As the 2023 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup season opener draws closer, Spark Performance adds 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Runner-Up, Bryce Cornet (kor-NAY), to the upcoming season opener at Daytona International Speedway, January 25th – 27th. Bryce will start his second season in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series running the #65 Spiers New Technologies sponsored car after a 2022 rookie season that came with many ups and downs. Bryce still managed one top-five and multiple top-ten performances in what was arguably the most competitive Mazda MX-5 Cup season yet. Looking ahead to Daytona, Bryce seeks to fight for a championship and to build on the momentum that was built throughout the 2022 racing season… “I am elated to be able to join forces with Nathanial “Sparky” Sparks and a team which has had so much success. Sparky is an amazing driver and now is showing off his ability to run one of the best teams in the MX-5 Cup Series as a Team Principal. I am proud to be a part of such a team for Daytona, and hopefully future events. I seek to add to the success of Spark Performance and find more consistency in high-placing finishes that were seen throughout last season.”
A seasoned veteran and Champion in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series, Spark Performance Team Principal, Nathanial “Sparky” Sparks, recognized Bryce’s passion to keep going after a tough 2022 season… “We are looking forward to working with Bryce. His dedication and efforts to continue his racing career are inspirational. We are excited to have him in one of our cars for a wild season opener at Daytona.” Sparky is no stranger to success in motorsports, with championship wins in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Global Invitational (2016), the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship (2016, 2018), and the Idemitsu MX-5 Cup Championship (2021), also winning Team of The Year.
Cornet’s racing career has been a story built on dedication and grit. After being diagnosed with two congenital heart abnormalities (Wolff-Parkinson-White & Supraventricular Tachycardia) at the age of 15, Bryce underwent treatment to be cured and get back to racing during a time when his progression in motorsports was gaining momentum. Financial and physical constraints from the treatment delayed Bryce’s progression, but in 2018 Bryce began building momentum once again after winning the 2018 SCCA Championship Runoffs in Formula Mazda (Open-Wheel) and becoming familiar with Mazda’s unparalleled grassroots driver development paths. Bryce’s story is available to see online via an award-winning short documentary titled Driven. Bryce has proudly partnered with the American Heart Association and the Joe Abate Charitable Foundation, supporting fundraising efforts, congenital heart families, and heart health advocacy overall.
With the addition of Cornet, Spark Performance’s star-studded line-up driver count is now up to six, which includes 2021 Idemitsu MX-5 Cup Champion Gresham Wagner, 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Women’s Initiative Scholarship Winner, Heather Hadley, multi-year Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Nominee Grant West, and MX-5 Cup veterans, Hernan Palermo and Alex Bachoura.
Catch all the racing action live from Daytona on IMSA.tv, January 26th at 5:00 PM ET, and January 27th at 10:00 AM ET. For more information about the MX-5 Cup Series and its partners, please visit the series website at https://www.mx-5cup.com.