As one of many longest working and most prestigious driver expertise searches in North American motorsports, the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout presents aspiring racers an opportunity to win a fully-funded journey within the skilled Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup sequence.
The Shootout was established by Mazda’s motorsports growth program to establish and help promising racing expertise. It’s a part of Mazda’s broader dedication to grassroots motorsports, with the model having supported driver growth for many years via numerous applications.
The Shootout usually brings collectively prime drivers from numerous regional and membership racing sequence who compete in a multi-day analysis, with the candidates having been chosen primarily based on their efficiency in a spread of classes all through the season.
From an inventory of 32 nominees, Mazda Motorsports has chosen 12 drivers to take part within the 2025 MX-5 Cup Shootout. These 12 up-and-coming racers will spend two days chasing scholarships valued at $350,000 to take part within the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season.
Every nominee was requested to submit a resume, racing bio and video about themselves. After reviewing the submissions, Mazda have chosen the next candidates: Skyler Cottrell, Cam Ebben, Camden Gruber, Ethan Jacobs, Ethan Lampe, Matt Novak, Rocco Pasquarella, Luke Pullen, Camryn Reed, Samantha Silver, Max Stallone, Charlotte Traynor.
These hopefuls shall be examined each on- and off-track, November 4-5, on the new Circuit of Florida in Auburndale, Florida. Along with a number of observe lapping periods, finalists shall be judged on their capacity to investigate information and apply teaching ideas, interview abilities, enterprise acumen and basic character.
At stake for one driver is a scholarship valued at $150,000 to participate within the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season. The runner-up will obtain a $100,000 scholarship, as will one of the best performing feminine driver.
Operating along side the MX-5 Cup Shootout is the Spec MX-5 (SMX) Shootout for youthful drivers trying to make the transfer into automobile racing.
Two drivers shall be chosen to kind the 2026 Mazda Membership Racing Manufacturing facility Group and obtain help from Mazda to compete at numerous SCCA occasions throughout the nation. Many Spec MX5 Shootout winners go on to compete within the MX-5 Cup Shootout and finally the MX-5 Cup sequence. This yr’s 9 finalists are: John Antonio, Juliette Corish, Graham Huffman, Lincoln Larson, Matteo Papis, Ian Quinn, William Wallis, Vaughn Weber, Jackson Wolny.
