LONG: Motorsports After Factory Life

Growing up in motorsports, I thought driving for a factory team was the be-all, end-all goal for any driver. I’m extremely fortunate to have been a part of a factory program for many years, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to learn that there are a lot more paths in motorsports that allow for a long, fulfilling career.

My time with Mazda started early on, when I raced the venerable MX-5 in many classes through the ranks. That led to a lot of early success in my career and paved the path for me to drive GT cars for Mazda Motorsports during the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT era.

Because of that, I was then lucky enough to become a part of Mazda’s factory prototype program in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition, which lasted for several years.

Like many factory drivers, I found myself as a test driver for the manufacturer, too, with the ability to give precise, detailed feedback and the knowledge of how a car should react.

My test driving brought me full circle — all the way back to the MX-5 — when I helped develop the current MX-5 Cup car. These days, fans have really come to love seeing the close competition of the Mazda MX-5 Cup series at IMSA events, and now I get one of the best seats in the house as a series ambassador and race control official.

Of course, I was disappointed to see my time with a factory team come to an end, but age and time away from factory racing does have its benefits.

Now that I have a Silver driver rating from the FIA, that has the potential to open more opportunities driving with new teams looking to develop their programs as well as established teams who simply want an experienced veteran on the roster.

One area of recent satisfaction has been the opportunity to share my experience with current teams helping them develop a new car, or if it’s a newer team, I’m often lending a hand developing their program itself. It’s still been fun though getting the chance to be involved with proven teams who are simply going after results!

I find that working with young drivers as a coach and mentor gives me a similar satisfaction. Or even a gentleman racer looking to take their hobby to the next level.

I’ve come to appreciate it’s a real passion of mine to help them attain their goals, whatever they may be. Whether it’s coaching them, or actually teaming up as co-drivers, it’s so rewarding to see their growth and success. Not to mention, it’s a lot more fun when you get to win with them, too!

As my career has continued, it’s become special to see so many team members from over the years move on to various programs themselves. They’ve become longtime friends getting to see them in the paddock and share our motorsports experience together which makes the journey even more enjoyable.

Here’s to what comes next!