Southpaw Racing Enterprises owner, Frank Howard announced that his team will make a bid for the Grand-Am Cup Championship in 2005, driving a Mazda RX-8. The race for the championship will begin this year with an abbreviated season starting in Canada at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

The effort, supported by the Mazda Factory and in conjunction with Robinson Motorsports of Melbourne, Fl, will compete in six races this season and will run a full schedule next year.

"Southpaw Racing and Robinson Motorsports are excited to team up with Mazdaspeed to compete in the Grand-Am Cup Series with the new Mazda RX-8, coupled with the drivers we feel we have an excellent chance to compete for the championship in 2005," remarked Howard.


Leading the effort for Southpaw Racing will be Frank Howard, a veteran race winner of the SCCA Spec Racer series, and Mark Eaton, a two-time karting champion and veteran of top finishes in the Spec Racer Pro Series.

Howard is thrilled to share the driver seat with Eaton. "(Eaton) is one of the strongest young drivers in the nation. We are looking forward to seeing how well we can do in the Grand-Am Cup Series."

Round two of the 2004 Grand-Am Cup Series will be held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 27-28.