Apr 10, 2017
Supply, NC (10 April 2017) – The 2017 Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires marks the dawn of a new chapter in sports car racing. New this year, the series will be partnering with the sanctioning body, INDYCAR, which is sure to bring added excitement and challenges to McCumbee McAleer Racing’s (MMR) fleet of talent. The team will be competing in 12 races held within six race weekends across the country; four of which will be integrated into the Verizon INDYCAR’s race weekends. As the 2016 season marked the beginning of the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup series, the 2017 season continues the evolution and progress of a series poised to reveal the top sports car talent in the world.
Founding MMR, which has earned the Team of the Year award twice in two years of competition, is Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer. Both McCumbee and McAleer are looking forward to what lies ahead in 2017 and are already optimistic after a successful test earlier this year. “2017 marks the third year for McCumbee McAleer Racing and I feel it could be the most successful yet,” McCumbee said. “Our overall driver lineup for the season is very strong and I expect great results for ModSpace and all of our partners.” Stevan McAleer, also an incredibly accomplished race car driver and team owner alongside McCumbee, is optimistic for the season which lies ahead, too. “All eyes should be on MMR this year in the MX-5 Cup”, said Stevan. “We have learned the cars well over the past few seasons and with new tracks needing quick setups, we are very confident going into our third year as McCumbee McAleer Racing. The driver lineup is extremely strong this year for us and with the continued partnership with ModSpace Motorsports, we look forward to fighting for the 2017 Team and Driver Championships.”
MMR’s partners also share McCumbee and McAleer’s enthusiasm heading into the 2017 season. “ModSpace and Spartan Cargo Trailers are excited to again partner with MMR for the 2017 Global MX-5 Cup season,” stated William Mann, Vice President of Business Development for ModSpace. “This will be the third season of our partnership and it has truly been rewarding to see this team evolve on and off the track. There is a lot of synergy with this team when it comes to representing the ModSpace and Spartan Cargo Trailers brand and MMR has done a great job for us.
“This year we see a lot of promise in the drivers and team,” continued Mann. “After the test in Birmingham earlier this month, the team proved they are capable of winning races this season and all of us look forward to sharing the success.”
A man familiar with participating (and succeeding) in firsts will be driving MMR’s #29 ModSpace and Howard Concrete Pumping Mazda MX-5 this year. Patrick Gallagher, who came out of the gate with the inaugural 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, will be onboard the MMR team fulltime in 2017 looking to take aim at the series championship which now offers a $200,000 Mazda Motorsports scholarship. Building off his experience in both the MX-5 Cup Series and the Pirelli World Challenge, Gallagher knows exactly what he needs to do this year to compete for an overall championship. “I’m excited to have Howard Concrete Pumping and ModSpace partner with me and MMR this season and I think we have a great shot at competing for wins and a championship. After such a strong start with MMR last year, I look forward to rolling off the trailer in Barber with a fast car which can compete for wins and poles right away.”
Alongside an inherent favorite heading into this season will be the fulltime drivers of Max Faulkner and Robert Stout. Max Faulkner, whose rookie season in the series came last year, is looking to build on an incredible first year with a couple top-10 qualifying efforts and some tremendous on-track performances. “I am entering my third year racing cars competitively and this will be my second season in the Global MX-5 Cup Series. I learned how to drive a race car at age 14 at Monticello Motor Club and after two seasons of practice I began participating in the Queally Spec Miata series. After a season with much success, I stepped up to the MX-5 Cup Series and I can't wait to get my second season under way.” Although Faulkner will be competing on a few tracks for the first time this year, he knows his experience with the MX-5’s and MMR last year will help propel him toward the front week after week. Like the season prior, Faulkner can be found on the grid piloting the orange and blue #82 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mazda.
2017 Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup rookie, Robert Stout, is excited to be a part of one of the fastest teams in the MX-5 Cup garage not only because he knows he possesses the tools to succeed, but also because he knows the series rookies will be competing for a $50,000 prize at the end of the season. Although Stout, who will be sporting the #28 Lucas Oil, SC Fuels, and Lucas Oil TV Mazda, comes into this season as a rookie, his racing resume reflects anything but that status. As a current full-time instructor for BMW at The Thermal Club and the 2010 Pirelli World Challenge TC Champion, Stout aims to exploit his experience with a successful 2017 season.
“After an excellent test last month at Barber I'm thrilled to have signed on with McCumbee McAleer Racing,” Stout expressed. “The MX-5 Cup has always been such a competitive series and I can't wait to join the battle! I've bounced around to so many different forms of professional racing over the years so I'm glad to bring it back to my roots in sports car racing. I think having good knowledge of all the tracks we go to this season will give me an advantage chasing down the championship and the $50,000 Rookie of the Year award!”
Alongside the incredible talent of Gallagher, Faulkner, and Stout will be the company of MMR veterans Charles Paquin, Nick Igdalsky, Marc Boily, Mitch Wright, and MMR rookie, Alex Wolenski. Paquin, who will pilot the #72 Spartan Cargo Trailers MX-5, has competed with MMR since its inception and is looking forward to the challenges which lie ahead throughout the 2017 season. Nick Igdalsky, the COO of Pocono Raceway, is also no stranger of fierce on-track competition. Igdalsky, who will share seat time in the #27 ModSpace Mazda with Boily, Wright, and Wolenski, has plenty of experience behind the wheel through competition in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, ARCA, NASCAR Weekly, and SCCA Pro racing series. The shared time in the #27 ModSpace MX-5 Cup Mazda will allow the drivers to learn from one another and march to the front of each unique venue traveled to in 2017.
On track for unlimited success in 2017, the entire MMR team and its partners are striving for a record breaking year in its pursuit of a Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup championship trophy. With the flock of talent, experience, and preparation laced within the team based out of Supply, North Carolina, MMR knows 2017 is the year of infinite potential.