Mansfield, Ohio (25 July 2018) - This weekend will see the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich take to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as part of the Verizon IndyCar Series event weekend. Mid-Ohio’s 2.258-miles of winding and undulating natural terrain circuit will play host for two 45-minute Mazda MX-5 Cup races as the series enters the second half of the 2018 season.
The Mazda MX-5 Cup drivers will have the chance to race in front of the large crowds that the track traditionally attracts for the IndyCar events. Despite the crowds, the strong field will be keeping their full focus on the awards at stake, from the series’ $200,000 scholarship on the line for the 2018 champion to the $1,000 Battery Tender “Hard Charger” honors in both races, not to mention the $75,000 awarded to the Rookie of the Year.
Streaming on tap for Mid-Ohio
With 17 total changes for the lead and 1,352 passes for position over the course of the first six races of the season, it’s anyone’s game as the final six races remain.
That kind of close competition is once again expected this weekend, and fans will be able to catch all the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup action. Extending a program that saw great engagement during the Circuit of the Americas and Barber Motorsports Park rounds, Mazda will host a live stream of the races at the Mazda USA YouTube Channel for both the Saturday (11:30 AM ET) and Sunday (10:00 AM ET) races.
Championship battles rage as season hits halfway point
With three different titles on the line and a grand total of $290,000 in support up for grabs, the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup has plenty of racing left before the champions emerge at the end of the season. Not only is the overall championship far from settled, there is also the new-to-2018 Challenger Class that will award the winner with a Mazda Experience worth $15,000 still to be determined. Some early contenders have established themselves up front, but there is still a lot of racing yet to go.
So Far, Battery Tender “Hard Chargers” are hard to predict
With every Global MX-5 Cup race car being identical, the racing really comes down to the driver. And with more than a thousand passes already made this year, it is clear that no matter where you start, the opportunity always exists to move up front. In fact, there is a special award for that thanks to Battery Tender. The Battery Tender Hard Charger award not only sees both the driver and crew chief emerge from the race weekend with a Battery Tender to call their own, but they also net a cool $1,000 each. So far the Hard Chargers have been different every race, again underscoring that every race is anyone’s to claim.
2018 Battery Tender “Hard Charger” award winners thus far:
Circuit of the Americas
Eric Curran Improved 8 positions (Started 20 / Finished 12)
Robert Noaker Improved 12 positions (Started 21 / Finished 9)
Barber Motorsports Park
Andrew Pinkerton Improved 8 positions (Started 21 / Finished 13)
Nikko Reger Improved 10 positions (Started 11 / Finished 1)
Road America
Todd Lamb Improved 6 positions (Started 11 / Finished 5)
Keith Jensen Improved 10 positions (Started 23 / Finished 13)
Another Strong Mazda MX-5 Cup Entry at Mid-Ohio:
With some 16 states, three countries, and a lot of racing laps represented, the Mazda MX-5 Cup entry list packs a lot of talent and variety on to one starting grid. Ted Sahley of Cleveland has the shortest commute to the race, and can nearly claim home-track advantage, while it is once again Racer Kashima who has traveled the furthest for the race weekend from his Tokyo, Japan base. The entry list also reveals five racers in the Challenger Class presented by MMC, eight racers eligible for Masters honors, and 25 entered in the Championship class.
The entry list is available here:
TLP Talks:
Mazda MX-5 Cup PA announcer Tony LaPorta has a unique vantage point for all the races, and gives his take on what to expect at the old-school track this weekend:
https://mx-5cup.com/news/tlp-talks-mid-ohio
F.A.S.T. Keeping Drivers Cool
Speaking of staying cool, F.A.S.T will once again be raffling off one of its custom driver cooling systems for one lucky driver entered for the race weekend.
News and updated photos available at https://mx-5cup.com.