Mazda Motorsports has come a long way since the beginnings of Spec Miata, originally empowering would be racers to stack the grids with garage built specials. The factory backing was as close to a DIY race car kit that a speed seeker could dream about putting together at home with few very good friends.
While the reality of starting out in Spec Miata is more along the lines of $10,000 plus the cost of your Mazda, complete packages can be found for much cheaper. This is thanks to the thousands of racers who spend good money building their own race car, and then slowly grow out of it.
However, for under $60K Mazda Motorsports will sell you a brand new 2016 MX-5 ND Miata built and prepared ready to race by Long Road Racing. This is a turn key tool to go racing for less than a used 911, and just like the Porsche, Mazda has created a Global MX-5 Cup specifically suited to the new car.
This is where we meet Jeremy Barnes, he might just be the luckiest man in automotive PR. Not only does he head up communications for Mazda North America as well as brand experience, he also gets to take their race cars out on track. What an experience.
At the 2016 Motor Press Guild Track Days at Willow Springs Mr. Barnes takes us for a ride in the 2016 MX-5 Global Cup Car around the Streets of Willow racetrack. This car also happens to be the official pace car for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The 2016 ND Miata race car can be ordered directly from mazdamotorsports.com and in the words of the PR guy “is almost as easy as buying a book on Amazon.”