Racing comes in many flavors, from the intense pressure of professional motorsports to a wide variety of club racing opportunities. There is also the amazing world of vintage racing, when often-times the car is older than the driver. Mazda appreciates heritage, we love great events, and of course we love the MX-5 Miata.
For Spec Miata racers competing in the inaugural season of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Mazda Miata Heritage Cup, there may be no more interesting weekend this year than the upcoming Portland Vintage Racing Festival at Portland International Raceway. For a $295 entry fee, entrants will receive:
- A three-day race weekend, plus a Thursday test day, for a total of more than two hours of contact-free on-track time. Vintage racing is not meant to be a contact sport.
- Dinner for two with the SVRA paddock on Saturday night.
- A special Mazda contingency program where every entry earns a $250 participation bonus.
- A fun weekend spent with great people and many of the greatest racecars in history.
As Mazda launched the fourth generation MX-5 Miata, the original cars quietly became vintage eligible, having passed the minimum 25-year age milestone. While Spec Miata includes both first and second generation cars, the “Mazda Miata Heritage Cup” will be exclusive for the first generation Miatas of 1990 to 1997.
“The nature of vintage racing is hard competition, but with zero tolerance for contact,” said John Doonan, director for Mazda North American Operations. “It will be great to see a field of Spec Miata racers racing clean, such that no body repairs are required.”
Registration for the Portland weekend is underway at https://svra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Portland-Entry-Form-3.pdf
The new vintage-spec Mazda Miata Heritage Cup is the latest enhancement to what the SVRA calls its “season of motorsports festivals”, where fans yearning for the days of wide variety in car design and engine noises can have their fill. The new Mazda Miata Heritage Cup will have its own distinct practice sessons and races over the course of the weekend, as do other run groups such as the Historic Trans Am cars. Professional Trans Am also shares the stage with the SVRA at various points throughout the season, including this weekend in Portland. The festival format of America’s premier vintage racing series, with cars spanning 100 years of history, also frequently includes Motostalgia car auctions, car shows and music concerts by iconic bands.
Mazda Motorsports is providing support resources to the SVRA in organizing the Mazda Miata Heritage Cup events and season championship. The 2017 events:
- April 28-30 Auto Club Speedway
- May 18-21 Road America
- June 22-25 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
- July 27-30 Portland International Raceway
- September 21-24 Virginia International Raceway