The best iRacing drivers in North America will have the chance to race an actual Mazda MX-5 Cup car with a Mazda Motorsports scholarship for 2015.
The partnership between iRacing and Mazda Motorsport means that competitors in the 2014 iRacing MX-5 Cup will be eligible to compete in the annual Mazda Club Racing Shootout held each autumn. The season begins on April 29th, 2014.
John Doonan, Director of Motorsports for Mazda North American Operations noted: “As racers know, iRacing is more than a game. It is an amazing simulation tool for a driver to learn new tracks and keep in top mental shape away from the track. We’re thrilled that we can further expand our driver support program to include even more potential champions.”
“The partnership between Mazda and iRacing is a natural,” says Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com. “As we all know, more MX-5s are road-raced on any given weekend than any other model of car. What’s also true is that, on any given day, more MX-5s are sim-raced on iRacing than any other car. Not only does this partnership offer exciting opportunities for our many members who are aspiring racers, it will also enable Mazda teams to tap into a deep pool of new driving talent.”
Along with the Gran Turismo Academy, it’s another great chance for virtual racers to be able to prove their skills are directly applicable to real world racing. And the MX-5 is a hugely popular car in grassroots motorsport since in originally launched in 1989. Mazda Motorsports has more than 9,000 club racers in the U.S, many competing in the MX-5 Miata.
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