TOP GRASSROOTS OPEN WHEEL DRIVER BRYCE CORNET PREPARES FOR FIRST SPORTS CAR COMPETITION
Article by Mazda MotorsportsOne of the best club racing open wheel racers in the country, Bryce Cornet, will compete in his first sports car race this year when he gets behind the wheel of the Spec MX-5 for the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series event at Sonoma Raceway, October 10-11.
At the age of 15, after having been karting since the age of six, progressing through the ranks, and in route to Toronto for his first open wheel experience, bad news struck. Bryce learned he had two serious heart abnormalities – Wolff-Parkinson-White and Supraventricular Tachycardia. If not for his Never Stop Challenging spirit, he would not have overcome these and gone on to win the 2018 SCCA Formula Mazda National Championship and the 2018 Formula Mazda SCCA Super Tour Championship (winning 11 of 13 races and setting four Formula Mazda track records).
2019 was a year to seek sponsorship and plan for a 2020 introduction to a different world of Motorsports – sports car racing.
Why would an accomplished open wheel racer begin to look to sports car racing?
According to Bryce, “Mazda has a rich history of being at the forefront of sports car racing, and truly supports grassroots drivers unlike any other. I want to continue to be a part of the Mazda family I know so well from my time running Formula Mazda. The support and belief that Mazda has shown me has truly given me the spark I have needed to continue to make this dream a reality.
“As I get older, I see the road to further progress leading me to sports car racing. The Spec MX-5 Challenge Series is a great step forward to test my skills and abilities against great competition. I am so thankful to have the support of Mazda Motorsports, Everki Backpacks, and my family.”
Bryce’s journey to accomplish great things in the world of motorsports will not stop at the Spec MX-5 Challenge Series.
“My future goal would be to become a driver of the Mazda Motorsports’ DPi in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. I also have dreams of competing in Le Mans. But first, I must prove myself in a sports car.
“In addition, I will put my master’s degree to work to continue to create unique and valuable marketing and business opportunities for current and future partners in the motorsports industry. Showing that I am both a great driver and a business asset for a sponsor and race team is what I strive to accomplish in order to achieve my goals.”
