Mazda signs deal with Discovery Velocity to broadcast MX-5 Cup and other races

The Playboy MX-5 Cup is the best racing no one's watching, says Mazda, because it's not on television. The company changed that on Wednesday by inking a deal with the Discovery Velocity channel.

Deep cable jokes aside, the MX-5 Cup does present some of the best parity in racing, as well as drivers racing for the love of the sport. It's the equivalent of college sports, before the athletes get full of themselves and demand big contracts.

Along with the Playboy Cup, the Mazda Motorsports Hour will feature the Star Mazda series and the U.S. F2000 Championship.

“Hardcore fans know that some of the most intense action can be found in the Playboy MX-5 Cup, Star Mazda and Cooper Tires U.S. F2000 Championship,” said Jim Jordan, alternative marketing manager, Mazda North America. “But if you weren't at the race, you are left to take our word for it. Now, thanks to a partnership with Velocity, and Carolinas Production Group, fans can enjoy the action on a regular basis from their living room.”

Rick Benjamin, an award-winning motorsports broadcaster, will host the show, while the Carolinas Production Group will take care of the technical stuff. Benjamin will be joined in the booth by Randy Pobst for the MX-5 Cup and by James Hinchcliffe on Star Mazda and U.S. F2000. Todd Lewis will be the pit reporter.

The broadcast will be an hour-long program once per week. It will be shown on tape delay from April to November. Mazda says the three series are part of the MazdaSpeed Motorsports Ladder, while the Star and U.S. F2000 championships are also a part of the Mazda Road to Indy.

Visit www.velocity.com to find the channel on your local cable system. Now you have two reasons.

By Jake Lingeman