Passion was overflowing last week as Mazda awarded the winners for the 2025 Manila Sports Car Club Spec Miata season. Three of each class were given trophies and cash prizes for overcoming the pressure, wet tracks, heat, and challenge of the one make racing series to be at the top of their respective divisions.
The GT Radial Sportsman Class saw Jeff Balao in first place. Balao was emotional as he took the stage, saying the win was possible but never guaranteed given how close he is with his rivals. He was followed by Luis Azcona in second place and Enzo Celestino in third.
In the Concept One Masters Class, Toti Turalba took the top step, followed by Bong Brobio while Michael Jordan (not the NBA player) was at third. Turalba was ecstatic with his win, especially doing so in a Miata. He said the series is the best way to learn how to race properly and drive hard.
For the top Shell Pro Class, things were closer than ever. Last year’s champion Tyson Sy makes a repeat and was also hailed as the Overall Champion for the season, followed by Matt Solomon. Angie King was able to snag 3rd place in the class despite missing one race, indicating how strong her season was. Even Sy said that Angie used to be seconds behind her in previous seasons but this 2025 she was really close.
Dennis Ayuyao, Race Director for the Miata Spec Series, said that next year would be different as it’s not guaranteed that Tyson will be the champion. He said the level of talent in the grid has increased over the years.
Tyson Sy also shared that the reason he returns racing in the Miata Spec Series is because he wants to share what he knows so that the level of racing in the Philippines keeps getting higher.
In connection with that some announcements were made by Steven Tan, CEO and President of Mazda Philippines. Based on their 4-year observation on the drivers, they will re-arrange the division of drivers on the grid. There will be three or four groups depending on the final number of participating drivers.
Next are the upgrades. All MX-5s will have a new Cusco Limited Slip Differential, though the organizers will still test if they will use the 1.5 or the 2-way version. They will also use Cusco Pillow Ball type bushes for the suspension. new Cusco Sport TN-R Competition Dampers will also be introduced. Lastly, Concept One will change the design of the Forged Flow wheels for the cars. They will retain the GT Radial Champiro SX-R while minor things like the engine support and brake ducts will also be upgraded.
Last is the return of the Miata Spec Series to the south. The Miata Spec Series will return to Batangas Racing Circuit this year due to driver demand. Here’s the schedule for 2026:
- May 16 (Mazda Fan Festa) – Clark International Speedway
- July 18 – Batangas Racing Circuit
- September 19 – Batangas Racing Circuit
- November 14 (Mazda Fan Festa) – Clark International Speedway
With all these changes going for the next season, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the 2026 Miata Spec Series will be one to watch out for.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment or share your views. Comments that are derogatory and/or spam will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to moderate and/or remove comments.