Monticello N.Y. (1 October 2018) – It was a night to remember this weekend as Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich celebrated the 2018 season with a year-end banquet at the Monticello Motor Club (MMC) on Saturday evening.
Staged at the recently-opened MMC Collector Car Gallery building, the drivers, sponsors, team members, and Global Mazda MX-5 series staff celebrated another outstanding season of competition and camaraderie in the year-end prize-giving event as over $500,000 in prizes and scholarship support were awarded on the night.
Hosted by Global Mazda MX-5 Cup public address lead, Tony LaPorta, the guests were surrounded by millions of dollars’ worth of examples of rare automobiles from the collection of MMC owners. But none of the cars in the room were more unique than the four Global Mazda MX-5 Cup machines of Nikko Reger, Selin Rollan, Alex Wolenski, and Todd Lamb that had just hours before raced to the checkered flag in the final event of the 2018 season.
With Andersen Promotions founder Dan Andersen opening the night with his greetings to the guests on hand, awards were presented by Michael Prelec, CEO of Battery Tender, Peter Calhoun, Motorsports Marketing Manager for BFGoodrich Tires, John Doonan with Mazda, Keith Dalton with Andersen Promotions, and Kyle Novak with INDYCAR.
Leading the way was Nikko Reger, who claimed a $200,000 championship package from Mazda after clinching the title earlier in the day.
A win and a first-ever pole position helped Bryan Ortiz push to second in the overall championship standings and some $30,000 in support from Mazda. 
Finishing third on the season to cap off his Rookie of the Year title was Selin Rollan, who netted $75,000 in support from Mazda with the title. It wasn’t Rollan’s only visit to the stage, as he also claimed the Mazda Move of the Year for his dramatic Portland pass that helped push him to victory.
Alex Wolenski was also beaming following a very big day, taking two wins in the Challenger Class presented by MMC to secure the year end title. MMC CEO Ari Straus was on hand for the event to personally present Wolenski with his prize, a one-of-a-kind Mazda experience valued at $20,000.
Other special awards were presented, including the “Spirit of Mazda,” which went to Hernan Palermo, with Sick Sideways taking the “Team of the Year” title.
Todd Lamb netted the Masters Class championship as the highest-finishing driver over 40 years old in the championship, capping off a day that saw him take two overall podium finishes. Lamb earned a one-of-a-kind Mazda experience valued at $15,000 for the accomplishment.
The Battery Tender Mechanic of the Year went to Kevin Stelly of Slipstream Performance. The VP Racing Fuels “Clean Image” Award went to McCumbee McAleer Racing for the team’s season-long professional paddock presentation.
“It was a great venue for us and after an unforgettable season of racing I have to admit that this was one of the best Global Mazda MX-5 banquets that I’ve ever been to,” said John Doonan, Director, Mazda Motorsports. “Our top three drivers all did a great job with their remarks, Tony (LaPorta) did a great job keeping the show light and moving along, and it was a great way for us to cap off the year. There is a lot of great stuff going on in this series and we are already looking forward to building on this with another big year in 2019.”
The Monticello event marked the final race of the 2018 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup season, but it is not the end of the competition as the series will stage a two-race Global Invitational at Sebring International Raceway on November 9-11, with $50,000 up for grabs for the event winner.