Friday, December 23rd, 2022 - McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) is pleased to announce the confirmation of three talented drivers for the 2023 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires (MX-5 Cup) season.
The 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout scholarship winner, 18 year-old Nate Cicero of Pound Ridge, New York, was awarded a scholarship valued at $110,000 and has chosen MMR, car number to be confirmed. 23 year-old John Jodoin of Barrington, Illinois, and 19 year-old Matthew Dirks of Johnstown, Colorado both returning to the team, will be behind the wheel of the #39 and #76 cars, respectively. Additional driver announcements will be made in the near future.
Team owner Chad McCumbee said, "Everyone at MMR is thrilled to have both Matthew and John back with the team in 2023. The chemistry these guys had with not only the team, but also their teammates was second to none. I feel that Matthew and John both turned some heads last season and I expect them to pick up right where they left off and be contenders immediately when we get to Daytona!"
Team owner Stevan McAleer added, "We are ecstatic for Nate Cicero to join McCumbee McAleer Racing. I’ve worked with him since the beginning and he is certainly a huge talent that has come through my Karting program. He will without a doubt be a Championship contender come January, and if you put our returning team members Matthew Dirks and John Jodoin with him, there should be lots of podiums and wins in 2023 for this trio!"
"I am super excited to be racing with MMR for the 2023 MX-5 Cup season,” said Cicero. “I’ve seen how hard everyone on the team works to provide the best equipment, so I know I have a great team behind me to go for the championship! After an amazing first test, Daytona can’t come soon enough. I would like to thank Mazda Motorsports for their support in providing the scholarship that made this possible." he finalized.
John Jodoin added, "I’m so excited to be back racing with MMR in the Mazda MX-5 Cup series for the 2023 season! I showed great pace in my first full season, most notably a top 5 finish at Watkins Glen and qualifying 4th at Road America. With the great coaching and knowledge from MMR, along with my development as a driver, I look forward to seeing what is to come in 2023! Thanks to Race Caddy and LSC Development for their continued support."
“I am looking forward to another energetic season of Mazda MX5 Cup racing!," said Matthew Dirks. "In addition to having a slightly different driver lineup running with our awesome team, McCumbee McAleer Racing, one of our teammates is a Mazda Shootout scholarship winner. It will be very interesting to see what my teammates and I have in store for our competitors. Let’s do some racing!”
All 14 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires races will be streamed live on IMSA.tv. Radio Le Mans will provide on-air talent for all presentations with John Hindhaugh and Shea Adam sharing the booth for live streams. This partnership also brings MX-5 Cup to IMSA Radio, RadioLeMans.com and trackside FM frequencies.
The 2023 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BF Goodrich will kick off on January 25-27 at the 12-turn, 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway Road Course. For more information on the season opener schedule, please visit the MX-5 Cup website.
About McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR)
Based in Supply, North Carolina, McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) was formed in 2014 by one of the most competitive driver pairings in North America with racers Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer. Chad McCumbee, whose roots lie in NASCAR and Stevan McAleer, an expert sports car racer, combined to create a multi-car, highly capable, and relentlessly fast team within the Global MX-5 Cup paddock. After earning awards and race wins in only their first year of competition, MMR brought home a championship in just their third year on track in 2017. That year, the team went on to dominate by winning 10 out of 12 races, capturing six poles, and they also earned the Team of the Year award.
Today, MMR continues to serve as one of the top, if not the top, teams in the MX-5 Cup garage and provides a level of professionalism only found at the highest tiers of motorsports. With years of competition, instruction, mechanical, and team owner experience, McCumbee and McAleer know the exact formula for success and utilize this to push MMR to the very top. Having already propelled the careers of Patrick Gallagher, Aurora Straus, and Max Faulkner to success in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), McCumbee McAleer Racing will continue to coach and develop all ranges of talent to the ultimate and most prestigious levels of the sport.
For more information: www.McCumbeeMcAleer.com