Thursday, December 06, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. – The Skip Barber Racing School announced the formation of an all-new regional race series using a fleet of identically prepared Mazda MX-5 Miatas, one of the most popular sports cars used in amateur and professional road racing today.

The Mazda MX-5s to be used in the Skip Barber Mazda MX-5 Cup Regional Race Series are built by Skip Barber Racing and are very close in specification to the cars raced in the professional SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Skip Barber Racing has already run four ‘test’ MX-5 Cup Regional Series races. More photos below. All photos by Sidell Tilghman

The new Mazda MX-5 Cup Regional Race Series will run its inaugural season on some of the country’s most prestigious road courses, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. A full schedule of race dates and locations will be announced early in 2008.

‘‘The MX-5 Cup Race Series is an important new rung on the Mazda-built motorsports ladder,’’ said George Ayres, Skip Barber chief operating officer. ‘‘Drivers can now move from our Mazda MX-5 Cup Three-day Racing School to the new MX-5 Cup Regional Race Series and from there into the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, as well as Grand-Am, ALMS, SCCA and other sedan and sports car championships. Our new Series will provide a highly professional environment that emphasizes skill development and great racing at competitive prices. And because Skip Barber provides the cars and crew, all drivers need to do is bring their desire to win.’’

The Skip Barber Mazda MX-5 Cup car is powered by Mazda’s 2.0-liter engine and makes 200 h.p. and 190 lb-ft of torque. The 5-speed gearbox utilizes a Mazda racing-clutch assembly. All cars will run BFGoodrich G-Force tires.

The new MX-5 Cup Regional Race Series will be closely modeled on Skip Barber’s open-wheel, equal-car amateur and professional championships, which Skip Barber Racing has conducted for more than 30 years.

The new Regional Skip Barber Series also complements the fast-growing SCCA Spec Miata class; there are nearly 1,500 first- and second-generation Miatas running on any given weekend in the U.S. The third generation Miata is known as the MX-5, and in 2005, the Sirius Satellite Radio (now the Playboy) Mazda MX-5 Cup was created as the entry level of production car-based competition in SCCA Pro Racing.

Rick Roso; all photos by Sidell Tilghman