2016 Maxxis Cup Supermiata recap
Maxxis Cup Supermiata 2016: Season Recap
Photo: CaliPhotography https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...be6869d2e7.jpg The field entering turn 3 at Auto Club Speedway this past Sunday. Maxxis Cup Supermiata is a regional, Miata-based spec racing series with events in California and Nevada. Began in 2013, the series focuses on low-cost, competitive racing and a supportive community of drivers. The series is sponsored by Maxxis Tires and run on their RC-1 competition tire. Events are hosted and sanctioned by Speed Ventures . The Maxxis Cup Supermiata 2016 campaign came to a dramatic conclusion last weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Heading into the final round of the season—with eight tightly contested weekends already complete—all three top spots in the season points race were yet to be decided. Crowning the 2016 Season Champ Rolling into Auto Club Speedway on the final weekend of the season, points leader William Chen needed to take just one podium OR finish no lower than second place in each race to hold off hard-charging Sonny Watanasirisuk. Once the green flag dropped all three races were incredibly close—with multiple lead changes—and in each one Watanasirisuk and Chen finished 1-2. And with that Chen put the finishing touches on a consistent 2016 campaign to become the Maxxis Cup Supermiata 2016 Season Champion. It’s Chen’s first series championship after finishing 3rd in 2014 and 2015. Photo: CaliPhotography https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...025ad9f2cb.jpg William Chen #3 and Sonny Watanasirisuk #18 battled for the title down to the final checker. Second place overall went to Sonny Watanasirisuk, who claimed his third runner up title in as many seasons. Chen’s margin of victory was just two points, barely withstanding Watanasirisuk’s heroic final weekend. Rookie Dennis Uebersetzig earned third place overall with a remarkably consistent and competitive season. Coming into the final weekend, Adam Gershon had an outside shot to steal third place. But Uebersetzig finished his season strong with three 5th place finishes to hold onto the final overall podium spot. The Year in Review The 2016 season saw high water marks for competition and participation. The year kicked off with Round 1 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park and featured a busy grid of 18 cars—a Maxxis Cup Supermiata record. Participation remained high throughout the year, and numerous new competitors joined the fold. A dozen drivers new to the series took green flags this year, and several more are putting the finishing touches on cars in time for 2017. Maxxis Tires increased their support in the series signing on to become the title sponsor. Series organizers and the folks at Maxxis see long-term value in the strategic partnership, while in the short term drivers see lots more free tires! Photo: Matthew Hyatt Emilio Cervantes #1 muddles through the puddles at Buttonwillow in January’s season opener. Additional highlights from 2016 include: A Wet Start to the Season: A wicked rainstorm turned the January event at Buttonwillow into a wet affair, indeed. Saturday’s races were contested on rain tires, but Sunday was a complete washout with things looking more like a marsh than a race track. Vegas Baby: In April, we ventured outside of California (just barely) to spectacular Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, NV, for an epic weekend on the sprawling 3.4-mile Mansell course. Sharing the Track: We shared the tarmac with several other groups this year, including the Teen Mazda Challenge at Sonoma in July, a competitive group of Spec E30 folks at Buttonwillow, and gentlemen from the Alfa Romeo Club of Southern California at SMMR. Gourmet Dining: Saturday night BBQs in the paddock are a Maxxis Cup tradition, but this year we went gourmet. Chef Andrew Wong took over the grill this year and treated racers to some downright delicious dinners. Everyone is looking forward to next year’s menu. Rookie of the Year Kyle Koh is the 2016 Maxxis Cup Supermiata Rookie of the Year. Koh all but guaranteed the honor by winning a race in his very first series event, Round 7 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Mechanical issues kept Koh from competing at Round 8, but he made another excellent showing at the season finale including a 4th place finish in one of this Sunday’s sprints. Koh figures to be a big factor in 2017’s championship race. Photo: CaliPhotography Adam Gershon #15 and Kiem Jhien-Tjong #118 were among the drivers who took home free tires this weekend. Road Warriors Maxxis Tires provided a set of RC-1 for racers with the highest participation in 2016. Originally the prize was slated for the top five drivers plus one rookie, but Maxxis generously threw in two extra sets allowing eight drivers to take home fresh rubber with which to start 2017. Looking Forward to 2017 In many ways, Maxxis Cup drivers and organizers are looking forward to more of the same in 2017: big fields, close racing, friendly competition, and excellent Saturday night BBQs in the paddock. The 2016 season set the stage for continued success with this winning formula. There is also something new and exciting coming for 2017. Next year will debut an additional class of Maxxis Cup Supermiata racing. “S1” class, as it will be known, will introduce forced induction thanks to a spec turbocharger kit designed by Trackspeed Engineering featuring a Borg EFR6258 turbo. No fewer than five cars are already under construction with plans to debut at the season opener in January. The current class will now be known as “S2”. 2017 Schedule Maxxis Cup Supermiata tentatively will kick off the 2017 campaign January 28-29 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. The official schedule will be released shortly and will be posted here: Maxxis Cup Supermiata Schedule SuperMiata https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c63814df58.jpg Maxxis Cup Supermiata 2016 Final Points 1 William Chen 401 2 Sonny Watanasirisuk 399 3 Dennis Uebersetzig 308 4 Adam Gershon 297 5 Emilio Cervantes 240 6 Anthony Bedegi 232 7 Grant Heathman 196 8 Bill Brinkop 170 9 Kiem Jhien-Tjong 167 10 Joe Xie 164 11 Alan Tseng 117 12 Andrew Kidd 101 13 John Adams 99 14 Erin Kennelly 81 15 Albert Gavieres 76 16 Howard Chai 73 17 Greg Nelson 66 18 Scott McIver 64 19 Jay Kidd 63 20 Tom Ricketts 62 21 John Mueller 57 22 Kyle Koh 54 23 Jason Ballance 52 24 Ray Duangploy 41 25 Lawrence Golomb 39 26 Ritchie Wimmer 32 27 Jane Scarcello 22 28 Pablo Maida 11 |
Absolutely love it!
Needs more videos. And needs to come to the east coast.... |
Originally Posted by stefanst
(Post 1373962)
Absolutely love it!
Needs more videos. And needs to come to the east coast.... |
Originally Posted by stefanst
(Post 1373962)
Absolutely love it!
Needs more videos. And needs to come to the east coast.... |
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