The 2015 season has been a great –and busy – one for me. I certainly have a lot to be thankful for: I was fortunate to be involved in a lot of motorsport activities, including the factory Mazda Prototype program with SpeedSource, being a development driver for the Mazda Global MX-5 Cup car, and a lot of fun and unique driver coaching opportunities.
The racing this season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with SpeedSource and the factory Mazda Prototype program was intense and exciting, and it was another season of both development for Mazda’s road car engines and teambuilding for the much-anticipated 2016 season.
We had a lot of exciting moments throughout the year, starting at Daytona, where I was fortunate enough to be the driver in the car for Mazda’s first overall lead at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. It was also the first time in Daytona’s history that a diesel-powered car had led the race!
This season also saw the team’s first top-five Prototype finish for the diesel program, which happened at Watkins Glen. Certainly SpeedSource is accustomed to winning races and championships, and we’re excited about the 2016 season ahead and all the potential of the new package we’ve been testing.
This year was also my first opportunity to be a development driver on such a grand scale as the Mazda Global MX-5 Cup program. We had a fantastic and reliable platform from the beginning, which made the process so enjoyable. After all of the simulation testing and on-track miles, we’re really pleased with the final result.
Just recently, the Mazda Road To 24 Shootout participants had the opportunity to be the first competitors in the new car. Congratulations to Glenn McGee on being the winner in the closest competition in Shootout history – he’ll have a $100,000 scholarship for the 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship.
The next step for the MX-5 will be its toughest test yet: Robert Davis Racing (RDR) will run a fleet of four of the new cars at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this weekend. They are the first four production cars to come off the assembly line at Long Road Racing. You can follow their progress in the race at MazdaLIVE.com.
Coaching Ashton at the SIC at Roebling.
One of my passions is the opportunity to coach drivers, whether they are developing a racing career or simply driving enthusiasts who want to hone their skills. My clients, many of whom I’ve mentioned on this blog throughout 2015, come from different backgrounds and have different goals, and it’s been an exciting opportunity to work with them all year. I’m looking forward to continued success for them in the upcoming season!
2016 is shaping up to be another exciting season for me. I look forward to bringing you all of the updates here, so stay tuned!