Nick Leverone

Want to show up and drive without the hassle of buying and maintaining a race car? Relax…there are people who have that covered. Arrive and drive programs – where drivers hire a prep shop to store and prepare their car, transport it to the track and keep everything running smoothly while there – are quite […]

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Prep Shops spread around the country offer a variety of ways to concentrate on driving without worrying about the logistics There are a ton of shops out there with ready-to-go fleets of rentals. All you have to do is show up and drive. Still, there are those who prefer to own their own race car. […]

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Ten outstanding Mazda racers and aficionados await your vote for Spirit of Mazda From racers to mechanics to race workers, there are many people in motorsports who embody the Spirit of Mazda. Mazda Motorsports seeks to recognize those who go above and beyond in their quest to be the best they can be.  The Spirit […]

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New England prep shop specializes in Spec Miatas, but also rents and takes care of customer cars Mendon, Mass.-based Flatout Motorsport was founded by Nick Leverone, Andy Bettencourt and Steve Ufelder in 1993 to be a service provider for autocrossers, but a decade later retooled itself as a Spec Miata rental company. After taking on […]

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New Southeast Conference initiative from Mazda Motorsports gets into full swing at the first event of the season The first SCCA U.S. Majors Tour event of the year took place in Florida this past weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Aside from being a successful weekend for many Mazda racers, it was also a successful debut for […]

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The third approach to building an MX-5-based STL car that we’ll explore Nearly every rotor-head has thought about it: What happens if you put a 13B into a Miata? Of course, it’s been done; but there aren’t many examples in racing applications. That’s a bit surprising, since the SCCA Super Touring rules allow for engine […]

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Nick Leverone’s Super Touring Lite Miata is prepped to the limit Super Touring Lite is becoming one of SCCA’s most popular classes, and was the third largest at the 2017 SCCA Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is also one of the most varied, with a tremendous number of different models serving as bases for […]

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With only the Runoffs remaining, several drivers hold a commanding lead in the SCCA Super Tour points With the final Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour race weekend at Watkins Glen International completed, there are several clear leaders among Mazda racers in the nationwide points chase. While the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor […]

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Mazda racers have a chance to wrap up conference titles this weekend in Georgia SCCA’s Southeast Conference U.S. Majors Tour wraps up its season this weekend at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Ga. The 2.02-mile, nine-turn road course is expecting a large field for the final Majors of 2017 in that SCCA Conference. Spec Miata […]

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SCCA Southeastern Conference U.S. Majors Tour features dichotomous weather to test racers.

As the Southeast Conference of the U.S. Majors Tour hit the halfway point with this past weekend’s event at Road Atlanta, Saturday and Sunday were like two different events with very different weather, allowing drivers to display their skills in both warm and sunny conditions and in the wet.

Saturday’s 25-minute timed races were met with warm sun. In Spec Miata, Dillon Machavern (No. 24 Heritage Mazda Miata) held his position in the lead pack as he, Jonathan Goring and Danny Steyn broke away from the field in Spec Miata. Machavern rode in second for the majority of the race, then moved to the front with one to go. Ready to race, Machavern held on out front for the final lap, with Steyn a half-second behind at the stripe.

In Formula Mazda, Joseph Harris (No. 132 Formula Mazda) battled with Darryl Wills (No. 2 Hillenburg Motorsports Formula Mazda) until lap 15, when a car from a different class tried to sweep around the pair through a corner. Wills jumped on the brakes to avoid contact, but the move caused him to spin and Harris was left alone for the win.

For Sunday’s 20-lap races around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn track, a steady downpour provided drivers the opportunity for drivers to prove themselves in a limited-traction environment. Some drivers who shone on Saturday saw their fortunes reversed, as did some who weren’t able to grab victory the day prior.

Goring’s No. 18 Jonathan Goring Motorsports Mazda Miata nearly saw all the early work he’d put in erased with just a few minutes to go in the Spec Miata race, when a car slid off the end of the back straight and came to rest in the gravel trap. That brought out a full-course caution with the 40-minute time window winding down, and erased a five second lead for Goring. With a host of rivals in his mirrors, Goring again got away on the one-lap dash to the end. At the checkered flag, Goring was 1.109-second ahead of Steyn’s Miata, and almost two seconds ahead of Saturday winner Machavern.

With heavy rains falling, Nick Leverone piloted his No. 31 Flatout Motorsports Mazda Miata to the front of a field that traditionally features quicker and more powerful cars to take the Super Touring Lite win.

Conner Kearby (No. 56 K-Hill Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda) repeated in Formula Atlantic after spending the early part of the race chasing his father, Gaston Kearby. The elder Kearby was still in front on lap 13 when suddenly his machine failed to accelerate out of a corner, done for the day. From there, Conner was alone on the lead to the finish line.

Joseph Harris’ No. 132 Formula Mazda finished an impressive second overall, the only other car on Kearby’s lead lap. The win capped a sweep of the weekend in class for Harris.

Two more drivers were able to prove their ability to win in any condition. Ken Kannard won F Production in his No. 39 Northwest Cable Mazda Miata, and Michael Kamalian of nearby Marrietta, Georgia took GT-Lite in his No. 99 RevolutionSpeed.com Mazda Miata.

SCCA Southeastern Conference Majors
Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
March 21-22, 2015
Round Seven Mazda winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Joseph Burton Harris Cresson, Texas Formula Mazda
GT-Lite Michael Kamalian Marietta, Ga. Mazda Miata
Prototype 1 Jim Downing Atlanta, Ga. Peach/Mazda
Spec Miata Dillon Machavern Charlotte, Vt. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Mendon, Mass. Mazda Miata

Round Eight Mazda winners

Class Driver Hometown Car
F Production Ken Kannard East Troy, Wis. Mazda Miata
Formula Atlantic Conner Kearby Corpus Christi, Texas Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Mazda Joseph Burton Harris Cresson, Texas Formula Mazda
GT-3 William Wilson Englewood, Tenn. Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite Michael Kamalian Marietta, Ga. Mazda Miata
Prototype 1 Jacek Mucha Highland Beach, Fla. JM016CP/Mazda
Spec Miata Jonathan Goring Norfolk, Ct. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite Nick Leverone Mendon, Mass. Mazda Miata
Super Touring Under Thomas Lyttle Decatur, Ga. Mazda RX-7
Touring 3 Tyler Kicera Manheim, Pa. Mazda MX-5

SCCA Southeast Conference Majors at Sebring International Raceway feature 13 wins for Mazda racers. Double victories were the order of the day for Mazda drivers at Sebring International Raceway for Rounds Three and Four of the SCCA Southeastern Conference U.S. Majors Tour, part of the SafeRacer Club Racing program. Four Mazda racers took a win […]”

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