As one of the longest running and most prestigious driver talent searches in North American motorsports, the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout offers aspiring racers a chance to win a fully-funded ride in the professional Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup series.
The Shootout was established by Mazda’s motorsports development program to identify and support promising racing talent. It’s part of Mazda’s broader commitment to grassroots motorsports, with the brand having supported driver development for decades through various programs.
The Shootout typically brings together top drivers from various regional and club racing series who compete in a multi-day evaluation, with the candidates having been selected based on their performance in a range of categories throughout the season.
From a list of 32 nominees, Mazda Motorsports has selected 12 drivers to participate in the 2025 MX-5 Cup Shootout. These 12 up-and-coming racers will spend two days chasing scholarships valued at $350,000 to participate in the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season.
Each nominee was asked to submit a resume, racing bio and video about themselves. After reviewing the submissions, Mazda have selected the following 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 will be tested both on- and off-track, November 4-5, at the new Circuit of Florida in Auburndale, Florida. In addition to several track lapping sessions, finalists will be judged on their ability to analyze data and apply coaching suggestions, interview skills, business acumen and general personality.
At stake for one driver is a scholarship valued at $150,000 to take part in the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season. The runner-up will receive a $100,000 scholarship, as will the best performing female driver.
Running in conjunction with the MX-5 Cup Shootout is the Spec MX-5 (SMX) Shootout for younger drivers looking to make the move into car racing. Two drivers will be selected to form the 2026 Mazda Club Racing Factory Team and receive support from Mazda to compete at various SCCA events across the country. Many Spec MX5 Shootout winners go on to compete in the MX-5 Cup Shootout and eventually the MX-5 Cup series. This year’s nine finalists are:
John Antonio
Juliette Corish
Graham Huffman
Lincoln Larson
Matteo Papis
Ian Quinn
William Wallis
Vaughn Weber
Jackson Wolny
Selection day, November 5, will be streamed live on the RACER YouTube channel with commentary and interviews from Shea Adam.
About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.
Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.
