It’s the first appearance for SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup at the Grand Prix of Cleveland and the series is determined to make a grand entrance. Not only is this weekend a doubleheader, but both races will be in the evening hours as the sun sets on Burke Lakefront Airport. Those details alone would be enough to create a memorable event, but MX-5 Cup is already blessed with some of the tightest racing on the planet, setting the stage for Rounds Five and Six of the Championship to be the most thrilling yet.
After two wins and a podium finish in the first four rounds of MX-5 Cup competition, Jason Saini continues to lead the Championship. Saini missed the podium for the first time this season at Portland International Raceway earlier this month, but it didn’t even put a dent in Saini’s 30-point lead. This weekend is a homecoming for Saini, who grew up in the Cleveland area and credits the Grand Prix of Cleveland with inspiring him to become a race car driver.
Ara Malkhassian is the man chasing Saini in the points and it hasn’t helped that he has yet to make the podium since winning his first MX-5 Cup race at Road Atlanta in April. If he wants to make a run at the Championship this weekend, the only doubleheader on the series schedule would be opportune time to do it. Currently tied for second with Malkhassian is Matt Cross, who after a runner-up finished at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca just missed out on a podium at Portland.
Malkhassian’s Alara Racing teammate Jesse Combs led several laps of the exhilarating Portland race during a battle with Saini and his MER compatriot, Andrew Caddell. Combs would eventually finish third, but was satisfied with his second hard-earned podium of the season. He currently sits fifth in the points, 40 points behind Saini.
Reigning SCCA Spec Miata National Champion Caddell took his first-career MX-5 Cup victory at Portland International Raceway, his home track. After exchanging the lead several times with Saini and Combs, Caddell was able to break away and open up a comfortable margin while the fight for the podium raged on behind him. Arriving in Cleveland fourth in the Championship, Caddell will celebrate his 19th birthday on Saturday.
Following Caddell across the finish line at Portland, albeit more than the six seconds behind, was Pratt Cole. It was the first-career MX-5 Cup podium for Cole, who’s been racing Miatas since 1991, winning three SCCA E Production National Championships in the process.
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