The broadcast schedule for the Mazda Motorsports Hour is out! Over the next several months, you can catch highlights of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda, and the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear races on Velocity TV, albeit tape-delayed by a month or so from the actual event.
Rick Benjamin’s Carolinas Production Group (CPG) are producing the Mazda Motorsports Hour. CPG has worked with the MX-5 Cup and Star Mazda Championship in the past to produce some outstanding motorsports programming. In 2009, they produced three events for the Formula Atlantic Championship and the Star Mazda Championship, and in 2010 they increased the coverage of the Star Mazda Championship to include all of the five events of the Visit Florida Cup which were aired on HDNet.
For the all of the Mazda Motorsports Hour broadcasts, Rick Benjamin will be in the booth and Todd Lewis will serve as Pit Reporter. Drivers Randy Pobst and James Hinchcliffe will be brought in for the events to serve as expert analysts. Randy “The Rocket” Pobst has significant experience driving a variety of touring and GT cars in the SCCA World Challenge series, and will be able to bring a great deal of insight to the MX-5 Cup racing. James “The Mayor of Hinchtown” Hinchcliffe will be providing the expert analysis for the USF2000 and Star Mazda events, as well as adding in his vivaciousness and enthusiasm to the broadcast.
Airtime is so important for young drivers, and to their sponsors. Having a television contract, even if its a tape-delayed broadcast, is a plus for drivers and teams and should make the very tough job of selling sponsorship opportunities just a little bit easier. Here are the times you can watch and support these young drivers and they strive to make their way up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder to one day be part of the fortunate few that get to grid up in eleven rows of three on a Memorial Day weekend morning.
| SERIES | VENUE | AIRDATE (All times Eastern |
|---|---|---|
| MX-5 Cup | #1: Sebring International Raceway | Saturday, April 21 – 12pm |
| MX-5 Cup | #2: Sebring International Raceway | Saturday, April 28 – 12pm |
| Star Mazda | Streets of St. Petersburg | Saturday, May 5 – 12pm |
| USF2000 | Sebring & G.P. of St. Petersburg | Saturday, May 12 – 12pm |
| Star Mazda | Barber Motorsports Park | Sunday, May 20 – 12pm |
| MX-5 Cup | #3 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Saturday, June 9 – 12pm |
| MX-5 Cup | #4 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Saturday, June 16 – 12pm< |
| Star Mazda | Lucas Oil Raceway Park | Saturday, June 23 – 12pm |
| USF2000 | Lucas Oil Raceway Park | Saturday, June 30 – 12pm |
| MX-5 Cup | #5 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Saturday, July 7 – 12pm |
Certainly, we will be seeing more broadcasts later in the year, but that’s the schedule for right now. Set your DVRs now!! We heard Rob Howden call some really exciting USF2000 races, the St. Petersburg Star Mazda races, from the reports and photos from our own Tom Turk and Brian McKay, were also very exciting, and if you’ve never seen an MX-5 Cup race, then you’re missing out! The MX-5 Cup has some of the best fender-banging action you’ll find anywhere!
