Copeland Motorsports Tops Watkins Glen Mazda MX-5 Cup Results 

WATKINS GLEN, NY (May 15, 2016) – The first Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires races at Watkins Glen International were action packed both on the track (great driving) and in the sky (severe rain/cold/almost snow).  The weekend concluded with a brand new series leader. It was the fourth winner from the first four races.  

Nikko Reger (No. 01 Copeland Motorsports /Rockstar Wigs) used his Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge experience and patience to drive a clean race. With four lead changes in the final four laps, the race was nothing short of thrilling. Reger’s patience paid off. He scored the win after starting 10th and taking the lead on the last lap.

Reger’s teammate, Dean Copeland, finished fourth to increase his points lead in the championship and the pursuit of the $200,000 Mazda Road to 24 scholarship.

Podium performances: Nikko Reger (No. 01 Copeland Motorsports /Rockstar Wigs) from Houston, Texas took the win by 0.213 seconds over race pole sitter Drake Kemper (No. 99 Royal Rugby/Sick Sideways Racing). Nathanial Sparks (No. 8 Sick Sideways/ OOTSK Performance) took third as well as the fastest lap (2.12.041). 

How did they do it? Nikko Reger began in 10th and didn’t take the lead until the last lap of the race when a similar penultimate lap incident from yesterday, this time between leaders Mark Drennan and Chris Stone, turned the battle for third into a battle for the win.

Thirty-four cars took to the Watkins Glen International circuit on a blustery and cold Sunday morning for round four of the series. Drake Kemper (No. 99 Royal Rugby/Sick Sideways Racing) began the race on pole by garnering the fastest lap from the very wet Saturday race (2.24.872). Multiple incidents took out almost a dozen cars and resulted in almost 30 minutes of full-course cautions before an intense final few laps.

Who were the hard chargers? Jamie Tucker (No. 97 Auto Technik Racing), making his series debut at Watkins Glen, took the Battery Tender Hard Charger $1,000 award with 19 positions gained, moving from a 24th place starting position to a fifth place finish.

Other notable racers who were in contention for the Battery Tender Hard Charger award included rookies Max Faulkner (No. 82 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Justin Raphael (No. 29 Monticello Motorsports Club). Both picked up 17 positions. Rookies Michael Collins (No. 75 MEATHEAD Racing) and Andrew List (No. 61 D2D Motorsports) each picked up 16 positions while Chris Ohmacht (No. 92 McCumbee McAleer Racing) picked up 13 positions. 

Quotes: 

Nikko Reger (Winner): “The win feels phenomenal. It’s been four races already and we struggled in the first three. We had a bad start yesterday so this is such a relief. Going into the race, I was looking to just keep it clean. After the start, which was terrifying, I wanted to play it clean the whole time and we did. At the end of the race, there wasn’t a single scratch on my car.”

Dean Copeland (Points Leader): “This was a race of survival. There were times it was three and four wide into the bus stop. All I could think about was points. After the last restart I was running ninth and I didn’t pass any cars and finished fourth. Patience was a virtue today. My teammate Nikko drove his heart out today. He just turned 18, so what a great birthday present to be on the top step of the podium. This was an awesome weekend for Copeland Motorsports.”         

How did the rookies fare? Rookie Matt Fassnacht (No. 9 ALARA Racing) finished in ninth place while rookie Max Faulkner (No. 82 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished in 11th and rookie Justin Raphael (No. 29 Monticello Motorsports Club) finished in 12th.

Who is leading the championship? After the first four races, Dean Copeland leads the MX-5 Cup standings, thanks to consistent finishes at both Mazda Raceway and Watkins Glen. 

The top three overall in points are:

1 Dean Copeland, Bowie, MD                   Copeland Motorsports                      211     

2 Drake Kemper, Thermal, CA                  Sick Sideways                                  199

3 Nathanial Sparks, Spanish Fort, AL       Sick Sideways                                   196                 

The top three rookies are:

1 Chris Stone, Salt Lake City, UT                         ALARA Racing                                 161     

2 Mark Drennan, San Jose, CA                           Winding Road Team TFB                 143

3 Matt Fassnacht, New York, NY                         ALARA Racing                                 117