Monticello, N.Y. (Sept. 9, 2016) – Monticello Motor Club, North America’s premier automotive country club and private race track, welcomed the 100th Mazda MX-5 Cup race car ever produced to its fleet of high-performance vehicles on Friday, Sept. 2.
“MMC is an incubator for driving enthusiasts who wish to fulfill their childhood dream of competing in a professional racing series,” said Ari Straus, MMC’s CEO and managing partner. “The MX-5 Cup car is the ideal vehicle for aspiring racers. We’re so pleased to include the Mazda MX-5 Cup race car in our ever-growing fleet of vehicles available to members and select guests for use on our private 4.1-mile track.”
The spec Mazda Miata race car has long been a favorite of MMC’s exclusive membership, and is the star player in MMC’s fastest-growing member race series, the Queally Miata Classic, which now boasts of more than 40 member participants. However, the MX-5 Cup car is quickly gaining popularity. Sixteen MMC members have already taken delivery of their own MX-5 Cup cars, and many race them in the MMC’s newest race series, the Mazda Challenge.
In addition, MMC has partnered with McCumbee McAleer Racing, sponsored by ModSpace Motorsports, to create a race team that competes in the 2016 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires. The team is made up exclusively of MMC members, and includes returning racers 17-year-old Aurora Straus and ModSpace President and CEO Charles Paquin, who has years of experience on the pro circuit, and new racers 18-year-old Max Faulkner, Chris Ohmacht, and Justin Raphael.
“The Mazda MX-5 is very rewarding on the track when you get it right,” said team Co-Owner Stevan McAleer, who won MX-5 Cup in 2012. “This is very much a momentum car and teaches the driver late braking, quick brake release, and maximum mid-corner speed to get the best possible exit, and set up the pass on the same spec car in front of you.”
He continued: “Each of our new team members has reached a point in club racing that tells me they’re ready for the next step, and we couldn’t be prouder to help foster that progression in the MX-5 Cup series with MMR.”
The MX-5 Cup cars start as complete MX-5 road cars from the Hiroshima, Japan Mazda factory before being transported to engineering development partner Long Road Racing in Statesville, N.C. for the final assembly into a race car. The 2.0L engine, transmission, differential, and shocks in the MX-5 Cup car, designed by racers for racers, are all sealed, creating a uniformed driving experience for every racer.
“We are thrilled to have so many Monticello Motor Club members embrace our MX-5 Cup program,” said David Cook, business development manager, Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations. “From our earliest planning discussions, we wanted the car to meet the demanding needs of professional racers, club racers, and track day participants. MMC has embraced this vision of developing drivers and providing them with a unique opportunity to race the same car on multiple platforms.
“By running the 2016 MX-5 Cup car in its series and the Idemitsu MX-5 Cup, MMC continues to create a superior customer experience,” he added.
In honor of the arrival of the 100th MX-5 Cup car, Monticello Motor Club will allow a limited number of non-members, with prior approval, two driving sessions in the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup race car integrated into a full-day Taste of the Track. No prior experience is required, but driving guests utilizing the Club’s MX-5 Cup race car must be proficient in a manual shift. A driving guest will acclimate to MMC’s private race track by driving various configurations in a high-performance automatic vehicle, with classroom and in-car instruction by one of MMC’s driving professionals. Two afternoon driving sessions of 20 to 30 minutes each will utilize the MX-5 Cup car, followed by a fast lap experience with the MMC pro at the wheel.
For more information, please email info@monticellomotorclub.com or call 855.662.2582.