Matt
Cresci Wins 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout
- California
Racer Scores $100,000 Scholarship for 2017 Battery
Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup -
IRVINE,
Calif. (November 18, 2016) – After
two days of intense competition at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale,
Louisiana, Matt Cresci from Los Gatos,
California won the 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. The
$100,000 scholarship that came with the victory is the
largest prize in grassroots motorsports. Launched in
2006, the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout has promoted ten
talented grassroots racers into the professional
ranks.
By
winning the shootout, Cresci has earned the resources
to compete in the 2017 Battery Tender Global Mazda
MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. The 2017 MX-5
Cup season will begin the weekend of April 20-23 at
the Barber Motorsports Park, near Birmingham, Alabama,
during the Verizon IndyCar weekend.
Cresci earned
his way into the shootout by being among the fastest
Miata racers in the country, having competed in the
Teen Mazda Challenge and NASA Spec Miata. Cresci is
a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a
business degree.
The Quotes:
Matt
Cresci: "It is an indescribable feeling to achieve a
goal that I have had for over fifteen years, it
really is a dream come true. I look forward to my
role as a Mazda Scholarship driver, and can't thank
Mazda enough for the opportunity to prove myself
among such an outstanding field of competitors.
Onwards and upwards!"
John
Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North
American Operations: “For our 11th annual
shootout, we raised the bar again with an intense
competition among eight great racers. The NOLA
facility was perfect for our testing as it made for
a level field, since none of the eight had raced
there. This has become a signature event for Mazda
and demonstrates our long-term commitment to
supporting grassroots motorsports.”
Scott
Goodyear, judge: "My first time as a judge for
the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout was an eye-opening
experience. All eight competitors were very strong
and have the raw talent to succeed. It was a very
tough process to select just one, and a thrill to be a
part of the next generation of Mazda road-racers.”
The cars: Long Road
Racing, the builders of the Mazda MX-5 Cup race car,
prepared four 2016 Mazda Global MX-5 Cup racecars for
the finalists to drive. BFGoodrich Tires provided
their g-Force tires for the competition.
The criteria: Given that
each of the finalists had proven themselves on the
track with race wins and championships, the criteria
to move up needed to be more encompassing. To succeed
on the professional level requires a balance of both
on-track and off-track skills including the following:
· Driving ability – Fast
laps/consistent laps
· Technical skills – Understanding
of vehicle dynamics and suspension, ability to
evaluate vehicle handling, and ability to analyze data
· The business of
motorsports – Business
proposal and presentation
The judges:
The judges brought a wealth of both on-track and
off-track expertise. The panel consisted of:
· Peter Calhoun –
Motorsport Marketing Manager, BFGoodrich Tires.
Among his duties, Calhoun oversees the longtime
Mazda/BFG partnership.
· Andrew Carbonell – One
of the leading Mazda racers competing in the
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Carbonell was
also one of the lead test drivers in the development
of the new MX-5 Cup race car.
· Robby Foley – A 2015
Mazda Road to 24 Scholarship winner, Foley scored
two wins in the 2016 MX-5 Cup season.
· Scott Goodyear – The
retired IndyCar race winner and current ESPN/ABC TV
IndyCar and Indy 500 on-air analyst also competed as
a factory sports car racer for Porsche (Le Mans 24
Hours), Jaguar (Rolex 24 at Daytona) and Audi.
· Spencer Pigot – The
2015 Indy Lights powered by Mazda champion competed
in his first Indy 500 in 2016. Spencer has earned
multiple Mazda Road to Indy scholarships, and also
joins the factory driver line-up in the Mazda
Prototype in the long-distance endurance races.
· Marcus Shen – The
engineering director for the Mazda factory IMSA
Prototype program. Shen is a Formula SAE alum from
the University of Florida.
The
Runner-ups for the 2016 Mazda Road to 24 Shootout were
a strong group of racers from the SCCA, NASA, and
iRacing.
· Michael Carter,
Savannah, Georgia – At-Large Nominee – SCCA Spec
Miata
· Julian Garfield, Mount
Airy, Maryland – At-Large Nominee – SCCA SOLO
· Justin Hille,
Ypsilanti, Michigan – SCCA Runoffs Spec Miata
Champion
· Tyler Kicera, Mount
Gretna, Pennsylvania – NASA East Spec Miata Champion
· Daniel Langon, Alamo,
California – Teen Mazda Challenge Western Region
Champion
· Matthew Machiko,
Wexford, Pennsylvania – SCCA Runoffs Formula Mazda
Champion
· Pablo Lopez Padin, A
Coruña, Spain – iRacing Global Mazda MX-5 Combine
Cup Champion
About
Mazda Motorsports
Mazda
Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto
racing development ladder system of any auto
manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24
program offers a number of scholarships to advance
drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning
with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with
the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is
a similar program that includes Mazda-powered
categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In
grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any
given weekend in North America than any other
manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the
renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey,
Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on
Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and
Facebook.
Dean
Case
Communications
Officer
Mazda
Motorsports
Mazda
North American Operations
(310)
318-4582