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MX-5 CUP: Gallagher wins Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca opener
"Sort of like giving birth," said an elated John Doonan, director of motorsports for Mazda North America.
Any birth is difficult, but when you have 40 children – ouch.
That's how many of the brand-new Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup entries showed up for their inaugural race, appropriately at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Also appropriate: The race was won by Patrick Gallagher, who won the last Mazda MX-5 Cup race using the last-generation car. Gallagher races the No. 72 car for McCumbee McAleer Racing.
Second was veteran John Dean, who made some valiant last-lap attempts to get by Gallagher, but had to settle for second place, 0.121 seconds back. Dean runs the No. 16 car for Mazda Motorsports/Sick Sideways Racing.
Third was up-and-coming youngster Nikko Reger, 5.5 seconds back in the No. 01 Copeland Motorsports car, although a post-race technical inspection revealed that his car was 45 pounds underweight, apparently since the team was working off an early technical bulletin that specified a lower weight than the final rules. Robby Foley, in the No. 63 Mazda Road to the 24 Scholarship car, was elevated to third place.
The race was undeniably action-packed but surprisingly carnage-free, costing several Mazda executives some one-dollar bets in the Mazda suite who were convinced there would be multiple yellow flags. There were none. There were off-track excursions, but only three of the 40 cars finished more than three laps down in the 27-lap, 45-minute event.
So far, 94 orders have been placed for the $53,000 MX-5 Cup race car; 64 of those orders have already been delivered to customers, with additional deliveries scheduled in the weeks to come. The first 40 made history in the first race of the 2016 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires.
The cars were built by Long Road Racing, operated by veteran can builder Glenn Long and his son, Mazda Prototype racer Tom Long. Safety and reliability were paramount, and judging from this first outing, the Longs hit a home run.
Said Doonan: "This MX-5 Cup race weekend represents almost two years of hard work by hundreds of people. Having great partners like Battery Tender, BFGoodrich Tires, Long Road Racing and the many engineers within Mazda, both here and Japan, makes this a very special weekend."
Indeed, the Battery Tender MX-5 Cup series will be in action again Saturday at noon. The race will be streamed on
Any birth is difficult, but when you have 40 children – ouch.
That's how many of the brand-new Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup entries showed up for their inaugural race, appropriately at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Also appropriate: The race was won by Patrick Gallagher, who won the last Mazda MX-5 Cup race using the last-generation car. Gallagher races the No. 72 car for McCumbee McAleer Racing.
Second was veteran John Dean, who made some valiant last-lap attempts to get by Gallagher, but had to settle for second place, 0.121 seconds back. Dean runs the No. 16 car for Mazda Motorsports/Sick Sideways Racing.
Third was up-and-coming youngster Nikko Reger, 5.5 seconds back in the No. 01 Copeland Motorsports car, although a post-race technical inspection revealed that his car was 45 pounds underweight, apparently since the team was working off an early technical bulletin that specified a lower weight than the final rules. Robby Foley, in the No. 63 Mazda Road to the 24 Scholarship car, was elevated to third place.
The race was undeniably action-packed but surprisingly carnage-free, costing several Mazda executives some one-dollar bets in the Mazda suite who were convinced there would be multiple yellow flags. There were none. There were off-track excursions, but only three of the 40 cars finished more than three laps down in the 27-lap, 45-minute event.
So far, 94 orders have been placed for the $53,000 MX-5 Cup race car; 64 of those orders have already been delivered to customers, with additional deliveries scheduled in the weeks to come. The first 40 made history in the first race of the 2016 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires.
The cars were built by Long Road Racing, operated by veteran can builder Glenn Long and his son, Mazda Prototype racer Tom Long. Safety and reliability were paramount, and judging from this first outing, the Longs hit a home run.
Said Doonan: "This MX-5 Cup race weekend represents almost two years of hard work by hundreds of people. Having great partners like Battery Tender, BFGoodrich Tires, Long Road Racing and the many engineers within Mazda, both here and Japan, makes this a very special weekend."
Indeed, the Battery Tender MX-5 Cup series will be in action again Saturday at noon. The race will be streamed on
www.mazdalive.com
as well as www.iRacing.com and www.fanschoice.tv.
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