Atlanta, GA (July 20, 2020) – Atlanta Speedwerks will be competing in their fourth year of racing in the Battery Tender® Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires®, and have finalized their driver lineup. Joining the team for the first time, Tray Ayres will pilot the #7 Ayres Motorsports/Chin Track Days Mazda, while Peter Ensor will be back for his second year in the #49 Pagid Racing/Lemons of Love Mazda. 2009 MX-5 Champion Todd Lamb will rejoin the driver lineup in his familiar #84 Pagid Racing/Lemons of Love Mazda.
Tray Ayres may be new to the team, but he is no stranger to the podium. Ayres won the 2017 SCCA Runoffs in Spec Racer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the 2019 SCCA Runoffs in a Mazda-powered P2 at VIR. Tray is making his debut in the MX-5 Cup series after extensive testing in the extended off-season.
“I am looking forward to the season and a new opportunity after a very strong 2019,” said Ayres. “Having very good teammates with Peter and Todd, a dedicated team in Atlanta Speedwerks, and knowing there are big chances to fight for the win is what racing is all about. My experience using the draft in Spec Racer should be a big help in this series.”
Peter Ensor: “I’m really looking forward to my second season in the series, and taking what I learned from my rookie season to improve on some of the good runs we had in the second half of last year. Also excited to be returning with Atlanta Speedwerks with two great teammates this year, and an awesome crew.”
After running in IMSA’s TCR class in 2019 as a co-driver to former MX-5 Cup series regular Brian Henderson, Todd Lamb rejoins the MX-5 lineup for 2020. “I’m excited to be back in the series this year. I had planned to be running IMSA all season but with the Covid situation shaking things up with our IMSA program, Bryan (Ortiz, 2019 MX-5 Champion) was unable to complete the IMSA season, so I changed my focus back to MX-5. We have done a lot of testing with the new sequential gearbox and drivetrain, and it really changes the characteristics of the ND1 car I last raced, adding to the fun factor.”
Returning as Crew Chief, Brian Zellner will lead the team’s Global MX-5 Cup program for the fourth straight year. As the 2019 Battery Tender Mechanic of the Year, Zellner brings a wealth of knowledge and experience back to the program,
Atlanta Speedwerks, based near Road Atlanta, is a full service automotive shop, specializing in Mazda, Honda, and Porsche brands. The shop offers street and track car upgrades, custom rollcages, trackside support, coaching, racecar builds, engine swaps, and more. Founded by professional driver Todd Lamb, the shop provides a high level of service at affordable prices.
Lemons of Love, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created in 2014 when founder Jill Swanson Peltier was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. As she began chemotherapy, a friend gave Jill a small gift filled with items to help her through treatment. Touched by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this gift, she knew this was something every cancer patient should receive. Jill envisioned giving others the same kind of love and support with a simple gift that makes a big impact. Today, Lemons of Love shares chemo care packages with cancer patients around the world and provides programming at its Lemons of Love Cancer Resource Center in Mount Prospect, Illinois.