North Vernon, IN – As the 2021 MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich season approaches, San Diego, California native, Chris Nunes aka California Kid, joins the MX-5 Cup circuit after signing with JTR Motorsports Engineering for the upcoming season. This will be Nunes’ first year competing in professional sports car racing, thanks to Mazda recently jump-starting his pro racing career by awarding him with a $75,000 scholarship to compete in MX-5 Cup. The 18-year-old has his eyes on the prize as he will be competing for Rookie of the Year honors following in the footsteps of his new teammate and former Mazda scholarship driver, Jared Thomas.
“Choosing a team to trust in has been a challenging decision,” said Chris Nunes. “In the end it came down to the trust and respect I have in Jared as a driver and a person. He has supported and guided me from the very first time we have met. Together we will have a very good season.”
Nunes is no stranger to success in his 14 years competing in various forms of motorsports. The young hot shot has two AMA Motocross national titles to his name as well as winning a championship in off-road short course Modified Karts. This will not be the college freshman’s first time competing at a pro level as he is the winningest and youngest driver to ever compete in the Lucas Oil Off Road Pro Buggy series. Nunes has had a short but extremely successful road racing career as he has won the Streets of Lancaster SKUSA kart race, multiple wins and podiums in amateur sports car racing, and most recently becoming a Mazda scholarship recipient after competing at the 2020 MX-5 Cup Shootout.
“I am super excited to be adding Chris to the JTR Motorsports Engineering stable,” said Jared Thomas. “I believe that Chris will be a great fit on the team as both of us have very diverse motorsports backgrounds and he has the goal to win the Rookie of the Year award like I did in 2020. With Chris’ 14 years of experience and the winning pedigree of the JTR team, he will be a top contender throughout the 2021 season.”
Nunes will pilot the No. 32 Mazda MX-5 Cup JTR entry, kicking his season off on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway during the IMSA Rolex 24 weekend, January 28-31, 2021.
For more information about opportunities or services at JTR Motorsports Engineering, please contact:
Jared Thomas
phone: 812-767-6169
email: jtr_96@comcast.net