Mazda Motorsports has selected Flis Performance as the new constructor of the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car.

The Daytona Beach, Florida-based Flis Performance takes over the conversion of production-line MX-5s into ready-to-race Cup cars from Long Road Racing, the enduring North Carolina-based firm which closed its doors last winter following the death from cancer of popular co-owner Alana Long.

Glen and Alana’s son Tom was the 2005 Spec Miata champion, and their family business turned out an incredible number of Cup cars — more than 200! — since 2015.

A release today from Mazda Motorsports explained that “MX-5 Cup cars begin as road cars assembled at Mazda’s Hiroshima, Japan, factory before being converted to race cars. Starting in 2020, that conversion will take place at Flis Performance (which) has extensive experience in amateur and professional racing, and has competed at the highest levels of sports car racing in North America.”

“Ensuring that Mazda Motorsports found the right partner to build the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup car was incredibly important for the health of our program,” said Nelson Cosgrove, Director, Mazda Motorsports. “It’s very clear that the staff at Flis Performance understands what our goals are with the MX-5 Cup car — to continue to build upon the value and excitement of the MX-5 Cup platform; to support new and prospective racers in the Global MX-5 Cup series; and to ensure that the cars constructed at Flis Performance are equal in performance and quality to the over-200 MX-5 Cup cars that our customers are currently enjoying.”

The 2020 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich kicks off with the NTT IndyCar series April 3-5 at Barber Motorsports Park. This year’s series’ prize package is valued at over $500,000 including a $200,000 career advancement scholarship for the season champion.