Tony Politi

Spec MX-5: From the SCCA Racer Perspective

Welcome to “From the Perspective.” A short series of articles that slice through what you need to know about Spec MX-5, with each installment only focused on what you need to know as an SCCA racer, or as an SCCA racer, or as an endurance racer, or a racer interested in the spec racing opportunities offered by the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series

This installment focuses on what you need to know if you’re only interested in racing your Spec MX-5 within SCCA.

Spec MX-5 Racing Opportunities Sanctioned by SCCA, with contingency awards from Mazda and Toyo:

  • STL class Majors, Regional and Runoffs – All standard contingency awards apply + the following bonuses:
    • Toyo Tires bonus contingency offer TBA. Other partners offer standard contingency awards for these events, as well, not listed here.
      Mazda offers 10 contingency points (valued at ~$150) as a bonus for Spec MX-5 racers finishing in the top 5 of any STL Majors or Super Tour race.
      Standard Mazda contingency awards:

      • SCCA Majors and Super Tour races (via rewards card): 1st place = $600; 2nd = $350; 3rd = $150; 4th = $125; 5th = $100
      • SCCA National Championship Runoffs (via rewards card): 1st place = $5,000; 2nd = $2,500; 3rd = $1,500; 4th = $1,250; 5th = $1,000.
      • SCCA Regional Championship racers who finish in the top four. See pages 12-13.

 

  • Spec MX-5 Challenge Series (the spec racing, marquee events) offers $6,680 per race / $13,360 per event in contingency awards and the pathway to the Spec MX-5 Challenge Championship at COTA for the awards adding up to $100,000 (targeted)
    • The SCCA events: Willow Springs Majors (March 21-22), Summit Point Majors (April 25-26), VIR Regional (May 9-10), Charlotte Motor Speedway Majors (June 6-7), Watkins Glen Regional (July 4-5), Road Atlanta Regional (July 25-26), Laguna Seca Regional (Aug 29-30), and Sebring Regional (Sept 5-6).
      • $1,325 via rewards card spread between the top 5 finishers
      • $2,250 Spec MX-5 Challenge Championship subsidies for the admin/registration fees for the top 15 finishers (grew from top 10 previously announced); no paperwork required from racers
      • $805 value in PAGID pads (thanks, PAGID)
    • Toyo offers (paid by NASA), per race:
      • $1,500 split between the top three finishers
      • $500 Toyo bucks between the top three finishers
      • $250 in Toyo bucks in one random draw
    • Invitational Race Scholarships: Willow Springs, Summit Point, Charlotte and Sebring events are four of the five that will also host Invitational racers. Spec MX-5 Challenge, LLC offers five arrive-and-drive rental seats for these events as a path for a racer to compete in only one Spec MX-5 Challenge Series event and be able to qualify for the Spec MX-5 Challenge Championship event at COTA, November 5-8 with SVRA. Mazda is offering a $1K scholarship for 10 Invitational racers.

For complete Mazda contingency awards program and requirements, click here.


Entry Fees for SCCA Events:
Standard, determined by the SCCA region, as with all classes.

Parts Pricing Discounts from Mazda:

  • The build or conversion kit (see pages 9-11): 20% off through January 31, 2020. (You may add stock or competition parts as spares in the kit and receive 20% off on them.)
  • Parts consumable discounts – if you buy a kit by January 31, 2020, racers get:
    • 15% off on stock parts for the Spec MX-5 (few exceptions) through Jan 31, 2021 and 5% off on those stock parts from Feb 1, 2021 through Jan 31, 2022
    • 5% off competition parts for the Spec MX-5 through Jan 31, 2021


Bonuses for buying one of the first 50 kits (note: Mazda is closing in on 50 kit purchases – as of Jan 23, 2020):

  • Toyo Tires has offered one set of Toyo Proxes RR (235/40ZR17 priced at $239.89ea; sold at-track – not by Mazda; price is subject to change)
  • Penske Racing Shocks (PRS) has offered $250 service certificates for the first 75 Spec MX-5 shock purchases (exclusively from Mazda Motorsports)


Spec Tire for SCCA race weekends
: Toyo Proxes RR (235/40ZR17). Wheel recommended 17 x 8” by Rays (exclusively from Mazda Motorsports)

If you desire to be a prep shop supporting Spec MX-5 race cars, we recommend registering with Spec MX-5 Challenge, LLC to gain additional support.

Spec MX-5 prep shops may be eligible to join Mazda’s Prep Shop Rewards Program and receive many additional benefits.

Spec MX-5 racers are eligible to join the Mazda Team Support Program and receive many additional benefits.

SCCA racers interested in competing in non-SCCA sanctioned events, please see Spec MX-5: From the NASA Racer Perspective, Spec MX-5: From the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series Racer Perspective, or Spec MX-5: From the Endurance Racer Perspective – to be updated later in January.