Coming in the Spring of 2012
Professional racing driver and Mazda enthusiast website guru, Jim Daniels, launches the first iRacing privately operated talent search. The 12 Event Virtual Racing Series Will Award One Talented Driver a Ride in a Real MAZDA MX5 Prepared Race Car.
LOS ANGELES, CA (March 3rd, 2011) – Veteran MAZDA racing driver and sim racing fanatic, JIM DANIELS, has not wasted anytime incorporating IRACING into his driver coaching program. The success of those efforts in the real world of racing and on the heals of IRACING’s public talent search, a new private series is born (The MX5CUP.com presented by MAZDARACERS.COM). This revolutionary new racing format for finding talent is the first of its kind. While IRACING has held public series with real world prizes before such as the TDI Cup with winner Wyatt Gooden, this new series, the MX5CUP presented byMAZDARACERS.COM, will be the first independently run and promoted endeavor to award such a prize to the championship winning driver.
The 12 event schedule will be a “spec” based series with all drivers running identical MAZDA MX5 race cars. The series will start and end at MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA and includes sprint and endurance races. It’s no surprise that the series would be raced in identical MAZDA MX5s. Jim Daniels is the co-founder of the popular Spec Miata class and was the first PLAYBOY MAZDA MX5 Cup Champion in 2006.
The series is joined by many of the sponsors associated with MAZDA MX5 racing such as MAZDASPEED, IRACING, AMG, CARBOTECH BRAKE PADS, SAFERACER, MEATHEAD RACING OWNERS GROUP and TREADZONE. The sim race cars will be custom painted and all events will be broadcast via the Internet. Various prizes will be awarded including a real ride in a MAZDA MX5 race car. The championship winning prize will be a high performance lapping day with professional coaching and evaluation. The series is 100% free to any IRACING.COM and MAZDARACERS.COM member.
Our series professional talent panel consist of recent MAZDSPEED ladder drivers and racing experts including JOHN DOONAN, JOHN EDWARDS, TOM LONG, BRAD RAMPELBERG, ERIC FOSS, JASON HOOVER, MIKE COLLINS and JIM DANIELS. Among other duties these professional racers will assist in coaching, officiating and promoting the talent search.
This announcement was made in conjunction with MAZDARACERS.COM owner and MX5CUP.com series promoter, JIM DANIELS, along with the series talent panel mentioned above.
“I’m excited to get this series going. I consider and we will treat our drivers just like any other professional racer. From scrutinizing to sportsmanlike behavior the only thing not real in this series will be the cars & tracks. I hope to get our champion ready for the real world of racing and all that entails. I have several drivers that I work with who had little to no training other than iRacing. One notable is Ben Crosland out of Salt Lake City. With iRacing as his background he won a Mustang Challenge race in 2010 and finished on the podium in World-Challenge GTS twice as a 17 year old. My eyes were opened! I’m a driver coach of a different kind. I specialize in finding talent to move up the ladder. With iRacing I can see and work with many more drivers than time allows otherwise. Being a professional driver myself, it takes me about 20 minutes driving in iRacing with a student to get a feel of what talent he/she has. The traditional method was to visit tracks and watch from a turn. Today, I look at various results via the Internet and find folks doing well, invite them to drive with me in iRacing and evaluate them there. My whole approach has changed for the better using iRacing for training and scouting. The results my students have on the real track prove that. My hope with this new series is to gain exposure for how vital iRacing training and talent searching via iRacing can be.” Said Jim Daniels.
“ I‘ve been racing PC simulations since Indianapolis 500, created in 1989 by Dave Kaemmer, one of iRacing’s founders. I began racing a Spec Miata, in the real world with SCCA in 2005 at my home track of Summit Point. I had never driven at speed on any track before going to driver’s school and firmly believe my simulation experience allowed me to run all three days without touching two wheels off, good thing since I borrowed the car! I ran the fastest lap and finished second in my first race. I know iRacing has created the simulation by which all others will be compared for well into the future! I am honored that Jim has given me this opportunity and look forward to getting started.” Mike Monaghan, Series Administrator
2011 MX5CUP.com presented by MAZDARACERS.COM Series Schedule
(races held weekly on Tuesday nights beginning very soon, more information can be found at www.mx5cup.com)
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mosport Int’l Raceway
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Road America
Virginia International Raceway
Sebring International Raceway
Daytona International Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Road Atlanta
Summit Point Motorsports Park
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (enduro, double points)
About: MX5CUP.COM, MAZDARACERS.COM & JIM DANIELS
(details here)
About: IRACING.COM
The company was founded in 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including “Grand Prix Legends” and “NASCAR 2003.” Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, as well as co-owner of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing.com has developed numerous corporate relationships in the motorsport industry, including partnerships with NASCAR, IndyCar, GRAND-AM, International Speedway Corporation, Speedway Motorsports, Ford, and GM. iRacing is open to racers and fans of all skill levels from top-level pros to complete beginners. To join in the fun, go to www.iRacing.com.
About: Professional Talent Panel
JOHN DOONAN
JOHN EDWARDS
BRAD RAMPELBERG
ERIC FOSS
JASON HOOVER
MIKE COLLINS
TOM LONG
