The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout approaches, November 11 – 12, where 12 aspiring racers will vie for a scholarship valued at $150,000 from Mazda to compete in the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin season. The Shootout candidates were selected after demonstrating potential in a wide variety of racing and will look to convert this opportunity into their next racing chapter in 2025. Here is the second half of the Mazda Shootout candidates.
Click here for Part 1
Helio Meza (Houston, TX)
Being part of the Mazda Club Racing Factory Team in Spec MX-5 wasn’t the only thing keeping Helio Meza busy this year, as he’s also been behind the wheel of a variety of race cars. He’s taken part in the Trucks Mexico Series, winning twice, the Super Copa GT Mexico series and most recently collected two podium finishes in the North and Central American F4 Championship in front of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico crowd.
“Last year when I won the Spec MX-5 scholarship it was a game changer in my career. I was making the transition from karting to the big cars and we were wondering which route to go: sportscar racing or open-wheel. We really didn’t know what we were going to be doing this year, but winning the Spec MX-5 scholarship allowed me to get more seat time and show people that I can race in the big cars.”
Luke Pullen (Staines, England, UK)
Traveling the farthest to the Shootout is Luke Pullen from the U.K. Pullen has been competing in the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Cup, which utilizes the NA model Miata, since 2020 and ended his 2024 season third in the points. After more than a year of networking to find a way to compete in the U.S. version, he made a trip to the U.S. to race SCCA Spec Miata at Road Atlanta and it further fueled his drive to make it to MX-5 Cup.
“My racing experience has been in the NAs. It’s a totally different ball game. The baseline principles are there, but we don’t run on slicks, we run on a road compound that gets shaved down. We sit on the other side of the car and have an H-pattern gearbox. The only race I’ve ever done on slick tires was at Road Atlanta.”
Christian Sarnecki (Plymouth, MA)
Thanks to his day job and his work as a race mechanic, Christian Sarnecki probably knows the inside of the Mazda MX-5 Cup car better than any of the finalists. He spent the 2024 season dominating the 2024 SCCA Majors Northeast Conference Championship in Spec Miata and got to know the MX-5 Cup paddock at VIRginia International Raceway where he worked for MBM Performance.
“I think it [being a mechanic] gives me a little bit of an advantage. I take these cars apart so many times. I think it helps to be mechanically inclined. I’ve built three or four Spec Miatas by now.”
Logan Stretch (Arlington, TX)
A driver who’s already had a strong finish in a Mazda at Homestead is Logan Stretch. He finished 10th and fifth in Spec Miata there with SCCA in January. After narrowly winning the Southern Conference Spec Miata points title, he took a trip to Utah Motorsports Campus for the NASA Nationals and finished second in Spec Miata.
“I will be behind the curve in adjusting to the car, but I’m confident in my ability to get there when it counts. The other challenge is getting to know everybody. It’s going to be a big group of people, a lot of people I’ve never met before. I need to make the rounds and speak to everybody in a two-day span and that’s going to be a challenge.”
Justin Adakonis (Ridgefield, CT)
In his rookie year of racing cars, Justin Adakonis earned the Spec MX-5 points championship, one of the most competitive divisions of SCCA. He was invited to participate in the Spec MX-5 Shootout last year not expecting to win, but for the experience and came away wanting to make the jump from karts to Spec MX-5.
“When I was invited to the Shootout last year, it gave us a taste of what the paddock is like and we liked it way more than the karting side. Everyone is so much more inviting. Even at the Shootout, it’s really competitive, but everyone is relaxed and having fun. We enjoyed that part and that’s what drove us to make the switch to MX-5.”
Camryn Reed (Lafayette, LA)
A trip to the local kart track to watch some of her dad’s friends race kicked off Camryn Reed’s motorsports career. She started racing karts at age nine and has found success in everything from four-stroke categories to shifter karts and has represented Team USA at the T4 Nations Cup the last four years. This summer she got in an MX-5 Cup car for the first time and won the STL class in a SCCA weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
“This is a wonderful opportunity that will allow me to learn from others. The MX-5 Cup series is so prestigious and has led to so many great drivers so to have the chance to race with greats allows me to be great. I think the challenge is really just staying focused, completing my tests and performing the best I can do.”