TOPEKA, Kan. (Nov. 13, 2008) - The latest edition of the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing Rulebook, containing regulations for SCCA World Challenge, SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, is now available on the SCCA Pro Racing Web site.

The PRR has undergone major revisions for 2009. In addition to the new World Challenge Touring Car rules which have been reworked to cut costs for teams, each section has undergone an extensive review by the SCCA Pro Racing technical department to provide clear and concise language. The book has also been re-sized to a 4.25" by 9" format, making it considerably more portable.

By Erin Cechal - SCCA

MONTEREY, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2008) - Christian Franck, of Simi Valley, Calif., survived a thrilling SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to earn his first-ever race win. Todd Buras, of Melbourne, Fla., and Robert Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., completed the podium. Finishing fourth, Eric Foss, of Fort Worth, Texas, claimed the 2008 Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship.
 
Franck's wild ride began on the start, as he immediately shot past Huffmaster for fourth and found himself at the tail end of a four-car battle for the lead. Ahead of Franck, polesitter Foss was doing his best to hold off Brad Rampelberg and Buras. The constant side-by-side action in front of him allowed Franck to pick his spots, motoring past Buras on lap five and stealing second from Rampelberg a lap later.

By Erin Cechal - SCCA

MILLVILLE, N.J. (Sept. 28, 2008) - Robert Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., captured his second MX-5 Cup victory on a damp, but drying Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Teammates Eric Foss, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Ryan Schimsk, of Austin, Texas, completed the Team MER podium sweep for Round Seven of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

TOOELE, Utah (Sept. 20, 2008) - After a poor start dropped him to seventh place, Brad Rampelberg, of San Jose, Calif.,  made an impressive comeback, to win his second SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park. Robert Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., and Ara Malkhassian, of Sonoma, Calif., completed the podium for the Round Six race, part of the SunRickGourmet.com 1000, presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels.


As the MX-5 Cup field flashed under the green flag, polesitter Rampelberg was under attack on all sides. As his No. 14 Hooverspeed/Mazda Patron Tequila MX-5 dropped back as far as seventh in the highly competitive field, second-place starter Huffmaster blasted into the lead.

TOOELE, Utah (Sept. 19, 2008) - Brad Rampelberg, of San Jose, Calif., earned his first-career pole in qualifying for Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Round Six race, part of the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 Presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels. Robert Huffmaster, of San Jose, Calif., will start second.



Making his first visit to North America's longest road course, Rampelberg instantly found his groove, setting the fastest time in morning practice and second-fastest time in the afternoon session. The 2007 SCCA Spec Miata National Champion and winner of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder MX-5 Cup shootout felt he thrived on the course's flowing, high-speed corners.

TOPEKA, Kan. (Sept. 10, 2008) - Following the successful launch and three-straight years of growth with the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, Mazda North American Operations and SCCA Pro Racing have finalized an agreement to continue sanctioning services of the series through 2011.

SCCA Pro Racing's relationship with Mazda's spec series based around the iconic Miata convertible began in 2002, when SCCA Pro Racing sanctioned seven stand-alone Miata Cup events. The affiliation continued as the Miata Cup developed into a full-fledged championship series from 2003 to 2005 and was reinvented once again in 2006 as the MX-5 Cup with the new MX-5 Miata and a single-championship format.

"We are very proud to continue our strong partnership with Mazda and the MX-5 Cup program," SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Robert Wildberger said. "We've demonstrated that we operate this highly competitive series fairly and efficiently. Our talented staff cannot be given enough credit for that. The Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup program is an important part of the SCCA Pro Racing portfolio and will contribute to our company's continued growth in the industry."

In its first three seasons, MX-5 Cup has flourished. The MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder has successfully bridged the gap from SCCA Club Racing to SCCA Pro Racing by selecting talented Club racers to promote to MX-5 Cup and awarding the MX-5 Cup Champion with an SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car ride.  Additionally, Mazda's recent partnership with Playboy Enterprises has produced exciting new promotional and broadcast opportunities.

"In just three years, MX-5 Cup has established itself as one of the best talent showcases in all of sports car racing - the success of Jim Daniels and Jason Saini in the SPEED World Challenge and Andrew Caddell in the Miller Mustang series being solid proof," Mazda North American Operations Alternative Marketing Manager Jim Jordan said.  "Our first MX-5 Cup race of 2008 saw a series-record grid size of 31 cars, and given the excellent partnership with Playboy and our one-hour per race TV broadcasts, we have a great future for the series.  We're pleased that we are able to extend our relationship with SCCA Pro Racing for another three years."

There are currently three rounds remaining in the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. Round Six of the eight-race series will take place Sept. 19 - 20, at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Round Seven follows, Sept. 26 - 28, at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. The 2008 season finale will take place where MX-5 Cup was born, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Oct. 17 - 19.

All 2008 MX-5 Cup races are aired on select DirecTV, Dish Network and regional cable stations in a one-hour, tape delayed format. All races are also posted on the MX-5 Cup YouTube channel following their TV debut and can be found at www.youtube.com/mazdamx5cup.

About SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup:
Stepping up in place of the former MAZDASPEED Miata Cup, the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut in 2006. Featuring identical Mazda MX-5s on spec Kumho tires, MX-5 Cup gives drivers the opportunity to run on high-profile weekends in an economical, entry-level racing series. The 2008 MX-5 Cup schedule features eight races at prestigious events across North America, and with grids composed of roughly 30 cars at each race, MX-5 Cup has become one of the best shows in motorsports today.  The season champion is awarded a factory supported Mazda ride in the series above.  2007 MX-5 Cup Champion Jason Saini is racing a MAZDA6 in the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. Visit www.mx-5cup.com to learn more.

About SCCA Pro Racing:
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a leading sanctioning body for motor sports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well as provides sanctioning and various operational services for other racing series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.  

About Mazda:
Mazda is the brand of choice for road-racers across North America.  More than 9,000 grassroots racers compete in various classes with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sport Association (NASA).  Racers who are years away from earning a driver's license can now begin their professional motorsports careers in the Mazda family.  A driver can begin in karts and progress through the Skip Barber series, Club Racing Formula Mazda, professional Star Mazda and finally to Formula Atlantic, all with Mazda.  No other car company has ever connected the dots this way.

By Erin Cechal - SCCA

TROIS-RIVIERES, Canada (Aug. 16, 2008) - Eric Foss, of Fort Worth, Texas, scored his second SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup win of the season in Round Five at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Todd Buras, of Melbourne, Fla., and Ara Malkhassian, of Sonoma, Calif., completed the podium.

Attached image: Trois-Rivières MX-5 Cup podium. From left to right: Ara Malkhassian, Eric Foss, Todd Buras.

Women keep up with -- and sometimes beat -- the guys in Mazda Motorsports Development Ladder

When historians look back at 2008, they may be inclined to call it the year of the woman. With roughly half the race season gone, several noteworthy accomplishments in a handful of professional series have dominated the news, illustrating that motorsports is no longer an all-boys club.

By Erin Cechal - SCCA

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, CANADA (Aug. 14, 2008) - The first half of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup has been a shining example of how spec racing should be: four different winners, all of the them first-timers and an average of more than three lead changes per race (at the line). While the odds of another first-time winner decline with each round, the talent pool in MX-5 Cup is deep enough that it's still a possibility this weekend, Round Five at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 10, 2008) - Ryan Schimsk, of Austin, Texas, became the fourth driver in as many races to score his debut race win in the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. Eric Foss, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Todd Buras, of Melbourne, Fla., completed the Round Four podium, part of Road America's Road Race Showcase.