Scott Shelton proved that persistence and practice make perfect, winning this year’s MAZDASPEED Shootout and a ride in the 2011 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. Shelton follows in the footsteps of Andrew Caddell, Brad Rampelberg, Justin Piscitell, and Nick Evans, the four previous Mazda Shootout winners. With the win, Shelton also joins the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Driver ladder program class of 2011.
The MAZDASPEED ladder has been a critical part of the success of up-and-coming racers including Raphael Matos, John Edwards, Conor Daly, Joel Miller, Connor De Phillippi, Dane Cameron, Jason Saini, Todd Lamb, Eric Foss, Adam Christodoulou, Sage Karam, Spencer Pigot, and Felix Serralles.
Shelton, a 40-year-old Southern California native, qualified for the club racer shootout by winning the 2010 NASA Performance Touring C (PTC) Championship race in his Mazda RX-8. He moved up to the finals by submitting one of the best business proposals, used as the initial screening tool defining racers who have the “total package” for success.
In the one-day shootout, held at the Michelin/BFGoodrich Laurens Proving Grounds in Greenville, S.C., Shelton was rated tops among the five finalists. This was Shelton’s second appearance in the finals, after finishing as a runner-up in the 2008 shootout. The finalists ranged from a 16-year-old competitor to an AARP-eligible driver with 25 years of racing experience.
The five finalists:
- Marc Hoover — Cameron Park, Calif., NASA PTD National Champion, MX-5 Miata
- Dan McKeever — Grantsville, Utah, NASA Spec Miata National Champion, MX-5 Miata
- Scott Shelton — Los Angeles, Calif., NASA PTC National Champion, RX-8
- Nate Sparks — Daphne, Ala., NASA Teen Challenge (East) Champion, MX-5 Miata
- Tyler Vance — Ladera Ranch, Calif., NASA PTE & Teen Challenge (West) Champion, MX-5 Miata
Given that each of the five had proven themselves on track by winning a championship, the criteria to move up needed to be more encompassing. Success at the professional level requires a balance of on-track and off-track skills.
Evaluation criteria:
- Driving ability — fast laps
- Driving ability — consistent laps
- Driving ability — wet weather control (new for 2010)
- Technical feedback — understanding of vehicle dynamics and suspension
- Technical feedback — ability to evaluate vehicle handling
- Technical feedback — ability to analyze data
- Technical feedback — ability to improve vehicle handling
- The business of motorsports — business proposal
- The business of motorsports — business presentation
- The business of motorsports — PR skills
The driving sessions were conducted using Skip Barber Racing-prepared Mazda MX-5s, similar to those used in the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.
Each year Mazda invites a panel of outside judges to make the selection. The judges brought a wealth of both on-track and off-track expertise, with more than a dozen professionals involved in preliminary business proposal reviews, on-track activities, or both.
The judges:
- Rick Benjamin — Carolina Productions
- Andy Bornhop — Managing Editor, Road & Track magazine
- Steven Cole Smith — Automotive Editor, Orlando Sentinel
- Laura Culley — Freelance motorsports journalist
- Charles Espenlaub — Professional Mazda racer, Grand-Am Rolex GT
- Pete Evanow — Owner, epoxe PR; Instructor, Cal State-Fullerton
- John Finger — Former IMSA GTU Champion; Owner, John Finger Mazda
- Elliott Forbes Robinson — Motorsports Hall of Fame road racer
- Joe Foster — Co-owner/driver, Dempsey Racing
- Karl Koenigstein — BFGoodrich Tires
- Silvia Mammone — BFGoodrich Tires
- Mark Mitchell — SPEEDTV.com
- Lisa Natale — Playboy
- Lyn St. James — Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation & Driver Development Academy
- Jeremy Shaw — Writer/broadcaster; founder, Team USA Scholarship
- Courtney Smith — Haymarket Publishing
After a full day of driving and classroom activities, the judges added objective and subjective scores and deliberated for more than two hours before declaring Scott Shelton the champion.
Shelton’s prize package:
- $50,000 toward running his car for the season
- $10,000 in parts support
- Sparco driving suit and helmet
- Professional media training (courtesy of MAZDASPEED)
- Ten sets of BFGoodrich tires — one set per race (courtesy of BFGoodrich Tires)
- Ten entry fee waivers (courtesy of SCCA Pro Racing)
The total prize package is valued at more than $75,000, making it the largest prize in club racing.
Quotes:
Scott Shelton: “I had an advantage in that I had lost the shootout two years ago. The advantage came from the constructive feedback from the judges. It took me two seasons to win another championship, but once I qualified I was determined to nail every possible category. I’m thrilled that after almost two decades of club racing, I’m going to really test myself in 2011 against professional drivers and teams.”
Steve Sanders — MAZDASPEED Competition Manager: “Scott Shelton has raced with Mazda for almost two decades now. He was a finalist two years ago and obviously used that experience when he made the finals this year.”
Karl Koenigstein — Manager, Race Tire Development, BFGoodrich Racing: “BFGoodrich Tires appreciates our partnership with MAZDASPEED for the 2010 Shootout and congratulates Scott Shelton on his win.”
Charles Espenlaub: “Each year the racers raise the bar, making the decision an increasingly difficult one. All five racers have the potential to be competitive at the pro level.”
Rick Benjamin: “It was my first experience participating as a judge in the MAZDASPEED Shootout, and it was a real eye-opener. All five finalists brought a lot to the event.”
Courtney Smith: “This competition was more than just lap times. Mazda wants to promote the complete racer — fast, smart, technical, and business-savvy.”