A few SCCA racers have been selected to participate in the 11th annual Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. This post-season competition awards a $100,000 Mazda Motorsports scholarship to compete in the 2017 Battery Tender Mazda Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. The 2016 Shootout takes place November 15-16 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana.

Michael Carter is one of the Shootout finalists who has been behind the wheel of a race car for 13 of his 16 years. In 2015, Carter was granted a full SCCA competition license and won his first Spec Miata race at Roebling Road in only his fourth start. This year, Carter finished in the top five during his first SCCA U.S. Majors Tour weekend, and won all six regional races he entered at Roebling Road and Road Atlanta.

To cap off the 2016 season, Carter finished second at the 2016 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Mid-Ohio in his first appearance, this after capturing his first SCCA U.S. Majors Tour podium finish earlier in the year at Mid-Ohio.

Learn more about Carter in the story titled “Meet the Contenders: Michael Carter” at the Mazdaspeed website.

Photo: Spec Miata racer Michael Carter

Credit: Shawn Lumley