MAZDA MX-5 CUP: ROAD AMERICA PREVIEW

June 14, 2016 by Mazda

- Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires to Highlight the Chicago Region June Sprints Father's Day Weekend -

IRVINE, Calif. (June 13, 2016) – The Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires kicked off a new era for the series with an all new car this year. The first two doubleheader race weekends have seen close competition with four different winners. This weekend, teams will head to an iconic and fan-favorite track, Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations, said, 'The heart and soul of Mazda Motorsports is club racing. Bringing the MX-5 Cup to the Chicago Region June Sprints allows us to connect our SCCA club racers with the pros. We have seen so many great examples of Mazda racers jumping from club racing to MX-5 Cup with rapid success. I think the club racers will be amazed at the depth of field in this year's MX-5 Cup.'

With three-dozen MX-5 Cup racers, there is never a shortage of great stories. Adding in the June Sprints with almost 100 additional Mazda race cars, on Father's day weekend, it will be non-stop action for three days.

· Dean Copeland will be looking to become the winningest MX-5 Cup driver at Road America and extend his championship points lead.

· At least half of the racers will have their dads at the track, some working in the pits and all cheering them on for success.

· U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Liam Dwyer will be the Grand Marshal for the weekend and will be cheering on his Mazda friends. Dwyer and his teammate Andrew Carbonell most recently finished second in their Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 at the Mazda Raceway round of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

· Rogers, Minnesota residents Andrew List and Dan Martinson are the two MX-5 Cup racers most likely to call Road America their 'home' track.

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· Mazda will once again be the dominate brand across the weekend, with more than 130 Mazda-powered race cars competing in the MX-5 Cup and nine different SCCA Club Racing classes. This will be over 37 percent of all of the race cars competing.

· A 47-car Spec Miata class will be complemented by 14 Mazda cars in STL, eight in T4, eight in E Production, seven in F Production, five in Formula Atlantic, four in Formula Mazda, two in P2 and one in GT3.

MX-5 Cup Points Update:

After the first four races, Dean Copeland leads the MX-5 Cup standings, thanks to consistent finishes at both Mazda Raceway and Watkins Glen. Drake Kemper and Nathanial Sparks are among the many who will be seeking their first win of the season at Road America.