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TOPEKA, Kan. (January 17, 2012) - SCCA Pro Racing, in conjunction with Mazda, announced today the complete 2012 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup calendar. The schedule is an 11-race season spread out over eight race weekends.
The MX-5 Cup will share two weekends with the Grand-Am Rolex Series in June, visiting Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 8-10, followed by a visit to Road America for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Rolex Series weekend, June 22-23. July sends the racing action north of the border to Mosport International Raceway, July 20-22, again with the American Le Mans Series. September is a busy month for the series, visiting both coasts during the month. The Series returns to Virginia International Raceway, September 14-15 with the American Le Mans Series, to a track that has hosted some of the closest races in series history. A week later, for the first time, the Playboy MX-5 Cup will visit the Coronado Festival of Speed in San Diego, an airport circuit that traditionally hosts a vintage event during the San Diego Fleet Week on Naval Base Coronado. Fleet Week San Diego 2012 will take place September 21-23. "We listened to our racers and our fans as we developed the 2012 schedule," John Doonan, Motorsports Director, Mazda North American Operations, said. "We love our traditional tracks like Mazda Raceway, Road America, and Road Atlanta, and we wanted to find another way to get a new west coast race into the schedule. And what better place to kick off the season than Sebring? We think this will be our best season yet with new venues and new faces in the paddock. We are actively working on a new TV package for the year so even those fans who can't get to a race can follow the action."
The 2012 race schedule is as follows: *March 14-16, Sebring International Raceway, with American Le Mans Series *May 10-12, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with American Le Mans Series June 8-10, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with Grand-Am June 22-23, Road America, with NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am July 20-22, Mosport International Raceway, with American Le Mans Series September 14-15, Virginia International Raceway, with American Le Mans Series September 21-23, Naval Base Coronado, with Coronado Festival of Speed Historic Races *October 17-19 Road Atlanta, with American Le Mans Series *doubleheader weekends The Champion of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Series annually is rewarded with a funded ride up the MAZDASPEED ladder system. Mike Cooper, the 2011 MX-5 Cup Champion, will spend 2012 competing for the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car title behind the wheel of a MAZDASPEED3.
About Mazda: Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America. Thousands of Mazda powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world's largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Image: The Playboy MX-5 Cup will once again conclude at Road Atlanta. Credit: Mark Weber/SCCA (For a web-resolution photo, right click and "save as")
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The Series, which previously announced three events in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron at Sebring International Raceway (March 14-16), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (May 10-12), and the season finale at Road Atlanta (October 17-19), added more top North American road courses to the schedule.