22 replies to this topic

[Johnny D]

 

Winding Road Racing and Atlanta Speedwerks are partnering to create a new 2018 race series built around a new class called Spec MX-5. The objective is to build a race series that has some of the attractive elements of pro racing, like prize money and top drivers and high-quality tracks. At the same time, WRR and Speedwerks want to keep costs down so that more drivers can compete and more drivers can treat a Spec MX-5 season as a step on a racing career.

 

The Program

 

There are still a few details to be worked out, but basically Spec MX-5 will operate like this:

 

    Spec MX-5 will run two regional series during 2018, one in the southeastern part of the US, the other in the south central section.
    Drivers will pay a fee for the season of slightly above $40,000
    Season fees cover car rental, prep, entry, mechanics, tools, tires, fuel, and consumables
    Drivers will compete for points and some prize money during the regular season
    Each region will award a group of its top drivers with a full scholarship to the Spec MX-5 Championship at the end of 2018
    Drivers in the Championship event will compete for a significant monetary prize that should enable them to take the next step on the pro ladder (i.e. Global MX-5 Cup)

 

 

The Philosophy

 

To keep competition as balanced and driver-focused as possible, all drivers will run in identically prepared cars owned and operated by Winding Road Racing and Atlanta Speedwerks. The cars are based on the NC (3rd) generation Mazda MX-5, with full cages, fire systems, harnesses and other safety equipment required of any road racing car. The specs for the car limit the number of adjustments to less than a handful, and the WRR/Speedwerks mechanics are being trained on how to prep the cars identically. Drivers will be assigned to a different car each weekend. The series does want drivers to get some experience with providing feedback to the team, so tire pressures will be adjusted for each car/driver pairing.

 

The Pro Racing Cost Issue

 

As we discovered in a recent Winding Road reader survey, about 50% of drivers assume that a pro racing season starts in the $40k - $60k range. As of 2017, the reality is that the lowest cost pro road racing series, the Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup series presented by BF Goodrich, costs about $100k or probably a little bit more for the season. Pro series rise in cost from there, so that a Pirelli World Challenge TC season costs about $150k, an IMSA GT3 Cup or Trans Am season gets close to $300k and PWC or IMSA series running SRO GT3 cars are well north of $500k.

 

Obviously, these numbers keep a lot of good, often young, drivers from ever attempting the "pro" game. Mazda in particular has worked hard to create a ladder system that helps these drivers get in the game, but the reality is that, for example, there is only one winner of the Mazda Road To 24 shootout. That lucky driver gets $100k to use toward a follow on season (in Global MX-5 Cup). From there, you have to keep winning to move up. Or get a big sponsorship deal. Very difficult.

 

Spec MX-5 moves the cost of a pro season down into the anticipated range that many drivers imagine when they think about pro racing. Spec MX-5 is designed to couple that more accessible entry point with enough prize money that some drivers will be able to move on to the next step on the ladder.

 

The Driver Development Issue

 

The other issue with even entry level pro racing is that it is expensive enough that some drivers can't afford to do it year after year so that they build their skill in the long run. Quite a few drivers can scrape together the funds to do one season (which sometimes ends midway because of optimistic cost estimates). But many of those drivers can't run MX-5 Cup or PWC year after year. If you don't peak right away, you may be done.

 

Spec MX-5 is designed to be inexpensive enough that many more drivers can run Spec MX-5 year after year. With the goal of attracting top drivers, Spec MX-5 should serve as an excellent driver development platform. Drivers get to compete against a tough field and measure themselves. Drivers get the trackside support needed to free them to work on data and video analysis and receive coaching if desired.

 

Available Seats

 

Winding Road Racing and Atlanta Speedwerks have the cars needed to accept 10 drivers for the south central series and 10 drivers for the south eastern series. The teams will bring spare parts and spare cars in an effort to maximize track time.

If you would like to stay in the  jsextloop for additional details about Spec MX-5 and/or you think you'd like to apply for one of the open Spec MX-5 seats, please contact Jeff Sexton:on@windingroad.com

[dstevens]

Interesting.  Were these the Skippy cars?

[Jim Drago]

Interesting.  Were these the Skippy cars?

yes, some are for sure. they may be building more

[Todd Lamb]

We are in the process of a complete mechanical overhaul on the Skippy cars to make them like new again. We are also installing all new Sabelt safety equipment (top of the line seats/belts/wheels), SPA fire systems, paint, and custom wraps for each car. They are coming along nicely and we will have a handful at the first racing school with Level Up (still $300 off a school until tomorrow!) at AMP.

[OrangeCrush86]

I really like the idea and it's something I might be able to realistically afford in the near feature. As the article mentions, one issue with being a one man show (plus the great help from my wife) is that it's not possible to focus solely on driving when you are a mechanic, engineer, transport, etc. at the same time.

 

However I see that the drivers will rotate to different cars. Does this mean there is no way to bring your own sponsors to this series? If you pay 40k for a season and have the option of bringing your own sponsor to further help with the costs it might be nice.

[Todd Lamb]

You can bring your own sponsor - you'll have the same car for the entire weekend, but each weekend you'll be in a different car to keep everyone on a level playing field. So you'll just need to bring new sponsor decals each weekend (the wraps have plenty of blank space for logos).

[Pat Mcg]

will this series piggyback on the existing events for the MX-5 cup or are these going to be stand alone events?

[Todd Lamb]

The Southeast series (Atlanta Speedwerks) will piggyback off SCCA, while the South Central series (Winding Road) will piggyback off NASA.

First SE race will likely be VIR March 9-11.

[Danica Davison]

The Southeast series (Atlanta Speedwerks) will piggyback off SCCA, while the South Central series (Winding Road) will piggyback off NASA.

First SE race will likely be VIR March 9-11.

 

Interested on how it will piggy back off of the SCCA/NASA.  Are you saying they will be in their own run group? (Obviously the fastest run group of course)

[Johnny D]

 

New Entry Level Road Racing Pro Series Announced

 

CUMMING, GA, and AUSTIN, TX, December 19, 2017 — Atlanta Speedwerks and Winding Road Racing today announced the creation of a new road racing series, Spec MX-5 Challenge. In 2018, the series will debut on tracks in the eastern and central portion of the U.S., including Virginia International Raceway, Circuit of The Americas and Road Atlanta.

 

Spec MX-5 will feature identically prepared NC generation (2006-2015) Mazda MX-5s, that are owned and maintained by both Winding Road Racing and Atlanta Speedwerks. Winding Road Racing will be conducting a 6 weekend/12 race Central series in conjunction with NASA events, while Atlanta Speedwerks will be hosting a 6 weekend/12 race Eastern series in conjunction with SCCA events. 10 drivers will be selected to compete in each series, with the top 7 drivers from each series coming together for the 14 car final event to determine the overall champion.

 

Central series Spec MX-5 Challenge schedule
March 23-25                        NCM                                      NASA
May 4-6                                OTA                                       NASA
June 8-10                             Hallett                                   NASA
Sept 8-9                               NOLA                                    NASA
Sept 13-16                             COTA                                     NASA
Nov 2-4                                Road Atlanta                        ARRC

 

Eastern series Spec MX-5 Challenge schedule
March 10-11                          VIR                                         SARRC
May 11-13                              VIR                                         SARRC/MARRS
June 16-17                           Summit Point                        SARRC/MARRS
July 28-29                          Road Atlanta                         SARRC
TBD                                     TBD                                        TBD
Nov 2-4                               Road Atlanta                         ARRC

 

High quality competition is a very important aspect of Spec MX-5 Challenge.  To ensure fairness, drivers will be randomly assigned a different car each weekend, with procedures in place to ensure each car is identically prepared. Drivers will only be allowed to use one set of dry tires per weekend; an official tire manufacturer will be announced soon. Drivers will drop their lowest race finish from the points tally to account for any incidents, mechanicals, or missed races.

 

Mazda is integrating the Spec MX-5 Challenge into their industry-leading pro racing ladder system. “Mazda has done more for road racing in the United States than any other brand, and we are thankful that they have joined us in this venture to create a new series for drivers to showcase their talents and move up the Mazda ladder,” said Todd Lamb, owner of Atlanta Speedwerks.

 

With assistance from Mazda, the Spec MX-5 series will award the 2018 Spec MX-5 Challenge champion with a $100,000 scholarship toward running the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires series in 2019. In addition, Mazda will pick one at-large nominee from the Spec MX-5 Challenge for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. “We are excited to assist Spec MX-5 in creating a bridge for driver talent to move from successful amateur classes like Spec Miata to Global MX-5 Cup and beyond,” said David Cook, business development manager, Mazda Motorsports.

 

Only available as an arrive-and-drive program, the cost for the season will be $45,000. This price includes Spec MX-5 race car rental, entry fees, transport, prep, trackside support, tires and consumables. “We have observed that costs continue to rise in all forms of racing, so we wanted to find a way to create an affordable arrive-and-drive series,” said Tom Martin, CEO of Winding Road Racing.  “Our experience running professional teams has shown us ways to reduce costs for racers and we have incorporated that knowledge into Spec MX-5,” he said.

 

Mazda, Winding Road, Atlanta Speedwerks and many others in the racing community intend for Spec MX-5 Challenge to grow beyond the 2018 season. The series has plans to expand car count, race shop support and geographical coverage in 2019 and beyond. “Ultimately, we need to be running hundreds of Spec MX-5s to fulfill the vision of creating a new level of road racing,” said Martin. “With support from Mazda and other partners, along with a step-by-step strategy, we are confident that Spec MX-5 Challenge has a bright future.”

 

More details regarding the Spec MX-5 Challenge are available from Atlanta Speedwerks (Eastern series) and Winding Road Racing (Central series) via the links below:

 

Eastern: specmx5@atlspeedwerks.com

 

Central: specmx5@windingroad.com

 

Follow Spec MX-5 Challenge on Facebook

 

Follow Spec MX-5 Challenge on Twitter

 

Follow Spec MX-5 Challenge on Instagram

 

Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, and parts. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

 

Winding Road Racing is a leading provider of road racing equipment and services. With locations in Austin, Los Angeles, Thunderhill and NCM Motorsports Park, and online at windingroadracing.com, the company offers a full line of safety and performance equipment from leading manufacturers like Stilo, AiM, Sparco, Bell, Schroth and Motorola. From shops in Austin and Sonoma, the company runs teams in Pirelli World Challenge and Global MX-5 Cup, as well as building cars and providing full service for NASA and SCCA drivers.

 

Media Contacts:

Todd Lamb                                                                                       Luciana D’Andretta
Atlanta Speedwerks                                                                       Winding Road Racing
2630 Northgate Ave                                                                       2500 McHale Court, Suite 100A
Cumming, GA 30041                                                                       Austin, TX 78758
(404) 996-4100                                                                              (512) 994-0656
todd@atlspeedwerks.com                                                              ldandretta@windingroad.com

[Danica Davison]

Todd...August Daytona weekend would be a good race weekend to fill that TBD in the Eastern Series

[Danica Davison]

Well actually .... Sebring Labor Day weekend would give you a bigger gap in the schedule. It's a lighter turnout weekend as well.

[Richard Astacio]

This is very intriguing and affordable all things considered....

[sentercut]

Awesome job putting this together. Seems like it would appeal to plenty of young aspiring drivers and paves the way for the NC's getting their own class eventually and expanding the brand. Very cool Mazda is stepping up to provide the 100K scholarship for global and the MRT24 bid. Will be fun to watch. 

 

Todd, is there somewhere specific other than social media or here we can follow who is going to be racing, updates etc..like a dedicated website?

[LarryKing]

Just asking out of curiosity - is it not possible to piggyback SCCA Majors events? (That would seem to be a little more "big time" in terms of prestige)

[Todd Lamb]

Huge thanks to Mazda for helping us and Winding Road put this series together.

We just finished our first LevelUp Racing School at AMP yesterday. Between school sessions I was able to shake down a few cars on race slicks. What a blast!

We have an email list of interested drivers - we will be sending out additional details as we nail things down. Some info is being posted across social media as well.

We didn’t want to run at Majors because:
1) most are 4-day events which increases costs
2) too many cars per group - we wanted clear track for our class for as long as possible
3) the cars are classed as regional for now

[Johnny D]

Have you picked a tire ?

 

J~

[Todd Lamb]

It will be a DOT slick. We are testing with various manufacturers right now.

[Johnny D]

Spec MX-5 Challenge Website

 

https://specmx-5.com/

 

J~

[Johnny D]

How to Apply to Run Spec MX-5 Challenge In 2018

 

 

The Spec MX-5 Challenge series has created a form for you to submit to apply to run the series in 2018. Like most entry-level pro series, Spec MX-5 Challenge is basically first-come, first-served. But with a limited number (20) of seats for 2018, the series wants a little additional information: https://specmx-5.com/forms/