Ethan Jacobs (Milwaukee, WI) 

Perhaps the Shootout veteran of the group is Ethan Jacobs. Jacobs was a winner of the SMX Shootout in 2023 and participated in the 2024 MX-5 Cup Shootout. He wasn’t selected for a scholarship last year but has put in a tremendous amount of work for his return. Jacobs finished third in the SMX Championship this season, and took part in the last four races of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season, scoring a podium in Race 1 at Road Atlanta.

Ethan Lampe (Hollister, CA)

Back for his second try at the MX-5 Cup Shootout is Ethan Lampe, who arrived on the SMX scene in 2024 with a bang, winning SMX at the SCCA National Championships Runoffs in his first attempt. He’s backed that up with a second Runoffs victory this year and arrives as the newest SMX season champion. He earned that courtesy of an astounding eight SMX race wins in nine starts.

Luke Pullen (Staines, England, UK)

When he made his U.S. racing debut in Spec Miata last year at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Luke Pullen had never raced on proper racing slicks before, nor had he raced a car with the driver’s seat on the left. Still, he impressed enough people to earn an invite to the 2024 MX-5 Cup Shootout. He didn’t win a scholarship, so he made Stateside SMX racing his focus for 2025. His work paid off with three podium finishes, including a career-best second at Mid-Ohio.

Camryn Reed (Lafayette, LA) 

Camryn Reed has been a karting powerhouse since the age of nine, competing around the country and the globe. Her role in the karting community continues to expand as she explores opportunities beyond driving. She and her father have their own online store for karting parts. She’s done some commentating, and she’s recently started her own karting team, averaging 10-12 racers under her tent per race. This is her second time at the MX-5 Cup Shootout.

Cam Ebben (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

This Wisconsinite is a mainstay in the Spec Miata and SMX community and is following in the footsteps of his relatives as a third-generation racer. Cam Ebben won three SMX races this season and qualified on the SMX pole at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. He finished the SMX season fifth in the standings. Ebben is making his second appearance at the MX-5 Cup Shootout, his first coming in 2023. He is also quite fast off the track, collecting dozens of iRacing championships.

Skyler Cottrell (Atlanta, GA)

Leading into his first MX-5 Cup Shootout, Skyler Cottrell is well-prepared. He took part in six MX-5 Cup races in 2025 (the most allowed to still be eligible for the Shootout) and scored a top 10 in five of them. He finished ninth in the SMX regular series championship and was running in the top five at the SCCA National Championships Runoffs before his motor expired. When he’s not at a race track, Cottrell is studying economics at Georgia Southern University.