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Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin

 

About MX-5 Cup

The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. MX-5 Cup offers more than $1 million in prize money and scholarships a year.

The MX-5 Cup race cars start as complete MX-5 road cars from the Mazda Hiroshima, Japan factory before being transported to engineering development partner Flis Performance in Daytona Beach, Florida, where they are transformed into a race car. The process includes disassembly of the production car, welding and paint of a full roll cage and interior, and adding more than 250 motorsports-specific parts. Other components of the car, including the Mazda SKYACTIV 2.0 liter engine are sealed to ensure even competition and a cost-effective platform.

PER RACE PAYOUT

CHAMPIONSHIP PAYOUT

SHOOTOUT SCHOLARSHIP

1st

$6,000

$250,000

Winner

$110,000

2nd

$5,000

$85,000

Runner-up

$75,000

3rd

$4,000

$50,000

Women's Initiative

$75,000

4th

$3,000

$20,000

 

 

5th

$2,000

$15,000

 

 

6th

$1,000

$12,000

 

 

7th

$1,000

$10,000

 

 

8th

$1,000

$7,500

 

 

9th

$1,000

$6,000

 

 

10th

$1,000

$5,000

 

 

*Highest finishing female

$2,000

ROY $80,000

 

 

FULL SEASON (14 RACES)

$378,000

$540,500

 

$260,000

Total 2024 Prize Money = $1,178,500

 

2024 SCHEDULE

ROUND DATE TRACK VENUE
1/2 January 24 - 26

Daytona International Speedway

3.56-mile roval

3/4 

March 13 - 15

Sebring International Raceway 3.74-mile road course
5/6

May 10 - 12

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

2.238-mile road course

7/8 June 7 - 9

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

2.258-mile road course
9/10 July 12 - 14

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

2.459-mile road course

11/12 August 23 - 25

VIRginia International Raceway

3.27-mile road course

13/14 October 9 - 11

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

2.54-mile road course

*All events are doubleheaders

CARS

The Mazda MX-5 Cup car is a purpose-built race car from 2018 / 2019 Mazda MX-5 known as the “ND” or fourth generation Miata.  All cars are built from white, Club trim level new cars exclusively by Flis Performance in Daytona Beach, Florida.  (www.FlisPerformance.com)

The car is completely disassembled, tub is cleaned of seam sealer and sound deadening material, an IMSA, INDYCAR, and SCCA approved roll cage is TIG welded into the car.  The cage contains complete NASCAR-style door bars on both sides of the car (making it the ultimate HPDE driver / instructor car) and is tied together across the firewall through the interior of the dash leaving a neat appearing and fully functional dash.  After roll cage completion, the cage and tub of the car are painted in an automotive paint booth.

After cage installation and paint, the car is assembled with over 250 race car-specific parts.  The parts added to the car provide handling, endurance, safety and power enhancement specifically designed for the car after hundreds of hours and thousands of miles of both on-track and lab testing by automotive mechanical engineers and professional race car drivers.  Component sealing and authentication tracking is done for parity in the various racing series in which the car competes.

For more information on purchasing new cars, contact Flis Performance at 386-256-7021 or by email.

 

TIRES

Michelin Pilot Sport Competition 20/61-17 racing slicks

 

POINT SYSTEM

Per race, for both driver and team championships. 10 bonus points are awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap. Only the two best results will count in the team championship for teams fielding more than two entries.

Pos Points   Pos Points   Pos Points
1 350   10 210   19 120
2 320   11 200   20 110
3 300   12 190   21 100 
4 280   13 180   22 90
5 260   14 170   23 80
6 250   15 160   24  70
7 240   16 150   25  60 
8 230   17 140   26 50
9 220   18 130   27 40 
 

MAZDA MX-5 CUP CHAMPIONS

2023  Jared Thomas  
2022 Jared Thomas  
2021 Gresham Wagner  
2020 Michael Carter  
2019  Bryan Ortiz  ND2 
2019  John Dean II ND1 
2018  Nikko Reger   
2017 Patrick Gallagher  
2016 Nathanial Sparks  
2015 John Dean II

2014 Kenton Koch

2013 Christian Szymczak  
2012 Stevan McAleer  
2011 Mike Cooper  
2010 Brad Rampelberg  
2009 Todd Lamb  
2008 Eric Foss  
2007 Jason Saini  
2006

Jim Daniels