National Staff Brett B. Posted February 18, 2020 National Staff Share Posted February 18, 2020 Q What is Teen Mazda Challenge? A The NASA Teen Mazda Challenge is a unique program designed specifically for young drivers coming out of karting and entering sports car racing. The Teen Mazda Challenge offers young drivers unique opportunities that can help advance them into a career in professional motorsports through the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout, the grand prize of which is a scholarship valued at $100,000 applicable to a season of racing in the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. In addition to this prestigious award, the TMC series has a number of other generous programs that provide unique benefits to up-and-coming drivers striving to advance their motorsports career. Q Who is eligible for Teen Mazda Challenge? A Teen Mazda Challenge is open to all drivers that hold a current NASA competition license and are between ages 13 and 20 by the start of the first race in their region for the current season. Drivers can be up to 20 years old at the completion of the racing season. Certain racetracks around the country might prohibit drivers younger than 16 from participating. Consult your local NASA Region or the racetracks directly. Q What are the prerequisites and/or experience required to become a Teen Mazda Challenge driver? A You must earn a NASA competition license. The steps to getting that license vary slightly by NASA region and with each applicant. Kart racers typically have excellent car-control skills and ample experience in wheel-to-wheel racing, but they also need to demonstrate in NASA’s proven HPDE program the ability to operate a full-size motor vehicle at speed. That includes proficiency with a nonsequential H-pattern manual transmission, and spatial awareness. Drivers also must demonstrate mature decision-making on the racetrack. Off the track, drivers must be well versed with NASA rules, flags, safety protocols and sportsmanship as written in the NASA Club Codes and Regulations. The ability to grant a provisional license lies with the Regional Director, who may issue a provisional, recommend a driver attend comp school or spend more time in HPDE before moving up into racing. The first step is to contact the Regional Director of your NASA region. Q How do I register for the Teen Mazda Challenge? A You can register for the Teen Mazda Challenge at the NASA TMC website: https://form.jotform.com/drivenasa/tmc-program-registration Q What does it cost? A Teen Mazda Challenge registration fees are $100 annually. Race entry fees vary depending on region and track. Q Where and when are the races held? A The Teen Mazda Challenge series races are held in the NASA region you belong to and follows the regional schedule of events. TMC points races begin with the first race in the region starting after March 1 and concludes at the last regional race scheduled prior to October 13th. For most award contingencies, the season ends with the last scheduled TMC race of the season in your region. For some contingency awards, points may be calculated prior to the end of the season and a winner determined for that particular award. Q How are points calculated? A Points payout per race is as follows: 1st - 100, 2nd - 90, 3rd - 85, 4th - 80, 5th - 75, 6th - 70, 7th - 69, 8th - 68, 9th - 67, 10th - 66 ... and so on, subtracting one (1) point for each position after 10th. Points will be awarded per the schema listed above regardless if the driver is considered a finisher or not. All NASA TMC series competitors will be able to drop their lowest two points scores from the race season. Q Where can I find a contingency award list? A You can find a list of all the prizes and award contingencies for the Teen Mazda Challenge here: https://prizes.drivenasa.com/teen-mazda-challenge/ Q Whom can I contact for more information? A Contact Zach Rubin at: [email protected]. You also may contact your regional race or series director. Q Where can I find a list of series rules? A The Teen Mazda Challenge follows the NASA rules for the Spec Miata class. All cars and competitors are subject to the governing rules of NASA and for the Spec Miata class. Club Codes and Regulation as well as Spec Miata Class rules are available here: https://nasaproracing.com/rules Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schweiidee Posted May 27, 2022 Share Posted May 27, 2022 I tried to reach out to Zach using the email above but it was returned. Anyone know who I can talk to at NASA to get more info on this program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
National Staff Brett B. Posted May 27, 2022 Author National Staff Share Posted May 27, 2022 Try this one instead. I'll fix the listing above: [email protected] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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