Second time was the allure for Noah Harmon, who took house the $150,000 scholarship from Mazda in his return to the MX-5 Cup Shootout this week. Harmon will use the prize cash to compete within the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup offered by Michelin. Helio Meza graduated from final yr’s Spec MX-5 scholarship to win the runner-up prize of $100,000 towards his 2025 season. The Mazda Ladies in Motorsport Initiative Scholarship was received by Ashlyn Velocity, who can have $100,000 to place towards her racing profession in MX-5 Cup subsequent yr.
With a expertise pool deeper than the Mariana Trench, judges for the MX-5 Cup Shootout had their work lower out for them. Past quick lap occasions and persona, judges checked out every finalists’ potential to interpret knowledge and apply teaching recommendation.
“I say it yearly, however this yr’s MX-5 Cup Shootout finalists hold getting increasingly spectacular,” mentioned Jonathan Applegate, Senior Supervisor, Mazda Motorsports. “For each Noah and Helio, we’ve watched them take all the suitable steps to get the place they’re and develop as drivers. It’s a proud second for everybody at Mazda. And for Ashlyn, we’re thrilled that Whelen Engineering noticed the identical potential in her as we do and can take her underneath their wing as a part of the Whelen Motorsports household subsequent yr.”
Having the expertise of final yr’s Shootout underneath his belt made Harmon much more snug at this yr’s occasion, as did the time spent in an MX-5 Cup automotive at a number of races this season.
“Final yr undoubtedly helped,” Harmon mentioned. “I type of knew what to anticipate after I got here right here, and simply knew I needed to put every little thing collectively; driving approach, find out how to current myself across the paddock, what I wanted to run, what I wanted to do, throughout all yr. So, I feel it labored.”
Naturally, Harmon was on cloud 9 after the awards ceremony and nonetheless taking in what all of it meant.
“It’s every little thing that me and my dad, my household, we’ve all labored for the final three years,” he mentioned. “Everybody simply believed in me. This implies the world to me. I don’t have the phrases to explain it.”
The Shootout course of was additionally acquainted to Meza, who earned a spot on the Mazda Membership Racing Manufacturing facility Workforce eventually yr’s Spec MX-5 Shootout. Whereas a number of different drivers put up extra spectacular ends in the 2024 Spec MX-5 season, Meza was on prime of his recreation on the Shootout.
“It’s unbelievable, simply getting the chance to come back to the MX-5 Cup Shootout to creating the ultimate three, which was thoughts blowing by itself after which to stand up on the rostrum… I’m perplexed,” Meza mentioned. “It’s going to take me a short while to comprehend what simply occurred.
“Clearly, driving the automotive was wonderful, however assembly everybody and the coaches have been nice. They helped me develop over these two days, and because it was my first time within the automotive, they actually acquired me on top of things fast, so can’t thank everybody sufficient at Mazda. I’m actually trying ahead to subsequent yr.”
Along with successful the Mazda Ladies in Motorsports Initiative Scholarship, Velocity will get to work with Whelen Motorsports to intensify her profile and community throughout the racing group.
“After my identify acquired introduced, I simply felt so overwhelmed, and I began crying, and I felt so heat inside,” Velocity mentioned. “I’m simply so grateful, for MX-5 Cup, for Mazda Motorsports and Whelen. And for everybody again house, at Cresson [Motorsport Ranch], the fellows on the storage, it might not have been ever attainable with out them.”
Be certain to look at these drivers in motion within the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup offered by Michelin, which kicks off at Daytona Worldwide Speedway, January 22 – 24.
