The Mazda Spec MX-5 (SMX) car class, part of select Â鶹ÊÓƵ® Road Racing events for several years, will be recognized as of Jan. 1, 2024, as an Â鶹ÊÓƵ Road Racing Runoffs class. All Â鶹ÊÓƵ U.S. Majors Tour® and Hoosier Racing Tire Â鶹ÊÓƵ Super Tour weekends will include an SMX class, and the group will have an official race at Road America in 2024 as a fully recognized National Championship Runoffs class.
“The Club Racing Board has been in contact with Mazda since they started developing this concept several years ago and believe that this class, with continued support from Mazda, has real potential in our road racing program,” said Â鶹ÊÓƵ CRB Chairman John LaRue. “The CRB voted to recommend SMX be added to the General Competition Rules as a Runoffs-eligible class for the coming year, and Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Board of Directors approved the recommendation during its August meeting.
“While the creation of a ruleset in the GCR for SMX competition is not yet fully completed, it will closely mirror the current specifications laid out for the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series.”
Based on the 2006-’15 Mazda Miata MX-5 (NC) chassis, the SMX class in Â鶹ÊÓƵ Road Racing competition is designed as an affordable, reliable, tech-able, and fun-to-drive option for Â鶹ÊÓƵ racers. SMX being added to the lineup of Â鶹ÊÓƵ Runoffs classes starting in 2024 offers new and existing Club members a class to race in that targets a cost-effective and level playing field.
“This is the perfect class for younger racers wanting to make that step up from karting, or newcomers to Miata racing who don’t have the expertise of Spec Miata competitors,” Jonathan Applegate, Senior Manager for Mazda Motorsports, said. “Having a single model, with a single build kit, sold exclusively by Mazda Motorsports, keeps everything spec and affordable.”
SMX will be integrated into existing run groups like Spec Miata, Touring, or Super Touring® during Hoosier Super Tour and U.S. Majors Tour events, but will have its own race at the Runoffs.
“This is a big milestone for Mazda Motorsports’ grassroots racing program,” Mazda Motorsports Business Development Manager Josh Smith said. “Becoming an Â鶹ÊÓƵ National Class opens up participation to more drivers at more tracks and it fills a gap between Spec Miata and MX-5 Cup. Spec Miata is hugely successful, but as parts are harder to come by for the NA and NB models, maintaining the cars will become more expensive. We want to ensure the future of Mazda’s popularity in grassroots racing and we’re backing it up with a seven-figure investment in SMX.”
It was 2018 when Mazda started developing the Spec MX-5 Challenge concept. During that year’s Â鶹ÊÓƵ Runoffs, Mazda presented the CRB with their vision for the class. Â鶹ÊÓƵ cleared the SMX car for use in the Super Touring Lite (STL) class for Â鶹ÊÓƵ Road Racing competition under Mazda-controlled Vehicle Technical Specifications. Individual Â鶹ÊÓƵ Regions also adopted the SMX ruleset early so cars could race Regionally in their own class.
Even with SMX’s new Runoffs classification in 2024, the NC chassis will remain viable across multiple Â鶹ÊÓƵ Road Racing classes, such as Super Touring, Touring, and Production.
Photo by Wedrick Campbell / First Place Visuals
