Joey Andrews (Glendale, CA)

Joey Andrews, who most know as ‘The Stiglette’ on social media is back for the MX-5 Cup Shootout after winning the 2024 SMX Shootout. Joey had a steep learning curve in his first year of SMX but came back stronger for 2026 and doubled his podium and top-five finishes. After a bad crash in practice at the Runoffs, Andrews managed to qualify second in a borrowed car.

Ethan Barker (Houston, TX)

Coming into the Shootout with a very diverse racing background is Ethan Barker. The 21-year-old naturally has seat time in Miatas in various classes like T4 and SMX, but he’s also had strong results in short-track oval racing in Pro Late Model and Pro Modified classes. This season he was focused on the Zenith Racing Series, an endurance championship where he co-drove a small prototype. He and teammate Gavin Vaughn were recently crowned the ZP2 class champions. 

Skyler Cottrell (Atlanta, GA)

Though he has experience in MX-5 Cup from 2025, Skyler Cottrell chose to focus on SMX in 2026. In the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour he scored a win at his home track, Road Atlanta, and scored a double-podium at Barber Motorsports Park, before earning pole and finishing fifth at the National Championship Runoffs. He finished seventh in Super Tour points but did win the SMX title in the Southeastern Conference.

Eli Dysart (Oak Park, IL)

Growing up on the movie ‘Cars,’ Eli Dysart became the first in his family to pursue racing. He quickly became a standout at Autobahn Country Club (a track just outside of Chicago) in karts and Spec Miata. In 2026 Dysart expanded his Spec Miata season to 11 races across the U.S. and finished in the top six in eight of those events. He made his MX-5 Cup debut this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Camden Gruber (Winchester, VA)

A staple on the SMX scene since 2024, Camden Gruber is coming back for his second shot at the MX-5 Cup Shootout. Gruber finished third in the 2026 Hoosier Super Tour SMX standings. His season was highlighted by a four-race win streak over the summer, winning at Mid-Ohio, then sweeping both races at Road America and adding one more win at Watkins Glen.

Luke Pullen (Staines, England, UK)

Making his third appearance at the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout, Luke Pullen remains the only driver from outside North America to receive an invite. Pullen stepped up his game this year, partaking in MX-5 Cup races at Mid-Ohio and Indianapolis. Mid-Ohio was definitely a learning experience, but he put that all to use at IMS, running in the lead pack and finishing ninth in the second race of the weekend.