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The Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires is in its twelfth 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 car, 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 2017 championship is contested at six different race tracks – Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Road America, Streets of Toronto, Watkins Glen International and the finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. 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. For the first time, the Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup drivers would compete at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Two forty-five minute races would take place on the 2.82 kilometers (1.755-mile) eleven turn temporary street course. |
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Round seven’s Global MX-5 Cup podium. The winner, Robert Stout stands on top of the rostrum. This was Stout’s second win of the season – the rookie’s first victory came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To the left of Stout is the series point’s leader and runner-up, Patrick Gallagher. Completing the podium is third place finisher and another rookie, Bryan Ortiz. |
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A series rookie but an experienced racer, Robert Stout set the sixth fastest time during qualifying. Driving for the McCumbee McAleer Racing team, Stout was able to move from sixth to third on the opening lap. With ten-minutes remaining in the contest he was second and passed the race leader, Bryan Ortiz for the victory. The following day Stout started fourth but an incident at the start and pit-lane speed violation dropped him out of contention. |
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In qualifying, Patrick Gallagher earned his second pole of the season - but it was not without drama. Entering turn three after his fastest lap, Gallagher was hit Luke Oxner. The car suffered body damage to the rear but the McCumbee McAleer Racing team was able to make repairs. In the weekend’s first race, his lost a position to his teammate, Robert Stout and took the runner-up spot. On Sunday, Gallagher was on the top step of the podium. |
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Matt Cresci, set his quickest qualifying time following the red flag period. With only three-minutes left in the session, the driver of the No. 51 MX-5 turned the third fastest time. In the Saturday event, Cresci was passed by a hard-charging, Robert Stout and finished fourth. The following day, he started third but when Bryan Ortiz had a mechanical issue, Cresci inherited second. He was able to maintain his position and recorded his best finish of the season. |
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The pace lap for race two and the drivers enter corner nine. Starting positions for the weekend’s second event are determined by a competitor’s second best time during the qualifying session. On the pole, is Patrick Gallagher in the No. 29 McCumbee McAleer Racing MX-5. Sharing the front row with Gallagher is his teammate and Saturday’s winner, Robert Stout. A total of seventeen drivers would start round eight. |
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Defending series champion, Nathanial Sparks qualified fifth. Second in the driver standings, Sparks won the previous round at Road America. During round seven, he ran in the lead group which consisted of six cars running nose-to-tail. Sparks got by Tom Martin but was passed by the eventual winner, Robert Stout and finished fifth. He was gridded sixth for round eighth and battled with Luke Oxner and Tom Martin. At the checkered flag, Sparks was in third. |
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Flight cancellations caused Bryan Ortiz to miss the first practice session and he arrived only ten-minutes before the second. Despite losing valuable track, Ortiz driving the Copeland Motorsports MX-5 qualified second just 0.1588-seconds slower than the pole-sitter, Patrick Gallagher. In Saturday’s contest, he lost a position to the race winner, Robert Stout and captured the final spot on the podium. During race two, Ortiz had a mechanical issue and finished eleventh. |
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Todd Lamb’s weekend started with lots of promise. The 2009 series champion was the quickest in the first practice session and dropped to third in the second. During qualifying, Lamb’s lap times improved but so did that of the competition – he started seventh. In round seven, he made his way to first place but a late in the race incident with Nathanial Sparks ended his day. Lamb’s car suffered severe damage and did not start race two. |
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The top three finishers for round eight of the 2017 Global MX-5 Cup season. In the center is the winner Patrick Gallagher who scored his fifth win of the year. Standing to Gallagher’s right is runner-up and rookie, Matt Cresci driver of the Slipstream Performance Mazda MX-5. Rounding out the podium is the series defending champion, Nathanial Sparks. |
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| POS. | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Robert Stout | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 2 | 1 | Patrick Gallagher | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 3 | 2 | Bryan Ortiz | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 4 | 3 | Matt Cresci | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 5 | 5 | Nathanial Sparks | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 6 | 4 | Tom Martin III | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 7 | 10 | Max Faulkner | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 8 | 8 | Luke Oxner | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 9 | 9 | Keith Jensen | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 10 | 13 | Alex Bachoura | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 11 | 16 | Ashton Harrison | Mazda MX-5 | 24 | - |
| 12 | 14 | Nick Evancich | Mazda MX-5 | 23 | - |
| 13 | 7 | Todd Lamb | Mazda MX-5 | 20 | Contact |
| 14 | 15 | Patrick Wilmot | Mazda MX-5 | 12 | Contact |
| 15 | 11 | Hernan Palermo | Mazda MX-5 | 0 | Contact |
| 16 | 12 | Zach Lee | Mazda MX-5 | 0 | Contact |
| 17 | 17 | Joe DaSilva | Mazda MX-5 | 0 | Contact |
| POS. | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Patrick Gallagher | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 2 | 3 | Matt Cresci | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 3 | 6 | Nathanial Sparks | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 4 | 8 | Max Faulkner | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 5 | 9 | Luke Oxner | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 6 | 7 | Tom Martin III | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 7 | 15 | Nick Evancich | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 8 | 13 | Zach Lee | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 9 | 14 | Patrick Wilmot | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 10 | 16 | Ashton Harrison | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 11 | 2 | Bryan Ortiz | Mazda MX-5 | 26 | - |
| 12 | 4 | Robert Stout | Mazda MX-5 | 25 | - |
| 13 | 10 | Hernan Palermo | Mazda MX-5 | 25 | - |
| 14 | 11 | Keith Jensen | Mazda MX-5 | 23 | Contact |
| 15 | 17 | Joe DaSilva | Mazda MX-5 | 14 | Mechanical |
| 16 | 12 | Alex Bachoura | Mazda MX-5 | 1 | Contact |
| 17 | 5 | Todd Lamb | Mazda MX-5 | 0 | Did Not Start |
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