Los Angeles, January 27 — DriveSkills SuperSpec Cup (formerly SuperMiata) is a Southern California spec road racing series based on 1990-2005 Mazda Miata, that, in lieu of a complicated rule set and in the spirit of cost containment, is governed by a horsepower cap which can be achieved with a standard motor and bolt-on modifications. This differentiation has helped the series attract some big names in motorsports, which include Haggerty Motorsports, Hankook Motorsports, Torco Racing Lubricants, AiM Sports, and Sampson Racing Radios along with some local sponsors Applied Motorsports, MGD Racing and Tintman. Title sponsor DriveSkills offers high-end racing simulators and has plans in the works of bringing simulators to race weekends to aid in driver training and development. The energy, excitement and vision of our DriveSkills bodes well to improve an already great series.
And now series organizers are excited to announce an agreement with Mazda Motorsports for a contingency package available to racers for the 2021 campaign. This partnership allows competitors to take advantage of Mazda Motorsports’ wide array of performance parts and expert service, as well as cash in on various discounts and incentives.
Why is DriveSkills SuperSpec Cup so successful? It’s the people, the comradery of the racers, and the Southern California race shops that have put a lot of energy into supporting the series and its racers Engineering Concepts, Pit Garage, Indotech Motorsports, JMP Autowerkz, 949 Racing and Renderos Racing. There is always an abundance of technical and mechanical support at the races.
What’s 2021 looking like? SuperSpec Cup kicked off racing Jan 9-10 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The 2020 Champion Sky Chan took home the win in two of the four races over the weekend. Series veterans William Chen and Pete Feldman picked up the other two victories. Veteran Erin Kennelly and relatively new SuperSpec Cup racers Robert Hagerty and Joaquin Garza-Vazquez also climbed their way to the podium. Robert and Joaquin are already vying for Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. Next up: Willow Springs International Raceway, February 27-28.
Some highlights from 2020 that chart the upward trajectory of the series:
30% Increase in Average Participation
In year one of the rebrand/under new management, organizers would have been content to maintain participation from recent years. Instead, it jumped 30% from an average of 13 drivers per weekend in 2019 to 17 drivers per weekend.
55% Increase in Total Participation
2020 saw 39 different racers take a green flag. That’s up more than 50% from the average of 2018-19. Drivers raced an average of nearly 4 full weekends.
17 New Racers
The series attracted first-time racers in 2020 at an unprecedented clip. 17 drivers raced DSSSC for the first time, with the majority of these being new to wheel-to-wheel racing.
15 Drivers on Podium
Driver development has been in the DNA of this race series since it was born as SuperMiata. Experienced DSSSC drivers are available to coach new arrivals. This resulted in 15 different drivers taking home a trophy in 2020.
Finishing Strong
Despite COVID-19 putting a slight damper on things in 2020, the final three weekends of competition saw a dramatic increase in new drivers. This strong finish points to continued growth in 2021. The series is proving attractive to those currently enjoying HPDE and Time Attack events and who are looking for something even more stimulating.
What’s to come? Series organizers continue to focus on what has made the series uniquely attractive. First is the camaraderie, which includes the famous Saturday night paddock BBQ and beer exchange, as well as open-handed, go-fast set-up information available to all, driver coaching sessions, an easy-to-understand rule set, and an eye towards cost containment. This mix, plus very competitive fields, makes DiveSkills SuperSpec Cup one of the best grassroots motorsports series in the country, and a great series for both new and experienced racers. With the new Mazda Motorsports partnership and contingency program, the future of the series has never looked brighter. Multiple rounds in 2020 season attracted 20+ cars, it’s likely fields of 30 or more are soon.
DriveSkills SuperSpec Cup is hosted exclusively by Speed Ventures. Founded in 2001, Speed Ventures has become one of the largest track day organizations in the U.S., introducing thousands of drivers to performance driving and racing at events held year-round on the best tracks in California, Nevada, and beyond.
For more in-depth series information and event schedule go to the website at www.superspecracing.com. For all the latest series information, join its Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/superspecracing
Contact:
Adam Gershon
adam@speedventures.com