- Florida iRacer Wins $100,000 Scholarship for 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup -
IRVINE, Calif. (November 19, 2015) – After two days of intense competition at the Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina, Glenn McGee, from Tampa, Florida, won the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. The $100,000 scholarship that came with the victory is the largest prize in grassroots motorsports. Launched in 2006 as the Mazda Club Racer shootout, the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout has annually promoted one talented grassroots racer into the professional ranks.
McGee became the first ever shootout winner who came from the world of iRacing. While McGee earned his access to the shootout as an iRacing sim racing champion, he also trained on the track with 2015 MX-5 Cup Champion John Dean II in a current generation MX-5 Cup car.
By winning the shootout, McGee has earned the resources to compete in the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup. For 2016, this will be in the all-new Global MX-5 Cup car, which went on sale on October 1. The 2016 MX-5 Cup season will begin the weekend of April 29 – May 1 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California.
Quotes:
Glenn McGee: “I don't believe it! Just competing in the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout and driving the new Global MX-5 Cup car felt like a dream the whole time, but to come out with the overall victory is surreal and is really over-whelming. To transition so well from the iRacing.com virtual MX-5 Cup car to the real-thing, against so many talented proven drivers, was well beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I can't thank Mazda and their partners enough for supporting so much talent over the years and for awarding me this extraordinary honor to represent their brand in the 2016 Battery Tender, Global MX-5 Cup and I can't wait to get back in the car!”
John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports:“It is hard to believe it has been ten years already, but – once again - Mazda has provided this very special opportunity for grassroots racers to take the first step into pro racing. This year provided an extra twist as it was the first shoot-out with the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup race car, so none of the finalists had a chance to test the car in advance. The two days were extremely pressure filled for the candidates, as everyone had to learn the car and the track as rapidly as possible. Adding to the challenge was constant rain. Everyone at Mazda was impressed with the talent and poise of all of the drivers, and the decision by the judges was a difficult one.”
Charles Espenlaub, Racer/Buinessman/Judge:“As a judge, I really appreciated the intense conditions of drenching rain, a pair of new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup cars and a new track. Everyone did a great job in adapting to the constantly changing track and taking care not to hurt the cars. The awesome new BFGoodrich rain tires provided excellent grip in the wet and the new slick performed well as it dried up. It was exciting to watch everything unfold as all the session data were tabulated and the deliberation continued into the night, and following days. As always the field was deep in talent, so it was a challenge to choose our new champion.”
Kevin Bobbit, Director of Marketing & Communications, iRacing.com: “ I couldn’t be more excited for Glenn. Winning the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout is a huge accomplishment in itself, and now Glenn has the opportunity of a lifetime to race in the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup. This is the second year iRacers qualified for the Shootout, and Glenn proved iRacing can be a stepping stone to a professional motorsports career. On behalf of iRacers everywhere, I want to thank Mazda for putting their trust in iRacing to develop and identify some of tomorrow’s top racing drivers. We are all looking forward to watching Glenn on track next year and to racing the 2016 Global MX5 Cup car on iRacing.”
The cars: Long Road Racing, the builders of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup race car, prepared two cars for the finalists to drive. BFGoodrich Tires provided the latest g-Force tires for the competition.
The criteria: Given that each of the finalists had proven themselves on the track with race wins and championships, the criteria to move up needed to be more encompassing. To succeed on the professional level requires a balance of both on-track and off-track skills including the following:
- Driving ability – Fast laps/consistent laps
- Technical skills – Understanding of vehicle dynamics and suspension, ability to evaluate vehicle handling, and ability to analyze data
- The business of motorsports – Business proposal and presentation
The judges: The judges brought a wealth of both on-track and off-track expertise. The panel consisted of:
- Jim Bowie – Brandrenaline, Inc.
- Peter Calhoun – BFGoodrich Tires
- Andrew Carbonell – Mazda Factory Driver (Freedom Autosport)
- David Cook – Mazda Motorsports
- Charles Espenlaub – Safecraft Racing
- Kyle Kimball – Mazda Motorsports
- Tom Long – Mazda Factory Driver (SpeedSource)
The Runner-ups for the 2015 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout were a strong group of racers from the SCCA, NASA, and iRacing.
Racer Hometown Club/Series
Joshua Allan La Verne, California NASA PTD Western States Champion
Joseph Burton-Harris Sydney, Australia SCCA Runoffs Formula Mazda Champion
Bruno Carneiro Riverton, Utah At-Large Nominee
Mark Drennan San Jose, California NASA Spec Miata Champion
Richard Eklund Germantown, New York iRacing Champion
Mason Filippi Alamo, California West Coast Teen Mazda Challenge Champion
Eric Powell Orlando, Florida At-Large Nominee
Michai Stephens Evanston, Illinois At-Large Nominee
Additional news regarding the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup, including the complete 2016 schedule, and key partners, will be announced in the months to come.
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com
