust manifold, transmission, differential and more have been sealed; and if there is a failure or damage, the entire unit will be replaced. Teams can only carry out damping adjustment of the suspension, strengthen/weaken the stabilizers, and alter the alignment. This means that the races purely come down to driving skill, resulting in a completely equal chance for both veterans and young drivers. This is probably one of the most attractive points for those who compete. It will be exciting to see just how many Global MX-5 Cup cars compete in the opening round to be held next year.

After the event ended, veteran driver Yasutaka Hinoi, who has experience in the Ferrari Race, the SUPER GT, amongst others, stated, “I heard that this series provides the opportunity to compete internationally so I wanted to come out for this test drive event. Even if you don’t belong to a famous team and don’t have huge amounts of capital, as long as you have the ability, you can be competitive. That’s a really attractive point. I would love to be able to be on the starting grid next year.”

Details on the car and sales can be found at the Global MX-5 Cup Japan official website.

- See more at: https://mazdamotorsp...h.O3i1G6FI.dpuf


2011 NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship E3 Champ
We have a Winnah! - Won their 1st race... Congratulations! Beta-Tester - Assisted us with beta testing the website. Donor - Made PayPal donation Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver Novel Approach - When a paragraph simply won't do... Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill - Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill Instigator - Made a topic or post that inspired other Make it Rain - Made Paypal donation of $100+




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users