Brad Rampelberg, of San Jose, Calif., edged Dean Copeland, of Bowie, Md., by just 0.024-second at VIRginia International Raceway in the closest SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race in the history of the series. Michael Cooper, of Syossett, N.Y., finished third.

Rampelberg started the race from the pole, and held the lead through the first of 20 laps in the 45-minute timed race. With a 1.109-second lead after one lap and still holding a 1.084-second lead after three laps, Rampelberg seemingly was cruising to a win. The fourth lap changed everything, as a big run from Copeland down the front straight to start the lap gave him the lead for the first time. Copeland and Rampelberg would swap the lead virtually every lap. The lead pair continued to swap the point until crossing the stripe to begin lap 18, when Rampelberg led by 0.299-second. Rampelberg held the lead for the next two laps .
Copeland had one final charge remaining, and slipped past Rampelberg on the back straight. A bobble through the turn 17 and 17a complex allowed Rampelberg to pull along side Copeland and the drag race was on down the front straight. At the finish line, Rampelberg edged the nose of his machine just ahead of Copeland for the win, the closest finish in MX-5 Cup history.

"When he came out of there right on my bumper, I thought it was over. He passed me and I got on the radio and told my guys we lost the race. Then I thought to myself, I've got one more shot at this, laid back going through turn 17 and rolled right through onto the front straight," Rampelberg said. "Dean raced me so clean. He could have driven me off on the outside of the track and he didn't. We probably passed twice a lap for 10 laps and never touched. It was a great race."