SUMMIT POINT, WV (April 27, 2016) – Missing some familiar faces at the Summit Point Majors race this weekend? Two long-time Washington D.C. Region (WDCR) Members will be competing in the opening races of the 2016 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires at Mazda Raceway in California. Missing out on the Majors race for the first time, Mike “MEATHEAD” Collins will be driving the #75 MEATHEAD Racing 2016 MX-5. Nick Bruni will be making his pro-racing debut in the #76 MEATHEAD Racing 2016 MX-5.

The 2016 MX-5 Cup season will feature the all-new fourth-generation Mazda MX-5. For the first time, Mazda has commissioned complete turnkey race cars ensuring all cars are as close to identical as possible, all to ensure the best drivers rise to the top. This Friday, forty of those cars will be taking the green flag at Mazda Raceway in the first race of the 2016 Battery Tender MX-5 Cup.

John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO), noted, “This MX-5 Cup race weekend represents almost two years of hard work by hundreds of people. Having great partners like Battery Tender, BFGoodrich Tires, Long Road Racing and the many engineers within Mazda, both here and Japan, makes this a very special weekend. The rush of cars going into turn two on Friday afternoon will be an amazing sight. Those not in Monterey can tune in to the livestream. I predict epic racing action.”

The first two MX-5 Cup races will be this Friday and Saturday, both at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Both races will be streamed on www.mazdalive.com as well as www.iRacing.com and www.fanschoice.tv. For updates throughout the weekend, follow @MEATHEADRacing and @NickBruniRacing on Twitter and MEATHEAD Racing on Facebook.

The complete MX-5 Cup season is as follows:

About MEATHEAD Racing

For more than a decade, MEATHEAD Racing has conquered amateur motorsports as one of the largest race teams in the country. Founded in 2002 and based at Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia, MEATHEAD Racing travels to over 20 race tracks across the United States. At Summit Point, the team operates a 4,800 square feet facility, where it services and builds Mazda MX-5 cars of all generations. During the racing season, MEATHEAD Racing routinely supports 15 to 25 race cars, competing in five different competition classes, in events sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sport Association. In 2015 MEATHEAD Racing drivers swept Spec Miata in the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series (MARRS), finishing 1-2-3 almost every weekend and in the final championship standings. Driver Nick Bruni finished the season as runner-up in Showroom Spec Miata and Mike Collins finished fifth in Spec Miata in the SCCA Eastern Conference. In sum, MEATHEAD Racing won 16 races and scored 46 podium finishes. The 2016 season marks the team’s move from amateur racing to a nationwide, professional series—the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Follow all of the latest news at @MEATHEADRacing on Twitter and MEATHEAD Racing on Facebook.

About Mazda Motorsports

Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook.