Mazda MX-5 Cup welcomes motoring.com.au

The inaugural Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Invitational gets underway this weekend (September 10-11) in the USA, and motoring.com.au will be there. In fact, we’ll be on the grid!

Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair will join one other Australia automotive journalist to represent Australia in the event which takes place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey in California.

The Global Cup Invitational will see a grid of 20 identical ND-series MX-5 Cup cars front the starter. Around half the field are regulars from the US-based Mazda MX-5 Cup series, with the rest of the grid made up of invited drivers from around the world.

The Global Cup itself will be run as two 45-minute heats. Mazda will decide the ‘champion’ on the basis of the points aggregate for the two heats. The winner will be rewarded with time in the Multimatic Driver in the Loop simulator and a one-day test in a Mazda Prototype that runs in the US-based IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The MX-5 races are part of the weekend’s Mazda Road to Indy and Mazda Road to 24 US championship programs. Mazda describes the latter category as the “sports car counterpart” to the Road to Indy, for open-wheelers.

Champions in the open-wheel and sport scar US series score Mazda scholarships to further their race careers.

As is the case with the cars that contest Porsche’s long-standing Carrera Cup championship, the MX-5s used in the US series and this Invitational event are supplied ‘turn-key’ and ready-to-race. The left-hand drive racers feature stout roll cages and significant suspension and brake upgrades. The 2.0-litre engines, however, are sealed and remain close to stock.

Only introduced in 2015, Mazda USA recently delivered the 100th MX-5 Global Cup car to a New York-based team.

At Laguna Seca, motoring.com.au will race an MX-5 supplied by Meathead Racing, one of the US series stalwarts. Owner of the team and regular MX-5 racer, Michael Collins, is also the president of the SCCA – North America's equivalent of CAMS.

Mazda Australia has imported two of the US-built racers to better understand the finished product and “explore local commercial opportunities” with the cars. The company says it’s keen “to support local MX-5 enthusiasts” as it develops a business case for offering a turn-key MX-5 racer.

motoring.com.au tested one of the BF Goodrich slick-shod LHD cars at Winton last week and can report they’re a barrel of laughs.

“They’re not fast in a straight line but they make up for that in the corners,” Editor-in-Chief Sinclair said after last week’s shakedown.

“It’s going to be tough to even get close to the US racers who have been in the cars for a year, but we’ll try and keep the rest of the world honest.

“They’re gruelling to drive though… After about 40 laps of Winton my face was aching from the permanent grin.

“Hopefully, we’ll still be smiling after two races at Laguna,” he said.

The MX-5 Cup cars now retail for around $US59,000 ready-to-race, ex-USA. Updates to the latest version include motorsports-specific gearbox and upgraded engine mounts as well as ECU and differential changes.

With a Japanese Global MX-5 Cup series just announced, the production of RHD racers will commence soon. Mazda Australia could import RHD cars from Japan or, potentially, build the cars locally using approved components.

If you’re keen to catch the inaugural Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Invitational action, motoring.com.au will be coming to you live from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from this Saturday via Twitter/Periscope @motoringcomau and Facebook Live. You can also watch the races streamed live via www.mazdalive.com.

We’ll also report on the weekend in detail next week.

You can expect the prominence of the reportage to be directly proportional to Sinkers’ finishing position… It’s good to be the King.