Skip to main content

Mazda puts its money where its mouth is by supporting ambitious racing drivers

It’s a secret to precisely no one that racing is an expensive hobby, but it might be more of a mystery that racing, as a career, is more financially demanding than any other pro sport. When Formula 1 driver salaries exceed a million bucks a year, it’s forgivable to assume that, like other sports, it’s a hard-fought road to the top, but talent alone can take you there.

Unfortunately, the truth is that the best racing driver in the world may never find his or her way into a F1 car, or even an amateur race car. Without extensive personal resources or deep-pocketed sponsors, skill will never lead to the same opportunities in motorsports.

Mazda’s innovative approach to finding the world’s best drivers has not yet been matched by other manufacturers, giving it a leg-up.

There’s hope for the talented, blue-collar racers, though. Thanks to the support of select automakers, like Mazda, development tracks have been established for those who deserve motorsport-fueled glory.

Grassroots (or gaming) to greatness

Though there are a many, convoluted paths to the upper echelons of racing, Mazda has been supporting grassroots motorsports like the Spec Miata classes for years. Spec Miata vehicles race in SCCA (Sports Car Club of America), NASA (National Auto Sport Association), and elsewhere, providing arguably the best wheel-to-wheel amateur racing demonstrations around. NA, NB, and NC MX-5 roadsters compete with limited modifications, FIA-spec safety equipment, and weight-based penalties for equal competition. The typical spec race car can be built or purchased for about $10,000.

For many Spec Miata drivers, race weekends are one-of-a-kind ways to break from weekly work drudgery and experience the thrill of motorsports first-hand. For others, though, anything less than a championship victory equates to failure. These are the individuals that attract Mazda’s attention. For the last 10 years, Mazda has offered a $100,000 scholarship to one individual who has both won a grassroots championship and provides the best blend of driving skill, commerce comprehension, and technical expertise (displayed during the company’s “Road to 24 Shootout”).

Starting in 2014, Mazda even expanded its field of candidates to iRacing, a racing simulator that’s widely praised as the most realistic driving experience outside of actual track time. Glenn McGee, an iRacing world champ, ultimately won Mazda’s shootout and drove in his first “live” race this past weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Mazda’s innovative approach to finding the world’s best drivers has not yet been matched by other manufacturers, which gives the Japanese automaker a leg up.

Global MX-5 Cup

With $100,000 in hand, drivers turn their attention to the Global MX-5 Cup, a racing series made entirely of the latest track-prepped MX-5 race cars. Winners immediately become the “belle of the ball” for MX-5 Cup teams, who want both skilled drivers and, obviously, cash money.

I experienced the first two of this season’s 14 scheduled races on Saturday and Sunday and was on the edge of my seat for each 45-minute affair. At one point towards the end of the second race, MX-5 Cup cars were three-wide down the track and being hunted by others not two feet behind them – it doesn’t get much more entertaining. The 2016 series also introduces Mazda’s ND-generation Cup car, which has been turned into a Grade-A racing instrument by Long Road Racing in Charlotte, NC. More powerful and dynamic than any series Spec Miata, the Global MX-5 Cup car receives engine, drivetrain, suspension, braking, bodywork, and interior modifications to pull every ounce of performance from the 2016 MX-5 Miata’s frame.

Without extensive personal resources or deep-pocketed sponsors, skill will never lead to the same opportunities in motorsports.

This past weekend, the field included 40 cars, each with minor fine-tuning adjustments, but equivalent potential. Unlike some of the IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) racing classes that shared the track, financial barriers to entry are comparably small. $50,000 buys you a Global MX-5 Cup Car and it will cost you another $100,000 in race entry and maintenance fees for the full season. Those who have earned a spot in the MX-5 Cup via Mazda’s scholarship, with proven racing skill, usually rise to the top of the rankings.

At the season’s conclusion, Mazda awards the champion a $200,000 scholarship to take the next step up the motorsport ladder. And here’s where the real nurturing begins. Mazda sits down with the driver to help define their ambitions in the racing world. Since the first MX-5 Cup scholarship was granted in 2007, victors have applied their winnings to everything from the Speed World Challenge, to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, to the Pirelli World Challenge, to IMSA (International Motor Sport Association) Prototype Lites. Some winners even choose to use the money to become team owners. Kenton Koch, who dominated the Global MX-5 Cup series in 2014 and won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, decided a future in team management was more to his liking. Mazda helped make it happen.

Fielding Dreams

Whether it’s through Mazda’s sports car-themed “Road to 24” or the brand’s open-wheel alternative, “Road to Indy,” drivers are set upon the path to the big leagues of racing. More than ever, drivers must balance their time behind the wheel with time in front of sponsors and media. With a keen eye for business savvy, self-promotion, and long-term vision, Mazda trains its drivers to secure sponsor dollars, present themselves well in interviews, and look for other supportive partners.

Mazda IMSA Weekend
Miles Branman/Digital Trends
Miles Branman/Digital Trends

During my time spent with Mazda’s Motorsports team, its IMSA LMP2 drivers, its MX-5 Cup drivers, and even its racing team representatives (Speed Source), I was blown away by the camaraderie, familial vibe, and confidence from every member of the organization.

Mazda’s LMP2 drivers come from all different backgrounds. Tristan Nunez, a record-setting road racing champion at the age of 20, advanced from Prototype Lites. His co-driver, Jonathan Bomarito, has six career victories in top categories of American Road Racing and was among the top competitors in the 2014 GTLM series. Tom Long has been a racing coach for years and is both a former Spec Miata champion and Pro Miata (now MX-5 Cup) victor. Joel Miller has a mechanical engineering and kart racing background, which he used to navigate open-wheel racing before a transition to sports cars.

As I got to know each of these drivers, it became clear that, in addition to being remarkably talented, they were some of the most personable and professional racers I’ve ever encountered. It would appear that Mazda doesn’t just spot top talent, or financially support drivers who deserve a shot at pro careers; it builds world-class competitors from the ground up.

Miles Branman
Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…
The week in EV tech: From sky-high dreams to ground-level drama
tesla robotaxi feud alef in transition flight

Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the revolutionary technology powering, connecting, and now driving next-gen electric vehicles. 
Buckle up, folks — this week we’re taking off with a look at the futuristic dream of flying electric cars possibly gliding above U.S. roads sooner than you think. But before we get carried away, let’s bring it back down to the bumpy road of present-day realities.
Even if you’re mostly interested about the tech powering the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, it’s become increasingly hard to avoid the politics around it: You guessed it, we’re talking about this week’s public feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump.
What does this have to do with EV tech? Well, quite a lot actually. For starters, the technology behind Tesla’s Autopilot and Full-Self Driving (FSD) modes may return in the crosshairs of regulators: Despite the names, these are still driver-assist features that require active driver supervision, and until Trump’s election, they had been under heavy scrutiny by safety regulators for several years.
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA) launched an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD. Big questions remain about the driver-assist system's performance under adverse, yet naturally-occurring conditions such as fog, sun glare, rain, and snow.
When Musk, who spent about $275 million to help elect Trump, was appointed to head a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it raised more than a few eyebrows about his power and influence over the regulators who are supposed to oversee traffic safety, and therefore Tesla.
It didn’t help that the Trump administration followed Musk’s recommendations and relaxed crash-reporting requirements put in place since 2021, while also relaxing rules to accelerate the deployment of fully-automated robotaxis.
The Trump/Musk clash takes place just as Tesla is due to launch its robotaxi pilot progam in Texas later this month. While Trump is now threatening to pull billions of dollars in government subsidies and contracts from Musk’s companies, it’s unclear whether he might pressure the Department of Transportation to again tighten the regulatory screws on Tesla. What is clear is that Trump has never been a fan of electric vehicles and is already trying to end federal subsidies on EV purchases and leases. And while he had made a big deal about buying a bright red Tesla Model S back in March, Trump now says he wants to sell it.
Back to the tech
Meanwhile, Tesla is still required to respond to information and data requests from NHTSA regarding the safety of its robotaxis by July 1. And ultimately, it should come down to the performance of the technology.
For Autopilot and FSD, Tesla has opted for less expensive navigational tech relying on multiple onboard cameras that feed AI machine-learning models. But especially for so-called adverse driving conditions, it’s the more expensive technology relying on a blend of pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar) which has received the nod of regulators.
Waymo, the sole robotaxi service currently operating in the U.S., and Zoox, Amazon’s upcoming robotaxi service, both use that blend of navigational tech.
For its robotaxis, Tesla is said to have upped its game in terms of autonomous driving with its Hardware 4 (HW4) technology, which does include radar sensors and promises enhanced environmental perception.
Will that be enough for Tesla to convince regulators, catch up with Waymo, or compete effectively with Zoox?
We’ll have to wait and see.
Flying cars
In a recent edition, we noted that while consumer confidence about robotaxi technology is on the rise, most people also want more data before they hop into a self-driving vehicle.
What about flying taxis? According to a recent survey by Honeywell, nearly all U.S. airline fliers, or 98%, said they would consider using a so-called electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, or eVTOL, as part of their travel journey.
But while the buzz around flying electric vehicles has mostly focused on air taxis— like Archer Aviation’s Midnight, expected to fly athletes around the 2028 LA Olympics, or Joby’s slick air taxi, backed by Toyota — one California startup is shooting for something a little more... driveable.
Meet Alef Aeronautics, a Bay Area company that wants to put the “car” back in “flying car.” This week, Alef announced it has received over 3,400 pre-orders for its electric flying vehicle, the Model A — and get this: it’s not a futuristic prototype gathering dust in a lab. Alef says production could begin by the end of 2025, or early next year.
On the ground, the Model A operates like a low-speed electric car, complete with hub motors in the wheels and—wait for it—a real steering wheel. You can legally drive it at up to 25 mph on public roads, parking it in a normal garage like any other EV. It’s refreshingly manual in an increasingly hands-free world.
But when it's time for lift off, the steering wheel takes a backseat. For vertical takeoff and flight, the Model A transforms into a drone-like aircraft. Its cabin rotates sideways to create lift, and eight electric rotors—controlled by a flight system and joysticks—take over. No pedals, no yoke, just a bit of joystick magic (or autopilot, if you prefer).
The Model A has already received the nod from regulators for test flights.
While the $300,000 price tag won’t fit everyone’s budget, the company is clearly betting on a future where you don’t have to choose between a car and a flying machine—you can have both.

Read more
8 key things you need to know from Apple’s WWDC 2025 event
From a fresh look and updated names, to new features, more intelligence and live translation
iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 shown on devices.

The WWDC 2025 keynote ran for just over an hour and a half. For those of you who don't fancy sitting through the whole presentation, we've pulled out the key things you need to know from the latest Apple event.

1. Welcome to the 26 club

Read more
Tesla’s robotaxi service is almost here, but it’s not the car you want to see
Silver Tesla Model Y Juniper side

Tesla chief Elon Musk has said that the automaker is aiming to launch its robotaxi service on June 22, in Austin, Texas.

“Tentatively, June 22,” Musk said in a post on X on Tuesday, adding: “We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift.”

Read more