Ethan Lampe and Charlotte Traynor earn $100,000 scholarships

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2025) – A new chapter in the long-running story of Mazda’s motorsports support was written this week as a total of $350,000 in scholarships were handed out at the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout on Wednesday. The big $150,000 check went to Max Stallone. A pair of $100,000 checks were handed to Ethan Lampe and Charlotte Traynor.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout started in 2007 and has given millions of dollars to promising driving talent ever since.

A unique aspect of this year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout (now in its 19th year) was the location. Circuit Florida is a brand-new facility in central Florida that none of the drivers had been to before and is not available on any sim racing programs. This added challenge of learning a new race track was the ideal environment to find the next Connor Zilisch (a Shootout winner in 2021).

The 12 finalists each received two track sessions on Tuesday and a third on Wednesday morning. Between sessions, drivers received coaching from professionals, spoke with industry executives and were interviewed by series commentator Shea Adam.

After one final session on Wednesday afternoon, judges deliberated and chose three drivers.

Stallone, of Austin, Texas, made an impression on the judges from his very first track session and continued to build upon it. By the end of day, in the judge’s mind, he was the clear winner and didn’t even need to go out for the final session of the day, which initially caused him some concern.

“It was definitely a little bit of a shock,” Stallone said of not being in the final run group. “But I knew how tight the field was, and I know there’s so much more that goes into it, other than just how fast you are on the track. So, I was a little frustrated and a little shocked, but I also understood how competitive it was.”

His fears were eliminated at the award ceremonies, and he now has $150,000 from Mazda Motorsports to put toward the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season.

“When Ethan [Lampe] got second, because he was who I definitely expected to win, I was like ‘well, I don’t know who else would have come out on top over him.’ And then when she [host Shea Adam] mentioned that the winner hadn’t been on track in the final session, I was like ‘oh, my God!”

Lampe was a Shootout finalist in 2024, but didn’t take home a scholarship. This year the Californian was awarded the runner-up prize of $100,000. Not only that, but series title sponsor Whelen chose him for a sponsorship program.

“That was a huge relief,” Lampe said. “I was super worried after my third session that I wasn’t going to get into the top three because I made a couple mistakes. I was super grateful for the opportunity to make it into the final session and to be the quickest and most consistent felt really good. Plus, to come away with a check and a Whelen sponsorship as well is huge. I would have never dreamt of an opportunity like this, and it means the world to me.”

From one of the most competitive crops of Mazda’s Women in Motorsport scholarship finalists ever seen, Traynor, from Fountain Hills, Arizona, was chosen for a $100,000 scholarship.

She took part in several MX-5 Cup races in 2025 to prepare herself for the Shootout, and the extra preparation paid dividends as she looks forward to her 2026 campaign.

“That was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Traynor said of her name being called. “I’ve worked so hard for this moment, so to see it all pay off is just—I honestly don’t even have words for it. It means so much. And to be able to be part of Mazda and represent them going into next year is by far the biggest opportunity of my life. So it’s an absolute honor.”

The three scholarship winners will be on the grid when the 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin season begins January 21 – 23 at Daytona International Speedway.

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.

CHARLOTTE (November 5, 2025) – Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) announced that it will expand to two classes beginning in 2026, accepting both the first-generation Ligier JS F4 car and a modified version of the second-generation Ligier JS F422 car to run side by side. With both cars eligible to race in Ligier JFC, teams or drivers owning the newer Ligier JS F422 will enjoy both increased flexibility and usage opportunities, as they’re able to compete in either Ligier JFC or Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) with just a few simple parts changes. Regardless of which car they use, all drivers competing in Ligier JFC will have equal opportunity to stand on the podium and earn the championship-winning scholarship, as both classes will be recognized separately on race podiums and with year-end prizes.

“We’re excited for the opportunity that the Ligier JS F422 presents to parents for their young drivers to enter our open-wheel ladder, as a single car can now be used for both Ligier JFC and the FIA-certified F4 U.S.,” said Scott Goodyear, Race Director for both Ligier JFC and F4 U.S. “With eligibility across both championships, the car provides flexibility and value, while seamlessly bridging the progression to move up the ladder. I applaud Ligier for the thoughtful engineering behind detuning the JS F422 to ensure it competes on equal footing with the Gen. 1 car.”

The new Ligier JFC version of the Ligier JS F422 is available now from Ligier. For current owners to make their existing F4 U.S. car eligible for JFC competition, they would simply equip the car with a lower-horsepower ECU to reduce the power and give it parity with the Gen. 1 car, and change the rear-wing endplates. Last, but not least, Ligier continues development work on a muffler to provide significant sound reduction, which will be available to all competitors in the coming weeks.

The introduction of the JS F422 into Ligier JFC will allow teams and families to better amortize the car’s cost over multiple seasons and multiple championships, as a driver progresses up the open-wheel ladder. Drivers can enter Ligier JFC at age 14, and continue using the same engine and chassis as they move into the FIA-certified F4 U.S. Championship at age 15. Most importantly, the Ligier JS F422 car includes all of the latest FIA-standard safety mandates, including a halo.

“We’re excited to work with Ligier JFC to give owners of the Ligier JS F422 additional opportunities to race,” said Mo Murray, CEO of Ligier Automotive North America. “With a few simple modifications—swapping out to the lower-horsepower ECU and switching the endplates—the JS F422 will now be able to be utilized for Ligier JFC, giving its owners increased flexibility to go wherever the marketplace needs, and providing developing drivers the opportunity to use the same chassis and engine for multiple classes over multiple seasons. For this new application, we’ve done extensive testing, both on the chassis dyno and on the track, to ensure a reliable product, and everything has performed perfectly.”

With dual classes and champions, Ligier JFC will provide two drivers with scholarship opportunities, as champions are crowned both in the Gen. 2 Ligier JS F422 class and the Gen. 1 Ligier JS F4 class.

For the Gen. 2 Ligier JS F422 class, Ligier Automotive will award the championship-winning driver with a one-year lease of a Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm Engine to be used in F4 U.S. in 2027. If they already own their car, they’ll receive the equivalent value of the lease in a Ligier parts credit for F4 U.S. the following season, as well as the required upgrade parts. In addition, the champion driver will also receive race event tires from Hankook Motorsports, and F4 U.S. race entries from Parella Motorsports Holdings.

Meanwhile, the Gen. 1 Ligier JS F4 championship-winning driver will also receive a one-year lease of a Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm Engine from Ligier Automotive to compete in F4 U.S. in 2027, race event tires from Hankook Motorsports, and F4 U.S. race entries from Parella Motorsports Holdings.

The 2026 Ligier JFC schedule includes 16 rounds at six different circuits. Opening the year with a pre-season test at NOLA Motorsports Park, March 23-24, the series then engages on a once-a-month cadence, with events at NOLA, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, New Jersey Motorsports Park, VIRginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about Ligier JFC should visit the series’ website, LigierJFC.com.

WAYNESBORO, Virginia (Nov. 5, 2025) – Wyatt Coffey never dreamed his first full season racing a 602 Late Model would go as well as it did.

The 12-year-old from Waynesboro, Virginia, made the full-time switch to Dirt Late Model competition in May, a move that turned out to be a wise choice for the rising racing star.

Coffey earned 15 victories so far this season on dirt as well as the Natural Bridge Speedway 602 Late Model title, the Elite Racing Series championship and the Mid-East 602 Late Model championship.

“I felt confident I could win races, but I never thought we’d end up winning as many as we did,” said Coffey, who still has a few more races on his schedule this season. “It really all comes down to the leadership from my crew chief Jeff Smith. He has really helped me become a better driver this year and he always prepares great race cars for me.”

Coffey has enjoyed a lot of memorable moments this year outside of his three championships.

One of them was recently qualifying for the 602 Late Model feature during the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he finished ninth.

However, his favorite moment this season was unquestionably the night his team had to overcome adversity away from the race track.

“I think my favorite moment was going from 16th to first at Natural Bridge after the rig broke down on the way to the race track,” Coffey said. “We weren’t even sure we were going to make it to the track that night to race, so to start 16th and drive through the field and win after all of that was a pretty cool moment.”

Smith, who is in his first year working with Coffey, is thrilled with his development thus far and excited to see what’s ahead in 2026.

“Wyatt has been a pleasure to work with. He is very mature behind the wheel for his age,” Smith said. “He listens really well and has been coachable beyond my expectations. He absorbs the information and advice that I give him like a sponge. I feel that Wyatt has a God given talent behind the wheel. We have built such a good relationship that goes beyond driver development.

“I consider Wyatt, Kenny and Amanda as extended family. Kenny has been gracious enough to allow me to captain the ship as I would like to and bring Wyatt along at a good pace. Wyatt has done a fantastic job all year. I’m really excited for what the future holds going forward.”

With a strong first season under his belt, Coffey now turns his attention to planning for the 2026 season, which he hopes will be even better than his stellar 2025 campaign.

“I’ve got more experience now and in racing it’s all about experience,” said Coffey. “I think I’ll be able to take what I’ve learned this year and use it to be an even better driver next year. Our team is capable of winning. We have everything we need to be successful.

“None of this would have been possible without Poppy and my family behind me. Without them I wouldn’t be able to do any of this. They work so hard to make sure I can go racing and I’m grateful to have them all on my side.”

Wyatt Coffey would like to thank his mom, dad, poppy, his crew including Jeff, Tye, Zack and Jack, Tonya with MPM Marketing, Longhorn by Wesley Page and his sponsors Coltman Farms Racing, Amanda Enterprises, Charlie Obaugh Chevrolet GMC, JWR Services, ArborLife Professional Tree Care, United Tire & Auto, Bradley’s Trucking, VP Race Fuels, R&M Automotive, Bennett’s Hometown Garage, Browns New Life Services, Payne’s Enterprises, Todd Rental, Mt. View Auto Sales and Checkered Flag Graffix.

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