Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A trio of rotary-powered Mazda were in full song at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion including an RX-7 GTO driven by MX-5 Cup champ Jared Thomas. Click here to learn more about the Motorsports Heritage Collection program and read the full …
A trio of rotary-powered Mazda were in full song at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion including an RX-7 GTO driven by MX-5 Cup champ Jared Thomas. Click here to learn more about the Motorsports Heritage Collection program and read the full story in the current issue of RACER magazine.
Jeremy Fletcher’s rookie year was probably not quite what he expected. A few top-10 finishes, but not remarkable by any means. However, come the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin’s 2024 season opener, Fletcher made a statement that he had …
Jeremy Fletcher’s rookie year was probably not quite what he expected. A few top-10 finishes, but not remarkable by any means. However, come the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin’s 2024 season opener, Fletcher made a statement that he had no intentions of finishing the championship in the same spot he did in 2023.
With a third- and a second-place finish in Daytona International Speedway’s January curtain raiser, Fletcher heads into Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway, March 14-15, tied for the points lead with McCumbee McAleer Racing teammate Gresham Wagner.
A different team, new teammates and a renewed focus for his sophomore MX-5 Cup season have all moved 17-year-old Fletcher’s program forward.
After a long time in karting with about a dozen national-level championships followed by a brief stint in Spec Miata, Fletcher started his MX-5 Cup career with Copeland Racing. But Copeland is no longer competing in the series, and Fletcher switched to McCumbee McAleer Racing. That move, and being around other talented drivers, has made a big difference.
“The move definitely had a positive impact, both driving-wise and surrounding myself with teammates that are consistently at the front,” says Fletcher. “Working with Stevan and Stuart McAleer, Chad McCumbee and the whole team creates an atmosphere that is just amazing. And working with drivers like Nate Cicero, Gresham Wagner and John Jodoin on track, I feel like it has made it a more positive place for me to be at the race track.”
That wasn’t the only step that he took to increase his competitiveness.
“I’m definitely starting to work on myself personally,” he adds, “doing some training, going to the gym more actively and trying to be the best I can be when I show up. Plus getting as much testing and practice as I can.”
Fletcher (below) is also fortunate that the first two MX-5 Cup weekends are at tracks he knows well, Daytona and Sebring.
From St. Cloud, Fla., about equidistant to both venues, he’s raced and tested at each of them multiple times. The grandson, son and nephew of motocross racers, his grandfather founded the Ocala Gran Prix kart track, which helped set Jeremy on his path. The potential for Mazda scholarship money led him to MX-5 Cup, although it probably didn’t hurt that 2022 Rookie of the Year Connor Zilisch was his teammate in karting years ago. Now he has his sights set on sports car endurance racing. Being in the IMSA paddock is a means to that end, he says.
“It’s definitely great to be surrounded by all the IMSA teams. And it also lets you, I would say, explore your options a bit with who you could run with, or what your dreams may be,” he explains. “You can talk to those people and figure yourself out and what you want to race in the future.”
He notes that MX-5 Cup has been a great training ground. The competitiveness of the series and the closeness of the competition hones and fast-tracks a driver’s abilities.
“If you don’t have the racecraft, you’re not really going to be up there,” he says. “The field is so tight — and especially with the draft at a place like Daytona — that you have to use quite a bit of strategy. And even if you really aren’t driving that great, or you have some problems, you can still be there strategically as long as you’re kind of controlling the field. If you get the racecraft good enough, then you can run up front even if you don’t have the best car or best pace.”
He’s learned a thing or two by watching drivers like Zilisch and Wagner, but the one thing he feels has made a big difference coming into this season is that to win, he knows he’s got to be more assertive on track.
“Not get pushed around,” he says of the key to his newfound podium abilities. “I feel coming into Daytona I was a lot more abrupt, a lot more decisive — like, I would make a move and make sure it stuck and make sure the guys knew I was out there. Last year I was kind of nervous to make a move, or not make somebody so happy with a move I made. I feel like that would always put me in a bad spot, not going for the opening.”
That newly-found assertiveness certainly paid off at Daytona. Next up, Fletcher heads to Sebring looking to maintain his early-season momentum on the fast, but bumpy runways and turns of the classic Florida road course.
When a company has been doing something so long, particularly when that something is not their core activity, then they must be doing it for good reason. The company in question here is Mazda, and the something is their driver scholarship program. …
When a company has been doing something so long, particularly when that something is not their core activity, then they must be doing it for good reason. The company in question here is Mazda, and the something is their driver scholarship program.
The 2023 Mazda Scholarship Shootout at Carolina Motorsports Park marks Mazda’s 16th year of awarding a quarter-million dollars in funding to up-and-coming drivers who are making their way in a very expensive sport.
“The Scholarships are something that we hold closely to our hearts,” says Mazda Senior Manager of Motorsports Jonathan Applegate. “We consider ourselves an enabler of dreams. The Shootout is right in the middle of it and is really the golden thread that connects our grassroots programs through the MX-5 Cup and beyond.
“We see this as a pivotal point in a driver’s career,” he adds. “Motorsports is among the most expensive professional sports, which means there’s a high cost of entry barrier. So, we continue to create opportunities that help get aspiring drivers to the next level.”
Recent scholarship winners such as Connor Zilisch, who’s gone on to success not only in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich, but also in the Trans Am series, show that the Mazda Scholarship program is intent on discovering and promoting talented drivers. Zilisch is just one example of many.
When it comes to running the Scholarship Shootout, Mazda assembles a varied team of judges, from driver coaches to media members, to ensure that all aspects of discovering driver talent are considered.
“There’s nothing magical about the selection process, but there is a lot of spirited conversation,” says Applegate of the deliberations among the judges that go on throughout the two days of the Shootout. “It comes down to understanding who these racers are, and they understanding who we are. I think that’s something that’s super critical in the evaluation process. The finalists should know who is investing time, energy and resources into them.
“Showing up at the Shootout knowing the key players, especially the judges and those that might have some professional race experience, is huge,” he adds. “Overall, there are a few key data points we focus on such as their pace on track as well as how they’re progressing. Just as important is how they’re communicating with the coaches, analyzing and receiving feedback, and then acting on it positively.
“We’re looking for progress, we’re looking for attitude, and on the other end is evaluating who is the most well rounded outside of the racecar. That includes displaying some sense of how the business of being a racing driver works and understanding that speed isn’t everything.”
The nature of the program means that Mazda Motorsports’ direct involvement with the Scholarship winners, and indeed all the participants, is limited. But the big picture view is much broader.
“The scholarship takes them to MX-5 Cup, which is our aspirational program. While we have nothing above that now – it’s never a matter of if; it’s a matter of when we will – we’ll continue to support that racer as much as we can beyond the first year of the scholarship,” Applegate concludes. “When they move on to another opportunity within the sport, we will embrace it as a win for our brand.”
WORKMAN WINS 2024 SCHOLARSHIP
When the 2024 Mazda Scholarship Shootout wrapped at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C., the largest check was handed to Westin Workman (above), who now has a $110,000 leg-up on his 2024 racing season.
Scholarships valued at $75,000 were also awarded to Spec MX-5 ace Nathan Nicholson and, fresh off her MX-5 Cup debut in the Road Atlanta finale, Sally Mott.
“I won the Spec MX-5 Shootout and now to win the MX-5 Cup Shootout is amazing,” said Workman. “I knew I was in contention. In the middle of the (last) session, the track was getting pretty hot, so I slowed down and tried to cool the tires and the tow was kind of changingon the car, so it was a way to get my head in the right mindset and I set two more consistent laps. I don’t know if that was the deciding factor, but it helped me keep a level head.”
Nicholson was awarded the runner-up scholarship, while Mott (below) took the honor as the Woman In Motorsport Initiative winner.
* All Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. The seven-event, 14-round 2024 season begins at Daytona International Speedway with a Jan. 25-26 double-header. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.
Having made a well-received debut outing last month at Daytona International Speedway, the Mazda Heritage Collection will return to action with Historic Sportscar Racing this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. A pair of entries from the …
Having made a well-received debut outing last month at Daytona International Speedway, the Mazda Heritage Collection will return to action with Historic Sportscar Racing this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. A pair of entries from the collection will take part in sprint races leading up to the Sebring Classic 12 Hour.
Mazda’s history at Sebring dates back to 1972, when a Mazda R100 was entered in the famous 12-hour race. Mazda enjoyed a run of taking at least one class victory in the 12 Hours for nine straight years between 1980 and 1989. Most recently, Mazda DPis added to that winning tradition with a big win and third-place result in 2020, following that up with a runner-up run in 2021.
The Mazda Heritage Collection’s lineup mirrors the one it brought to Daytona earlier in the month; a 1989 Mazda 767B and a 1991 Mazda RX-7 GTO. Both cars are operated and maintained by Flis Performance in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“From one legendary circuit to the next, this has been a phenomenal opening chapter for the Mazda Heritage Collection,” said Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate. “The response we had at Daytona was outstanding, and this event is another chance for race fans to see the cars they never got to see in their prime or have never seen because they’re too young. I look forward to hearing both cars at full song on the Ullman Straight and seeing the reactions on people’s faces.”
Mazda driver Tom Long is back behind the wheel, but this time he will drive the magnificent 767B around the legendary circuit situated on a former WWII training airfield.
Taking over driving duties for the RX-7 is Andrew Carbonell. This car finished fifth in class at the 1991 12 Hours of Sebring in the hands of Calvin Fish, Pete Halsmer and John Morton.
“This thing is phenomenal,” Carbonell said. “It pulls through the rev range in every gear, to the top. You’re out of gear before the braking zone in 17 almost out before the brake zone in Turn 1. I can’t get enough of this thing and can’t wait to drive this thing for the rest of the week.”
The Mazda RX-7 GTO is entered in Sprint Group 5B, while the 767B can be found in Sprint Group 6. A full schedule can be found here.
Winning an Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich championship is no easy feat. Winning two of them, much less two in a row, appeared impossible until Jared Thomas pulled off his second consecutive championship in 2023 (above). And while …
Winning an Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich championship is no easy feat. Winning two of them, much less two in a row, appeared impossible until Jared Thomas pulled off his second consecutive championship in 2023 (above). And while the first one was especially sweet, even though it wasn’t clear who won the title until well after the final race ended, this one was proof that what he and the JTR Motorsports Engineering team he launched in 2021, are doing is working.
“The first one was kind of that breakthrough moment, but the second one is also very gratifying,” Thomas explains. “It was just, really, a validation that it was more than luck the first year, to be able to come back and do it a second year. It just goes to show that the ton of effort that me and the rest of the team put in really pays off, and there’s a lot more than just luck that went into winning both championships. There’s a lot of hard work and skill put into it.”
Thomas came into the double-header finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this year in a much more comfortable spot than in 2022. The first championship came down to 10 points between he and Connor Zilisch in a final race that saw Thomas have to claw his way back from contact to finish close enough to Zilisch. But the championship still wasn’t decided at the checker; it wasn’t until a post-race penalty was applied to a driver who’d finished between them that the championship was determined in Thomas’s favor.
This year, Thomas came into the final weekend with a more comfortable margin, and ended up 360 points ahead of Aaron Jeansonne – just a bit more than the points awarded for a race win.
“This year was definitely a little bit more relaxed, not as on-edge,” says Thomas. “We had a good season if you look at it as a whole. We had one bad weekend at the St. Pete opener; that was our mulligan for the year. We got it out of the system early and then just really worked on consistent podium finishes after that. Being consistently in the top five, I think that’s really what was able to win it for us.”
Thomas points to Road America, a track where he’d done well but never achieved victory, as a highlight of the season, thanks to a second-place finish in the first race and a win in the second.
Watkins Glen was notable for a different reason; in the second race, he got knocked back to eighth with only a few laps to go. He was able to claw back up to fourth place to preserve a top-five finish.
It was that kind of effort and perseverance that allowed Thomas to head into the finale with something of a buffer over title rival and fellow Mazda Motorsports scholarship winner Jeansonne.
Making the championship showdown something of an in-house affair, Jeansonne is Thomas’s teammate at JTR Motorsports Engineering. Jeansonne had something of a breakout year in 2023, scoring his first wins in the series and finishing second in the points to secure a JTR one-two. Of course, that meant Thomas (below, leading Jeansonne at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) had to beat a teammate, customer and friend to claim the title.
“As a driver, that’s tough when you’re going up against your teammate like that, but there was a lot of teamwork that went into that, and he had a lot of great results this year,” says Thomas of Jeansonne. “Before we came into the season, before we even went to Daytona, we were preseason testing and we’re like, ‘You know what, let’s go out and race this thing to the end and hopefully it’s us one-two.’
“But as a team owner, having the top two cars in the championship was really kind of a proud moment for me and everybody here at JTR,” he adds, “because it just goes to show that we were able to provide that the best equipment out there to get the two top cars in the championship.”
Thomas plans to come back next year and expects to have seven or eight cars under the JTR tent in 2024. Tune in next season to see if he can become the first three-time Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich championship winner.
* All Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. The seven-event, 14-round 2024 season begins at Daytona International Speedway with a Jan. 25-26 double-header. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.
A Scottish touring car driver and an American stock car racer walk into a race paddock… No, it’s not the start of a joke, but the true story of how two guys from disparate backgrounds came to form one of the powerhouse teams in the Idemitsu Mazda …
A Scottish touring car driver and an American stock car racer walk into a race paddock…
No, it’s not the start of a joke, but the true story of how two guys from disparate backgrounds came to form one of the powerhouse teams in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich.
Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer are the duo behind McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR), which has been an MX-5 Cup entrant every year since 2014. That makes them among the longest-established teams in the series. The pair (below, McCumbee far left; McAleer center) met by chance in 2012 when their very separate paths led them to the cockpit of a Mazda racecar.
“Our partnership really came from Mazda’s involvement with everything that we were doing,” says McCumbee. “Stevan had just come over here chasing his way up the ladder, and ultimately won the MX-5 Cup championship in 2012. I’d been on a parallel path in the circle track world. It was two totally different areas of the sport.”
When they found themselves at CJ Wilson Motorsport a decade ago, little did they know that what transpired then would lead to where they are today.
“It’s a crazy story,” McAleer recounts. “I wanted to drive in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). I won a scholarship; however, the previous winner had so much crash damage that the scholarship lost money.
“A good friend of mine in the UK put me in touch with CJ Wilson, and I drove the 25 hours of Thunder Hill in 2011, where we won our class,” he continues. “I thought Mazda was a great platform for me because knowing the financial problems that 99 percent of racecar drivers have, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, if I can win this championship, I’m going to get a funded seat in the level above?’”
After racing in the same team both as competitors and co-drivers for several seasons, including winning the ST championship together in the previous iteration of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the pair took a chance on starting their own team.
“I would say that Stevan and I both were excited about the opportunity to start our race team,” McCumbee says. “But we both questioned if we were ready for it. We were both still heavily involved in our personal driving, and we still are. At some point we know we’re not going to drive, and motorsports is what we know.”
They’ve certainly put their collective knowledge and skills to good use. McAleer tends to put his focus on driver and sponsor relationships, in addition to coaching, while McCumbee looks after the operational elements. Any major decision is always taken jointly. After nine seasons, MMR has a championship and a bounty of wins to its credit.
One of the elements that sets MMR apart is that racing is its sole focus.
“The only cars in our shop are our racecars,” says McCumbee. “Our drivers’ cars are getting attention from the time they come off the race track (above) to the time they go back on the race track. The quality of teams now in MX-5 Cup is just second to none, so every year we try to continue to be better.”
That’s not the punchline; it’s just the truth.
MMR BY THE NUMBERS
Over almost nine complete seasons of competition, McCumbee McAleer Racing has built a strong record. That’s not easy to do in the hyper-competitive landscape that is the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich.
The team already has one driver’s championship to its credit, courtesy of Patrick Gallagher in 2017. In fact, 2017 was MMR’s best season to date, having also secured the Rookie of the Year title with Robert Stout, along with Team of the Year and Mechanic of the Year accolades.
Overall, MMR has scored 17 race wins, earned 16 pole positions, and made 29 podium appearances.
This season, it has four drivers in the top 20 in points, with Nate Cicero in sixth place and leading the Rookie of the Year fight, while John Jodoin lies in eighth place overall as the 2023 MX-5 Cup season heads into its final weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
• All Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived at The RACER Channel on YouTube. Don’t miss the season finale, rounds 13 & 14 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 12-13. And to view the full season schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of Rounds 11 and 12 at VIRginia International Raceway watch highlights of them below: Round 11: Round …
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of Rounds 11 and 12 at VIRginia International Raceway watch highlights of them below:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Tune in Thursday, October 12 from 5:45PM – 6:30PM ET for Round 13 and Friday, October 13 from 10:30AM – 11:15AM ET for Round 14 season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on RACER.com or RACER.tv.
For more information on Mazda MX-5 Cup visit: mx-5cup.com
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of Rounds 9 and 10 at Road America watch highlights of them below: Round 9: Round 10: Tune in …
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of Rounds 9 and 10 at Road America watch highlights of them below:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Tune in Saturday, August 26 from 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM ET for Round 11 and Sunday, August 10:25 AM – 11:10 AM ET for Round 12 at Virginia International Raceway on RACER.com or RACER.tv.
For more information on Mazda MX-5 Cup visit: mx-5cup.com
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of rounds 5 and 6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca watch highlights of them below: Round 5: Round 6: …
RACER.com has teamed up with the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series to offer livestream coverage of each 2023 race. In case you missed the live action of rounds 5 and 6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca watch highlights of them below:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Tune in Friday, June 23 from 12:20 PM ET – 1:05 PM ET for Round 7 and Saturday, June 24 from 10:05 AM ET – 10:50 AM ET for Round 8 at Watkins Glen International on RACER.com.
For more information on Mazda MX-5 Cup visit: mx-5cup.com
Among the dizzying array of race series that drivers could choose from, few appeal to as wide a spectrum as the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich. Early on the MX-5 Cup tended to attract racers who were looking for a step up from Spec …
Among the dizzying array of race series that drivers could choose from, few appeal to as wide a spectrum as the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich. Early on the MX-5 Cup tended to attract racers who were looking for a step up from Spec Miata or where drivers would go for extra seat time before moving up to higher horsepower cars.
Now, as the series has matured and grown the scholarship and prize money fund that presently exceeds $1 million per season, the MX-5 Cup is enjoying full fields of drivers who are there simply because it’s the right place to be.
Young drivers aspiring to make a career of racing like Connor Zilisch, Nate Cicero or Thomas Annunziata are certainly competing to take full advantage of the very generous prize money and scholarships the series has to offer. But that’s not all. Winning in MX-5 Cup, they will tell you, is its own form of career-growing currency.
Zilisch is a prime example. He lost the 2022 MX-5 Cup Championship by only a few points. Despite securing the Rookie of the Year award and the accompanying $80,000 scholarship, missing out on winning the title in the last throws of the final race was a definite cause for heartache.
“I was upset immediately after the race to have missed out on winning the championship,” recalls Zilisch. “To even have a chance to win a title of this level is huge. So, yeah, it stung to miss out.”
For every driver like Zilisch and the others chasing MX-5 Cup success to burnish their professional resume, there are many on the other end of the spectrum for whom the MX-5 Cup is the destination.
Take Selin Rollan. Now 28 years old, he began racing in SCCA Spec Miata at age 15. In 2018, he won the MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year prize and has continued racing in the series ever since, finishing in the top five in points every year, including as runner-up in 2019. He clearly has talent behind the wheel. Although he had aspirations of his own to make a career in racing, Rollan eventually concluded that MX-5 Cup is where he belonged.
“I love the racing,” says Rollan. “I’m also really fortunate to have a great ‘marriage’ with Hixon Racing and the Austin Hatcher Foundation to keep me in it – along with the success I’ve had — it’s paid me back. So, I hope to stay in MX-5 Cup as long as possible.”
Rollan says he could have had or explored opportunities in other race series, but the decision always came back to MX-5 Cup.
“You’re in the IMSA paddock, you get the livestreams of races, you get the media attention; the value is unmatched,” he adds. “The racing is fantastic — I’m smiling just thinking about it. You have so much mechanical grip, and you don’t have to worry about aero wash or getting too close. It’s flat-out racing for 45 minutes where you don’t have to factor in pit or tire strategies. It’s pure. And when the races are done, you often hear about the WeatherTech drivers who watched the races because they’re such fun.”
What’s clear is that when Zilisch, Rollan and the rest of the MX-5 Cup field go side-by-side, they’re in it to win it because, in that moment, it’s the only thing that matters.
CAREER OWNER
So far in the 2023 MX-5 Cup, 32 drivers have taken a start, representing nine different teams. One of those drivers is defending champion Jared Thomas, who also happens to be one of the nine team owners with JTR Motorsports Engineering.
As a past scholarship and title winner, Thomas has decided to reinvest his winnings in MX-5 Cup by building an organization that uses the series as a foundation of a long-term business plan. Including his own, JTR fields six entries in this year’s championship. After only three seasons, it’s a testament not only to what he’s building, but to the viability of MX-5 Cup as an enterprise with growth potential. In doing so Thomas has uniquely straddled the divide between MX-5 Cup as career launcher and a destination by making it his career destination.
Don’t miss the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich as it heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Rounds 5 and 6 on May 13-14. All races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. To view the full season schedule and learn more about the series visit mx-5cup.com.
