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Marc Miller and Race Now for Autism Win Round One of Playboy MX-5 Cup |
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 In his series debut, Marc Miller, driving the Race Now for Autism car, won Round One of the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, part of the Classic Motorsports Magazine Walter Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta. Starting fifth, Miller played it cool on the start and opening laps to ensure his No. 28 Team MER/MOCA/RaceForAutism MX-5 stayed in one piece for the full 22-lap, 55.58-mile race.
"I checked up a little bit at the start,” Miller said. “This is my first MX-5 Cup race and I've seen a lot of race video of things happening on the first lap. I knew the car was really good, so essentially I just checked up and slotted into fourth. I was comfortable there and I waited for the race to come to me.”
It was a three-way fight at the end for the lead between Miller, Jenkins and Piscitell, as the trio worked the draft around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course. With two laps to go, Miller was able to break free, crossing the line with a 2.474-second margin of victory.
“Once I started to relax a bit, the car felt better,” Miller said. “The competition is so close, you’re really just trying to manage the car throughout the race. The last two laps, when I got a little bit of breathing room, I put my head down and ran two really good, clean laps. Once I broke the draft, they couldn’t do anything with me.”
 “I feel unbelievably ecstatic,” Miller said. “I’m extremely excited to be representing a team that [previous Champions] Jason [Saini] and Eric [Foss] have done such a good job representing over the last two years. I’m happy to have the opportunity to race and equally to have Race Now For Autism on the car. I feel like this car represents a good group of people and it makes me feel extremely proud to get the win and get some exposure for them.”
Miller’s No. 28 MX-5 will carry the Race Now for Autism livery this season, a program with strong personal significance for Miller, whose son Evan is autistic.
“Race Now for Autism is a program that my wife and I started last year,” Miller explained. “It’s a promotional program that provides a way for amateur and professional athletes to sign up, and any competition they compete in, they can raise awareness and funds for local programs that benefit families that have autistic children. It’s something that’s near and dear to my heart, as well as Jeff Mosing, who’s driving a car that I own. Jeff’s got the full Race for Autism livery on his car. He’s also a father of a child with autism. I’m pretty happy that we can both support the cause and hopefully we can get some more drivers in the paddock to run the decals later in the year and we can make it a big team effort.”
 The #31 Race Now for Autism car driven by Jeff Mosing encountered some damage at road Atlanta, but will be back for Round Two at Laguna Seca as well as the rest of the season.
To make a pledge to benefit families affected by Autism go HERE
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