December 18, 2020 – Former Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires Champion and Copeland Motorsports driver Bryan Ortiz is making his return to the paddock in 2021. In news that was kept under wraps for quite some time, Copeland Motorsports is pleased to confirm Bella Racing Driver Bryan Ortiz back for another shot at the series championship.
“Having Bryan back in a Copeland Motorsports car is a huge boost for our program,” explained Dean Copeland. “We have several rookies that we will announce shortly, but Bryan brings championship winning experience to our team and provides a sounding board for younger drivers to not only learn from, but to challenge for the top step of the podium.”
Ortiz, who has a long-standing involvement with the series, has a history of success. In 2019, Ortiz claimed the Series Championship with two wins and six podium finishes racing with Copeland Motorsports. Prior to his championship win, Ortiz competed in the MX-5 Cup Championship in 2017 and 2018, finishing second and fourth in the series title chase. With a combined five wins and 13 podiums in the series, Ortiz is looking to return as a top contender in 2020.
Copeland added, “Not only is Bryan a fierce and fast competitor on the track, he is also one of the nicest guys off of it as well. We are super happy to have him back in the Copeland Motorsports family and look forward to the first green flag of the 2021 season in January.”
While not new to the series or Copeland Motorsports, the Puerto Rican driver is new to the internal driver development program that Copeland Motorsports has formed. With a $250,000 championship on the line, Ortiz also has the opportunity to claim an additional $75,000 credit from Copeland Motorsports to use towards the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Copeland Motorsports – a combined scholarship which would essentially fund his entire 2022 season.
The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Championship is quickly approaching with the first two rounds taking place January 28-31 at Daytona International Raceway’s road course.
Stay tuned for more announcements coming from the Copeland Motorsports program in the very near future.
For more information on Copeland Motorsports, please contact Dean Copeland at
CopelandMotorsports@yahoo.com or by phone at 301.335.7613. Copeland Motorsports can also be found online at www.copelandmotorsports.com and through their social media programs on both Facebook and Instagram via Copeland Motorsports.