News Releases
IRVINE, Calif. (November 13, 2017) – Mazda has confirmed the eligible racers for the 12th annual Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. This post-season shootout will award a $100,000 Mazda Motorsports scholarship to compete in the 2018 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. The shootout will take place December 8, 2017 at the Bondurant Racing School in Chandler, Arizona.
Winning a club racing championship with Mazda power is the primary entry channel into the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. Racers competing with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), Teen Mazda Challenge, and iRacing are eligible. The following racers are being invited to submit a written and video proposal from which three to five finalists will be selected.
- John Allen – iRacing MX-5 Cup Champion
- Jay Aranha – NASA NP01 (At large)
- Ryan Dexter – Teen Mazda Challenge Rock Mountain Region Champion
- Julian Garfield – SCCA Solo (At large)
- Brian Henderson – Teen Mazda Challenge Mid-Atlantic Region / NASA East PTE Champion
- Tyler Kicera – SCCA Spec Miata (At Large)
- Tristan Littlehale NASA West Spec Miata Champion
- Brian Lock NASA West – NP01 Champion
- Aaron Michelet – NASA PTC (At large)
- Matt Million – Teen Mazda Challenge (At large)
- Austin Newmark – NASA ST4 (At large)
- Preston Pardus – SCCA Runoffs Spec Miata Champion
- Eric Prill – SCCA Runoffs F-Production Champion
- Bryan Putt – NASA East Super Unlimited Champion
- Selin Rollan – SCCA/NASA Spec Miata (At large)
- Michael Ross – NASA East Spec Miata Champion
- Nick Sommers – Teen Mazda Challenge West Coast Region Champion
- Danny Soufi – Teen Mazda Challenge Texas Region Champion
David Cook, business development manager for Mazda Motorsports noted that, “The criteria for the shootout has been created to identify the aspiring professional racer who has the most complete set of skills required to succeed in motorsport. These skills include speed, consistency, race craft, technical understanding, and off-track business and PR skills. History has shown that a driver will be limited in success if he or she is lacking in multiple areas. It will be a big challenge for the judges to narrow these 18 racers to our finalists. It will be an even larger task to select a $100,000 winner.”
About Mazda Motorsports:
Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook.
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 600 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.
Follow MNAO’s social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/Mazda
# # #
Contact:
Dean Case, Mazda Motorsports (310) 318-4582, mazdaspeed@MazdaUSA.com
Jade Gurss, Mazda Motorsports (317) 517-4121, MazdaMotorsports@icloud.com
