Nine Racers Seeking $100,000 Mazda Scholarship for 2016 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup.
Finalists have been announced for the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. This is the single-largest prize in grassroots motorsports. Launched in 2006 as the Mazda Club Racer shootout, the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout has annually promoted one talented club racer into the professional ranks. The $100,000 scholarship package supports a drive in the 2016 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup. For 2016, this will be in the all-new MX-5 Cup car, which went on sale on Oct. 1.
The finalists for the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout are:
| Racer | Hometown | Club/Series |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua Allan | “La Verne, California” | NASA PTD Western States Champion |
| Joseph Burton-Harris | “Sydney, Australia” | SCCA Runoffs Formula Mazda Champion |
| Bruno Carneiro | “Riverton, Utah” | At Large Nominee |
| Mark Drennan | “San Jose, California” | NASA Spec Miata Champion (East & West) |
| Richard Eklund | “Germantown, New York” | iRacing Champion |
| Mason Filippi | “Alamo, California” | West Coast Teen Mazda Challenge Champion |
| Glenn McGee | “Torrance, California” | iRacing Champion |
| Eric Powell | “Orlando, Florida” | At Large Nominee |
| Michai Stephens | “Evanston, Illinois” | At Large Nominee |
John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports, noted: “The nine finalists in this shootout are all highly competitive. The fact that the judges identified nine outstanding racers, from the 23 eligible, shows the tremendous depth of talent we are working with today. Mazda is so proud to offer this prize to our grassroots racers and customers; there is simply nothing like it in the world.”
The shootout will take place at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, on November 8-10. The racers will be tested on the track for their driving skills, and in the garage for their technical understanding of the sport.
The aspiring professional racer who wins the prize will have the best range of skills required to succeed. These skills include speed, consistency, race craft, technical feedback and off-track business, marketing and PR skills.
Additional information about the Mazda Road to 24 shootout, and 2016 MX-5 Cup race car, can be found here at MazdaMotorsports.com. Mazda Motorsports will be providing live social updates from the Carolina Motorsports Park event on Twitter at @mazdaracing and with hashtag #MRT24.