Being a racecar driver presents many challenges, not the least of which is the difficulty of explaining it to others. My forthcoming foray into professional racing has been no different. If I tell people I’ll be running the Mazda Battery Tender MX-5 Cup Championship this year, the typical response is “so Spec Miata then? Isn’t that what you’ve been doing?” Well, yes, but mostly no.
Club racing (of which Spec Miata is a category) encompasses a huge number of races across the country. The average club racer can pick and choose any of these races to run with nearly any race-prepped car. Most club racers are pretty chill (there are exceptions) and have few racing ambitions beyond having fun weekends at the track or maybe winning a club championship. In general, club racing is an excellent format because nearly any racer with any car can build a race season around his other commitments. It’s the perfect place for a driver who has a demanding full-time job and for one who is a bit too old and slow to have any shot at making a career out of racing.
Being prone to bouts of silly optimism, I actually have some hefty ambitions. Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans are the greatest races in the world. Why not try to get there? Sure, it’s a long shot, but it’s not like it won’t be fun to try. Even if I don't believe I can be in the top 1% who can climb that ladder on merit alone, I need to be on the ladder, gaining the experience of racing alongside those chosen few.
The MX-5 Cup Championship is an established and proven first rung in that ladder. With sponsors, prize money on the line, legendary tracks, a new and exciting 4th generation MX-5 and the minor glamour of sharing a paddock with Bill Auberlen, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor’s mullet, the pressure is on a whole new level. And all these factors conspire to create a championship that brims with dedicated, hard-working competitors, despite the humble origins of its sole car.
At least that’s what I hope. This is completely new to me, of course. So from this pulpit I intend to chronicle my learnings in the process of trying to be a pro driver. This is not likely to be the story of your hero battling for wins and triumphing over the less-worthy antagonists, but it should be fun.
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