By: Series Staff

Braselton, Ga. – After the closest race in SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup history, what can the series do for an encore? How about return to the track less than a week later, when the field stays in the Southeast for the Classic Motorsports Mitty at Road Atlanta.

Brad Rampelberg leads the MX-5 Cup Championship entering Road Atlanta.

Last weekend, Brad Rampelberg, in the No. 4 AMG Racing/Mazda/Cobalt Brakes Mazda MX-5, edged Dean Copeland, No. 7 Copeland Motorsports/Insynch Radios Mazda MX-5, by just 0.024-second at VIRginia International Raceway in the closest SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race in the history of the series.

For Copeland, it was a signal that his Copeland Motorsports team, which consists almost entirely of the driver and his father, Kevin Copeland, is ready to compete for the championship.

For AMG, it was confirmation that last season’s record-breaking championship run with Todd Lamb was no fluke. In addition to Rampelberg”s finish on the top step of the podium in the first round, Michael Cooper finished third in the No. 84 AMG Racing/Bromante Landscaping&Design Mazda MX-5 in his series debut, and ran nose-to-tail in a lead pack breakaway of six cars for nearly the entire race.

Mark Carpenter and Mike Vitarelli return in the AMG stable as well. Carpenter ran as high as 6^th late in his first MX-5 Cup race at VIR before finishing eighth in the No. 14 AMG Racing/GGS Technical Publication Mazda MX-5. Vitarelli will drive the No. 68 AMG/HighRiseFire.com Mazda MX-5 again at Road Atlanta.

Also running in that lead pack at VIR were a pair of Team MER young drivers who are searching for their first wins in MX-5 Cup competition. Justin Piscitell, in the No. 89 Team MER/DAMG Worldwide Mazda MX-5, finished as the championship runner-up a year ago and was just off the podium at VIR. Last year at Atlanta, Piscitell finished third.

He was joined in the lead group by teammate Nick Evans in the No. 28 Team MER/Mazda/Sparco MX-5, racing this season as the MAZDASPEED Development Ladder Shootout winner from last year. Evans is joined by Rampelberg and Piscitell as former winners of the Shootout competing in the series this season.

Also working out of the MER stable are Jeff Mosing, driving the No. 30 Team MER/RaceNowForAutism/Frank’s International MX-5, and David Walker in the No. 29 Team MER MX-5.

In Virginia, Mat Pombo was the fastest driver in practice, and ran with the leaders through 17 laps of the race, climbing as high as second in the No. 01 PFM Pombo Racing/Range of MotionATL/Carbotech MX-5. An off-course excursion late meant a sixth-place finish, but a chance to redeem himself and compete for a podium in Atlanta this weekend at his home track.

Pombo will be joined again in Atlanta by Jimmy Burke in the No. 23 Pombo Racing/PFM Engineering/Carbotech machine.

ALARA Racing enters four cars in the Road Atlanta round with high hopes and a need to redeem the past weekend at VIR. Ara Malkhassian, in the No. 11 ALARA Racing/Bulldog Productions MX-5 led teammate Lyonel Kent (the defending race winner at VIR) as the quickest cars in the second practice session. A first lap incident, however, between Kent’s No. 13 ALARA Racing/Bulldog Productions machine and Malkhassian ended both of their days early.

Malkhassian is the 2007 winner at Road Atlanta and will be joined by Kent, Harrison Williams (No. 00 ALARA/Albrecht&Asc/MorganKeegan/Regions MX-5) and Tim Probert (No. 26 ALARA MX-5).

Three single car teams return to Road Atlanta following appearances at VIR. Jesse Combs (No. 77 coolgas.com MX-5), Brian Audet (No. 35 Urban East Racing/Audet Construction MX-5), and Kristine Craine (No. 39 Pinktop Racing MX-5) are all on the Road Atlanta entry list.

Series newcomer John Tancredi has also entered the No. 63 Dylisi Racing MX-5 at Road Atlanta.

The Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup appearance at Road Atlanta is a unique fit for the Classic Motorsports Mitty, a longtime vintage race weekend. Each year, a racing legend is honored at the Mitty, and in 2010 that honored legend is Peter Brock of Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) fame.

With that in mind, Mazda and the MAZDASPEED team have put together the No. 46 Brock Racing Enterprises/MAZDASPEED Mazda MX-5 to be driven by former BRE racer John Morton. The No. 46 machine has the traditional colors of the BRE team, and also celebrates the 40^th anniversary of Morton winning the SCCA C Production Championship at Road Atlanta in a BRE prepared Datsun 240Z.

The beauty of running a spec-series is that driver talent really has a chance to shine through.  In MX-5 Cup, however, the additional alluring aspect is the car; the nimble, dependable and undeniably fun Mazda MX-5.

Mechanically, all MX-5 Cup cars will remain essentially stock, as delivered from the dealer, with only bolt-on modifications to the intake and exhaust systems.  While the stock MX-5 Miata produces 170 hp, an MX-5 Cup car will produce in excess of 200 hp.  All MX-5 Cup vehicles will be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and may be run with the optionally available limited-slip rear differential.

Suspension will incorporate a fully-adjustable coil-over kit with double-adjustable shock absorbers and specified spring rates, as well as adjustable anti-roll bars front and rear.  All cars will run a 17x8” wheel of a specified weight – again, to level the field and minimize costs, as well as the spec BFGoodrich g-Force R1 Tire.  Additionally, brake pads, fluid and lines will be upgraded to racing components.

All MX-5 Cup cars will run with full safety equipment, including an eight-point roll-cage welded into the car, a racing seat, racing seatbelts and will incorporate a fire-extinguishing system.

As always, all components for the cars will be sold directly through MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, which also supports the program monetarily with contingency awards to successful drivers.

Event/Circuit: Road Atlanta

12-turn, 2.54-mile road course

Qualifying:       Friday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT)

Green Flag:     Saturday, May 1, at 1:30 p.m. (EDT)

Race Length:   45-minute timed race.

Television:       Will be aired on cable syndication. Check www.mx-5cup.com or www.mazdaracing.tv for a complete broadcast schedule.

source http://www.mx-5cup.com