Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta MX-5 Cup debut
This weekend was one to remember! I can proudly say that I finished on the podium in my debut for my first IMSA sanctioned pro race in the MX-5 Cup.
The race weekend started on Tuesday when we arrived at the track after our 15 hour drive from Texas. Although I wasn’t on track, I was busy on a Zoom call with Mazda. I am honored to say that I got nominated for the MX-5 Cup Shootout this year. I took the Zoom call in the parking lot of Road Atlanta, taking notes on what Mazda wants to see in this video that I will be making on why they should choose me as a finalist in the shootout.
On Wednesday, I had one 30 minute practice session. After countless hours on the simulator at Road Atlanta, I felt very confident in my abilities to cut a fast lap. However, after my first session, I realized that this would be a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. The car was unpredictable and more difficult to drive than the previous car I had tested in.
I did get discouraged, but I knew that I could do it. I just needed to find confidence in my driving abilities and put my head down and go to work. I will say, though, that Wednesday night, after that not so good practice session, I was in a rough head space. From one of the lowest lows I’ve ever experienced in racing, I went into Thursday qualifying with a different mentality.
In qualifying, we had not one, but two red flags, cutting our session short. I never got the chance to get up to speed or draft with anyone (drafting being worth 2-3 seconds at this track), so I qualified P22. I wasn’t thrilled with this result, but after the night before, I would take it.
In race 1, I got a decent start and worked on getting more comfortable in the car. For my first pro race with high competition and a stacked field, I was just focused on improving my own lap times and bringing the car home in one piece. I finished P20 with a new feeling of relief and confidence. These cars are known for their twitchiness and unpredictability, so being able to push and be fast in these cars is a huge accomplishment.
On Friday in Race 2, I got a good start and was able to improve my lap times by a full second! I ended up finishing P19 and receiving the $2,000 award for top finishing female!
Although I’m not content with my results, I’m proud of what I overcame this weekend. Going from one of my lowest lows to one of the highest highs was a big accomplishment. I couldn’t have done it without my awesome team Spark Performance, Brad (my encouraging crew chief), and my fantastic teammates. Not to mention my lovely sponsors Late Model Restoration, Ribtect, Coble Enterprises, Palmetto Galleries, and Smart-energize.com.
Team Spark Performance at the end of the year MX-5 Cup banquet
Along with my amazing team (above), this wouldn’t have been possible without the entire Mazda family who helped me the whole way. Shea Holbrook, Jonathan Applegate, and Cindy Sission (below) were all huge factors that played apart in my success this weekend.
Most importantly, though, I want to give a huge shoutout to my dad and mom. Without my dad pushing me to be the best version of myself and my mom’s support and encouragement, there’s absolutely no way I would’ve been able to pull this off.
Check out both races on YouTube!
Race 1: https://youtu.be/GCAA6XZl6kk?si=QJdwUNA-KJ4gYmjn
Race 2: https://youtu.be/AqBrc4hFYtE?si=MR9EngrDvIVy1nXN
October 14, 2023
