This week was the annual Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout. It was hosted at a new venue for everyone—literally none of us had ever driven there before, including us judges. Circuit Florida is located just outside Orlando, right along the I-4 corridor, which makes it extremely convenient for anyone to get there. It’s a club membership-based track that allowed us to host this prestigious event, and since it’s new, it created an even playing field for the competitors.
I was able to drive a couple laps to shake down the MX-5 Cup cars that Flis Performance had prepared. That got everything in tiptop shape for the days ahead but also allowed us to get some reconnaissance laps around the circuit.
We were there with the 12 MX-5 Cup finalists, but we also had the Spec MX-5 Shootout drivers competing in tandem with us. It was an intense couple of days, and thankfully we had gorgeous weather, and every aspect of the event ran perfectly smooth thanks to all the preparation that was done in advance.
After a successful day one, it was apparent that the competition was incredibly close, as it always is, and it would be a hotly contested day two. We had the opportunity to work with all the finalists during the event, from a coaching standpoint and various interviews by the PR staff, so the contestants were challenged not just on-track but off-track as well.
As day two progressed, the field narrowed down to a select few, and in a final, true shootout session, the results were clear and the winners were decided. We announced the Shootout winners with a lot of excitement, including a podium celebration and champagne, as you’d expect at a motorsports event.
Max Stallone emerged the winner, taking home the $150,000 scholarship for the 2026 MX-5 Cup season. Meanwhile, Ethan Lampe was runner-up, with a $100,000 prize. On the Female Initiative Scholarship side, Charlotte Traynor was the winner, also receiving a $100,000 scholarship.
I’m very eager to see all three of these worthy winners in the series next year! Daytona is only two short months away, and we all know it’s going to come quicker than we think!