2018 Circuit of the Americas

The Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires is in its thirteenth season. This is a spec series for Mazda’s MX-5 model. The cars are the fourth generation Miata - produced in 2016 and 2017.

The MX-5 Cup race cars are prepared to series standards by Long Road Racing. The process includes disassembly of the vehicle, welding in a roll cage and the addition of more than 250 motorsports-components. To ensure parity, the SKYACTIV 2.0-liter engine, ECU, six-speed transmission and the limited-slip differential are sealed. The cars can be purchased from Mazda Motorsports for $58,900 USD.

The 2018 championship is contested at six different race tracks – Circuit of the Americas, Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Portland International Raceway and the finale at the Monticello Motor Club track. Each race weekend includes two forty-five minute contests.

And, to motivate drivers and advance their racing career the Global MX-5 Cup champion earns a $200,000 scholarship. There is also a $75,000 Mazda rookie award for 2018.

The 2018 Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup season kicks-off with a doubleheader at Circuit of the Americas. Drivers would compete in two forty-five minute races on the twenty-turn 3.4-mile road course.

An orderly field of thirty-two Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup competitors prepare to enter Circuit of the Americas’ last corner (turn twenty) and receive the Starter’s green flag. On the pole, in the No. 16 Sick Sideways Racing entry is series veteran, John Dean II. Sharing the front row with Dean is Bryan Ortiz racing an MX-5 prepared by Copeland Motorsports.

Bryan Ortiz was pulling double duty – competing in the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup series as well as the Pirelli World Challenge championship. Ortiz qualified on the Touring Car A pole for the first World Challenge race and finished fourth. The following day, he was seventh in class. However, Ortiz fared better in the MX-5 Cup contests winning the first event and capturing the runner-up spot on Sunday.

Rookie, Selan Rollan finished second in the Spec Miata class at the 2017 SCCA Runoffs and earned an invitation to compete in the Mazda Shootout. He took the prize and won a $100,000 scholarship to race in the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup series. In the season opener, Rollan finished third. A penalty prior to the start of race two had him gridded last but he stormed through the field and took the victory.

Slipstream Performance’s, Nico Reger drove the No. 01 Mazda MX-5. Reger was gridded seventh for the season’s first contest. He charged through the field grabbed the runner-up position. On Sunday, Reger’s time in round one resulted in a seventh-place start. At the checkered flag, he was fifth and left Circuit of the Americas fifth in the 2018 title chase.

Robert Stout finished fourth in last year’s series and won the rookie title. It was difficult to think of Stout as a rookie having competed in many forms of motorsport including earning the 2010 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship. At Circuit of the Americas, he qualified third for Saturday’s contest but dropped to a sixth-place finish. In race two, Stout was gridded fourth and grabbed the final spot on the podium.

The 2015 MX-5 Cup champion and Side Sideways team principal, John Dean II returned to the series hoping to capture a second title. Dean got off to a great start when he captured the pole for the season opener. During the race, he had a fierce battle with Bryan Ortiz, Selin Rollan and Nico Reger – Dean finished fourth. On Sunday, he started second but fell off the pace early and was eighth at the end of the contest.

Another series veteran entered at Circuit of the Americas was Todd Lamb who won the 2009 Playboy Mazda MX-5 championship. Lamb was drove the No. 84 MX-5 prepared by Atlanta Speedwerks and was gridded ninth for the start of round one. During the race he lost a couple of positions and finished eleventh. The damp track on Sunday appeared to agree with Lamb as he was fourth at the checkered flag.

The No. 34 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mazda MX-5 was driven by Joey Bickers. Bickers was fifth on the starting grid for the season’s first race and despite many changes in the running order, he finished fifth. On Sunday, Bickers was again gridded fifth but unable to deal with the damp conditions and fell to seventh place at the conclusion of the event.

POS.	START	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	2	Championship	Bryan Ortiz	Mazda MX-5	15	-
2	7	Championship	Nikko Reger	Mazda MX-5	15	-
3	4	Championship	Selin Rollan	Mazda MX-5	15	-
4	1	Championship	John Dean II	Mazda MX-5	15	-
5	5	Championship	Joey Bickers	Mazda MX-5	15	-
6	3	Championship	Robert Stout	Mazda MX-5	15	-
7	6	Championship	Nathanial Sparks	Mazda MX-5	15	-
8	11	Championship	Luke Oxner	Mazda MX-5	15	-
9	12	Championship	Keith Jensen	Mazda MX-5	15	-
10	16	Championship	Ryan Hall	Mazda MX-5	15	-
11	9	Championship	Todd Lamb	Mazda MX-5	15	-
12	20	Championship	Eric Curran	Mazda MX-5	15	-
13	10	Championship	Kyle Kimball	Mazda MX-5	15	-
14	19	Championship	Robert Noaker	Mazda MX-5	15	-
15	8	Championship	Hernan Palermo	Mazda MX-5	15	-
16	22	Championship	Matt Koskinen	Mazda MX-5	15	-
17	21	Championship	Austin Allison	Mazda MX-5	15	-
18	15	Championship	Zach Lee	Mazda MX-5	15	-
19	23	Championship	Charlie Bellvardo	Mazda MX-5	15	-
20	13	Championship	Alex Bachoura	Mazda MX-5	15	-
21	18	Championship	Brooks Leal	Mazda MX-5	15	-
22	24	Championship	John Mauro	Mazda MX-5	15	-
23	25	Championship	Joe DaSilva	Mazda MX-5	15	-
24	29	Challengers Cup	Alex Wolenski	Mazda MX-5	15	-
25	30	Challengers Cup	Nigel Faulkner	Mazda MX-5	15	-
26	17	Championship	Ashton Harrison	Mazda MX-5	15	-
27	28	Challengers Cup	Racer Kashima	Mazda MX-5	15	-
28	32	Championship	Michael Globe	Mazda MX-5	15	-
29	31	Challengers Cup	Albert Lukazik	Mazda MX-5	15	-
30	27	Championship	Ari Straus	Mazda MX-5	14	-
31	26	Challengers Cup	Ted Sahley	Mazda MX-5	11	Contact
32	14	Championship	Brian Henderson	Mazda MX-5	6	Contact

POS.	START	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	3	Championship	Selin Rollan	Mazda MX-5	15	-
2	1	Championship	Bryan Ortiz	Mazda MX-5	15	-
3	4	Championship	Robert Stout	Mazda MX-5	15	-
4	11	Championship	Todd Lamb	Mazda MX-5	15	-
5	7	Championship	Nikko Reger	Mazda MX-5	15	-
6	8	Championship	Luke Oxner	Mazda MX-5	15	-
7	5	Championship	Joey Bickers	Mazda MX-5	15	-
8	2	Championship	John Dean II	Mazda MX-5	15	-
9	21	Championship	Robert Noaker	Mazda MX-5	15	-
10	10	Championship	Kyle Kimball	Mazda MX-5	15	-
11	6	Championship	Nathanial Sparks	Mazda MX-5	15	-
12	13	Championship	Brian Henderson	Mazda MX-5	15	-
13	14	Championship	Alex Bachoura	Mazda MX-5	15	-
14	12	Championship	Keith Jensen	Mazda MX-5	15	-
15	20	Championship	Ashton Harrison	Mazda MX-5	15	-
16	19	Championship	Brooks Leal	Mazda MX-5	15	-
17	25	Championship	Charlie Bellvardo	Mazda MX-5	15	-
18	17	Championship	Austin Allison	Mazda MX-5	15	-
19	29	Challengers Cup	Alex Wolenski	Mazda MX-5	15	-
20	26	Challengers Cup	Ted Sahley	Mazda MX-5	15	-
21	30	Challengers Cup	Nigel Faulkner	Mazda MX-5	15	-
22	28	Challengers Cup	Racer Kashima	Mazda MX-5	15	-
23	23	Championship	John Mauro	Mazda MX-5	15	-
24	31	Challengers Cup	Albert Lukazik	Mazda MX-5	15	-
25	9	Championship	Hernan Palermo	Mazda MX-5	14	-
26	22	Championship	Matt Koskinen	Mazda MX-5	12	Mechanical
27	16	Championship	Ryan Hall	Mazda MX-5	11	Contact
28	24	Championship	Joe DaSilva	Mazda MX-5	9	Mechanical
29	32	Championship	Michael Globe	Mazda MX-5	8	Handling
30	15	Championship	Zach Lee	Mazda MX-5	5	Mechanical
31	27	Championship	Ari Straus	Mazda MX-5	0	Did Not Start
32	18	Championship	Eric Curran	Mazda MX-5	0	Did Not Start