Mazda announces the new venue for the $20K TMC Scholarship race.
In 2019, Mazda announced a $20,000 scholarship award for the highest finishing Teen Mazda Challenge racer at the 2020 NASA Championships. While NASA has canceled its championship event and TMC for the 2020 season, Mazda announced that all contingency awards, including the $20,000 scholarship race, will continue for those who signed up for TMC in 2020.
“We are happy to say that NASA’s Northern California regional races at Sonoma Raceway, August 22nd and 23rd will play host to this year’s $20,000 scholarship race,” stated David Cook, business development manager for Mazda Motorsports. “While TMC was canceled, its director, Zach Rubin, has kept the racers and key stakeholders together, enabling us all to support one another. We know the TMC racers, their investment and passion, and will honor our commitment to them. That means paying out TMC contingency bonuses to those drivers who compete, even though they won’t have a TMC designation next to their names on the race results; reducing the threshold to become an automatic nominee for our annual Mazda Road to 24 Shootout; and we needed to find a new venue for the $20K scholarship race, which we have done thanks in large part to Lisa Caceres.”
Lisa Caceres, who sits on the Teen Mazda Challenge board of advisors and oversees TMC in the Northern California region, shares the reasons Sonoma Raceway in August is ideal:
- It will be the first 2020 NASA race weekend at Sonoma – very large Spec Miata turnout expected (most likely 50+ cars) with a high level of competition that allows us to see who’s really ready to rock n roll after this long delay.
- The majority of TMC racers are based on the West Coast.
- The Trans Am Series will be there, which creates high visibility to showcase our TMC drivers.
- Weather conditions are usually very good for racing in August, as well as great for those who may want to visit the wineries, the coast, and San Fran too while they’re in town.
About Teen Mazda Challenge
The Teen Mazda Challenge (TMC) offers drivers ages 13 through 20 unique opportunities that can help advance them into a career in professional motorsports through the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout, the grand prize of which is a scholarship valued at $110,000 applicable to a season of racing in the Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires.
TMC drivers compete in Spec Miata within NASA regions. Several regions have designated representatives to further support and help develop these young drivers in the sport. Mazda supports these drivers by sharing industry knowledge, bolstering the Spec Miata contingency awards with additional TMC contingency (as does Hawk Performance and Toyo Tires), and provides opportunities for career advancement.
The highest finishing TMC racer in each region with at least four TMC drivers earn a Mazda Road to 24 scholarship nomination. (In 2020, there is minimum four of race starts by the TMC regional champion and three race starts by at least three other TMC competitors.) The highest finishing TMC racer at Sonoma Raceway August 22-23 will earn a $20,000 Mazda advancement scholarship intended to assist the driver in competing in a Mazda in 2021.
You can find more information on the TMC website by clicking here.