Riding high into Monterey is Ara Malkhassian (#11 Alara Racing) from nearby Sonoma. After scoring numerous top-five finishes last season and finishing fourth in the 2006 Championship, Malkhassian finally scored his first MX-5 Cup win at Road Atlanta. The win came in spectacular fashion as well; Malkhassian patiently watched MER teammates Jason Saini (#28 Autobarn Mazda/SafeRacer.com) and Eric Foss (#25 SafeRacer.com) tussle for the lead, before slipping past the pair in the final corner.
Currently leading the Championship, 13 points ahead of Malkhassian is Saini, who nearly made it two in a row at Road Atlanta. Runner-up in last year’s championship and winner of the 2007 season opener at the Grand Prix of Houston, Saini had a disappointing weekend here last year, qualifying third, but finishing 16th.
Quietly sitting third in the Championship is Pratt Cole (#88 DEX). A stronger racer than qualifier, Cole earns his points by climbing through the field and always being there at the end. His performance last year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was one of his strongest; Cole finished fifth after qualifying 13th.
Just behind Cole is the #80 Jason Hoover Motorsports/Hooverspeed of Matt Cross. Cross. Like many drivers in the series, Cross comes to MX-5 Cup from the ultra-competitive Spec Miata ranks of SCCA Club Racing, where he earned the 2006 SCCA Spec Miata NorPac Divisional Championship and San Francisco Region National Driver of the Year award. With two races down, Cross has yet to visit the podium, but there’s a good chance that will change this weekend when he returns to his home track.
After skipping the opening round at Houston, Todd Buras (#56 BSI/Team Garcia/MOMO/Joe Gibbs) had a lackluster return to MX-5 Cup in Round Two at Road Atlanta. After topping practice, Buras encountered problems in qualifying that relegated him to 18th on the grid. Those issues were certainly cured by race time, because Buras picked up five spots on the opening lap alone and ran as high as fourth before dropping back for an eighth-place finish, his car spent from its charge through the field. Buras pulled a similar feat here last year when he qualified 22nd after crashing in qualifying, but finished second! If Buras can bring his race pace to qualifying this weekend, he might be in for his first MX-5 Cup win since Mosport last year.
Local Drivers
Quite a few MX-5 Cup drives call California home including: Ara Malkhassian (Sonoma), Bob Michaelian (Seal Beach), Patrick Barrett (Los Osos), Steve Bottom (Newport Beach), Matt Cross (Folsom), Laura Olson (Costa Mesa), Drew Staveley (Walnut), Steven Bernheim (Encino), Kim Ouye (Salinas).
Thinking of Brett
A name missing from the entry list this weekend is that of Brett Smrz, who sits fifth in the Championship. The 16-year old who captured the pole at Houston in his car racing debut, broke his leg in a trampoline accident two weeks ago. The break severed the main artery and nerve in Smrz’ left leg and after 20 hours in surgery, doctors determined a portion of the leg below the knee would require amputation in order to save the young racer’s life. Brett is currently recovering in Idaho with his family, already planning for his return to MX-5 Cup, which could be as soon as the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park in September. He is in the thoughts of everyone in the MX-5 Cup paddock this weekend.
Event Entry lists
No., Driver/ Hometown, Team, Sponsors, Car
2, Drew Staveley/ Walnut, CA, Hiss Motorsports, Hiss Motorsports, Mazda MX-5
5, Dale Alexander/ Tampa FL, Hale Motorsports, Moe’sSWGrill/AlexanderMtrspts, Mazda MX-5
7, Jesse Combs/ Houston, TX, Alara Racing, Coolgas Ltd. / Alara Racing, Mazda MX-5
8, Dr. Carlos Tesler-Mabe/ Vancouver, BC, Alara Racing, ALARA Racing/carmenandcamille, Mazda MX-5
10, Rick Bellew/ Mobile, AL, Team MER, M&M Motorsports/B&W Supply, Mazda MX-5
11, Ara Malkhassian/ Sonoma, CA, Alara Racing, Alara Racing, Mazda MX-5
19, Bob Michaelian/ Seal Beach, CA, Hooverspeed, Hooverspeed, Mazda MX-5
21, Randy Hale, III/ Haddam, CT, Hale Motorsports, HaleMtrspts/HoleInTheWallCamps, Mazda MX-5
24, Forest Barber/ Forth Worth, TX, Team MER, FeedsTheNeed/ForestBarber, Mazda MX-5
25, Donnie Barnes/ Chapel Hill, NC, Team MER, Team MER/SafeRacer.com, Mazda MX-5
26, Tim Probert/ Houston, TX, Alara Racing, Alara Racing / Tim Probert, Mazda MX-5
28, Jason Saini/ Fort Worth, TX, Team MER, AutobarnMazda/SafeRacer.com, Mazda MX-5
29, Patrick Barrett/ Los Osos, CA, Team MER, AutismSpeaks.org/SafeRacer.com, Mazda MX-5
30, Andrew Caddell/ Graham, WA, Team MER, TeamMER/AimSport/PinnacleMazda, Mazda MX-5
39, Brad McAllister/ Portland, OR, Wired Motorsports, ACE Surgical Supply/H&M Mtrspt, Mazda MX-5
43, Barry Fromberg/ Plano, TX, Alara Racing, Alara Racing / FBG Racing, Mazda MX-5
44, Steve Bottom/ Newport Beach, CA, Steven Bottom Racing, Sonic Drive-In, Mazda MX-5
52, Donna Gilio/ Carson City, NV, Hooverspeed, Hooverspeed, Mazda MX-5
56, Todd Buras/ Melbourne, FL, BSI Racing, BSI/TeamGarcia/MOMO/JoeGibbs, Mazda MX-5
58, Steven Bernheim/ Encino, CA, BSI Racing, BSI/TeamGarcia/MOMO/JoeGibbs, Mazda MX-5
59, Andrew Carbonell/ Miami, FL, BSI Racing, BSI/TeamGarcia/MOMO/JoeGibbs, Mazda MX-5
60, Carlos Garcia/ Miami, FL, BSI Racing, BSI, Mazda MX-5
65, Chris Sarian/ Littleton, CO, SarWood Racing, SarWoodRacing/ZampHelmets, Mazda MX-5
80, Matt Cross/ Folsom, CA, Hooverspeed, JasonHooverMtrspts/Hooverspeed, Mazda MX-5
83, Kim Ouye/ Salinas, CA, Hooverspeed, Hooverspeed, Mazda MX-5
88, Pratt Cole/ Salt Lake City, UT, RP Motorsports, DEX, Mazda MX-5
00, Harrison Williams/ Houston, TX, Alara Racing, Albrecht&Assoc/MorganKeegan, Mazda MX-5
01, Bill Sweedler/ Norwalk, CT, Hale Motorsports, PRX ComoSport / Patron Tequila, Mazda MX-5
08, Laura Olson/ Costa Mesa, CA, Hale Motorsports, Patron Tequila, Mazda MX-5
09, John C. Kuitwaard/ Wantagh, NY, P1-Motorsports.com, P1-Motorsports/Alex’sLemonade, Mazda MX-5
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