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2006 was the first season for the SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Hankook.
It is the entry-level production car-based competition in SCCA Pro Racing.
The series aims to provide drivers with an opportunity to compete in similarly prepared low-cost cars with limited modifications.
The series receives backing from Hawk Performance, Hankook, Mazda, Pace American, Sirius Satellite Radio, Racetech, Mothers Polish and The Winning Team. All Mazda MX-5 Cup cars receive only minor upgrades. Bolt-on modifications include a new intake manifold and exhaust system, which increases the engine output from 170 to 200-horsepower. All vehicles have a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. The suspension uses a coil-over kit with double adjustable shock absorbers and roll bars. Hankook tires are mounted on 17X8" wheels. Brake pads, fluid and lines are upgraded for the demands of racing. The Mazdas are fitted with an eight-point roll-cage welded into the car, racing seatbelts and a fire extinguishing system for safety. The season consists of eight forty-five-minute timed contests. Round one is in early May at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and the year's final race is held at Road America.
Round four of the 2006 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup was conducted at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Drivers would compete in a forty-five-minute contest around the thirteen-turn 2.258-mile road course.
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Late in the race, the round two winner, Jim Daniels, leads his MER teammate, Jason Saini. Daniels qualified on the pole in the No. 76 specmiata.com / Team MER Mazda MX-5. He would lead the first eighteen laps of the race before Saini grabbed the point. One circuit later, Daniels was back in the top spot. He would hold off Saini and become the first repeat winner of the 2006 Mazda MX-5 season. |
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After a sixteenth-place result in round one at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and a retirement at Lime Rock Park, it appeared that Jason Saini had put all his bad luck behind himself. In the previous race at Mosport International Raceway, Saini finished fourth. At the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, his results would get even better. Saini started in the fourth and battled for the lead before finishing second by a margin of 0.174-seconds. |
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After two near misses, where he finished second at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Lime Rock, Todd Buras grabbed his first series win in the previous round at Mosport. At the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Buras qualified fifth in the No. 56 BSI Racing / supportthem.com Mazda MX-5. During the race, he swapped positions with Carlos Garcia until Garcia retired. Buras finished on the podium for the fourth time this season. |
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The No. 3 Anchor Companies sponsored Mazda MX-5 was driven by Larry Wright. Wright was making SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 debut at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He was gridded in the seventh position for the forty-five-minute contest. Issues for Carlos Garcia and Eric Stearns, plus a pass on the sixth fastest qualifier, Anders Hainer, was rewarded with a fourth-place finish. |
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Anders Hainer participated in the opening round of the 2006 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 and finished eighth. In race two at Lime Rock Park, he qualified on the outside of the front row in the No. 13 Under Armour-sponsored Mazda MX-5. Unfortunately, Hainer was a late withdraw due to an illness. He skipped Mosport and returned at Mid-Ohio, where he qualified sixth and finished fifth. |
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The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course podium for round four of the 2006 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup. Standing in the center is the winner, Jim Daniels. Daniels was the season’s first repeat winner. Standing on the right is the runner-up, Jason Saini, who earned his first series rostrum. On the left is Todd Buras. Burras has earned four podium finishes in as many starts. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jim Daniels | specmiata.com/Team MER - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 2 | 4 | Jason Saini | MER/specmiata.com - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 3 | 5 | Todd Buras | BSI Racing/supportthem.com - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 4 | 7 | Larry Wright | Anchor Companies - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 5 | 6 | Anders Hainer | Under Armour - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 6 | 21 | Pratt Cole | DEX/Western Companies - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 7 | 8 | Larry Webster | ART/Hankook - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 8 | 2 | Erik Stearns | MER/Dick's Auto Salvage - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 9 | 10 | Ben McCrackin | Magnus Energy Marketing - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 10 | 11 | Deborah Loth | Team MER/Loth Endodontics - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 11 | 9 | John Kuitwaard | P1-Motorsports.com/HKF Racing - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 12 | 12 | Ara Malkhassian | Alara Racing - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 13 | 14 | Mike Gatto | Vision Painting - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 14 | 16 | Tim Probert | Alara Racing/Tim Probert - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 15 | 19 | Barry Fromberg | Alara Racing/Barry Fromberg - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 16 | 3 | Carlos Garcia | BSI Racing/Miami Dade Health - Mazda MX-5 | 27 | - |
| 17 | 17 | Justin Pohl | Alara Racing/BioGroom Pet Care - Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 18 | 20 | Randy Hale | Hole in the Wall Camp - Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 19 | 13 | Beh Hohn | P1-Motorsports.com - Mazda MX-5 | 10 | Did Not Finish |
| 20 | 18 | Payton Wilson | Nobel Biocare - Mazda MX-5 | 3 | Did Not Finish |
| 21 | 15 | Dan Herrington | Bermheim Law Firm - Mazda MX-5 | 3 | Did Not Finish |
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