Mazda Motorsports Announces MRT24 Shootout Eligible Racers

Mazda Motorsports Announces MRT24 Shootout Eligible Racers

– 19 Mazda Racers Aiming for $100,000 Mazda Scholarship –

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 Idemitsu 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. 

  1. John Allen – iRacing MX-5 Cup Champion
  2. Jay Aranha – NASA NP01 (At-large)
  3. Ryan Dexter – Teen Mazda Challenge Rock Mountain Region Champion
  4. Julian Garfield – SCCA Solo (At-large)
  5. Brian Henderson – Teen Mazda Challenge Mid-Atlantic Region / NASA East PTE Champion
  6. Tyler Kicera – SCCA Spec Miata (At-Large)
  7. Tristan Littlehale NASA West Spec Miata Champion
  8. Brian Lock NASA West – NP01 Champion
  9. Aaron Michelet – NASA PTC (At-large)
  10. Matt Million – Teen Mazda Challenge (At-large)
  11. Austin Newmark – NASA ST4 (At-large)
  12. Preston Pardus – SCCA Runoffs Spec Miata Champion
  13. Eric Prill – SCCA Runoffs F-Production Champion
  14. Bryan Putt – NASA East Super Unlimited Champion
  15. Selin Rollan – SCCA/NASA Spec Miata (At-large)
  16. Michael Ross – NASA East Spec Miata Champion
  17. Matt Reynolds – SCCA Spec Miata & Production (At-large)
  18. Nick Sommers – Teen Mazda Challenge West Coast Region Champion
  19. 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.”