The National Auto Sport Association (NASA), one of the major road racing sanctioning bodies in the U.S., today announced that the new Mazda Spec MX-5 v2 will be assigned to the Super Touring 5 (ST5) class. With its new Roush cylinder head, Mahle pistons, Kooks headers, proven Mazda MZR engine, and 2500 lb. racing weight, the Spec MX-5 v2 should approach the minimum weight:power for the class. Couple that with Penske single-adjustable shocks, Eibach springs, Toyo racing tires and Mazda race dynamics, and we anticipate that the Spec MX-5 will be very successful in ST5. More details on the car can be found on SpecMX-5.com.
With Mazda and Spec MX-5 Challenge pulling out all the stops for prize money and race day excitement at a series of Spec MX-5 marquee events in partnership with NASA during the 2020 launch season, Mazda car count should be strong as well. The 2020 season FAQ has more details and will be updated regularly.
Here is the complete text of NASA’s announcement:
Mazda’s New Spec MX-5 Cars Slot Right Into NASA’s Super Touring 5
One key benefit of NASA’s Super Touring rules structure is that so many spec-class cars can slot right into them and be competitive. With a competition weight at 2,500 pounds and, say, around 160-ish horsepower, the new Mazda Spec MX-5 cars will be right at home in NASA’s ST5 grid and be a genuinely competitive car.
ST5 rules call for an adjusted power-to-weight ratio of 14:1. With the numbers quoted above, the Mazda Spec MX-5 car will fit perfectly into the class where it should be a competitive option for ST5 right out of the box.
“Everyone at NASA is excited to welcome Spec MX-5 to ST5. The NC chassis is a perfect fit,” said NASA Vice President Jeremy Croiset. “ST5 has quickly become a popular class, so early-adopter Spec MX-5 drivers will have good fields waiting for them while drivers across the country finish building their cars for Spec MX-5 competition.”
With more than 17 years as the official tire of NASA and now Spec MX-5, Toyo Tires provides drivers with generous tire contingencies and incentives. For example, Toyo will award a complimentary set of Toyo RR tires to the first 50 people who buy a Spec MX-5 approved kit from Mazda Motorsports. Toyo Tires’ involvement is just one element of the comprehensive Spec MX-5 program, which was developed with the racer in mind.
— Brett Becker