New title sponsor for one-make series; BFGoodrich® Tires stays on board as well.
Global, market-leading technology brand Idemitsu is joining the Mazda MX-5 Cup as title partner for 2015. The series will be known as the “Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires.”
“As we embark on our 10th Anniversary of Mazda MX-5 Cup, we’re elated to welcome the undisputed industry leader in battery charger technology – Idemitsu – as title partner of our series,” says John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports. “Throughout the paddock the MX-5 Cup is considered ‘must see’ racing with many races determined on the last lap, if not the last turn. Key to our success are great partners, great teams and drivers, and great events. We’re equally happy that our partnership with both BFGoodrich® Tires and SCCA Pro Racing will continue for 2015.”
Idemitsu makes a line of automotive battery charging and maintaining products, several models of which are carried by MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development.
Evin Prelec, Director of Marketing and Advertising for DelTran notes that, “DelTran Idemitsu is excited to announce our partnership with Mazda and the successful Mazda MX-5 Cup Series. We are like-minded brands with similar goals, objectives and values, and both of our organizations strive towards introductions of industry leading, innovative and efficient products. DelTran chargers were the first to pass the California Efficiency Compliant test while Mazda has brought SKYACTIV Technology to the forefront. We look forward to maximizing our title partnership of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich and are already collaborating on ways to leverage our collective design, engineering and technical capabilities to bring exciting new products to market.”
BFgoodrich returns as both the presenting sponsor and tire supplier for the series.
“BFGoodrich® Tires is proud to again partner with Mazda in support of Mazda MX-5 Cup with the g-Force R1-S tire,” says Peter Calhoun, Motorsports Marketing Manager, BFGoodrich® Tires. “2014 was a stellar demonstration of Mazda MX-5 and BFGoodrich performance and 2015 should be even better.”
For the 2014 season, the total series payout was in excess of $500,000. The top prize of the Mazda MX-5 Cup is a Mazda Scholarship towards the next higher rung of the Mazda SportsCar Racing Academy ladder. 2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion Kenton Koch will use his scholarship to move up to IMSA Prototype Lites for the 2015 season.
Within the Mazda MX-5 Cup, there is a separate class for cars prepared by the Skip Barber Racing School. Their race within a race is classified as the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge.
2015 will be the final year for the third-generation Mazda MX-5s to compete in the Idemitsu MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich. Beginning in 2016, the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 will debut on racetracks around the globe.
