80 replies to this topic

[38bfast]

It will be investing to see how many come out club racing. The car has yet to be classed. 

[Joe Cooley]

It will be investing to see how many come out club racing. The car has yet to be classed. 

 

My guess is T3 and STL just like the last one where it is outclassed.  

[zoomzoom22]

My guess is T3 and STL just like the last one where it is outclassed.  

T3 the only real one that raced (Atlanta) was under the track record in qualifying and nearly beat the T3 that won the runoffs I believe.

[Joe Cooley]

T3 the only real one that raced (Atlanta) was under the track record in qualifying and nearly beat the T3 that won the runoffs I believe.

 

The 1:38 was not in legal MX5 cup trim once he was back to that trim it was a 1:41ish car.  3 seconds off the T3 pole.

[chris haldeman]

Would a 50 car field be bad? What do you think the optimal number of starters would be to make the series a long term success?

I'm fine with any number of starters. I would say 65-75 would be great for the series. My question is with all the interest in the class and 50 being already ordered should I continue too try and find intrested drivers or sponsors? I have zero interest in the car as a club race car. I do not see it being competitive in any club race class as delivered

[Johnny D]

Update..
More than 50 deposits for the $53,000 ready-to-race car received within the first four days.

Within hours of the Oct. 1 price announcement, racers were in line, online, and placing $10,000 deposits, to be among the first to receive the all-new Global Mazda MX-5 Cup race car later this year or early in 2016.

“All summer long we sensed this would be a hit,” said John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “We tested in front of our current Battery Tender MX-5 Cup racers, our club racers, and visited a few of motorsports country clubs; having 50 deposits this quickly, however, is amazing. We are poised to set new records for field sizes in 2016. Luckily our season will not be starting until the end of April, so there is still time for others to place an order and receive their race car before the season begins.”

Priority to purchase the new race car is being given to current competitors in the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, and others who intend to compete in the 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup. MX-5 Cup cars built by Long Road Racing will be eligible to compete in club racing with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Auto Sport Association (NASA) as well as many track-day clubs.

Details for the ordering process, including financing options, are available via our social media outlets: @MazdaRacing (Twitter), @GlobalMX5Cup (Twitter) and MazdaMotorsports on Facebook. - See more at: http://mazdamotorspo...h.aaaoPp7G.dpuf

[Chad Martin]

I hear more than 70 deposits now...i'd bet it will top 100 quickly.  

[Ron Alan]

I hear more than 70 deposits now...i'd bet it will top 100 quickly.  

 1 finished car every 2 days! Hmmm...that is a tall order!

[Chad Martin]

I can't believe that all orders revived by the end of this year will be filled even by the end of 2016.   But, that's just my own speculation, i have no inside info as to who all will be building them...i can see the need to have additional partners for production will spring up quickly.  Then the question will of course creep into the conversation of which build house is my car coming from....and which one is better.

[Bench Racer]

   Break the build process into segments and all of each segment is completed by the same folks. 

[Jim Drago]

Will be tough, especially since they have not received a car yet. But they are supposed to be geared up and have an a former Nascar facility ready to go to build these.  

[Johnny D]

Here's what you need to know to make sure your name is in the drawing for chassis numbers on Oct. 28.
 
Due to the need to assign build order and expected delivery windows, we need to place a timeline for our initial 2016 MX-5 Cup car orders. Ordering will not cease as we will build an MX-5 Cup car for every order. For those who order their MX-5 Cup cars, provide payment and signed purchase agreements within the timeline that follows, they will be entered into a live drawing of chassis numbers on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at noon PST / 3 PM EST.
 
To be among the first to receive your all-new 2016 MX-5 Cup race car and be entered into the drawing for chassis numbers, you will need to:
• Place your order on www.MazdaMotosports.com by Friday, October 16, and
• Long Road Racing will need to receive your signed purchase agreement and payment by Friday, October 23.
For those who meet these two requirements above, the build process is below:
• 2015 Battery Tender MX-5 Cup competitors will receive their builds first;
• Those who prepay four 2016 MX-5 Cup events will receive their builds among the second group;
• Current MAZDASPEED Team Support Members will receive their builds among the third group;
• Non-MAZDASPEED Team Support Members will receive their builds among the fourth group.
 
Starting this Saturday, Oct. 17, 2016 MX-5 Cup race cars will be built according to when orders are received—not based on priority groups. All of these orders will be built after the completion of the ones who submitted their order online by this Friday and made payment to Long Road Racing by the following Friday. Chassis numbers will be designated in the order that payments are received.

How to place order online:
Step 1: Go to the www.MazdaMotorsports.com homepage
Step 2: Click the banner link at the top of the home page that states, “ORDER YOUR ALL-NEW 2016 GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP RACE CAR NOW - CLICK HERE.”
Step 3: Scroll down below the picture and fill out the 10-question form.
How to make payment to Long Road Racing:
Step 1: Check your inbox within 24 hours for two emails: One email from Mazda that will include the next steps; the second e-mail from Long Road Racing will include the purchase agreement for your review.
Step 2: Within the next steps e-mail by Mazda, we will send optional phone call times for you to speak with a representative from Mazda Motorsports and Long Road Racing to answer any of your questions.
Step 3: To secure your order, payment (e.g., check, wire transfer) AND the signed purchase agreement must be received by Long Road Racing by Friday, October 23.
Assigning chassis numbers for the first builds:
For those who have already placed their orders and for those who do by this Friday, you will be among the first builds and will be assigned chassis numbers. On October 26, we will email all those who have secured their payments (ordered online by October 16 and submitted payment to Long Road Racing by October 23) with:
• An estimate on when they will receive their orders, and
• Instructions for how to log into a live online chassis drawing that will take place on Wednesday, October 28 at noon PST / 3 PM EST.

Summary of dates noted above:
• Friday, October 16: Order on MazdaMotorsports.com to be among first builds.
• Friday, October 23: Payment must be received by Long Road Racing to secure order amongst the first builds.
• Monday, October 26: Email to those who placed their orders to be among the first builds.
• Wednesday, October 28: Live online chassis drawing using a webinar format.
• Indefinitely: Orders/payments can be received indefinitely for 2016 MX-5 Cup cars. Orders/payments received after the deadlines noted above will be built in order. - See more at: http://mazdamotorspo...h.2rRQama0.dpuf

[Johnny D]

SEMA MX-5 Concepts: Extreme Lightweights
MX-5 concepts at automotive aftermarket industry show display two different takes on staying true to pure, lightweight sports car philosophy.

http://mazdamotorspo...EMAconcepts.jpg

Mazda revealed two design concepts at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, based on its all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata—MX-5 Spyder and MX-5 Speedster—demonstrating two vastly different takes on lightweight, open-air performance.

While, unlike the RX-VISION concept introduced in Tokyo, these are based on production cars, they are simply concepts to show what could be done with the platform. While not destined for the track, they do include bits and pieces from several of MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development's partners. That includes Long Road Racing, which developed and is building the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car.

Lightweight. Fun-to-drive. Roadster. Those are the foundation of the MX-5. The new concepts show what can happen if those three descriptors are taken to the extreme. What if Mazda’s North American designers harkened back to vintage roadsters to create thoroughly modern, bespoke concepts for what a lightweight performance car should be?

“Both MX-5 Spyder and MX-5 Speedster are uncompromising designs that highlight the core strengths of MX-5,” said Ken Saward, design manager, Mazda North American Operations. “The all-new 2016 MX-5 served as a blank canvas for our design team to create some truly one-of-a-kind cars, yet our SEMA concepts remain true to more than 25 years of MX-5 heritage.”

MX-5 Spyder is a sophisticated interpretation of the classic vintage roadster, which is designed to accentuate the open-air experience. Its bikini top was developed by ASC – American Sunroof Corporation with the fabric supplied by Haartz.

Other highlights include its specially formulated Mercury Silver paint color, carbon fiber aero kit, grille intake and body tonneau cover and lightweight Yokohama ADVAN Racing RS II 17-inch wheels. Its interior is adorned in Spinneybeck “PRIMA” natural leather, lending a sense of vintage motoring from behind the wheel.

MX-5 Speedster pares the roadster back to the essentials for an unadulterated, wind-in-the-hair driving experience, evocative of the open-top sports cars of the 1950s—even going to far as to eschew a windshield for a deflector. In the same vein, the utter dedication toward creating such a focused machine led the design staff to build the Speedster with custom 16-inch RAYS Extreme Gram Lights wheels, benefitting MX-5 with less unsprung weight. MX-5 Speedster finished in a new concept color called Blue Ether.

Other details on MX-5 Speedster include an adjustable coilover suspension, which lowers it by 30mm compared with the production-car specifications, a Racing Beat center-mount exhaust, an interior retrimmed in Alcantara, carbon fiber Mu-Len Delta seats created exclusively for MX-5 and carbon fiber doors. In all, the lighter-weight materials have helped contribute to a weight loss of more than 250 lbs., with MX-5 Speedster weighing 2,080 lbs.

Saward and other designers worked from conception to construction to put the SEMA concepts together, partnering aftermarket parts suppliers and Southern California performance shops to create them. Partners include:



Partners Include:

• AC&A Manufacturing

• ASC – American Sunroof Corporation

• Delta Seat

• Franks Fab Shop

• Haartz Corporation

• H&R Springs

• KW Suspensions

• Long Road Racing

• Lusch

• Makin Industries/RAYS Wheels

• Racing Beat

• SIM Specialty Interior Manufacturing



Specifications for each vehicle are as follows:

MX-5 Spyder

• Engine: SKYACTIV-G 2.0L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT

• Wheels: Custom Yokohama ADVAN Racing RS II 17 x 8 (42mm offset)

• Brakes: Front Brembo four-piston calipers with vented rotors

• Tires: Yokohama ADVAN A048 225/45/17

• Shocks Springs: Adjustable coil-overs

• Weight: 2,301 lbs.

• Exterior Color: Mercury Silver

• Interior: Seats, doors, trimmed in Spinneybeck “PRIMA” natural leather



MX-5 Speedster

• Engine: SKYACTIV-G 2.0L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT

• Wheels: Custom RAYS 57 Extreme Gram Lights 16 x 8 (45mm offset)

• Brakes: Front Brembo four-piston calipers with vented rotors

• Tires: Kumho Ecsta V710 225/50/16

• Shocks Springs: K&W adjustable coilover suspension

• Weight: 2,080 lbs.

• Exterior Color: Blue Ether

• Seats: Lightweight seats developed by Mu-Len Delta Seat exclusively for the 2016 MX-5, constructed of Carbon Fiber and trimmed in black Alcantara





- See more at: http://mazdamotorspo...h.PYdxMgb0.dpuf

[MPR22]

Can I get a head count from the guys buying cup cars on who plans on racing MX-5 Cup full time in 2016.   Want to know if we will be loosing some of our top flight drivers to the pro series.  

[Danny Steyn]

Lots of talk about it at Daytona Runoffs, but none of those I chatted to have put in their orders for cars.

 

My rationale for not doing it was purely cost. I figured I could do the 6 pro weekends for the same cost as it costs me to run a full Spec Miata season in SCCA (about 15 - 17 weekends)

 

But 6 weekends would not nearly be enough to placate my racing addiction, so I would also have to add some club racing as well, and so the numbers just start to climb out of my budget.

 

There are many things going for the series and some things going against the series. I think that jumping in at the beginning is a smart thing to do as you are on an equal playing field with most, and not playing catch up. 

 

I have no doubt that the series will evolve into something substantial. Mazda is putting in serious time and resources into this, and the people behind it are likely to make it a huge success.

[Johnny D]

Can I get a head count from the guys buying cup cars on who plans on racing MX-5 Cup full time in 2016.   Want to know if we will be loosing some of our top flight drivers to the pro series.

Walter said he's moving to NC, does that count ?? 

 

J~

[Jim Drago]

I have heard of several that are ordering. But not sure they want it being announced here?
ESR is not doing Global this year. I think as Danny said getting in early has its' advantages but also can have some downside as well. There will be lots of issues come up in year one ( like transmissions,abs etc on 06 mx5 cars when new) that will be ironed out year two and that may be a good time to get in for us.
Jim

[MPR22]

Anyone know what the terms are for the financing of the cars.  Might be easier to buy now and race later. 

[Mike Collins]

I bought 2.. Got delivery dates... I plan on running the entire 6 race season..

[Chad Martin]

Specified NASA PT/TT base class for new Global Cup Car

 

Mazda MX-5 Global Cup Racecar (2016)(PTC): Minimum Competition Weight: 2400 lbs.

Tires: Either Mazda MX-5 Global Cup specified non-DOT 215mm, or any model DOT-approved tire, size 215mm or smaller.

Aero: No aerodynamic modifications when compared to the BTM (base trim model) Mazda MX-5 (“Sport” trim street model), including no factory optional aerodynamic modifications (such as front air dam/splitter, side sill extensions, rear bumper skirt, rear lip spoiler).

 

My Opinion this is actually a fairly favorable/competitive classing.